An in-depth analysis reveals that signals, like the ornate train of the peacock need not be exaggerated, costly, or wasteful to be honest (IMAGE)

Hun-Ren Ökológiai Kutatóközpont

An in-depth analysis reveals that signals, like the ornate train of the peacock need not be exaggerated, costly, or wasteful to be honest

Caption

An in-depth analysis reveals that signals, like the ornate train of the peacock need not be exaggerated, costly, or wasteful to be honest. More fit individuals can invest more into signalling (reproduction) and survival and they can do it along a different trade-off (teal curve) than less fit individuals (red curve). This also means that fitter males may get more long-term reward (e.g. offspring) than weaker ones, independent of the actual energetic cost of the signal.

Credit

Credit: István Zachar 2026

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