1
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Porzio NS, Crottini A, Leite RN, Mota PG. Song determined by phylogeny and body mass in two differently constrained groups of birds: manakins and cardinals. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:109. [PMID: 39160456 PMCID: PMC11331619 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02298-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The songs of birds are complex signals that may have several functions and vary widely among species. Different ecological, behavioural and morphological factors, as well as phylogeny, have been associated as predictors of the evolution of song structure. However, the importance of differences in development, despite their relevance, has seldom been considered. Here, we analysed the evolution of song in two families of songbirds that differ in song development, manakins (suboscines) and cardinals (oscines), with their phylogeny, morphology, and ecology. Our results show that song characteristics had higher phylogenetic signal in cardinals than in manakins, suggesting higher evolutionary lability in the suboscines. Body mass was the main predictor of song parameters in manakins, and together with habitat type, had a major effect on cardinals' song structure. Precipitation and altitude were also associated with some song characteristics in cardinals. Our results bring unexpected insights into birdsong evolution, in which non-learners (manakins) revealed greater evolutionary lability than song learners (cardinals).
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália S Porzio
- Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências E Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade Do Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre S/N, 4169- 007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rafael N Leite
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Conservation and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Amazonian Research, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Paulo G Mota
- Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências E Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
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2
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Newman BA, Dyal JR, Miller KV, Cherry MJ, D'Angelo GJ. Influence of visual perception on movement decisions by an ungulate prey species. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059932. [PMID: 37843403 PMCID: PMC10602006 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual perception is dynamic and depends on physiological properties of a species' visual system and physical characteristics of the environment. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are most sensitive to short- and mid-wavelength light (e.g. blue and green). Wavelength enrichment varies spatially and temporally across the landscape. We assessed how the visual perception of deer influences their movement decisions. From August to September 2019, we recorded 10-min locations from 15 GPS-collared adult male deer in Central Florida. We used Hidden-Markov models to identify periods of movement by deer and subset these data into three time periods based on temporal changes in light environments. We modeled resource selection during movement using path-selection functions and simulated 10 available paths for every path used. We developed five a priori models and used 10-fold cross validation to assess our top model's performance for each time period. During the day, deer selected to move through woodland shade, avoided forest shade, and neither selected nor avoided small gaps. At twilight, deer avoided wetlands as cloud cover increased but neither selected nor avoided other cover types. Visual cues and signals are likely more conspicuous to deer in short-wavelength-enriched woodland shade during the day, while at twilight in long-wavelength-enriched wetlands during cloud cover, visual cues are likely less conspicuous. The nocturnal light environment did not influence resource selection and likely has little effect on deer movements because it's relatively homogenous. Our findings suggest visual perception relative to light environments is likely an underappreciated driver of behaviors and decision-making by an ungulate prey species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaise A. Newman
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jordan R. Dyal
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Michael J. Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Gino J. D'Angelo
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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3
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Environmental variation promotes colour morph-specific behavioural differences in a cichlid fish. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
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4
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Gonzalez SC, Briggs-Gonzalez VS. The effects of environmental cues on chorusing onset in a tropical frog assemblage. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
There are extensive studies on frog calling behaviours, including the effects of environmental variables, however, there are no known studies to explore the specific proximate cues that stimulate the onset of calling in an individual on a given night. The aim of this study is to identify and quantify the species-specific set of environmental variables that stimulate males to produce mating calls under natural conditions. Call surveys were conducted at an active breeding pond on the edge of Parque Nacional Soberanía, Panama, during the breeding seasons of 2009 and 2010. Observations were made on 20 anuran species at the study site and we examined the onset of calling in nine species that were active and most consistently present during breeding seasons. We used logistic and linear regression models to investigate environmental conditions that affect calling for each species. The initiation of chorusing differed by species and key factors included ambient light, rainfall, and lunar cycle. Our data define the margins of a behavioural-environmental envelope that is species-specific and is not related to calling behaviour itself but is rather defined by physiological constraints related to environmental exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio C. Gonzalez
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
| | - Venetia S. Briggs-Gonzalez
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
