1
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Tooth A, Morosinotto C, Karell P. Sex allocation is color morph-specific and associated with fledging condition in a wild bird. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae039. [PMID: 38818250 PMCID: PMC11138213 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanin-based color polymorphism is predicted to evolve and maintain through differential fitness of morphs in different environments, and several empirical studies indicate that life history strategies, physiology, and behavior vary among color morphs. Sex allocation theory predicts that parents should adjust their sex allocation based on differential costs of raising sons and daughters, and therefore, color morphs are expected to modify their brood sex ratio decisions. In color polymorphic tawny owls (Strix aluco), the pheomelanistic brown morph is associated with higher energy requirements, faster growth, and higher parental effort than the gray morph. As hypothesized, we find that brown tawny owl mothers produced more daughters in early broods and more males in late broods, whereas gray mothers did the opposite. At fledging, daughters of early broods and of brown mothers were heavier than those of late broods or gray mothers. Hence, larger and more costly daughters appeared to benefit more than males from being born to brown mothers early in the season. Brown mothers breeding later in the season produced more cheap sons, while gray mothers face fewer challenges under limited resources and favor daughters. These findings suggest that environmental conditions influence brood sex allocation strategies of genetically determined color morphs differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Tooth
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37 (Ecology Building), SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Chiara Morosinotto
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37 (Ecology Building), SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, FI-10600 Raseborg, Finland
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, I-90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Patrik Karell
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37 (Ecology Building), SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, FI-10600 Raseborg, Finland
- Evolutionary Biology Center, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Being Dark is Better: A Feral Pigeon Plumage Polymorphism as a Response to Urban Environments in Slovakia. EKOLÓGIA (BRATISLAVA) 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/eko-2021-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and plumage phenotypes of the feral pigeon, Columba livia forma urbana (Gmelin, 1789), in Slovakia. Censuses carried out in the built-up areas of 16 towns and cities from November to February (2012–2018) counted and evaluated 3,123 individual birds. The most frequent were melanic colored birds (checker, T-pattern and spread phenotypes), which predominated in the population (51.6%, n = 1,613), followed by paler ones (42.1%, n = 1,316) and other types (6.2%, n = 194). A statistically significant difference was confirmed among the melanic and paler plumage phenotypes (χ2 = 81.49, df = 15, p < 0.0001). Correlation confirmed the different importance of city area and human density on the maintenance of dark and/or pale pigeons living in cities.
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3
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Sirkiä PM, Qvarnström A. Adaptive coloration in pied flycatchers ( Ficedula hypoleuca)-The devil is in the detail. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1501-1525. [PMID: 33613985 PMCID: PMC7882974 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the origin and persistence of phenotypic variation within and among populations is a major goal in evolutionary biology. However, the eagerness to find unadulterated explanatory models in combination with difficulties in publishing replicated studies may lead to severe underestimations of the complexity of selection patterns acting in nature. One striking example is variation in plumage coloration in birds, where the default adaptive explanation often is that brightly colored individuals signal superior quality across environmental conditions and therefore always should be favored by directional mate choice. Here, we review studies on the proximate determination and adaptive function of coloration traits in male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). From numerous studies, we can conclude that the dark male color phenotype is adapted to a typical northern climate and functions as a dominance signal in male-male competition over nesting sites, and that the browner phenotypes are favored by relaxed intraspecific competition with more dominant male collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) in areas where the two species co-occur. However, the role of avoidance of hybridization in driving character displacement in plumage between these two species may not be as important as initially thought. The direction of female choice on male coloration in pied flycatchers is not simply as opposite in direction in sympatry and allopatry as traditionally expected, but varies also in relation to additional contexts such as climate variation. While some of the heterogeneity in the observed relationships between coloration and fitness probably indicate type 1 errors, we strongly argue that environmental heterogeneity and context-dependent selection play important roles in explaining plumage color variation in this species, which probably also is the case in many other species studied in less detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi M. Sirkiä
- Finnish Museum of Natural HistoryZoology UnitUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsAnimal EcologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsAnimal EcologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
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4
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Koskenpato K, Lehikoinen A, Lindstedt C, Karell P. Gray plumage color is more cryptic than brown in snowy landscapes in a resident color polymorphic bird. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1751-1761. [PMID: 32128114 PMCID: PMC7042677 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Camouflage may promote fitness of given phenotypes in different environments. The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is a color polymorphic species with a gray and brown morph resident in the Western Palearctic. A strong selection pressure against the brown morph during snowy and cold winters has been documented earlier, but the selection mechanisms remain unresolved. Here, we hypothesize that selection favors the gray morph because it is better camouflaged against predators and mobbers in snowy conditions compared to the brown one. We conducted an online citizen science experiment where volunteers were asked to locate a gray or a brown tawny owl specimen from pictures taken in snowy and snowless landscapes. Our results show that the gray morph in snowy landscapes is the hardest to detect whereas the brown morph in snowy landscapes is the easiest to detect. With an avian vision model, we show that, similar to human perceivers, the brown morph is more conspicuous than the gray against coniferous tree trunks for a mobbing passerine. We suggest that with better camouflage, the gray morph may avoid mobbers and predators more efficiently than the brown morph and thus survive better in snowy environments. As winters are getting milder and shorter in the species range, the selection periods against brown coloration may eventually disappear or shift poleward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Koskenpato
- The Helsinki Lab of OrnithologyFinnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
| | - Aleksi Lehikoinen
- The Helsinki Lab of OrnithologyFinnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesCentre of Excellence in Biological InteractionsUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Patrik Karell
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
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5
