1
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Iglesias Pastrana C, Navas González FJ, Ciani E, Marín Navas C, Delgado Bermejo JV. Thermographic ranges of dromedary camels during physical exercise: applications for physical health/welfare monitoring and phenotypic selection. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1297412. [PMID: 38173554 PMCID: PMC10762792 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1297412] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the relatively wide knowledge of camel biomechanics, research into the immediate functional response that accompanies the execution of physical exercise remains unapproached. Therefore, selective breeding programs lack an empirical basis to achieve genetic improvement of physical stress tolerance traits and monitor camel welfare in this regard. Given the fact that physical exercise increases net heat production, infrared thermography (IRT) was selected to study the temperature changes at the skin surface of the different body areas in clinically normal dromedary camels, mostly relegated to leisure activities. Specifically, a lower dispersion at the individual level of the surface temperature at the scapular cartilage region, shoulder joint, and pelvis region, as well as lower values for Tmax and Tmin at the region of the ocular region, pectoral muscles, semimembranosus-semitendinosus muscles, and hind fetlock after exercise, have to be considered as breeding criteria for candidate selection. Such thermophysiological responses can be used as indirect measures of tissue activity in response to exercise and hence are reliable indicators of animal tolerance to physical exercise-induced stress. Additionally, sex, castration, age, and iris pigmentation significantly impacted the thermo-physiological response to exercise in the study sample, which can be attributed to hormones, general vigor, and visual acuity-mediated effects. These specific factors' influence has to be considered for the evaluation of physical performance and the design of selection schemes for physical-related traits in dromedaries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elena Ciani
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
| | - Carmen Marín Navas
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
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2
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Pyomelanin production via heterologous expression of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) and construction of HPPD inhibitor screening model. J Biosci Bioeng 2023; 135:93-101. [PMID: 36470730 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Melanin has an increasing market demand in cosmetics, food, medicine as well as aerospace due to its unique properties. Heterologous expression of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) from the melanin-producing strain Streptomyces fungicidicus NW-EN1 in Escherichia coli shortened the fermentation cycle of melanin. HPPD catalyzed 4-hydrophenylpyruvate (HPP) to form homologous acid (HGA) and finally form melanin. The purified melanin had the highest absorption peak at 460 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope scanning showed that the pigment had universal characteristic peaks. The presence of HGA, a predictor of pyomelanin, was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The recombinant E. coli produced 804.4 ± 5.9 mg/L pyomelanin within 48 h. Metal ions had a great influence on the production of pyomelanin. Pyomelanin was stable in response to light intensity and had a protective effect against bacteria under UV irradiation. Meanwhile, we utilized the chromogenic effect after whole-cell catalysis to reflect the inhibition of the HPPD inhibitors (mesotrione and isoxaflutole) on HPPD by observing the color change. As a rapid method to test the action of inhibitors, this method is expected to be useful for the development of HPPD-inhibiting herbicides.
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3
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Passarotto A, Morosinotto C, Brommer JE, Aaltonen E, Ahola K, Karstinen T, Karell P. Cold winters have morph-specific effects on natal dispersal distance in a wild raptor. Behav Ecol 2021; 33:419-427. [PMID: 35444494 PMCID: PMC9015216 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal is a key process with crucial implications in spatial distribution, density, and genetic structure of species’ populations. Dispersal strategies can vary according to both individual and environmental features, but putative phenotype-by-environment interactions have rarely been accounted for. Melanin-based color polymorphism is a phenotypic trait associated with specific behavioral and physiological profiles and is, therefore, a good candidate trait to study dispersal tactics in different environments. Here, using a 40 years dataset of a population of color polymorphic tawny owls (Strix aluco), we investigated natal dispersal distance of recruiting gray and pheomelanic reddish-brown (hereafter brown) color morphs in relation to post-fledging winter temperature and individual characteristics. Because morphs are differently sensitive to cold winters, we predicted that morphs’ natal dispersal distances vary according to winter conditions. Winter temperature did not affect the proportion of brown (or gray) among recruits. We found that dispersal distances correlate with winter temperature in an opposite manner in the two morphs. Although the gray morph undertakes larger movements in harsher conditions, likely because it copes better with winter severity, the brown morph disperses shorter distances when winters are harsher. We discuss this morph-specific natal dispersal pattern in the context of competition for territories between morphs and in terms of costs and benefits of these alternative strategies. Our results stress the importance of considering the interaction between phenotype and environment to fully disentangle dispersal movement patterns and provide further evidence that climate affects the behavior and local distribution of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Passarotto
- University of Seville, Department of Zoology, Sevilla, Spain
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, FI-10600 Raseborg, Finland
| | - Chiara Morosinotto
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, FI-10600 Raseborg, Finland
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 39 (Ecology Building), SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jon E Brommer
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | | | - Kari Ahola