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5
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Tan EJ, Elgar MA. Motion: enhancing signals and concealing cues. Biol Open 2021; 10:271863. [PMID: 34414408 PMCID: PMC8411570 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal colour patterns remain a lively focus of evolutionary and behavioural ecology, despite the considerable conceptual and technical developments over the last four decades. Nevertheless, our current understanding of the function and efficacy of animal colour patterns remains largely shaped by a focus on stationary animals, typically in a static background. Yet, this rarely reflects the natural world: most animals are mobile in their search for food and mates, and their surrounding environment is usually dynamic. Thus, visual signalling involves not only animal colour patterns, but also the patterns of animal motion and behaviour, often in the context of a potentially dynamic background. While motion can reveal information about the signaller by attracting attention or revealing signaller attributes, motion can also be a means of concealing cues, by reducing the likelihood of detection (motion camouflage, motion masquerade and flicker-fusion effect) or the likelihood of capture following detection (motion dazzle and confusion effect). The interaction between the colour patterns of the animal and its local environment is further affected by the behaviour of the individual. Our review details how motion is intricately linked to signalling and suggests some avenues for future research. This Review has an associated Future Leader to Watch interview with the first author. Summary: While motion can reveal information about the signaller, motion can also be a means of concealing cues by reducing the likelihood of detection or the likelihood of capture following detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice J Tan
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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6
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Dalrymple RL, Kemp DJ, Flores-Moreno H, Laffan SW, White TE, Hemmings FA, Moles AT. Macroecological patterns in flower colour are shaped by both biotic and abiotic factors. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1972-1985. [PMID: 32533864 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
There is a wealth of research on the way interactions with pollinators shape flower traits. However, we have much more to learn about influences of the abiotic environment on flower colour. We combine quantitative flower colour data for 339 species from a broad spatial range covering tropical, temperate, arid, montane and coastal environments from 9.25ºS to 43.75ºS with 11 environmental variables to test hypotheses about how macroecological patterns in flower colouration relate to biotic and abiotic conditions. Both biotic community and abiotic conditions are important in explaining variation of flower colour traits on a broad scale. The diversity of pollinating insects and the plant community have the highest predictive power for flower colouration, followed by mean annual precipitation and solar radiation. On average, flower colours are more chromatic where there are fewer pollinators, solar radiation is high, precipitation and net primary production are low, and growing seasons are short, providing support for the hypothesis that higher chromatic contrast of flower colours may be related to stressful conditions. To fully understand the ecology and evolution of flower colour, we should incorporate the broad selective context that plants experience into research, rather than focusing primarily on effects of plant-pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon L Dalrymple
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Darrell J Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Habacuc Flores-Moreno
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Shawn W Laffan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Frank A Hemmings
- John T. Waterhouse Herbarium, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Angela T Moles
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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7
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Harris S, Kervinen M, Lebigre C, Pike TW, Soulsbury CD. Full spectra coloration and condition-dependent signaling in a skin-based carotenoid sexual ornament. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Carotenoid-based traits commonly act as condition-dependent signals of quality to both males and females. Such colors are typically quantified using summary metrics (e.g., redness) derived by partitioning measured reflectance spectra into blocks. However, perceived coloration is a product of the whole spectrum. Recently, new methods have quantified a range of environmental factors and their impact on reflection data at narrow wavebands across the whole spectrum. Using this approach, we modeled the reflectance of red integumentary eye combs displayed by male black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) as a function of ornament size and variables related to male quality. We investigated the strength and direction of effect sizes of variables at each waveband. The strongest effect on the spectra came from eye comb size, with a negative effect in the red part of the spectrum and a positive effect in ultraviolet reflectance. Plasma carotenoid concentration and body mass were also related to reflectance variance in differing directions across the entire spectra. Comparisons of yearlings and adults showed that the effects were similar but stronger on adult reflectance spectra. These findings suggest that reflectance in different parts of the spectrum is indicative of differing components of quality. This method also allows a more accurate understanding of how biologically relevant variables may interact to produce perceived coloration and multicomponent signals and where the strongest biological effects are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Harris
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, UK
| | - Matti Kervinen
- Finnish Wildlife Agency, Kiekkoti, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Christophe Lebigre
- IFREMER, Unité Sciences et Technologies Halieutiques, Centre Bretagne, Plouzané, France
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, UK
| | - Carl D Soulsbury
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, UK
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8