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Côte J, Pilisi C, Morisseau O, Veyssière C, Perrault A, Jean S, Blanchet S, Jacquin L. Water turbidity affects melanin-based coloration in the gudgeon: a reciprocal transplant experiment. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Human activities cause rapid eutrophication and increased water turbidity in aquatic ecosystems, but their effects on fish communication and colour signals remain of debate. In particular, melanin-based coloration in fish has been understudied, because it was believed to be less costly to display than carotenoid-based colours. Here, we measured the phenotypic divergence of melanin-based coloration in 17 populations of gudgeon (Gobio occitaniae) along a turbidity gradient. We also tested the short-term plasticity of coloration using a reciprocal transplant experiment. We found strong variability in melanin-based coloration along the turbidity gradient: interpopulation divergence in coloration was higher than predicted by genetic drift, and fish were paler with increasing levels of turbidity. Finally, a reciprocal transplant experiment revealed that fish transplanted into more turbid habitats expressed a paler melanin-based coloration, suggesting that melanin-based coloration was highly plastic in the short term. Overall, our results suggest that eutrophication in human-altered rivers can rapidly alter melanin-based coloration, with potential consequences for fish visual communication and sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Côte
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique EDB, Université de Toulouse; Toulouse, France
| | - Camille Pilisi
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique EDB, Université de Toulouse; Toulouse, France
| | - Océane Morisseau
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique EDB, Université de Toulouse; Toulouse, France
| | - Charlotte Veyssière
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique EDB, Université de Toulouse; Toulouse, France
| | - Annie Perrault
- Laboratoire EcoLab, CNRS; INPT; UPS; ENSAT, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Séverine Jean
- Laboratoire EcoLab, CNRS; INPT; UPS; ENSAT, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Simon Blanchet
- Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale SETE; Moulis, France
| | - Lisa Jacquin
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique EDB, Université de Toulouse; Toulouse, France
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6
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Romero-Diaz C, Gonzalez-Jimena V, Fitze PS. Corticosterone mediated mate choice affects female mating reluctance and reproductive success. Horm Behav 2019; 113:1-12. [PMID: 31034792 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The study of stress-related hormones as mediators of sexual selection has traditionally focused on the effect of glucocorticoids on male quality and competing ability. However, environmental stressors are expected to affect both males and females, and the strength of sexual selection might be affected by changes in female mating decisions, a hypothesis that has rarely been tested. Here, we investigated whether female common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) mating behaviour and mating preferences are affected by different levels of administered corticosterone and conditioned by the familiarity of their partners, which is known to influence Z. vivipara social behaviour. To this end, two females, one corticosterone-treated and one control female, were simultaneously presented with an unfamiliar male and the following day with either a familiar or an unfamiliar male. Females treated with corticosterone (Cort) were more aggressive towards males and mated less. Furthermore, copulation probability in Cort females, but not in control females, increased with body size. On the second day, Cort females only mated with familiar partners. In contrast, male behaviour towards females was not affected by treatment and only bigger males successfully copulated with Cort females. This shows that corticosterone directly affected female mating behaviour and mating preferences, while male mating behaviour was unaffected by the female's level of corticosterone. Environmental and social stressors may affect reproductive strategies of females, the strength of sexual selection, and sexual conflict through their effects on female glucocorticoid levels, potentially in a wide range of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Romero-Diaz
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Nª Sª de la Victoria s/n, 22700 Jaca, Spain; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States of America.
| | - Virginia Gonzalez-Jimena
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Nª Sª de la Victoria s/n, 22700 Jaca, Spain
| | - Patrick S Fitze
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Nª Sª de la Victoria s/n, 22700 Jaca, Spain.
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7
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San-Jose LM, Roulin A. Toward Understanding the Repeated Occurrence of Associations between Melanin-Based Coloration and Multiple Phenotypes. Am Nat 2018; 192:111-130. [PMID: 30016163 DOI: 10.1086/698010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the most widespread pigment in organisms. Melanin-based coloration has been repeatedly observed to be associated with the same traits and in the same direction in different vertebrate and insect species. However, whether any factors that are common to different taxa account for the repeated evolution of melanin-phenotype associations remains unclear. We propose to approach this question from the perspective of convergent and parallel evolution to clarify to what extent different species have evolved the same associations owing to a shared genetic basis and being subjected to similar selective pressures. Our current understanding of the genetic basis of melanin-phenotype associations allows for both convergent and parallel evolution, but this understanding is still limited. Further research is needed to clarify the generality and interdependencies of the different proposed mechanisms (supergenes, pleiotropy based on hormones, or neural crest cells). The general ecological scenarios whereby melanin-based coloration is under selection-protection from ultraviolet radiation, thermoregulation in cold environments, or as a signal of social status-offer a good opportunity to study how melanin-phenotype associations evolve. Reviewing these scenarios shows that some traits associated with melanin-based coloration might be selected together with coloration by also favoring adaptation but that other associated traits might impede adaptation, which may be indicative of genetic constraints. We therefore encourage further research on the relative roles that selection and genetic constraints play in shaping multiple melanin-phenotype associations. Placed into a phylogenetic context, this will help clarify to what extent these associations result from convergent or parallel evolutionary processes and why melanin-phenotype associations are so common across the tree of life.
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8
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Passarotto A, Parejo D, Penteriani V, Avilés JM. Colour polymorphism in owls is linked to light variability. Oecologia 2018; 187:61-73. [PMID: 29616403 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4128-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Owls show an astonishing variation in their degree of colour polymorphism, although the exact mechanisms driving such variation remain controversial. Here we address this fundamental question by considering information on all extant owls and recent advances in comparative methods in the frame of three mutually non-exclusive evolutionary scenarios. In addition, we study for the first time whether the evolution of influential ecological characters facilitated the evolution of colour polymorphism (or vice versa). In agreement with the niche divergence hypothesis, we found that species living under more variable luminal conditions, i.e., species with diurnal and crepuscular habits and those inhabiting in a mixture of open and closed habitats, were more likely to show colour polymorphism. Correlated evolution analyses revealed that a change in the luminal niche might be a fundamental requisite for the evolution of colour polymorphism. Moreover, polymorphism was more frequent among owl species occupying lower trophic levels, which could be explained by a particularly high selection for crypsis on small predator owls. Our results, thus, provide support for the idea that colour polymorphism in owls is an adaptive character likely maintained by the selective advantage of morphs under different environmental conditions via disruptive selection mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Passarotto
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120, Almería, Spain.
