Data to: Carotenoids-based reddish pelvic spines in non-reproducing female and male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) – signalling social dominance? ...
Conspicuous ornaments are often considered a result of evolution by sexual selection. According to the social selection hypothesis, such conspicuous traits may also evolve as badges of status associated with increased boldness or aggression towards conspecifics in conflicts about ecological resource...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Dataset |
| Language: | English |
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Dryad
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1rn8pk0th https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.1rn8pk0th |
| Summary: | Conspicuous ornaments are often considered a result of evolution by sexual selection. According to the social selection hypothesis, such conspicuous traits may also evolve as badges of status associated with increased boldness or aggression towards conspecifics in conflicts about ecological resources. This study tested predictions from the social selection hypothesis to explain evolution of conspicuous red colour of the pelvic spines of the three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Wild non-reproducing sticklebacks were presented to pairs of dummies which differed at their pelvic spines, having either (i) normal sized grey or red pelvic spines, or (ii) normal sized grey or large red pelvic spines. The experimental tank was illuminated by white or green light, since green light impedes the sticklebacks’ ability to detect red colour. The dummies moved slowly around in circles at each end of the experimental tank. We quantified the parameters (i) which of the two dummies was visited first, (ii) time ... : Wild sticklebacks were collected from the 140 m long and 50 m wide and landlocked freshwater Lake Pallvatnet, located at an altitude of 140 m at 67°31’N, 14°40’E in Bodø, North Norway. Fish were caught by traps made of 1.5 L soda bottles deployed along the shore at 0.2 – 1.0 m depth. The traps fished for 24 hours 9 – 10 September 2019. Captured sticklebacks were transported to Mørkvedbukta Research Station in Bodø and kept in a 80 l storage tank with continuously flowing water until further handling. The fish in the storage tank were daily fed frozen Chironomidae larvae (Akvarie Teknik, DeLang and Ekman AB, Filipstad, Sweden). The experimental trials were carried out 13 September to 4 November 2019. Trials were run with a total of 37 males and 23 females. Twenty-four hours before each trial, one focal stickleback was isolated in a transparent Plexiglass tube (7.5 cm in diameter, 35 cm height), hereafter termed the “isolation tube”, and placed inside the storage tank with the other fish. The focal specimen ... |
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