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Preferences for and use of light microhabitats differ among and within populations of a polytypic poison frog. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Anti-predator strategies can influence trade-offs governing other activities important to fitness. Crypsis, for example, might make conspicuous sexual display especially costly, whereas aposematism might reduce or remove such costs. We tested for correlates of anti-predator strategy in Oophaga pumilio, a polytypic poison frog with morphs spanning the crypsis–aposematism continuum. In the wild, males of visually conspicuous morphs display from conspicuous perches and behave as if they perceive predation risk to be low. We thus predicted that, given a choice of ambient light microhabitats, these males would use high ambient light conditions the most and be most likely to perch in high-light conditions. We found no evidence that differently colored male O. pumilio preferentially used bright microhabitats or that ambient light influenced perching in a morph-specific manner. Independent of light conditions, males from the most conspicuous population perched the least, but the most conspicuous individuals from a polymorphic population perched the most. These patterns suggest that preferences do not necessarily underlie among-morph differences observed in the wild. This could be explained, and remain consistent with theory, if risk aversion is shaped, in part, by experience.
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9
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Dong CM, McLean CA, Moussalli A, Stuart‐Fox D. Conserved visual sensitivities across divergent lizard lineages that differ in an ultraviolet sexual signal. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11824-11832. [PMID: 31695890 PMCID: PMC6822044 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The sensory drive hypothesis predicts the correlated evolution of signaling traits and sensory perception in differing environments. For visual signals, adaptive divergence in both color signals and visual sensitivities between populations may contribute to reproductive isolation and promote speciation, but this has rarely been tested or shown in terrestrial species. We tested whether opsin protein expression differs between divergent lineages of the tawny dragon (Ctenophorus decresii) that differ in the presence/absence of an ultraviolet sexual signal. We measured the expression of four retinal cone opsin genes (SWS1, SWS2, RH2, and LWS) using droplet digital PCR. We show that gene expression between lineages does not differ significantly, including the UV wavelength sensitive SWS1. We discuss these results in the context of mounting evidence that visual sensitivities are highly conserved in terrestrial systems. Multiple competing requirements may constrain divergence of visual sensitivities in response to sexual signals. Instead, signal contrast could be increased via alternative mechanisms, such as background selection. Our results contribute to a growing understanding of the roles of visual ecology, phylogeny, and behavior on visual system evolution in reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Dong
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Sciences DepartmentMuseums VictoriaCarltonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Claire A. McLean
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Sciences DepartmentMuseums VictoriaCarltonVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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10
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Garcia JE, Shrestha M, Howard SR, Petersen P, Dyer AG. Signal or cue: the role of structural colors in flower pollination. Curr Zool 2019; 65:467-481. [PMID: 31413719 PMCID: PMC6688579 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Angle dependent colors, such as iridescence, are produced by structures present on flower petals changing their visual appearance. These colors have been proposed to act as signals for plant-insect communication. However, there is a paucity of behavioral data to allow for interpretations of how to classify these colors either as a signal or a cue when considering the natural conditions under which pollination occurs. We sampled flowers from 6 plant species across various viewpoints looking for changes in the visual appearance of the petals. Spectral characteristics were measured with different instruments to simulate both the spectral and spatial characteristics of honeybee's vision. We show the presence of color patches produced by angle dependent effects on the petals and the calyx of various species; however, the appearance of the angle dependent color patches significantly varies with viewpoint and would only be resolved by the insect eye at close distances. Behavior experiments with honeybees revealed that pollinators did not use angle dependent colors to drive behavior when presented with novel flower presentations. Results show that angle dependent colors do not comply with the requirements of a signal for plant-pollinator communication since the information transmitted by these colors would be unreliable for potential, free-flying pollination vectors. We thus classify angle dependent colors produced by micro- and ultra-structures as being a cue (a feature which has not evolved for communication), and observe no evidence supporting claims of these angle dependent colors having evolved as visual signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Scarlett R Howard
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Phred Petersen
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
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11
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Firebaugh A, Haynes KJ. Light pollution may create demographic traps for nocturnal insects. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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12
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Simpson RK, McGraw KJ. Two ways to display: male hummingbirds show different color-display tactics based on sun orientation. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Richard K Simpson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
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13
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Simpson RK, McGraw KJ. Multiple signaling in a variable environment: expression of song and color traits as a function of ambient sound and light. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard K. Simpson