| | - Deseada Parejo
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120, Almería, Spain.,Zoology Unit, Department of Anatomy, Cellular Biology and Zoology, Extremadura University, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, Campus Mieres, 33600, Mieres, Spain.,Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 50059, Saragossa, Spain
| | - Jesús M Avilés
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120, Almería, Spain
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9
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Karell P, Bensch S, Ahola K, Asghar M. Pale and dark morphs of tawny owls show different patterns of telomere dynamics in relation to disease status. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1127. [PMID: 28747482 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites are expected to exert long-term costs on host fecundity and longevity. Understanding the consequences of heritable polymorphic variation in disease defence in wild populations is essential in order to predict evolutionary responses to changes in disease risk. Telomeres have been found to shorten faster in malaria-diseased individuals compared with healthy ones with negative effects on longevity and thereby fitness. Here, we study the impact of haemosporidian blood parasites on telomere dynamics in tawny owls, which display a highly heritable plumage colour polymorphism. Previously, it has been shown that blood parasites have morph-specific impact on body mass maintenance. Here, we show that telomeres shortened faster in individuals with shorter breeding lifespan. Telomere length was negatively associated with the degree of pheomelanic brown coloration and shorter in infected than uninfected individuals. The rate of telomere shortening between breeding seasons was faster in darker pheomelanic individuals and suppression of parasite intensity between seasons was associated with faster telomere shortening in the paler individuals but not in darker ones. We propose that morph-specific physiological profiles cause differential telomere shortening and that this is likely to be a mechanism involved in previously documented environment-driven survival selection against the pheomelanic morph in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Karell
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, 10600 Ekenäs, Finland .,Environmental and Marine Biology, Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kari Ahola
- Tornihaukantie 8D 72, 02620 Espoo, Finland
| | - Muhammad Asghar
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Seddon RJ, Hews DK. Correlates of melanization in multiple high- and low-elevation populations of the lizard,Sceloporus occidentalis: Behavior, hormones, and parasites. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 327:481-492. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Seddon
- Department of Biology; Indiana State University; Terre Haute Indiana
| | - Diana K. Hews
- Department of Biology; Indiana State University; Terre Haute Indiana
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11
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Ciach M, Czyż S, Wieloch M. Bill colour pattern in Bewick’s swan: information on sex and body size displayed on face? ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2017.1310761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michał Ciach
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Institute of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Stanisław Czyż
- Polish Swan Study Group, Leśna 38/31, Jaroszowiec, 32-310 Klucze, Poland
| | - Maria Wieloch
- Ornithological Station, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Nadwiślańska 108, 80-680 Gdańsk, Poland
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12
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Gaillard M, Scriba MF, Roulin A. Melanism is related to behavioural lateralization in nestling barn owls. Behav Processes 2017; 140:139-143. [PMID: 28483429 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural laterality is a commonly observed phenomenon in many species suggesting there might be an advantage of using dominantly one side over the other for certain tasks. Indeed, lateralized individuals were often shown to be more successful in cognitive tasks compared to non-lateralized conspecifics. However, stressed individuals are also often, but not always, more strongly lateralized. Because barn owl (Tyto alba) females displaying larger black spots on the tip of their ventral feathers produce offspring that are more resistant to a variety of environmental stressful factors, we examined whether laterality is associated with melanin-based coloration. We recorded whether nestlings use more often the right or left foot to scratch their body and whether they preen more often one side of the body or the other using their bills. We found that the strength of lateralization of preening and scratching was less pronounced in individuals born from heavily spotted mothers. This result might be explained by plumage-related variation in the ability to resist stressful rearing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Madeleine F Scriba
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Arai E, Hasegawa M, Makino T, Hagino A, Sakai Y, Ohtsuki H, Wakamatsu K, Kawata M. Physiological conditions and genetic controls of phaeomelanin pigmentation in nestling barn swallows. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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14
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Krams I, Burghardt GM, Krams R, Trakimas G, Kaasik A, Luoto S, Rantala MJ, Krama T. A dark cuticle allows higher investment in immunity, longevity and fecundity in a beetle upon a simulated parasite attack. Oecologia 2016; 182:99-109. [PMID: 27245343 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3654-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cuticle melanism in insects is linked to a number of life history traits: a positive relationship is hypothesized between melanism, immune function, fecundity and lifespan. However, it is not clear how activation of the immune system affects trade-offs between life history traits in female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) differing in cuticle melanization. The females with tan, brown and black cuticles examined in the present study did not differ in the intensity of encapsulation response, fecundity and longevity when their immune system was not activated. However, we found that immune activation and cuticle melanization have a significant effect on life history traits. Offspring number and lifespan decreased in females with tan and brown cuticles, while the fecundity and lifespan of black females were not affected. Importantly, we inserted the implants again and found a significant decrease in the strength of encapsulation response in females with tan and brown cuticles. In contrast, black females increased melanotic reactions against the nylon implant, suggesting immunological priming. The results show that cuticle melanization plays an important adaptive role under the risk of being infected, while the lack of these benefits before the insertion of nylon monofilaments suggests that there are costs associated with an activated immunity system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrikis Krams
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. .,Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia. .,Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Departments of Psychology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia.,Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies & School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Tartu, Estonia
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15
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Soulsbury CD, Kervinen M, Lebigre C. Curse of the black spot: spotting negatively correlates with fitness in black grouse Lyrurus tetrix. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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16
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Burri R, Antoniazza S, Gaigher A, Ducrest AL, Simon C, Fumagalli L, Goudet J, Roulin A. The genetic basis of color-related local adaptation in a ring-like colonization around the Mediterranean. Evolution 2015; 70:140-53. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Reto Burri
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Sylvain Antoniazza
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Ornithological Institute; Seerose 1 CH-6204 Sempach Switzerland
| | - Arnaud Gaigher
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Anne-Lyse Ducrest
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Céline Simon
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Luca Fumagalli
- Laboratory for Conservation Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Goudet