- Tornihaukantie 8D 72, FI-02620 Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Patrik Karell
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, FI-10600 Raseborg, Finland
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 39 (Ecology Building), SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
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4
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Di Bernardi C, Thierry AM, Eide NE, Bowler DE, Rød-Eriksen L, Blumentrath S, Tietgen L, Sandercock BK, Flagstad Ø, Landa A. Fitness and fur colouration: Testing the camouflage and thermoregulation hypotheses in an Arctic mammal. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1328-1340. [PMID: 33660289 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Selection for crypsis has been recognized as an important ecological driver of animal colouration, whereas the relative importance of thermoregulation is more contentious with mixed empirical support. A potential thermal advantage of darker individuals has been observed in a wide range of animal species. Arctic animals that exhibit colour polymorphisms and undergo seasonal colour moults are interesting study subjects for testing the two alternative hypotheses: demographic performance of different colour morphs might be differentially affected by snow cover with a cryptic advantage for lighter morphs, or conversely by winter temperature with a thermal advantage for darker morphs. In this study, we explored whether camouflage and thermoregulation might explain differences in reproduction and survival between the white and blue colour morphs of the Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus under natural conditions. Juvenile and adult survival, breeding propensity and litter size were measured for 798 captive-bred and released or wild-born Arctic foxes monitored during an 11-year period (2007-2017) in two subpopulations in south-central Norway. We investigated the proportion of the two colour morphs and compared their demographic performance in relation to spatial variation in duration of snow cover, onset of snow season and winter temperatures. After population re-establishment, a higher proportion of blue individuals was observed among wild-born Arctic foxes compared to the proportion of blue foxes released from the captive population. Our field study provides the first evidence for an effect of colour morph on the reproductive performance of Arctic foxes under natural conditions, with a higher breeding propensity of the blue morph compared to the white one. Performance of the two colour morphs was not differentially affected by the climatic variables, except for juvenile survival. Blue morph juveniles showed a tendency for higher survival under colder winter temperatures but lower survival under warmer temperatures compared to white morph juveniles. Overall, our findings do not consistently support predictions of the camouflage or the thermoregulation hypotheses. The higher success of blue foxes suggests an advantage of the dark morph not directly related to disruptive selection by crypsis or thermoregulation. Our results rather point to physiological adaptations and behavioural traits not necessarily connected to thermoregulation, such as stress response, immune function, sexual behaviour and aggressiveness. Our findings highlight the need to explore the potential role of genetic linkage or pleiotropy in influencing the fitness of white and blue Arctic foxes as well as other species with colour polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nina E Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Diana E Bowler
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Lars Rød-Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Lukas Tietgen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Øystein Flagstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Arild Landa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Bergen, Norway
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5
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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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6
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Nuhlíčková S, Svetlík J, Eckenfellner M, Knauer F, Hoi H. Interaction between nestling behaviour and nest-space use. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1858173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soňa Nuhlíčková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina, 842 15 Bratislava 4, Slovakia
| | - Ján Svetlík
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina, 842 15 Bratislava 4, Slovakia
| | - Manfred Eckenfellner
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Knauer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
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7
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Ducouret P, Romano A, Dreiss AN, Marmaroli P, Falourd X, Bincteux M, Roulin A. Elder Barn Owl Nestlings Flexibly Redistribute Parental Food according to Siblings' Need or in Return for Allopreening. Am Nat 2020; 196:257-269. [PMID: 32673089 DOI: 10.1086/709106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Kin selection and reciprocation of biological services are distinct theories invoked to explain the origin and evolutionary maintenance of altruistic and cooperative behaviors. Although these behaviors are not considered to be mutually exclusive, the cost-benefit balance of behaving altruistically or cooperating reciprocally and the conditions promoting a switch between such different strategies have rarely been tested. Here, we examine the association between allofeeding, allopreening, and vocal solicitations in wild barn owl (Tyto alba) broods under different food abundance conditions: natural food provisioning and after an experimental food supplementation. Allofeeding was performed mainly by elder nestlings (hatching is asynchronous) in prime condition, especially when the cost of forgoing a prey was small (when parents allocated more prey to the food donor and after food supplementation). Nestlings preferentially shared food with the siblings that emitted very intense calls, thus potentially increasing indirect fitness benefits, or with the siblings that provided extensive allopreening to the donor, thus possibly promoting direct benefits from reciprocation. Finally, allopreening was mainly directed toward older siblings, perhaps to maximize the probability of being fed in return. Helping behavior among relatives can therefore be driven by both kin selection and direct cooperation, although it is dependent on the contingent environmental conditions.