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287‐4501 USA
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287‐4501 USA
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14
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Dalrymple RL, Flores‐Moreno H, Kemp DJ, White TE, Laffan SW, Hemmings FA, Hitchcock TD, Moles AT. Abiotic and biotic predictors of macroecological patterns in bird and butterfly coloration. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon L. Dalrymple
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Habacuc Flores‐Moreno
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108USA
| | - Darrell J. Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science and Engineering Macquarie University North Ryde, Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - Thomas E. White
- Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science and Engineering Macquarie University North Ryde, Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - Shawn W. Laffan
- Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Frank A. Hemmings
- John T. Waterhouse Herbarium School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Timothy D. Hitchcock
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Angela T. Moles
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
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15
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de Abreu FHT, Schietti J, Anciães M. Spatial and environmental correlates of intraspecific morphological variation in three species of passerine birds from the Purus–Madeira interfluvium, Central Amazonia. Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9929-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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16
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Bleiweiss R. Concerted Shifts in Absorption Maxima of Yellow and Red Plumage Carotenoids Support Specialized Tuning of Chromatic Signals to Different Visual Systems in Near-Passerine Birds. Evol Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-017-9437-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Delhey K, Peters A. Conservation implications of anthropogenic impacts on visual communication and camouflage. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:30-39. [PMID: 27604521 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic environmental impacts can disrupt the sensory environment of animals and affect important processes from mate choice to predator avoidance. Currently, these effects are best understood for auditory and chemosensory modalities, and recent reviews highlight their importance for conservation. We examined how anthropogenic changes to the visual environment (ambient light, transmission, and backgrounds) affect visual communication and camouflage and considered the implications of these effects for conservation. Human changes to the visual environment can increase predation risk by affecting camouflage effectiveness, lead to maladaptive patterns of mate choice, and disrupt mutualistic interactions between pollinators and plants. Implications for conservation are particularly evident for disrupted camouflage due to its tight links with survival. The conservation importance of impaired visual communication is less documented. The effects of anthropogenic changes on visual communication and camouflage may be severe when they affect critical processes such as pollination or species recognition. However, when impaired mate choice does not lead to hybridization, the conservation consequences are less clear. We suggest that the demographic effects of human impacts on visual communication and camouflage will be particularly strong when human-induced modifications to the visual environment are evolutionarily novel (i.e., very different from natural variation); affected species and populations have low levels of intraspecific (genotypic and phenotypic) variation and behavioral, sensory, or physiological plasticity; and the processes affected are directly related to survival (camouflage), species recognition, or number of offspring produced, rather than offspring quality or attractiveness. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic effects on the visual environment may be of similar importance relative to conservation as anthropogenic effects on other sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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18
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Rojas B. Behavioural, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of diversity in frog colour patterns. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1059-1080. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyvaskyla; PO Box 35 Jyväskylä FI 40001 Finland
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19
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Ciccotto PJ, Mendelson TC. The ecological drivers of nuptial color evolution in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae). Evolution 2016; 70:745-56. [PMID: 27003224 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Closely related animal lineages often vary in male coloration, and ecological selection is hypothesized to shape this variation. The role of ecological selection in inhibiting male color has been documented extensively at the population level, but relatively few studies have investigated the evolution of male coloration across a clade of closely related species. Darters are a diverse group of fishes that vary in the presence of elaborate male nuptial coloration, with some species exhibiting vivid color patterns and others mostly or entirely achromatic. We used phylogenetic logistic regression to test for correlations between the presence/absence of color traits across darter species and the ecological conditions in which these species occur. Environmental variables were correlated with the presence of nuptial color in darters with colorful species tending to inhabit environments that would support fewer predators and potentially transmit a broader spectrum of natural light compared to species lacking male coloration. We also tested the color preferences of a common darter predator, largemouth bass, and found that it exhibits a strong preference for red, providing further evidence of predation as a source of selection on color evolution in darters. Ecological selection therefore appears to be an important factor in dictating the presence or absence of male coloration in this group of fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Ciccotto
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611.
