Are attractive male crickets better able to pay the costs of an immune challenge?
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Kelly CD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4690353 | biostudies-literature | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Are attractive male crickets better able to pay the costs of an immune challenge?
Kelly Clint D CD Telemeco Melissa S C MS Bartholomay Lyric C LC
PeerJ 20151217
Reproduction and immunity are fitness-related traits that trade-off with each other. Parasite-mediated theories of sexual selection suggest, however, that higher-quality males should suffer smaller costs to reproduction-related traits and behaviours (e.g., sexual display) from an immune challenge because these males possess more resources with which to deal with the challenge. We used Gryllus texensis field crickets to test the prediction that attractive males should better maintain the performa ...[more]
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