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8
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Seddon RJ, Hews DK. Melanization, α-melanocyte stimulating hormone and steroid hormones in male western fence lizards from nine populations. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 285:113287. [PMID: 31563645 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Hormones can mediate suites of correlated traits. Melanocortins regulate melanin synthesis and elements of the melanocortin system can directly, and indirectly, affect a number of other traits, such as stress reactivity. Trait correlations within the melanocortin system have been studied mainly in birds and mammals but less so in reptiles. We examined adult male western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) and if melanization was correlated with plasma levels of three hormones, including peptide hormone α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), testosterone and corticosterone, and ectoparasite loads. This lizard is darker at higher elevations in California, and we compared five high-elevation and four low-elevation populations during comparable periods of the breeding season at each site. We first validated use of an α-MSH assay kit with lizard plasma. Since Anolis carolinensis is one of the few species with published values for α-MSH plasma levels, we assayed both Anolis and Sceloporus plasma and compared hormone values to those we generated for Anolis to the publish values. We also evaluated effects of different methods of storing spiked plasma pools on resulting α-MSH concentrations. Plasma levels of α-MSH did not differ significantly, but some populations differed significantly in mean corticosterone and mean testosterone. Combining all individuals from the nine populations, we found that individual variation in α-MSH was not associated with individual variation in melanization, but levels of α-MSH were positively associated with plasma testosterone and negatively associated with corticosterone. The lack of association between individual levels of melanization and expression of most other traits differs from a growing number of within-population studies of melanization, and we discuss what differences in physiological mechanisms could produce different hypothetical patterns. Circulating levels of -MSH are only one element of the melanocortin system; in situ synthesis of α-MSH by the skin and the diversity of melanocortin receptors could also contribute to variation in traits mediated by the melanocortin system and should be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Seddon
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
| | - Diana K Hews
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
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9
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Ducouret P, Romano A, Dreiss AN, Marmaroli P, Falourd X, Roulin A. The Art of Diplomacy in Vocally Negotiating Barn Owl Siblings. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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10
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Amar A, Reynolds C, Van Velden J, Briggs CW. Clinal variation in morph frequency in Swainson’s hawk across North America: no support for Gloger’s ecogeographical rule. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Amar
- Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Chevonne Reynolds
- Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Julia Van Velden
- Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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11
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Teerikorpi PE, Stauffer J, Ilmonen P, Calhim S, Schuett W, Laaksonen T. Elevated oxidative stress in pied flycatcher nestlings of eumelanic foster fathers under low rearing temperatures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.195909. [PMID: 30819723 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.195909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Striking variation in melanin coloration within natural populations is likely due to the different fitness outcomes of alternative phenotypes in varying environmental conditions. There are two types of melanin: eumelanins yield blackish hues, whereas pheomelanins yield reddish hues. The production of eumelanins requires low levels of glutathione (GSH), which is the most important intracellular antioxidant, whereas the production of pheomelanins requires high levels of GSH. We investigated the oxidative status of male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) with different degrees of melanin coloration under different temperatures during the nestling period. Moreover, we assessed the oxidative status of offspring in relation to their biological or foster father's melanin coloration and ambient temperature. To separate offspring genotype effects and paternal effects in different temperatures, we used a partial cross-foster design. The temperature differently affected the oxidative status of differently colored male pied flycatchers and their foster offspring. When the weather was relatively cold, black males had higher glutathione S-transferase levels compared with brown males, indicating enhanced stress in black males. Foster offspring of black males had a lower ratio between reduced and oxidized GSH followed by higher total amount of GSH than foster offspring of brown males. Thus, foster offspring of black males seem to suffer from oxidative stress under relatively cold weather compared with those of brown males, and vice versa under relatively warm weather. Although differently colored males experienced changes in their oxidative status under different temperatures, the link between paternal melanin coloration and offspring oxidative stress appears to be environmentally induced.
