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Nutritional status does not explain the increase of carotenoid-based coloration associated with age in Great Tits Parus major

Giraudeau, Mathieu ; Barcelo, Margarida ; Senar, Juan

In: Journal of Ornithology, 2014, vol. 155, no. 4, p. 1063-1066

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    Titel
    • Nutritional status does not explain the increase of carotenoid-based coloration associated with age in Great Tits Parus major
    Autor
    • Giraudeau, Mathieu. Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Barcelo, Margarida. Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology Associate Research Unit, CSIC, Natural History Museum of Barcelona, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
    • Senar, Juan. Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology Associate Research Unit, CSIC, Natural History Museum of Barcelona, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
    Dokumententyp
    • Postprint
    Sprache
    • Englisch
    Veröffentlicht in
    • Journal of Ornithology, 2014, vol. 155, no. 4, p. 1063-1066. Springer Berlin Heidelberg
    Andere elektronische Ausgabe
    OAI-PMH-ID
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:326451
    Summary
    In many bird species, yearling individuals are less colorful than older ones. However, the causal factors behind this difference of color are for the moment unknown. Here, we used ptilochronology in Great Tits Parus major to assess how nutritional conditions experienced by the same birds as yearling and adult are associated with this increase of coloration. Nutritional status was not different between yearling and adult individuals, suggesting that the increase in coloration with age is not due to an increase in foraging efficiency with age. Instead, our study implicates other behavioral and/or ecophysiological factors that drive yearling/adult differences in carotenoid ornamentation.