Blount Jonathan D, Metcalfe Neil B, Birkhead Tim R, Surai Peter F
Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
Science. 2003 Apr 4;300(5616):125-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1082142.
One hypothesis for why females in many animal species frequently prefer to mate with the most elaborately ornamented males predicts that availability of carotenoid pigments is a potentially limiting factor for both ornament expression and immune function. An implicit assumption of this hypothesis is that males that can afford to produce more elaborate carotenoid-dependent displays must be healthier individuals with superior immunocompetence. However, whether variation in circulating carotenoid levels causes variation in both immune function and sexual attractiveness has not been determined in any species. In this study, we show that manipulation of dietary carotenoid supply invokes parallel changes in cell-mediated immune function and sexual attractiveness in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).
关于为何许多动物物种中的雌性常常更倾向于与装饰最为精致的雄性交配，有一种假说预测，类胡萝卜素色素的可获得性对于装饰表达和免疫功能而言都是一个潜在的限制因素。这一假说的一个隐含假设是，能够负担得起产生更精致的依赖类胡萝卜素展示的雄性必定是具有卓越免疫能力的更健康个体。然而，在任何物种中，循环类胡萝卜素水平的变化是否会导致免疫功能和性吸引力的变化尚未得到确定。在本研究中，我们表明，对雄性斑胸草雀（Taeniopygia guttata）饮食中类胡萝卜素供应的操控会引发细胞介导的免疫功能和性吸引力的平行变化。
