Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Oecologia. 2010 Aug;163(4):867-74. doi: 10.1007/s00442-010-1646-9. Epub 2010 May 9.
Permanent colour polymorphisms may be maintained by complex interactions between physiological traits (e.g. immunity) and environmental pressures. In this study we investigate morph specific variation in parasite load and cellular immune response (induced by a Phytohaemagglutinin, PHA injection) in a colour polymorphic population of the Dalmatian wall lizard (Podarcis melisellensis), where adult males have bright white, yellow or orange throats and ventral sides. Orange males have larger heads and can bite harder than the others. To examine seasonal effects, analyses were performed at an early and late stage in the reproductive season (May and September). Infection with mites and ticks did not differ among morphs, but was more severe at the end of the reproductive season. Fewer orange individuals were infected with haemogregarines at the end of the season, but white males were always more infected (higher number of haemogregarines in their blood) than other morphs. White and yellow males showed an increased PHA response towards the end of the season, but PHA response decreased in the orange morph. Finally, across all morphs, a relationship was found between ectoparasite load and PHA response. Our study provides indications of alternative life-history strategies among colour morphs and evidence for an up-regulation of the immune function at the end of the reproductive season.
永久性颜色多态性可能是由生理特征（如免疫）和环境压力之间的复杂相互作用维持的。在这项研究中，我们研究了达尔马提亚壁蜥（Podarcis melisellensis）一个颜色多态种群中形态特有的寄生虫负荷和细胞免疫反应（由植物血凝素，PHA 注射引起）的变化，成年雄性有明亮的白色、黄色或橙色的喉咙和腹部。橙色雄性的头部更大，咬合力比其他雄性更强。为了检验季节性影响，我们在繁殖季节的早期和晚期（5 月和 9 月）进行了分析。形态之间的螨虫和蜱虫感染没有差异，但在繁殖季节末期更为严重。在季节末期，感染血变原虫的橙色个体较少，但白色雄性的感染率总是高于其他形态（血液中的血变原虫数量更多）。白色和黄色雄性在繁殖季节末期PHA 反应增加，但橙色形态的 PHA 反应下降。最后，在所有形态中，发现了外寄生虫负荷和 PHA 反应之间的关系。我们的研究提供了颜色多态性之间替代生活史策略的迹象，并为繁殖季节末期免疫功能的上调提供了证据。