| | - Tamra C Mendelson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, 21250
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Ryder TB, Sillett TS. Climate, demography and lek stability in an Amazonian bird. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20152314. [PMID: 26791615 PMCID: PMC4795018 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lekking is a rare, but iconic mating system where polygynous males aggregate and perform group displays to attract females. Existing theory postulates that demographic and environmental stability are required for lekking to be an evolutionarily viable reproductive strategy. However, we lack empirical tests for the hypotheses that lek stability is facilitated by age-specific variation in demographic rates, and by predictable, abundant resources. To address this knowledge gap, we use multistate models to examine how two demographic elements of lek stability-male survival and recruitment-vary with age, social status and phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in a Neotropical frugivorous bird, the wire-tailed manakin (Pipra filicauda). Our results show that demographic and environmental conditions were related to lek stability in the Ecuadorean Amazon. Apparent annual survival probability of territorial males was higher than that of non-territorial floaters, and recruitment probability increased as males progressed in an age-graded queue. Moreover, annual survival of territorial males and body condition of both floaters and territory holders were higher following years with El Niño conditions, associated with reduced rainfall and probably higher fruit production in the northern Neotropics, and lower after years with wet, La Niña conditions that predominated our study. Recruitment probabilities varied annually, independent of ENSO phase, and increased over our study period, but the annual mean number of territorial males per lek declined. Our results provide empirical support for hypothesized demographic and environmental drivers of lek dynamics. This study also suggests that climate-mediated changes in resource availability can affect demography and subsequent lek stability in a relatively buffered, lowland rainforest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, MRC 5503, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - T Scott Sillett
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, MRC 5503, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
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Variable Signals in a Complex World. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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22
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Differential detectability of polymorphic warning signals under varying light environments. Behav Processes 2014; 109 Pt B:164-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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McLean CA, Moussalli A, Stuart-Fox D. Local adaptation and divergence in colour signal conspicuousness between monomorphic and polymorphic lineages in a lizard. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2654-64. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. A. McLean
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Vic. Australia
- Sciences Department; Museum Victoria; Carlton Gardens Vic. Australia
| | - A. Moussalli
- Sciences Department; Museum Victoria; Carlton Gardens Vic. Australia
| | - D. Stuart-Fox
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Vic. Australia
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Plumage evolution in relation to light environment in a novel clade of Neotropical tanagers. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2013; 66:112-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2012] [Revised: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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MORENO JUAN, SOLER JUANJ. Sources of distinctness of juvenile plumage in Western Palearctic passerines. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01589.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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EVANS SIMONR, HINKS AMYE, WILKIN TEDDYA, SHELDON BENC. Age, sex and beauty: methodological dependence of age- and sex-dichromatism in the great tit Parus major. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01548.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Lima SL. Predators and the breeding bird: behavioral and reproductive flexibility under the risk of predation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2009; 84:485-513. [PMID: 19659887 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00085.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 342] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of work suggests that breeding birds have a significant capacity to assess and respond, over ecological time, to changes in the risk of predation to both themselves and their eggs or nestlings. This review investigates the nature of this flexibility in the face of predation from both behavioural and reproductive perspectives, and also explores several directions for future research. Most available work addresses different aspects of nest predation. A substantial change in breeding location is perhaps the best documented response to nest predation, but such changes are not always observed and not necessarily the best strategy. Changes in nesting microhabitat (to more concealed locations) following predation are known to occur. Surprisingly