Sexually Selected Male Plumage Color Is Testosterone Dependent in a Tropical Passerine Bird, the Red-Backed Fairy-Wren (Malurus melanocephalus)
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Sexual signals, such as bright plumage coloration in passerine birds, reflect individual quality, and testosterone (T) may play a critical role in maintaining signal honesty. Manipulations of T during molt have yielded mixed effects on passerine plumage color, in most cases delaying molt or leading to production of drab plumage. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted on species that undergo a post-nuptial molt when T is low; the role of T in species that acquire breeding plumage during a pre-nuptial molt remains largely unexplored. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We experimentally tested the effects of increased T on plumage color in second-year male red-backed fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus), a species in which after-second-year males undergo a pre-nuptial molt into red/black (carotenoid and melanin-based) plumage and second-year males either assume red/black or brown breeding plumage. T treatment stimulated a rapid and early onset pre-nuptial molt and resulted in red/black plumage acquisition, bill darkening, and growth of the sperm storage organ, but had no effect on body condition or corticosterone concentrations. Control males molted later and assumed brown plumage. T treated males produced feathers with similar but not identical reflectance parameters to those of unmanipulated after-second-year red/black males; while reflectance spectra of red back and black crown feathers were similar, black breast feathers differed in UV chroma, hue and brightness, indicating a potentially age and plumage patch-dependent response to T for melanin- vs. carotenoid-pigmentation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We show that testosterone is the primary mechanism functioning during the pre-nuptial molt to regulate intrasexually variable plumage color and breeding phenotype in male red-backed fairy-wrens. Our results suggest that the effects of T on plumage coloration may vary with timing of molt (pre- vs. post-nuptial), and that the role of T in mediating plumage signal production may differ across age classes, plumage patches, and between pigment-types.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In other Galliformes, testosterone levels are related to the onset of sexually selected ornamental and behavioural displays.
“In other Galliformes, testosterone levels are related to the onset of sexually selected ornamental and behavioural displays2627.”
From The peacock train does not handicap cursorial locomotor performance (2016) · cites this paper as [26]
The Results (Molt and Plumage Color; page unavailable) report that testosterone treatment stimulated earlier molt, and the Discussion links testosterone to breeding plumage in red-backed fairy-wrens. The cited paper studies a passerine, not Galliformes, and these passages do not establish the onset of behavioural displays in Galliformes. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Biometry: The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research
Sokal, R. R., & Rohlf, F. J. (1969) · Cited by 20,963 · see citing works
Andersson, M. (1994) · Princeton University Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780691207278 · Cited by 7,911 · see citing works
Biometry: The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research (2nd ed.).
Bailey, K., Sokal, R. R., & Rohlf, F. J. (1982) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.2307/2287349 · Cited by 3,721 · see citing works
Parasites, Bright Males, and the Immunocompetence Handicap
Folstad, I., & Karter, A. J. (1992) · The American Naturalist · doi:10.1086/285346 · Cited by 2,799 · see citing works
Laboratory techniques in biochemistry and molecular biology
Work, T. S., & Work, E. (1973) · Food and Cosmetics Toxicology · doi:10.1016/0015-6264(73)90270-8 · Cited by 2,181 · see citing works
Yolk is a source of maternal testosterone for developing birds.
Schwabl, H. G. (1993) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.90.24.11446 · Cited by 869 · see citing works
Self-citationTesting the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis: a review of the evidence
Roberts, M. L., Buchanan, K. L., & Evans, M. R. (2004) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.05.001 · Cited by 739 · see citing works
Cotton, S., Fowler, K., & Pomiankowski, A. (2004) · Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2688 · Cited by 625 · see citing works
Sexual selection unhandicapped by the fisher process
Grafen, A. (1990) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/s0022-5193(05)80087-6 · Cited by 593 · see citing works
Avoiding the ‘Costs’ of Testosterone: Ecological Bases of Hormone-Behavior Interactions
Wingfield, J. C., Lynn, S. E., & Soma, K. K. (2001) · Brain Behavior and Evolution · doi:10.1159/000047243 · Cited by 565 · see citing works
Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds
(1960) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/c2013-0-12389-6 · Cited by 537 · see citing works
Hormones and Life Histories: An Integrative Approach
Ketterson, E. D., & Nolan, V. (1992) · The American Naturalist · doi:10.1086/285396 · Cited by 524 · see citing works
GUIDELINES TO THE USE OF WILD BIRDS IN RESEARCH
Fair, J. M., Paul, E. F., Jones, J. J., et al. (2010) · Cited by 517 · see citing works
An Introduction to Radioimmunoassay and Related Techniques
Chard, T. (1978) · Laboratory techniques in biochemistry and molecular biology · doi:10.1016/s0075-7535(08)70168-2 · Cited by 425 · see citing works
