Data from: Local adaptation and divergence in colour signal conspicuousness between monomorphic and polymorphic lineages in a lizard

Population differences in visual environment can lead to divergence in
multiple components of animal coloration including signalling traits and
colour patterns important for camouflage. Divergence may reflect selection
imposed by different receivers (conspecifics, predators), which depends in
turn on the location of the colour patch. We tested for local adaptation
of two genetically and phenotypically divergent lineages of a
rock-inhabiting lizard, Ctenophorus decresii, by comparing the visual
contrast of colour patches to different receivers in native and non-native
environments. The lineages differ most notably in male throat coloration,
which is polymorphic in the northern lineage and monomorphic in the
southern lineage, but also differ in dorsal and lateral coloration, which
is visible to both conspecifics and potential predators. Using models of
animal colour vision, we assessed whether lineage-specific throat, dorsal
and lateral coloration enhanced conspicuousness to conspecifics, increased
crypsis to birds or both, respectively, when viewed against the
predominant backgrounds from each lineage. Throat colours were no more
conspicuous against native than non-native rock but contrasted more
strongly with native lichen, which occurs patchily on rocks inhabited by
C. decresii. Conversely, neck coloration (lateral) more closely matched
native lichen. Furthermore, although dorsal coloration of southern males
was consistently more conspicuous to birds than that of northern males,
both lineages had similar absolute conspicuousness against their native
backgrounds. Combined, our results are consistent with local adaptation of
multiple colour traits in relation to multiple receivers, suggesting that
geographic variation in background colour has influenced the evolution of
lineage-specific coloration in C. decresii.