Variation in dorsal crest morphology and tail height with age in great crested newts (Triturus cristatus)

Variation in dorsal crest morphology and tail height in males of a populati on of great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) was examined in relation to putative age. Newts were divided into three age classes according to the nu mber of years that they had been recorded in the breeding population: first -year breeders, second-year breeders and long-term breeders. Crest morpholo gy differed between the age classes, with a tendency for the crest's teeth to be more irregular in older males. We believe this is the first recorded, evidence of age-dependent variation in a sexually selected, morphological character in an amphibian. However, it remains to be tested whether females distinguish between males on the basis of crest morphology. Body size (sno ut-vent length) and tail height, which is strongly correlated with crest si ze, also differed between the age groups: body size increased with age and males breeding for the first time had tails that were less tall than those of older animals.