Flashy male Jamaican anoles Anolis grahami show accelerated telomere attrition

Secondary sexual traits have evolved through sexual selection, many species have developed signals that can indicate their level of other fitness-relevant traits such as fight ability. Previous studies have shown that male sexual signals are honest signals about quality in an intrasexual context, demonstrating a direct relationship between the signal’s design and the fighting ability of its possessor. However, signals can be costly since conspicuous signals are more likely to attract predators or be energetically expensive. Here we have analysed if dewlap size and colouration were reliable signs of a male’s bite force, and the physiological costs associated with larger dewlaps and intense colouration in Jamaican anoles (Anolis grahami). We analysed dewlap size and colouration against bite force, and telomere attrition. Our results supported the hypothesis that dewlap size and colour intensity are honest predictors of an individual’s fighting potential as indicated by bite force. However, we have also found a relationship between colour intensity with higher telomere attrition rates, thereby indicating a possible cost of this trait for the individual.