Testosterone and oxidative stress: the oxidation handicap hypothesis
Alonso‐Álvarez, C., Bertrand, S., Faivre, B., Chastel, O., & Sorci, G. (2006) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3764 · Cited by 353 · see citing works
Evans, M. R., Goldsmith, A. R., & Norris, S. R. A. (2000) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s002650050006 · Cited by 315 · see citing works
Buchanan, K. L., Evans, M. R., Goldsmith, A. R., Bryant, D. M., & Rowe, L. V. (2001) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1669 · Cited by 313 · see citing works
MELANIN ORNAMENTS, HONESTY, AND SEXUAL SELECTION
Jawor, J. M., & Breitwisch, R. (2003) · The Auk · doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2003)120[0249:mohass]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 296 · see citing works
Hormonal basis of sexual dimorphism in birds: implications for new theories of sexual selection
Owens, I. P. F., & Short, R. V. (1995) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(00)88967-3 · Cited by 293 · see citing works
Peters, A. (2000) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1085 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Endocrine-immune interactions, ornaments and mate choice in red jungle fowl
Zuk, M., Johnsen, T. S., & MacLarty, T. (1995) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.1995.0081 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Testosterone increases bioavailability of carotenoids: Insights into the honesty of sexual signaling
Blas, J., Pérez‐Rodríguez, L., Bortolotti, G. R., Viñuela, J., & Marchant, T. A. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0609189103 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Environmental and endocrine control of reproduction in the song sparrow, Melospiza melodia
Wingfield, J. C. (1984) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/0016-6480(84)90083-2 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Hill, G. E., & McGraw, K. J. (2006) · Harvard University Press eBooks · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Avian mothers create different phenotypes by hormone deposition in their eggs
Eising, C. M., Müller, W., & Groothuis, T. G. G. (2005) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2005.0391 · Cited by 189 · see citing works
Strasser, R., & Schwabl, H. G. (2004) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s00265-004-0810-9 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Self-citationTestosterone in Tropical Birds: Effects of Environmental and Social Factors
Goymann, W., Moore, I. T., Scheuerlein, A., Hirschenhauser, K., Grafen, A., & Wingfield, J. C. (2004) · The American Naturalist · doi:10.1086/422856 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Bird Coloration. Volume I: Mechanisms And Measurements
Inouye, C. Y. (2007) · Ornithological Applications · doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[482:bcvmam]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Clotfelter, E. D., O’Neal, D. M., Gaudioso, J. M., et al. (2004) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.03.003 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Sex and Secondary Sexual Characters
Witschi, E. (1961) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-1-4832-3143-3.50012-5 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Testosterone and sexual signalling in male house sparrows (Passer domesticus)
Gonzalez, G., Sorci, G., Smith, L. C., & de Lope, F. (2001) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s002650100399 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Testosterone upregulates lipoprotein status to control sexual attractiveness in a colorful songbird
McGraw, K. J., Correa, S. M., & Adkins–Regan, E. (2005) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s00265-005-0135-3 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Peters, A., Astheimer, L. B., Boland, C. R. J., & Cockburn, A. (2000) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s002650050688 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Nolan, V., Ketterson, E. D., Ziegenfus, C. W. S., et al. (1992) · Ornithological Applications · doi:10.2307/1369209 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Shield Characteristics Are Testosterone-Dependent in Both Male and Female Moorhens
Eens, M., Duyse, E. V., Berghman, L. R., & Pinxten, R. (2000) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1006/hbeh.1999.1569 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Runfeldt, S., & Wingfield, J. C. (1985) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(85)80064-6 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Testosterone and melanin-based black plumage coloration: a comparative study
Bókony, V., Garamszegi, L. Z., Hirschenhauser, K., & Liker, A. (2008) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s00265-008-0551-2 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Secondary sexual characters, parasites and testosterone in the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
Saino, N., & Møller, A. P. (1994) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1006/anbe.1994.1369 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
REPRODUCTIVE SEASONALITY OF SEVEN NEOTROPICAL PASSERINE SPECIES
Wikelski, M. C., Hau, M., Robinson, W. D., et al. (2003) · Ornithological Applications · doi:10.1650/7251 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Sperm Competition and the Reproductive Anatomy of Male Superb Fairy-Wrens
Mulder, R. A., & Cockburn, A. (1993) · The Auk · doi:10.2307/4088422 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Plumage color and reproduction in the red-backed fairy-wren: Why be a dull breeder?
