Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 267, Issue 1459, Pages 2339-2343Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1289
Keywords
immunocompetence-handicap hypothesis; sand lizard; mass loss; tick load
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The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis suggests that androgen-dependent male characters constitute honest signals of mate and/or rival quality because of the imposed costs through immune suppression associated with elevated testosterone levels. We demonstrate in a field experiment that male sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) exposed to elevated testosterone suffered from increased mass loss and tick load compared to control males. Although the first of these two results could be due to an elevated basal metabolic rate from increased plasma testosterone levels, the increased parasite load was statistically independent of the loss in body condition and is likely to be due to compromised immune function. Testosterone-treated males showed greater mobility than control males, and greater mobility resulted in higher mating success. Our experiment thus lends support to the immunocompetence-handicap hypothesis, suggesting that male testosterone levels hate been moderated by balancing selection for reproductive success and sustained immune function.
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