TY - JOUR
T1 - Male tawny dragons use throat patterns to recognize rivals
AU - Osborne, Louise
AU - Umbers, Kate D. L.
AU - Backwell, Patricia R. Y.
AU - Keogh, J. Scott
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The ability to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics is important for many animals, especially territorial species since it allows them to avoid unnecessary interactions with individuals that pose little threat. There are very few studies, however, that identify the proximate cues that facilitate such recognition in visual systems. Here, we show that in tawny dragons (Ctenophorus decresii), males can recognize familiar and unfamiliar conspecific males based on morphological features alone, without the aid of chemical or behavioural cues. We further show that it is the colour pattern of the throat patches (gular) that facilitates this recognition.
AB - The ability to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics is important for many animals, especially territorial species since it allows them to avoid unnecessary interactions with individuals that pose little threat. There are very few studies, however, that identify the proximate cues that facilitate such recognition in visual systems. Here, we show that in tawny dragons (Ctenophorus decresii), males can recognize familiar and unfamiliar conspecific males based on morphological features alone, without the aid of chemical or behavioural cues. We further show that it is the colour pattern of the throat patches (gular) that facilitates this recognition.
UR - http://handle.westernsydney.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:41659
U2 - 10.1007/s00114-012-0968-3
DO - 10.1007/s00114-012-0968-3
M3 - Article
SN - 0028-1042
VL - 99
SP - 869
EP - 872
JO - Naturwissenschaften
JF - Naturwissenschaften
IS - 10
ER -