little work addresses the proactive avoidance of areas with many nest predators, but such avoidance is probably widespread. Individual birds could conceivably adopt anti-predator strategies based on the nest predators actually present in an area, but such effects have yet to be demonstrated. In fact, the ways in which birds assess the risk of nest predation is unclear. Nest defence in birds has historically received much attention, but little is known about how it interacts with other aspects of decision-making by parents. Other studies concentrate on predation risk to adults. Some findings suggest that risk to adults themselves influences territory location, especially relative to raptor nests. An almost completely unexplored area concerns the sorts of social protection from predators that might exist during the breeding season. Flocking typical of the non-breeding season appears unusual while breeding, but a mated pair may sometimes act as a "flock of two". Opportunistic heterospecific sociality may exist, with heterospecific protector species associations more prevalent than currently appreciated. The dynamics of singing during the breeding season may also respond to variation in predation risk, but empirical research on this subject is limited. Furthermore, a few theoretical and empirical studies suggest that changes in predation risk also influence the behaviour of lekking males. The major influence of predators on avian life histories is undoubtedly expressed at a broad phylogenetic scale, but several studies hint at much flexibility on an ecological time scale. Some species may forgo breeding completely if the risk of nest predation is too high, and a few studies document smaller clutch sizes in response to an increase in nest predation. Recent evidence suggests that a female may produce smaller eggs rather than smaller clutches following an increase in nest predation risk. Such an increase may also influence decisions about intraspecific brood parasitism. There are no clear examples of changes in clutch/egg size with changes in risk experienced by adults, but parental responses to predators have clear consequences for offspring fitness. Changes in risk to adults may also influence body mass changes across the breeding season, although research here is sparse. The topics highlighted herein are all in need more empirical attention, and more experimental field work whenever feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven L Lima
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809, USA.
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Nava SS, Conway MA, Martins EP. Divergence of visual motion detection in diurnal geckos that inhabit bright and dark habitats. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01565.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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30
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Lenouvel P, Gomez D, Théry M, Kreutzer M. Do grooming behaviours affect visual properties of feathers in male domestic canaries, Serinus canaria? Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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31
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Milner RN, Jennions MD, Backwell PR. Does the environmental context of a signalling male influence his attractiveness? Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Stoddard M, Prum R. Evolution of Avian Plumage Color in a Tetrahedral Color Space: A Phylogenetic Analysis of New World Buntings. Am Nat 2008; 171:755-76. [DOI: 10.1086/587526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 322] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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33
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LI JINGJING, LIM MATTHEWLM, ZHANG ZENGTAO, LIU QINGQING, LIU FENGXIANG, CHEN JIAN, LI DAIQIN. Sexual dichromatism and male colour morph in ultraviolet-B reflectance in two populations of the jumping spider Phintella vittata (Araneae: Salticidae) from tropical China. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.00968.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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35
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Hebets EA, Elias DO, Mason AC, Miller GL, Stratton GE. Substrate-dependent signalling success in the wolf spider, Schizocosa retrorsa. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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36
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Stuart‐Fox D, Moussalli A, Whiting M. Natural Selection on Social Signals: Signal Efficacy and the Evolution of Chameleon Display Coloration. Am Nat 2007; 170:916-30. [DOI: 10.1086/522835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Santos SICO, De Neve L, Lumeij JT, Förschler MI. Strong effects of various incidence and observation angles on spectrometric assessment of plumage colouration in birds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0373-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Doucet S, Mennill D, Hill G. The Evolution of Signal Design in Manakin Plumage Ornaments. Am Nat 2007. [DOI: 10.1086/510162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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40