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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Emaresi G, Henry I, Gonzalez E, Roulin A, Bize P. Sex- and melanism-specific variations in the oxidative status of adult tawny owls in response to manipulated reproductive effort. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 219:73-9. [PMID: 26567343 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.128959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress, determined by the balance between the production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defences, is hypothesized to play an important role in shaping the cost of reproduction and life history trade-offs. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated reproductive effort in 94 breeding pairs of tawny owls (Strix aluco) to investigate the sex- and melanism-specific effects on markers of oxidative stress in red blood cells (RBCs). This colour polymorphic bird species shows sex-specific division of labour and melanism-specific history strategies. Brood sizes at hatching were experimentally enlarged or reduced to increase or decrease reproductive effort, respectively. We obtained an integrative measure of the oxidative balance by measuring ROS production by RBCs, intracellular antioxidant glutathione levels and membrane resistance to ROS. We found that light melanic males (the sex undertaking offspring food provisioning) produced more ROS than darker conspecifics, but only when rearing an enlarged brood. In both sexes, light melanic individuals had also a larger pool of intracellular antioxidant glutathione than darker owls under relaxed reproductive conditions (i.e. reduced brood), but not when investing substantial effort in current reproduction (enlarged brood). Finally, resistance to oxidative stress was differently affected by the brood size manipulation experiment in males and females independently of their plumage coloration. Altogether, our results support the hypothesis that reproductive effort can alter the oxidative balance in a sex- and colour-specific way. This further emphasizes the close link between melanin-based coloration and life history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Emaresi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Henry
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Esther Gonzalez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Bize
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
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18
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Ortega J, Pellitteri-Rosa D, López P, Martín J. Dorsal pattern polymorphism in female Iberian wall lizards: differences in morphology, dorsal coloration, immune response, and reproductive investment. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; C.S.I.C.; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente; DSTA; Università di Pavia; Via Ferrata 9 27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Pilar López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; C.S.I.C.; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; C.S.I.C.; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
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19
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Roulin A. Condition-dependence, pleiotropy and the handicap principle of sexual selection in melanin-based colouration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:328-48. [PMID: 25631160 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The signalling function of melanin-based colouration is debated. Sexual selection theory states that ornaments should be costly to produce, maintain, wear or display to signal quality honestly to potential mates or competitors. An increasing number of studies supports the hypothesis that the degree of melanism covaries with aspects of body condition (e.g. body mass or immunity), which has contributed to change the initial perception that melanin-based colour ornaments entail no costs. Indeed, the expression of many (but not all) melanin-based colour traits is weakly sensitive to the environment but strongly heritable suggesting that these colour traits are relatively cheap to produce and maintain, thus raising the question of how such colour traits could signal quality honestly. Here I review the production, maintenance and wearing/displaying costs that can generate a correlation between melanin-based colouration and body condition, and consider other evolutionary mechanisms that can also lead to covariation between colour and body condition. Because genes controlling melanic traits can affect numerous phenotypic traits, pleiotropy could also explain a linkage between body condition and colouration. Pleiotropy may result in differently coloured individuals signalling different aspects of quality that are maintained by frequency-dependent selection or local adaptation. Colouration may therefore not signal absolute quality to potential mates or competitors (e.g. dark males may not achieve a higher fitness than pale males); otherwise genetic variation would be rapidly depleted by directional selection. As a consequence, selection on heritable melanin-based colouration may not always be directional, but mate choice may be conditional to environmental conditions (i.e. context-dependent sexual selection). Despite the interest of evolutionary biologists in the adaptive value of melanin-based colouration, its actual role in sexual selection is still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Sirkiä PM, Adamík P, Artemyev AV, Belskii E, Both C, Bureš S, Burgess M, Bushuev AV, Forsman JT, Grinkov V, Hoffmann D, Järvinen A, Král M, Krams I, Lampe HM, Moreno J, Mägi M, Nord A, Potti J, Ravussin PA, Sokolov L, Laaksonen T. Fecundity selection does not vary along a large geographical cline of trait means in a passerine bird. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Päivi M. Sirkiä
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; Zoology Unit; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacky University; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Alexandr V. Artemyev
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre; Russian Academy of Science; Petrozavodsk Russia
| | - Eugen Belskii
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology; Ural Branch; Russian Academy of Science; Ekaterinburg Russia
| | - Christiaan Both
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies; University of Groningen; Haren The Netherlands
| | - Stanislav Bureš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacky University; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Malcolm Burgess
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour; School of Life & Environmental Sciences; University of Exeter; Exeter UK
| | - Andrey V. Bushuev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Faculty of Biology; Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | | | - Vladimir Grinkov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Faculty of Biology; Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | | | - Antero Järvinen
- Kilpisjärvi Biological Station; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | | | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Systematic Biology; University of Daugavpils; Daugavpils Latvia
| | - Helene M. Lampe
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis; University of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Juan Moreno
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - Marko Mägi
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; Department of Zoology; University of Tartu; Tartu Estonia
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology; Section of Evolutionary Ecology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Jaime Potti
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC; Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Leonid Sokolov
- Biological Station of the Zoological Institute; Russian Academy of Science; Rybachy Russia
| | - Toni Laaksonen
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; Zoology Unit; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
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21
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Reudink MW, McKellar AE, Marini KLD, McArthur SL, Marra PP, Ratcliffe LM. Inter-annual variation in American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) plumage colour is associated with rainfall and temperature during moult: an 11-year study. Oecologia 2014; 178:161-73. [PMID: 25433695 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3167-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoid-based colouration plays an important role in sexual signaling in animals as an honest indicator of individual quality during mate choice and competitive interactions. However, few studies have examined how natural variation in weather conditions influences inter-annual variation in the expression of ornamentation, potentially through affecting the dietary availability of carotenoids. In this study, we examine variation in the expression of carotenoid-based plumage colouration in relation to temperature and rainfall during the pre-moulting and moulting period over 11 years in a population of American redstarts, Setophaga ruticilla, breeding in eastern Canada. We used reflectance spectrometry of tail feathers collected from male and female redstarts to relate feather colour with weather conditions the previous breeding season during the months over which redstarts are likely to moult (June-September). At a population level, birds expressed feathers with higher red chroma and lower brightness in years following high July rainfall and low August temperature. The pattern was stronger in males, but was generally consistent across ages and sexes. Analyses of feathers from repeatedly captured birds indicated that the above patterns could be explained by individual change in feather colour. We suggest that higher rainfall during the moulting period may increase insect abundance and the availability of dietary carotenoids. This is among the first studies to show effects of weather conditions on a sexual signalling trait, which may have important consequences for sexual selection, mate choice, and the reliability of putative signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada,
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22
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Foster, but not genetic, father plumage coloration has a temperature-dependent effect on offspring quality. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1846-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Culumber ZW, Bautista-Hernández CE, Monks S, Arias-Rodriguez L, Tobler M. Variation in Melanism and Female Preference in Proximate but Ecologically Distinct Environments. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary W. Culumber
- Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas de las Huastecas “Aguazarca”; Calnali Hidalgo Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Pachuca Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Christian E. Bautista-Hernández
- Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas de las Huastecas “Aguazarca”; Calnali Hidalgo Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Pachuca Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Scott Monks
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Pachuca Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Lenin Arias-Rodriguez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT); Villahermosa Tabasco Mexico
| | - Michael Tobler
- Department of Zoology; Oklahoma State University; Stillwater OK USA
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Emaresi G, Bize P, Altwegg R, Henry I, van den Brink V, Gasparini J, Roulin A. Melanin-specific life-history strategies. Am Nat 2013; 183:269-80. [PMID: 24464200 DOI: 10.1086/674444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of genetic variation is a long-standing issue because the adaptive value of life-history strategies associated with each genetic variant is usually unknown. However, evidence for the coexistence of alternative evolutionary fixed strategies at the population level remains scarce. Because in the tawny owl (Strix aluco) heritable melanin-based coloration shows different physiological and behavioral norms of reaction, we investigated whether coloration is associated with investment in maintenance and reproduction. Light melanic owls had lower adult survival compared to dark melanic conspecifics, and color variation was related to the trade-off between offspring number and quality. When we experimentally enlarged brood size, light melanic males produced more fledglings but in poorer condition, and they were less often recruited in the local breeding population than those of darker melanic conspecifics. Our results also suggest that dark melanic males allocate a constant effort to raise their brood independently of environmental conditions, whereas lighter melanic males finely adjust reproductive effort in relation to changes in environmental conditions. Color traits can therefore be associated with life-history strategies, and stochastic environmental perturbation can temporarily favor one phenotype over others. The existence of fixed strategies implies that some phenotypes can sometimes display a "maladapted" strategy. Long-term population monitoring is therefore vital for a full understanding of how different genotypes deal with trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Emaresi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Emaresi G, Ducrest AL, Bize P, Richter H, Simon C, Roulin A. Pleiotropy in the melanocortin system: expression levels of this system are associated with melanogenesis and pigmentation in the tawny owl (Strix aluco). Mol Ecol 2013; 22:4915-30. [PMID: 24033481 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive function of melanin-based coloration is a long-standing debate. A recent genetic model suggested that pleiotropy could account for covariations between pigmentation, behaviour, morphology, physiology and life history traits. We explored whether the expression levels of genes belonging to the melanocortin system (MC1R, POMC, PC1/3, PC2 and the antagonist ASIP), which have many pleiotropic effects, are associated with melanogenesis (through variation in the expression of the genes MITF, SLC7A11, TYR, TYRP1) and in turn melanin-based coloration. We considered the tawny owl (Strix aluco) because individuals vary continuously from light to dark reddish, and thus, colour variation is likely to stem from differences in the levels of gene expression. We measured gene expression in feather bases collected in nestlings at the time of melanin production. As expected, the melanocortin system was associated with the expression of melanogenic genes and pigmentation. Offspring of darker reddish fathers expressed PC1/3 to lower levels but tended to express PC2 to higher levels. The convertase enzyme PC1/3 cleaves the POMC prohormone to obtain ACTH, while the convertase enzyme PC2 cleaves ACTH to produce α-melanin-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). ACTH regulates glucocorticoids, hormones that modulate stress responses, while α-MSH induces eumelanogenesis. We therefore conclude that the melanocortin system, through the convertase enzymes PC1/3 and PC2, may account for part of the interindividual variation in melanin-based coloration in nestling tawny owls. Pleiotropy may thus account for the covariation between phenotypic traits involved in social interactions (here pigmentation) and life history, morphology, behaviour and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Emaresi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Delhey K, Smith J, Peters A. Colour-variable birds have broader ranges, wider niches and are less likely to be threatened. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1559-68. [PMID: 23663162 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Revised: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Coloration fulfils a variety of adaptive functions in animals. Colour variability, both between and within species, can be caused by different colours being favoured for different functions and in different environments. Thus, species with highly variable coloration may have greater potential to persist in new and changing environments. As a consequence, such colour-variable species may be more able to adapt, colonize new areas and niches, occupy larger ranges, speciate more readily and in general be less vulnerable to environmental change and extinction. These predictions have been supported by comparative analyses on amphibians and reptiles. However, as coloration in ectotherms plays a key role in thermoregulation, it is unclear whether these results can be generalized to endotherms, such as birds and mammals. Here, we test the hypothesis that more colour-variable endotherms occupy larger ranges/niches and are less vulnerable to the threat of extinction by focussing on colour variation in Australian parrots and passerine birds. As predicted, colour variability was correlated with range size (parrots and passerines) and niche breadth (dietary heterogeneity, parrots only). These relationships support the predicted link between colour variability and adaptability, whereby range size and niche breadth may be a cause of colour variability or vice versa. Irrespective, and as predicted, colour variability was lower in threatened species, even after statistically controlling for other confounding variables. Hence, our study supports the hypothesis that colour-variable species in general are more resilient to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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27
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Saino N, Canova L, Costanzo A, Rubolini D, Roulin A, Møller AP. Immune and Stress Responses Covary with Melanin-Based Coloration in the Barn Swallow. Evol Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-013-9228-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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28
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Melanin-based colour polymorphism signals aggressive personality in nest and territory defence in the tawny owl (Strix aluco). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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29
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Viability is associated with melanin-based coloration in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica). PLoS One 2013; 8:e60426. [PMID: 23573254 PMCID: PMC3616026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pigmentation of body surface in animals can have multiple determinants and accomplish diverse functions. Eumelanin and pheomelanin are the main animal pigments, being responsible of yellow, brownish-red and black hues, and have partly common biosynthetic pathways. Many populations of vertebrates show individual variation in melanism, putatively with large heritable component. Genes responsible for eu- or pheomelanogenesis have pleiotropic but contrasting effects on life-history traits, explaining the patterns of covariation observed between melanization and physiology (e.g. immunity and stress response), sexual behavior and other characters in diverse taxa. Yet, very few studies in the wild have investigated if eu- and pheomelanization predict major fitness traits like viability or fecundity. In this correlative study, by contrasting adult barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) matched for age, sex, breeding site, and year and date of sampling, we show that males but not females that survived until the next year had paler, relatively more eu- than pheomelanic pigmentation of ventral body feathers. Better performance of individuals that allocate relatively more to eumelanogenesis was expected based on previous evidence on covariation between eumelanic pigmentation and specific traits related to immunity and susceptibility to stress. However, together with the evidence of no covariation between viability and melanization among females, this finding raises the question of the mechanisms that maintain variation in genes for melanogenesis. We discuss the possibility that eu- and pheomelanization are under contrasting viability and sexual selection, as suggested by larger breeding and sperm competition success of darker males from other barn swallow subspecies.
