Ornamental colors reveal age in the king penguin

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Nicolaus, Marion, Le Bohec, Céline, M. Nolan, Paul, Gauthier-Clerc, Michel, Le Maho, Yvon, Komdeur, Jan, Jouventin, Pierre
• Other Authors: Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud )-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen Groningen, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE-IPHC), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Biology, Centre de recherche de la Tour du Valat
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2007
• Subjects: Plumage maturation; UV; Ornamental size; Mutual ornamentation; Aptenodytes patagonicus; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; King Penguins; Polar Biology
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00564317; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0332-9

International audience We investigated whether delayed plumage maturation occurred in king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus). Therefore we examined the relationships between age and sex on spectral properties and size of two colored plumage patches and a UV-reXective beak spot, using known-age cohorts. Unlike the colored patch on the breast, we found age diVerences in ear and beak coloration. These results suggest that head ornaments in king penguins could signal sexual maturity or social status. No sex diVerences were found in the intensity of colored ornaments, which can result from mutual mate choice or genetic correlation between sexes. Size of colored patches did not relate to age or sex.