Symposium: Stress, condition and ornamentation

Over the past two decades, the hypothesis that ornamental traits signal the condition of animals has become a prominent paradigm in behavioral and evolutionary biology. At its inception, the concept of condition-dependent signaling was developed with little consideration of the cellular and biochemical mechanisms that might underlie condition. Over this same two-decade period, the study of stress and the mechanisms by which animals cope with stress became a major topic of research among physiological ecologists. In just the past few years, there has been a surge of interest in integrating the insights from physiological studies of stress response, particularly related to endocrine control, immune systems, and oxidative state, with evolutionary investigations of animal ornamentation.

Condition-dependent ornamental signaling is among the hottest topics in both evolutionary and physiological ecology. The unification of cellular and biochemical mechanisms with studies of mate choice and social interactions within the broader investigation of ornamental traits is a very exciting development with particular relevance to the SICB. In this symposium we bring together some of the world’s leading experts on the mechanisms that link condition, stress, and ornaments (and armaments).

Sponsors: SICB Divisions: Animal Behavior, Comparative Endocrinology, Ecology & Evolution, and Comparative Physiology & Biochemistry.

Organizer

• Geoffrey E. Hill, Department of Biological Science, Auburn University, Auburn AL

Speakers

S2.1-1 Saturday, Jan. 4, 08:00 CAREAU, V; BUTTEMER, WA; BUCHANAN, KL*:

Effects of developmental stress on a suite of physiological and behavioural traits in the zebra finch.

S2.1-2 Saturday, Jan. 4, 08:30 BALENGER, Susan L.*; ZUK, Marlene:

Testing the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis with 21st century genetic tools

S2.1-3 Saturday, Jan. 4, 09:00 PETERS, S.*; SEARCY, W.A.; NOWICKI, S.:

Developmental stress, song learning and cognition

S2.1-4 Saturday, Jan. 4, 09:30 MACDOUGALL-SHACKLETON, SA*; MACDOUGALL-SHACKLETON, EA; SCHMIDT, KL; KUBLI, SP:

Developmental Stress, Condition, and Sexually Selected Traits in Song Sparrows

S2.2-1 Saturday, Jan. 4, 10:30 TIBBETTS, Elizabeth:

The evolution of honest communication: integrating social and physiological costs of ornamentation

S2.2-2 Saturday, Jan. 4, 11:00 MOREHOUSE, N.I.:

Nutritional Stress and the Evolution of Sexual Ornamentation: A Life History Perspective

S2.2-3 Saturday, Jan. 4, 11:30 LAVINE, L.C.*; EMLEN, D. J.; DUKE, A.; WARREN, I.A.; GOTOH, H.:

Mechanisms of Honest Signaling in Condition Dependent Growth in Exaggerated Traits

S2.3-1 Saturday, Jan. 4, 13:30 MCGRAW, KJ*; GIRAUDEAU, M:

Sex and disease in the city: links between coloration, parasites, and urbanization

S2.3-2 Saturday, Jan. 4, 14:00 D’ALBA, L.*; SPENCER, K.A.; VAN HEMERT, C.; HEIDINGER, B.J.; GILL, L.; EVANS, N.P.; MONAGHAN, P.; SHAWKEY, M.D.:

The mechanisms of condition-dependent variation in melanin-based plumage color.

S2.3-3 Saturday, Jan. 4, 14:30 HILL, G. E.:

Cellular respiration: the nexus of stress, condition, and ornamentation