Testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis: A review of the evidence

By M. Roberts, K. Buchanan, Matthew R. Evans. 2004

716 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Subfields: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Global and Planetary Change, Nature and Landscape Conservation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/3ac3bb4c0bcf951e708f997be9e548ea081dbd51

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In Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

In Global and Planetary Change

In Nature and Landscape Conservation

Citations in the corpus

Social modulation of androgens in male vertebrates: Meta-analyses of the challenge hypothesis (2006, background): “It also provides a way to investigate the heterogeneity among studies, and to identify modulatory variables that may account for such heterogeneity (Hedges & Olkin 1985; Rosenthal 1991; Møller & Ninni 1998; Roberts et al. 2004).”
Glucocorticoid Hormone Levels Increase with Group Size and Parasite Load in Cliff Swallows (2006, background): “levels of these two hormones are correlated, a number of other studies have found no link between testosterone and corticosterone concentrations (reviewed in Roberts et al. 2004 ).”
Multiple signals in chameleon contests: designing and analysing animal contests as a tournament (2006, background): “carotenoids, Olson & Owens 1998) or association with testosterone levels or immune function (Roberts et al. 2004), are not known in this system, although flank patch size was not correlated with relative mass, suggesting that this trait is not condition dependent.”
Sexual selection on aggressiveness in females: evidence from an experimental test with tree swallows (2008, neutral): “…et al. 2002; Gill et al. 2007; but see Elekonich & Wingfield 2000; Jawor et al. 2006), aggressive females may also experience increased stress levels or lower immune function (Folstad & Karter 1992; Braude et al. 1999; Wingfield et al. 2001; Ketterson et al. 2005; but see Roberts et al. 2004).”
Physiological mechanisms mediating costs of immune responses: what can we learn from studies of birds? (2012, background): “Note also that glucocorticoids (Fowles et al. 1993; Evans et al. 2000; Owen-Ashley et al. 2004; Roberts et al. 2004) and heat shock proteins (Merino et al. 2001; Morales et al. 2006; but see Garamszegi et al. 2006) have been found to correlate negatively with immune responses in wild birds.”
Relating endocrinology, physiology and behaviour using species with alternative mating strategies (2007, background): “…elevated testosterone and components of immune function (e.g. cell-mediated, humoral or leukocyte counts) has mixed empirical support (Casto, Nolan & Ketterson 2001; Roberts et al. 2004; Buchanan et al. 2003; Owen-Ashley, Hasselquist & Wingﬁeld 2004; Deviche & Cortez 2005; Greives et al. 2006).”
Effect of testosterone on immunocompetence, parasite load, and metabolism in the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) (2004, background): “In a recent review (Roberts et al. 2004), a metaanalysis shows no effect of testosterone on direct measures of immunity, but it did increase ectoparasite abundance in several studies, particularly in reptiles.”
Chapter 7 Hormones in Avian Eggs: Physiology, Ecology and Behavior (2008, background): “Numerous studies in behavioral ecology have addressed the question of whether androgen‐mediated ornamentation is costly to bearers because of the immunosuppression caused by androgens (for a review see: Roberts et al., 2004).”
Correlated evolution of male and female testosterone profiles in birds and its consequences (2005, background): “Numerous other experiments on males have shown negative effects of testosterone on immunity (Casto et al. 2001; Mougeot et al. 2004; Owen-Ashley et al. 2004; review in Roberts et al. 2004).”
Costs and benefits of fat-free muscle mass in men: relationship to mating success, dietary requirements, and native immunity (2009, background): “In a meta-analysis of hormone manipulation studies with birds and mammals, Roberts et al. (2004) found only a weak effect of testosterone on immunity, but these authors neglected to group species by mating system and thus did not properly test the sexual-selection hypothesis.”
Increased mite parasitism as a cost of testosterone in male striped plateau lizards Sceloporus virgatus (2007, background): “Further, only five of 17 such experiments reviewed by Roberts et al . (2004) included both castration and exogenous T replacement, with no castration studies conducted on reptile hosts (but see Cox et al . 2005a).”
Ultraviolet signals ultra-aggression in a lizard (2006, background): “However, high levels of testosterone may serve as an additional constraint on signal expression (as an honest signal) because testosterone can compromise the immune system (Peters 2000; Roberts et al. 2004) and reduce survival (Peters 2000; Sinervo et al.”
Testosterone and melanin-based black plumage coloration: a comparative study (2008, background): “Furthermore, the modulation of plasma-T effects by sensitivity mechanisms is thought to vary with latitude, species with longer breeding seasons towards the Equator maintaining lower plasma T than temperate species and relying more on receptor-mediated mechanisms to avoid the costs of prolonged high”
Oxidative stress as a mediator of life history trade-offs: mechanisms, measurements and interpretation. (2009, background): “While the honesty of such signals has been assumed to be maintained by the suppressive effect of androgens on the immune system, the link between androgens and immunocompetence is far from clear (Roberts et al. 2004).”
Condition and androgen levels: are condition-dependent and testosterone-mediated traits two sides of the same coin? (2006, result): “A considerable number of studies have contributed results compatible with, or supporting, the first, second and third assumptions, although it seems that empirical support for the ICHH is still weak (reviewed in Roberts et al. 2004).”
A practical guide to question formation, systematic searching and study screening for literature reviews in ecology and evolution (2021, background): “For instance, researchers might want to focus only on experimental studies to establish causal relationships (e.g. Roberts et al., 2004).”