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Remeš V, Matysioková B. More ornamented females produce higher-quality offspring in a socially monogamous bird: an experimental study in the great tit (Parus major). Front Zool 2013; 10:14. [PMID: 23521836 PMCID: PMC3617070 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-10-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Animals are often conspicuously colored and explanations range from aposematism and mimicry to sexual selection. Although sexual selection explains vivid coloration in males, functional significance of vivid coloration in females of socially monogamous species remains unclear. The hypothesis of mutual mate choice predicts that more ornamented females produce offspring of higher quality. We tested this prediction in the great tit (Parus major), a small, insectivorous, socially monogamous passerine. RESULTS In both females and males we quantified three ornaments that have been hypothesized to have signaling role in this species (size of black breast stripe, carotenoid chroma of yellow breast feathers, immaculateness of the white cheek). We swapped broods between nests soon after hatching, thus separating genetic plus pre-hatching vs. post-hatching effects on offspring performance. Body mass of offspring at 14 days of age was positively related to the area of black breast stripe of genetic mothers. Immune response to a novel antigen (phytohaemagglutinin) at 14 days of age was positively related to the immaculateness of the white cheek patch of both genetic and foster mothers. CONCLUSIONS We showed that females with more elaborate ornaments produced higher-quality offspring and we discuss potential proximate mechanisms of these relationships. We conclude that as more elaborate ornaments were reliable signals of offspring quality, direct selection by male mate choice might have been responsible for the evolution and/or maintenance of these signaling traits in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimír Remeš
- Department of Zoology & Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17, listopadu 50, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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31
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Fluctuating selection and immigration as determinants of the phenotypic composition of a population. Oecologia 2013; 173:305-17. [PMID: 23361152 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2593-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
It is important to identify the factors that affect the evolutionary potential of populations to respond to environmental changes. Such processes are for example the ones affecting the amount of heritable phenotypic variation in a population. We examined factors explaining the wide phenotypic variation in the genetically determined black-brown dorsal colouration of male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) during a period of >50 years in a northern European breeding population. We demonstrate that the temperature-dependent relative breeding success of brown males predicts the inter-annual change in the proportion of the brown male phenotype. The proportion of brown males also appears to reflect immigration from Central Europe, where the brown type prevails due to local selection pressure. Warm springs in northern Central Europe had a positive effect on the proportion of the brown phenotype in the north in the early part of the study period, which suggests prolonged migration in favourable conditions. However, the association between warm springs and a high proportion of brown males has weakened from the 1950s to the present, which may explain why the proportion of the brown males in our study area decreased by a third during the period 1954 to 2008. This is likely a result of decreasing population size in Central Europe. These results demonstrate that temporal variation in environmental conditions is maintaining variation in the pied flycatcher male phenotype. They also indicate that climate warming has the potential to change the population composition both through temperature-dependent selection and environmental factors affecting long-distance immigration.
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Roulin A, Da Silva A, Ruppli CA. Dominant nestlings displaying female-like melanin coloration behave altruistically in the barn owl. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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33
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van den Brink V, Henry I, Wakamatsu K, Roulin A. Melanin-Based Coloration in Juvenile Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) Covaries with Anti-Predatory Personality Traits. Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2012.02057.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabelle Henry
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Lausanne; Switzerland
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry; Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences; Toyoake; Aichi, Japan
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Lausanne; Switzerland
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ALMASI B, ROULIN A, KORNER-NIEVERGELT F, JENNI-EIERMANN S, JENNI L. Coloration signals the ability to cope with elevated stress hormones: effects of corticosterone on growth of barn owls are associated with melanism. J Evol Biol 2012; 25:1189-99. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02508.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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35
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Kittilsen S, Johansen IB, Braastad BO, Øverli Ø. Pigments, parasites and personalitiy: towards a unifying role for steroid hormones? PLoS One 2012; 7:e34281. [PMID: 22493685 PMCID: PMC3320900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A surging interest in the evolution of consistent trait correlations has inspired research on pigment patterns as a correlate of behavioural syndromes, or “animal personalities”. Associations between pigmentation, physiology and health status are less investigated as potentially conserved trait clusters. In the current study, lice counts performed on farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar naturally infected with ectoparasitic sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis showed that individual fish with high incidence of black melanin-based skin spots harboured fewer female sea lice carrying egg sacs, compared to less pigmented fish. There was no significant association between pigmentation and lice at other developmental stages, suggesting that host factors associated with melanin-based pigmentation may modify ectoparasite development to a larger degree than settlement. In a subsequent laboratory experiment a strong negative correlation between skin spots and post-stress cortisol levels was revealed, with less pigmented individuals showing a more pronounced cortisol response to acute stress. The observation that lice prevalence was strongly increased on a fraction of sexually mature male salmon which occurred among the farmed fish further supports a role for steroid hormones as mediators of reduced parasite resistance. The data presented here propose steroid hormones as a proximate cause for the association between melanin-based pigmentation and parasites. Possible fundamental and applied implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silje Kittilsen
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Bjarne Olai Braastad
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- * E-mail:
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36
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Mateos-Gonzalez F, Senar JC. Melanin-based trait predicts individual exploratory behaviour in siskins, Carduelis spinus. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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37
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Jacquin L, Récapet C, Bouche P, Leboucher G, Gasparini J. Melanin-based coloration reflects alternative strategies to cope with food limitation in pigeons. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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38
