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Relative contribution of dietary carotenoids and vitamin E to visual and chemical sexual signals of male Iberian green lizards: an experimental test

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Abstract

Carotenoid-based sexual ornaments are widespread, but the role of carotenoids as honest signalers in the trade-off between coloration and antioxidant protection remains controversial. It has been suggested that the function of carotenoids might not be an antioxidant per se, but that colorful carotenoids may indirectly reflect the levels of nonpigmentary antioxidants, such as melatonin or vitamin E. We experimentally fed male Iberian green lizards (Lacerta schreiberi) additional carotenoids or vitamin E alone, or a combination of carotenoids and vitamin E dissolved in soybean oil, whereas a control group only received soybean oil. We examined the effects of the dietary supplementations on characteristics of lizard sexual coloration and of the chemical profile of femoral gland secretions. Results indicated that both carotenoids and vitamin E in the diet increased the expression of some visual signals (head and chest, but not dorsum) in comparison to controls. However, different traits were differentially affected, and in many cases, the addition of vitamin E, alone or in combination with carotenoids, had a greater effect on the expression of coloration than the addition of carotenoids alone, even for carotenoid-dependent ornaments. Our results support the idea that other nonpigmentary antioxidants, such as vitamin E, are needed in addition to carotenoids to increase the expression of coloration of L. schreiberi lizards. Therefore, coloration may only indirectly reflect the levels of nonpigmentary antioxidants. In contrast, an increase in dietary nonpigmentary antioxidant vitamin E was directly reflected in the chemical signals. Because of an observed concordance between visual and chemical signals, we suggest that both may be used in different contexts albeit conveying similar messages in different sensory channels.

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Acknowledgments

We thank T. Madsen and one anonymous reviewer for helpful comments, Elena Fernández and Luis Cuadra for technical assistance with chemical analyses, and ‘El Ventorrillo’ MNCN Field Station for use of their facilities. Financial support was provided by the project MICIIN-CGL2011-24150/BOS and a JAE-pre-grant to RK.

Ethical standards

Captures of lizards and experiments complied with all current laws of Spain and were performed under license (permit number: 10/142790.9/11) from the Environmental Agency of Madrid Government (“Consejería del Medio Ambiente de la Comunidad de Madrid”, Spain).

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  1. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Renata Kopena, Pilar López & José Martín

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  1. Renata Kopena
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  2. Pilar López
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  3. José Martín
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Correspondence to José Martín.

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Communicated by T. Madsen

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Kopena, R., López, P. & Martín, J. Relative contribution of dietary carotenoids and vitamin E to visual and chemical sexual signals of male Iberian green lizards: an experimental test. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 68, 571–581 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1672-9

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