Meeting Abstract
The study of male ornamentation has been fundamental to advancing our understanding of sexual selection, yet we are only now beginning to examine elaborate ornamentation of females. Although female ornamentation was once thought to be non-adaptive, recent studies have demonstrated that female ornamentation functions in both intrasexual competition and male mate choice; however, few studies have examined the role of female ornamentation in lekking species. We investigated the function and mechanisms of female ornamentation in Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), a lekking species in which females exhibit an elaborate ornament (iridescent green neck plumage). We tested whether female ornamentation predicts dominance status and whether female dominance affects courtship behavior. Finally, we examined whether steroid hormones (estradiol and corticosterone) are related to female ornamentation and dominance. We found that dominant females have brighter ornaments than subordinate females. Additionally, dominant females copulated more than subordinate females and prevented subordinate females from interacting with displaying males. Our data did not find a relationship between steroid hormones and ornamentation or dominance status. This study provides insight into the evolution of conspicuous female traits by suggesting a role for female ornamentation in intrasexual competition in a lekking species.