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Gomez D, Théry M. Simultaneous Crypsis and Conspicuousness in Color Patterns: Comparative Analysis of a Neotropical Rainforest Bird Community. Am Nat 2007. [DOI: 10.1086/510138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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LIM MATTHEWLM, LI DAIQIN. Extreme ultraviolet sexual dimorphism in jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00704.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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STUART-FOX DEVI, WHITING MARTINJ, MOUSSALLI ADNAN. Camouflage and colour change: antipredator responses to bird and snake predators across multiple populations in a dwarf chameleon. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00631.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Schaefer HM, Levey DJ, Schaefer V, Avery ML. The role of chromatic and achromatic signals for fruit detection by birds. Behav Ecol 2006. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arl011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Stein AC, Uy JAC. Plumage brightness predicts male mating success in the lekking golden-collared manakin, Manacus vitellinus. Behav Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ari095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Heiling AM, Cheng K, Chittka L, Goeth A, Herberstein ME. The role of UV in crab spider signals: effects on perception by prey and predators. J Exp Biol 2005; 208:3925-31. [PMID: 16215219 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.01861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Australian crab spiders Thomisus spectabilis sit on the petals of flowers and ambush prey such as honeybees. White-coloured T. spectabilis reflect in the UV (UV+ spiders) and previous research has shown that their presence, curiously, attracts honeybees to daisies. We applied an UV-absorber (Parsol®) to create UV-absorbing(UV–) spiders that did not reflect any light below 395 nm wavelength. These physical changes of visual signals generated by crab spiders caused honeybees to avoid flowers with UV– spiders on their petals. They also affected the perception of UV– spiders by honeybees and a potential avian predator (blue tits). Compared to UV+ spiders, UV– spiders produced less excitation of the UV-photoreceptors in honeybees and blue tits,which translated into a reduced UV-receptor contrast and a reduced overall colour contrast between UV– spiders and daisy petals. Our results reveal that a clean physical elimination of reflection in the UV range affects perception in predators and prey and ultimately changes the behaviour of prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid M Heiling
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109 NSW Australia.
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Cheroske AG, Cronin TW. Variation in Stomatopod (Gonodactylus smithii) Color Signal Design Associated with Organismal Condition and Depth. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2005; 66:99-113. [PMID: 15942161 DOI: 10.1159/000086229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2004] [Accepted: 02/24/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In interactions, many tropical stomatopod species display conspicuous colored body spots that can communicate information about the sender's state (e.g., sex, aggressiveness, etc.). Species inhabiting a variety of depths experience large differences in illumination spectrum and intensity due to filtering of light by water and its constituents. Stomatopod spectral sensitivity is known to vary phenotypically with changes in light environment (associated with depth) that potentially affects the detection of color signals. Animals collected at different depths also have different body coloration. This study examines how spectral differences in colored body spots vary with organismal condition and models the effects of changing body coloration, light environment, and spectral sensitivity on the detection of color signals in a gonodactyloid species, Gonodactylus smithii. Of the seven conspicuous color spots that were measured in G. smithii, three had spectral differences that correlated with sex, aggression, and female reproductive state. A model of color detection in G. smithii indicates that longer-wavelength spectral content was affected most by varying body coloration and light conditions. Most color signals were perceived similarly both by shallow- and by deep-adapted photoreceptor sets over a range of depths (1-13 m). Eye spot ('meral spot') color detection also was invariant over the same depth range in shallow- and deep-adapted, long-wavelength receptors, but deep-adapted receptors continued to maintain a consistent detection of these spots down to 18 meters. These results suggest that meral spot coloration may have evolved as a constant signal when viewed by conspecifics from various depths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Cheroske
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Md., USA.
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Heiling AM, Chittka L, Cheng K, Herberstein ME. Colouration in crab spiders: substrate choice and prey attraction. J Exp Biol 2005; 208:1785-92. [PMID: 15879060 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.01585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Australian crab spiders Thomisus spectabilis ambush pollinating insects, such as honeybees (Apis mellifera) on flowers, and can change their body colour between yellow and white. It is traditionally assumed that the spiders change their colour to match the flower colour, thus rendering them cryptic to insect prey. Here, we test this assumption combining state-of-the-art knowledge of bee vision and behavioural experiments.
