| carotenoid-based plumage coloration predicts resistance to a novel parasite in the house finch. | the hamilton-zuk hypothesis proposes that the bright colours displayed by many species of birds serve as signals of individual resistance to parasites. despite the popularity of this hypothesis, only one previous study has tested whether plumage coloration predicts how individuals respond to a disease challenge. we inoculated 24 male house finches (carpodacus mexicanus) of variable plumage hue with a novel bacterial pathogen, mycoplasma gallicepticum (mg). we found no relationship between plumag ... | 2005 | 15558224 |