DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Rapid warning color evolution in a poison-dart frog: Does male-male competition play a role?

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

One of the most spectacular examples of evolution is the existence of the bright, conspicuous colors that are widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Aposematic species, for example, use conspicuous ?warning? signals to advertize their toxicity to predators. The aposematic poison-dart frog, Dendrobates pumilio, has undergone a recent, rapid diversification in warning coloration. Though warning coloration evolves to deter predators, recent research suggests that it can also function in the context of within species communication. For example, the investigators have recently shown that male warning color brightness can predict the outcomes of D. pumilio male-male territorial interactions. Following from this, this study investigates the conditional correlates and fitness consequences of warning color variation in these males. Laboratory assays and behavioral observations will delineate the hormonal and dietary correlates and the social consequences of male color and brightness variation in natural populations of this species. Because warning coloration can communicate to a triad of viewers (predators, males, and females), this research will provide insights into how the interplay between natural and sexual selection drives conspicuous signal evolution. Results will also yield information on what environmental and physiological factors are correlated with warning color, an ecologically important trait. This species has proven to be a charismatic animal for educational outreach: the investigators? research has been featured in public outreach talks in Panama and the US and on internationally broadcasted television specials. The proposed work will provide research experience for undergraduates, opportunities for collaboration with Panamanian scientists, and its findings will be shared with the public through publically available databases, blogs, and ongoing outreach work by the co-PI at the Texas Natural Science Center.