In the field, yellow spiders are only found on yellow daisies(Chrysanthemum frutescens), whereas white spiders are found on yellow and white daisies. These field patterns were confirmed in the laboratory. When given the choice between white and yellow daisies, yellow spiders preferred yellow daisies, whereas white spiders showed only a slight but non-significant preference for white flowers. Thus, T. spectabilis select background colours according to their own body colour. When viewed from a distance, bees use an achromatic signal produced by their green receptors for target detection. Through this visual channel, white spiders on white flowers, and yellow spiders on yellow flowers are virtually undetectable. From a closer distance of a few centimetres, when bees evaluate colour contrast, the combination of spider colour against different flower backgrounds affected the response of honeybees, but not in ways predicted by a classical crypsis/conspicuousness interpretation. Yellow spiders on yellow flowers are not perfectly matched when interpreted through the colour vision of a honeybee. Nevertheless, honeybees showed indifference to the presence of a spider, equally landing on vacant or spider-occupied flowers. Likewise, white spiders are poorly hidden on white flowers, as white spiders reflect ultraviolet light strongly, while white flowers do not. Surprisingly, bees are attracted to this contrast, and significantly more honeybees preferred white flowers occupied by white spiders. White spiders on yellow flowers produce the highest colour contrast and bees again preferred spider-occupied flowers. Yellow spiders on white flowers were the only pairing where bees rejected spider-occupied flowers, especially in cases where the contrast between the two was relatively strong. Thus, T. spectabilis select flower colours adaptively in a way that deceives honeybees, or at least does not deter them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid M Heiling
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109 NSW Australia.
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Roulin A. The evolution, maintenance and adaptive function of genetic colour polymorphism in birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2004; 79:815-48. [PMID: 15682872 DOI: 10.1017/s1464793104006487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 342] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that ornaments can honestly signal quality only if their expression is condition-dependent has dominated the study of the evolution and function of colour traits. Much less interest has been devoted to the adaptive function of colour traits for which the expression is not, or is to a low extent, sensitive to body condition and the environment in which individuals live. The aim of the present paper is to review the current theoretical and empirical knowledge of the evolution, maintenance and adaptive function of colour plumage traits for which the expression is mainly under genetic control. The finding that in many bird species the inheritance of colour morphs follows the laws of Mendel indicates that genetic colour polymorphism is frequent. Polymorphism may have evolved or be maintained because each colour morph facilitates the exploitation of alternative ecological niches as suggested by the observation that individuals are not randomly distributed among habitats with respect to coloration. Consistent with the hypothesis that different colour morphs are linked to alternative strategies is the finding that in a majority of species polymorphism is associated with reproductive parameters, and behavioural, life-history and physiological traits. Experimental studies showed that such covariations can have a genetic basis. These observations suggest that colour polymorphism has an adaptive function. Aviary and field experiments demonstrated that colour polymorphism is used as a criterion in mate-choice decisions and dominance interactions confirming the claim that conspecifics assess each other's colour morphs. The factors favouring the evolution and maintenance of genetic variation in coloration are reviewed, but empirical data are virtually lacking to assess their importance. Although current theory predicts that only condition-dependent traits can signal quality, the present review shows that genetically inherited morphs can reveal the same qualities. The study of genetic colour polymorphism will provide important and original insights on the adaptive function of conspicuous traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Madden JR, Lowe TJ, Fuller HV, Coe RL, Dasmahapatra KK, Amos W, Jury F. Neighbouring male spotted bowerbirds are not related, but do maraud each other. Anim Behav 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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50
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Schmidt V, Martin Schaefer H, Winkler H. Conspicuousness, not colour as foraging cue in plant-animal signalling. OIKOS 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2004.12769.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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