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DREISS AN, ANTONIAZZA S, BURRI R, FUMAGALLI L, SONNAY C, FREY C, GOUDET J, ROULIN A. Local adaptation and matching habitat choice in female barn owls with respect to melanic coloration. J Evol Biol 2011; 25:103-14. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02407.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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39
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Muck C, Goymann W. Throat patch size and darkness covaries with testosterone in females of a sex-role reversed species. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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40
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Vergara P, Martínez-Padilla J, Redpath SM, Mougeot F. The ornament–condition relationship varies with parasite abundance at population level in a female bird. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:897-902. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0833-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Revised: 07/31/2011] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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41
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Roulin A, Almasi B, Meichtry-Stier KS, Jenni L. Eumelanin- and pheomelanin-based colour advertise resistance to oxidative stress in opposite ways. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:2241-7. [PMID: 21745253 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02353.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The control mechanisms and information content of melanin-based colourations are still debated among evolutionary biologists. Recent hypotheses contend that molecules involved in melanogenesis alter other physiological processes, thereby generating covariation between melanin-based colouration and other phenotypic attributes. Interestingly, several molecules such as agouti and glutathione that trigger the production of reddish-brown pheomelanin have an inhibitory effect on the production of black/grey eumelanin, whereas other hormones, such as melanocortins, have the opposite effect. We therefore propose the hypothesis that phenotypic traits positively correlated with the degree of eumelanin-based colouration may be negatively correlated with the degree of pheomelanin-based colouration, or vice versa. Given the role played by the melanocortin system and glutathione on melanogenesis and resistance to oxidative stress, we examined the prediction that resistance to oxidative stress is positively correlated with the degree of black colouration but negatively with the degree of reddish colouration. Using the barn owl (Tyto alba) as a model organism, we swapped eggs between randomly chosen nests to allocate genotypes randomly among environments and then we measured resistance to oxidative stress using the KRL assay in nestlings raised by foster parents. As predicted, the degree of black and reddish pigmentations was positively and negatively correlated, respectively, with resistance to oxidative stress. Our results reveal that eumelanin- and pheomelanin-based colourations can be redundant signals of resistance to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Roulin
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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42
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Gangoso L, Grande JM, Ducrest AL, Figuerola J, Bortolotti GR, Andrés JA, Roulin A. MC1R-dependent, melanin-based colour polymorphism is associated with cell-mediated response in the Eleonora's falcon. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:2055-63. [PMID: 21696477 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02336.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Colour polymorphism in vertebrates is usually under genetic control and may be associated with variation in physiological traits. The melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r) has been involved repeatedly in melanin-based pigmentation but it was thought to have few other physiological effects. However, recent pharmacological studies suggest that MC1R could regulate the aspects of immunity. We investigated whether variation at Mc1r underpins plumage colouration in the Eleonora's falcon. We also examined whether nestlings of the different morphs differed in their inflammatory response induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Variation in colouration was due to a deletion of four amino acids at the Mc1r gene. Cellular immune response was morph specific. In males, but not in females, dark nestling mounted a lower PHA response than pale ones. Although correlative, our results raise the neglected possibility that MC1R has pleiotropic effects, suggesting a potential role of immune capacity and pathogen pressure on the maintenance of colour polymorphism in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Gangoso
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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43
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Hegyi G, Rosivall B, Szöllősi E, Eens M, Török J. Context-dependent effects of nestling growth trajectories on recruitment probability in the collared flycatcher. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1175-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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44
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Pale and dark reddish melanic tawny owls differentially regulate the level of blood circulating POMC prohormone in relation to environmental conditions. Oecologia 2011; 166:913-21. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-1955-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2010] [Accepted: 02/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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45
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Multiple coloured ornaments in male common kestrels: different mechanisms to convey quality. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:289-98. [PMID: 21327419 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0767-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Revised: 01/31/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The simultaneous exhibition of more than one secondary sexual trait is a widespread phenomenon in nature, though it has rarely been explored. It has been proposed that different ornaments may convey complementary or back-up information about a single aspect of individual quality (redundancy hypothesis) or that each ornament may convey unique information (multiple-messages hypothesis). During a 5-year period, we measured several carotenoid-based (eye ring, bill cere and tarsi skin) and melanin-based (head, back, rump and tail feathers) potential ornamental colours in male common kestrels. We analysed whether multiple ornaments can convey different or related information about individual quality. We explored whether different ornaments can express different information depending on the pigment (carotenoids or melanins), the time-scale over which the ornament can change (dynamic vs. static) and the season of the year when the ornament is formed. We found that both melanin- and carotenoid- based traits correlated with indexes of quality, including body condition, body condition of their partners and laying date. However, not all ornaments correlated with the same measures of quality. In addition, some ornaments were intercorrelated within the same individuals while others were not. These results suggest that different ornaments can convey information about different qualities, as predicted by the multiple-messages hypothesis. In addition, this study suggests that the predominant pigment (e.g. carotenoid vs. melanin, eumelanin vs. pheomelanin), the time-scale over which the trait is developed (static feathers vs. dynamic skin) and the season of the year at which the ornament is produced can be potential mechanisms to convey different messages in male common kestrels.
