Red Junglefowl

The red junglefowl - ancestor of domestic chickens - displays a bright red comb and wattles that signal male quality to females. Comb size correlates with testosterone levels, immune function, and access to nutrition. Females preferentially mate with males bearing larger, brighter combs, and their offspring inherit both the preference and the capacity to grow impressive combs.

Research by Marlene Zuk demonstrated that comb size honestly signals parasite resistance. Males carrying heavy parasite loads show paler, smaller combs regardless of genetic potential. The signal works because the carotenoid pigments producing red coloration are also essential for immune function - displaying them means having enough to spare after meeting immune demands.

This translates to business signals that reveal organizational health through resource allocation. Generous employee benefits, sustained R&D investment, and community engagement all require diverting resources from immediate profit. Companies under financial stress cannot maintain these investments - they reveal strain by cutting programs that don't directly generate revenue. The junglefowl's comb reveals parasite load; corporate "combs" reveal financial load.

The junglefowl also shows how signals calibrate to competition intensity. In high-competition environments, only the most impressive combs succeed; in low-competition environments, modest combs suffice. Markets similarly calibrate - signaling investments that seem excessive in quiet markets become baseline requirements in contested ones.