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Affiliation(s)
- P E Teerikorpi
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland .,Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 AB, The Netherlands
| | - J Stauffer
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - P Ilmonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - S Calhim
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - W Schuett
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20146, Germany.,School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
| | - T Laaksonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland.,Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Turku 20520, Finland
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12
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Delhey K, Dale J, Valcu M, Kempenaers B. Reconciling ecogeographical rules: rainfall and temperature predict global colour variation in the largest bird radiation. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:726-736. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences; Monash University; Clayton Vic. Australia
| | - James Dale
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
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13
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Eliason CM, Clarke JA. Metabolic physiology explains macroevolutionary trends in the melanic colour system across amniotes. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20182014. [PMID: 30963907 PMCID: PMC6304050 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism links organisms to their environment through its effects on thermoregulation, feeding behaviour and energetics. Genes involved in metabolic processes have known pleiotropic effects on some melanic colour traits. Understanding links between physiology and melanic colour is critical for understanding the role of, and potential constraints on, colour production. Despite considerable variation in metabolic rates and presumed ancestral melanic coloration in vertebrates, few studies have looked at a potential relationship between these two systems in a comparative framework. Here, we test the hypothesis that changes in melanosome shape in integumentary structures track metabolic rate variation across amniotes. Using multivariate comparative analyses and incorporating both extant and fossil taxa, we find significantly faster rates of melanosome shape evolution in taxa with high metabolic rates, as well as both colour- and clade-specific differences in the relationship between metabolic rate and melanosome shape. Phylogenetic tests recover an expansion in melanosome morphospace in maniraptoran dinosaurs, as well as rate shifts within birds (in songbirds) and mammals. These findings indicate another core phenotype influenced by metabolic changes in vertebrates. They also provide a framework for testing clade-specific gene expression patterns in the melanocortin system and may improve colour reconstructions in extinct taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Eliason
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
- Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Julia A. Clarke
- Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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14
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Roulin A, Uva V, Romano A. A melanin-based trait is more strongly related to body size in the tropics than in temperate regions in the globally distributed barn owl family. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1932-1944. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore, Lausanne Switzerland
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Vera Uva
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore, Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore, Lausanne Switzerland
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15
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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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16
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Nigenda‐Morales SF, Hu Y, Beasley JC, Ruiz‐Piña HA, Valenzuela‐Galván D, Wayne RK. Transcriptomic analysis of skin pigmentation variation in the Virginia opossum (
Didelphis virginiana
). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2680-2697. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio F. Nigenda‐Morales
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chaoyang, Beijing China
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Lab Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Aiken South Carolina
| | - Hugo A. Ruiz‐Piña
- Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi” Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida Yucatán Mexico
| | - David Valenzuela‐Galván
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Morelos Mexico
| | - Robert K. Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California
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17
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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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18
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Scriba MF, Henry I, Vyssotski AL, Mueller JC, Rattenborg NC, Roulin A. Ultradian Rhythmicity in Sleep-Wakefulness Is Related to Color in Nestling Barn Owls. J Biol Rhythms 2017; 32:456-468. [DOI: 10.1177/0748730417722250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The possession of a rhythm is usually described as an important adaptation to regular changing environmental conditions such as the light-dark cycle. However, recent studies have suggested plasticity in the expression of a rhythm depending on life history and environmental factors. Barn owl ( Tyto alba) nestlings show variations in behavior and physiology in relation to the size of black feather spots, a trait associated with many behavioral and physiological phenotypes including the circadian expression of corticosterone and the regulation of body mass. This raises the possibility that individual spottiness could be associated with rhythmicity in sleep-wakefulness. Owlets showed ultradian rhythms in sleep-wakefulness, with a period length of 4.5 to 4.9 h. The period length of wakefulness and non-REM sleep was shorter in heavily compared to lightly spotted female nestlings, whereas in males, the opposite result was found. Furthermore, male and female nestlings displaying small black spots showed strong rhythmicity levels in wakefulness and REM sleep. This might be an advantage in a stable environment with predictable periodic changes in light, temperature, or social interactions. Heavily spotted nestlings displayed weak rhythms in wakefulness and REM sleep, which might enable them to be more flexible in reactions to unexpected events such as predation or might be a mechanism to save energy. These findings are consistent with previous findings showing that large-spotted nestlings switch more frequently between wakefulness and sleep, resulting in higher levels of vigilance compared to small-spotted conspecifics. Thus, nestlings with larger black feather spots might differently handle the trade-off between wakefulness and sleep, attention, and social interactions compared to nestlings with smaller black spots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine F. Scriba
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Avian Sleep Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Henry
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexei L. Vyssotski
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jakob C. Mueller
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Niels C. Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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19
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Roulin A. Evolutionary trade-off between naturally- and sexually-selected melanin-based colour traits in worldwide barn owls and allies. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Biophore Building CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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20
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Tate GJ, Bishop JM, Amar A. Differential foraging success across a light level spectrum explains the maintenance and spatial structure of colour morphs in a polymorphic bird. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:679-86. [PMID: 27132885 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Detectability of different colour morphs under varying light conditions has been proposed as an important driver in the maintenance of colour polymorphism via disruptive selection. To date, no studies have tested whether different morphs have selective advantages under differing light conditions. We tested this hypothesis in the black sparrowhawk, a polymorphic raptor exhibiting a discrete white and dark morph, and found that prey provisioning rates differ between the morphs depending on light condition. Dark morphs delivered more prey in lower light conditions, while white morphs provided more prey in brighter conditions. We found support for the role of breeding season light level in explaining the clinal pattern of variation in morph ratio across the species range throughout South Africa. Our results provide the first empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that polymorphism in a species, and the spatial structuring of morphs across its distribution, may be driven by differential selective advantage via improved crypsis, under varying light conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth J Tate
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M Bishop
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Arjun Amar
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
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21
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Roulin A, Randin CF. Barn owls display larger black feather spots in cooler regions of the British Isles. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Building Biophore; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Christophe F. Randin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Building Biophore; 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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