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46
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Galván I, Mousseau TA, Møller AP. Bird population declines due to radiation exposure at Chernobyl are stronger in species with pheomelanin-based coloration. Oecologia 2010; 165:827-35. [PMID: 21136083 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1860-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2010] [Accepted: 11/15/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Eumelanin and pheomelanin are the most common pigments providing color to the integument of vertebrates. While pheomelanogenesis requires high levels of a key intracellular antioxidant (glutathione, GSH), eumelanogenesis is inhibited by GSH. This implies that species that possess the molecular basis to produce large amounts of pheomelanin might be more limited in coping with environmental conditions that generate oxidative stress than species that produce eumelanin. Exposure to ionizing radiation produces free radicals and depletes antioxidant resources. GSH is particularly susceptible to radiation, so that species with large proportions of pheomelanic integument may be limited by the availability of GSH to combat oxidative stress and may thus suffer more from radiation effects. We tested this hypothesis in 97 species of birds censused in areas with varying levels of radioactive contamination around Chernobyl. After controlling for the effects of carotenoid-based color, body mass and similarity among taxa due to common phylogenetic descent, the proportion of pheomelanic plumage was strongly negatively related to the slope estimates of the relationship between abundance and radiation levels, while no effect of eumelanic color proportion was found. This represents the first report of an effect of the expression of melanin-based coloration on the capacity to resist the effects of ionizing radiation. Population declines were also stronger in species that exhibit carotenoid-based coloration and have large body mass. The magnitude of population declines had a relatively high phylogenetic signal, indicating that certain groups of birds, especially non-corvid passeriforms, are particularly susceptible to suffer from the effects of radioactive contamination due to phylogenetic inertia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galván
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica De Doñana, CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
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47
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Galván I, Rey Benayas JM. Bird species in Mediterranean pine plantations exhibit different characteristics to those in natural reforested woodlands. Oecologia 2010; 166:305-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1849-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2010] [Accepted: 11/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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48
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Lendvai AZ, Chastel O. Natural variation in stress response is related to post-stress parental effort in male house sparrows. Horm Behav 2010; 58:936-42. [PMID: 20851701 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2010] [Revised: 09/07/2010] [Accepted: 09/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The central life-history trade-off between current and future reproductive effort seems to be mediated by corticosterone in birds. However, still little is known about how naturally occurring corticosterone levels during an acute stress may influence subsequent parental behavior. In this study we observed the parental behavior of free-living male house sparrows (Passer domesticus) both before and after they were subjected to a standard capture-handling stress. We investigated the relationships between corticosterone levels, pre- and post-stress parental behavior, while we statistically controlled for a number of other variables using a multivariate regression method, the path analysis. We found that males' baseline feeding rate predicted the body mass of the nestlings, indicating that male parental care is directly linked to fitness. Corticosterone levels were not explained by baseline feeding rate, but both baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels had a negative influence on the males' post-stress feeding behavior. Moreover, males with large bib size had a stronger stress response and lower post-stress feeding rate than small bibbed males. These results indicate that naturally occurring variation in baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels may influence subsequent parental decisions: individuals mounting a robust stress response are likely to reduce their parental commitment. Parental effort may be regulated in a complex manner, with corticosterone mediating the life-history trade-off between current reproduction and survival. However, different resolutions of this trade-off were apparent only following the stress, therefore the ability to modulate the stress response and maintain parental care in stressful situations may be important in life-history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adám Z Lendvai
- Institute of Biology, College of Nyíregyháza, Sóstói út 31/b, Nyíregyháza, Hungary.
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49
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Galván I, Gangoso L, Grande JM, Negro JJ, Rodríguez A, Figuerola J, Alonso-Alvarez C. Antioxidant machinery differs between melanic and light nestlings of two polymorphic raptors. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13369. [PMID: 20976228 PMCID: PMC2954797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2010] [Accepted: 09/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphism results from the expression of multiallelic genes generating phenotypes with very distinctive colourations. Most colour polymorphisms are due to differences in the type or amount of melanins present in each morph, which also differ in several behavioural, morphometric and physiological attributes. Melanin-based colour morphs could also differ in the levels of glutathione (GSH), a key intracellular antioxidant, because of the role of this molecule in melanogenesis. As GSH inhibits the synthesis of eumelanin (i.e. the darkest melanin form), individuals of darker morphs are expected to have lower GSH levels than those of lighter morphs. We tested this prediction in nestlings of two polymorphic raptors, the booted eagle Hieraaetus pennatus and the Eleonora's falcon Falco eleonorae, both of which occur in two morphs differing in the extent of eumelanic plumage. As expected, melanic booted eagle nestlings had lower blood GSH levels than light morph eagle nestlings. In the Eleonora's falcon, however, melanic nestlings only had lower GSH levels after controlling for the levels of other antioxidants. We also found that melanic female eagle nestlings had higher levels of antioxidants other than GSH and were in better body condition than light female eagle nestlings. These findings suggest an adaptive response of melanic nestlings to compensate for reduced GSH levels. Nevertheless, these associations were not found in falcons, indicating species-specific particularities in antioxidant machinery. Our results are consistent with previous work revealing the importance of GSH on the expression of melanic characters that show continuous variation, and suggest that this pathway also applies to discrete colour morphs. We suggest that the need to maintain low GSH levels for eumelanogenesis in dark morph individuals may represent a physiological constraint that helps regulate the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galván
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Sevilla, Spain.
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50
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Sirkiä PM, Virolainen M, Laaksonen T. Melanin coloration has temperature-dependent effects on breeding performance that may maintain phenotypic variation in a passerine bird. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:2385-96. [PMID: 20846173 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02100.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Fluctuating selection pressure may maintain phenotypic variation because of different types of individuals being adapted to different environmental conditions. We show that the extensive variation in the coloration of male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) can be maintained through differences in the reproductive success of male phenotypes under different conditions. The effects of weather conditions on the relative success of different male phenotypes varied between different phases of breeding. The reproductive output of black males was the highest when it was cold during egg-laying but warm during the nestling period, whereas the fledgling production of brown males was highest when it was continuously warm. In addition, male forehead and wing patch sizes had context-dependent effects on timing of breeding and nestling mortality, respectively. These results indicate that environmental heterogeneity plays a role in maintaining phenotypic variation. As melanin-based coloration is heritable, climate change may alter phenotype frequencies depending on the patterns of warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Sirkiä
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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