Webster, M. S., Varian, C. W., & Karubian, J. O. (2008) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/arn015 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Self-citationCOSTS AND BENEFITS OF VARIABLE BREEDING PLUMAGE IN THE RED-BACKED FAIRY-WREN
Karubian, J. O. (2002) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb01479.x · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Pérez‐Rodríguez, L., Blas, J., Viñuela, J., Marchant, T. A., & Bortolotti, G. R. (2006) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.09.021 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Day, L. B., McBroom, J. T., & Schlinger, B. A. (2005) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.07.006 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
The effects of elevated testosterone on plumage hue in male House Finches
Stoehr, A. M., & Hill, G. E. (2001) · Journal of Avian Biology · doi:10.1034/j.1600-048x.2001.320208.x · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Peters, A. (2007) · BioEssays · doi:10.1002/bies.20563 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Carotenoid maintenance handicap and the physiology of carotenoid-based signalisation of health
Vinkler, M., & Albrecht, T. (2009) · Die Naturwissenschaften · doi:10.1007/s00114-009-0595-9 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Karubian, J. O., Lindsay, W. R., Schwabl, H. G., et al. (2011) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.01.012 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Self-citationAcquisition of breeding coloration depends on badge size in male house sparrows Passer domesticus
M�ller, A. P., & Erritz�e, J. (1992) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/bf00171682 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Testosterone Implants Affect Molt in Male European Starlings, Sturnus vulgaris
Schleussner, G., Dittami, J., & Gwinner, E. (1985) · Physiological Zoology · doi:10.1086/physzool.58.5.30158586 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Collis, K., & Borgia, G. (1992) · Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) · doi:10.1093/auk/109.3.422 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Gonzalez, G., Sorci, G., Smith, L. C., & de Lope, F. (2002) · Ethology · doi:10.1046/j.1439-0310.2002.00779.x · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Testosterone increases UV reflectance of sexually selected crown plumage in male blue tits
Roberts, M. L., Ras, E., & Peters, A. (2009) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/arp028 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Dawson, A. (1994) · Ibis · doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1994.tb01104.x · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Plumage coloration, ejaculate quality and reproductive phenotype in the red-backed fairy-wren
Rowe, M., Swaddle, J. P., Pruett‐Jones, S., et al. (2010) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.02.020 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Peters, A., Delhey, K. J. V., Goymann, W., & Kempenaers, B. (2006) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s00265-005-0095-7 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
The effects of delayed plumage maturation on aggression and survival in male red-backed fairy-wrens
Karubian, J. O., Sillett, T. S., & Webster, M. S. (2008) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/arm159 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Self-citationLindsay, W. R., Webster, M. S., Varian‐Ramos, C. W., & Schwabl, H. G. (2009) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.02.027 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Self-citationGoymann, W., Möstl, E., & Gwinner, E. (2002) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s0016-6480(02)00520-8 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Goymann, W., Möstl, E., & Gwinner, E. (2002) · The Auk · doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119[1167:cmcbmn]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Is testosterone immunosuppressive in a condition-dependent manner? An experimental test in blue tits
Roberts, M., & Peters, A. (2009) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.031047 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Hormonal Control of Coloration
Kimball, R. T. (2006) · Harvard University Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctv22jnscm.13 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Condition-dependent sexual traits and social dominance in the house finch
Duckworth, R. A., Mendonça, M. T., & Hill, G. E. (2004) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/arh079 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Casagrande, S., Dijkstra, C., Tagliavini, J., Goerlich, V. C., & Groothuis, T. G. G. (2010) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-010-0579-4 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Kurvers, R. H. J. M., Roberts, M. L., McWilliams, S. R., et al. (2008) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.03.011 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
CAROTENOIDS IN THE SEMINAL FLUID OF WILD BIRDS: INTERSPECIFIC VARIATION IN FAIRY-WRENS
Rowe, M., & McGraw, K. J. (2008) · Ornithological Applications · doi:10.1525/cond.2008.8604 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Varian‐Ramos, C. W., Karubian, J. O., Talbott, V., et al. (2010) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/s00265-010-0912-5 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Karubian, J. O. (2008) · Journal of Avian Biology · doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2008.04161.x · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Couvreur, P. (1991) · Journal of Controlled Release · doi:10.1016/0168-3659(91)90061-h · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Galván, I., & Alonso‐Álvarez, C. (2010) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.045096 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [13]Hill GE McGraw KJ 2006 Bird Coloration Volume II: Function and Evolution Cambridge, Massachusetts Harvard University Press
- [49]Pyle P Howell SNG Yunick RP Desante DF 1987 Identification Guide to North American Passerines Bolinas, California Slate Creek Press 273
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The peacock train does not handicap cursorial locomotor performance
Thavarajah, N. K., Tickle, P. G., Nudds, R. L., & Codd, J. R. (2016) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep36512 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- Lindsay, W. R., Webster, M. S., & Schwabl, H.
- Affiliations
- Washington State University (US)
- Cornell University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lindsay, Willow R.
- Venue
- PLoS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2011-10-05
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- e26067
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3187837
- OpenAlex
- W2005064545
- Cited by
- 75
- References
- 71
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 4.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (0750540, 0213075, 0818962)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Avian ecology and behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Keywords
- testosterone, plumage coloration, sexual selection, red-backed fairy-wren, Malurus melanocephalus, melanin pigmentation, carotenoid pigmentation, ultraviolet reflectance, honest signaling, sperm storage organs, bill coloration, Passeriformes
- MeSH terms
- Androgens, Animals, Corticosterone, Feathers, Female, Male, Organ Size, Phenotype, Pigmentation, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Testosterone, Passeriformes
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
