Data to estimate the effect of inbreeding on breeding coloration in sand lizards

Animal color signals may function as indicators of fighting ability when males compete for access to females. This allows opponents to settle aggressive interactions before they escalate into physical combat and injury. Thus, there may be strong directional selection on these traits, toward enhanced signal quality. This renders sexually selected traits particularly susceptible to inbreeding depression, due to relatively low ratios of additive genetic variance to dominance variance. We measured the effects of inbreeding on an intrasexually selected color signal (the badge) in a population of Swedish sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) using the Rhh software based on 17 to 21 microsatellites. Males of this sexually dichromatic species use the badge during aggressive interactions to display, and assess, fighting ability. We found negative effects of homozygosity on badge size, saturation, and brightness. However, no such effects were observed on color hue. Pairwise correlations between badge siz..., ,当雄性为争夺雌性交配权而展开竞争时，动物的体色信号可作为其打斗能力的指示标志。这使得敌对双方能够在攻击性互动升级为肢体搏斗并造成损伤之前，就平息冲突。由此，针对这类性状可能存在强烈的定向选择，以提升信号品质。由于加性遗传方差（additive genetic variance）与显性遗传方差（dominance variance）的比值相对偏低，经性选择演化的性状便格外容易受到近交衰退（inbreeding depression）的影响。本研究以瑞典沙蜥（Lacerta agilis）种群为研究对象，依托17至21个微卫星（microsatellites）标记，借助Rhh软件分析了近交对同性选择体色信号（即“饰斑”）的作用效应。该性二色性物种的雄性个体，会在攻击性互动中借助该饰斑展示并评估自身的打斗能力。研究发现，纯合度（homozygosity）对饰斑的大小、饱和度与亮度均存在负向影响。然而，体色色调（color hue）未观测到此类效应。饰斑大小间的两两相关性……