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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Herényi M, Markó G, Nagy G, Rosivall B, Szász E, Török J. Functional integration of multiple sexual ornaments: signal coherence and sexual selection. Am Nat 2022; 200:486-505. [DOI: 10.1086/720620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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3
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Earl AD, Simpson RK, Yorzinski JL. Dominant females have brighter ornamentation in a sexually dimorphic lekking species. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis D. Earl
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station, Texas USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York New York USA
| | - Richard K. Simpson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Jessica L. Yorzinski
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University College Station, Texas USA
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4
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Hernández A, Martínez-Gómez M, Beamonte-Barrientos R, Montoya B. Colourful traits in female birds relate to individual condition, reproductive performance and male-mate preferences: a meta-analytic approach. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210283. [PMID: 34493064 PMCID: PMC8424322 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Colourful traits in females are suggested to have evolved and be maintained by sexual selection. Although several studies have evaluated this idea, support is still equivocal. Evidence has been compiled in reviews, and a handful of quantitative syntheses has explored cumulative support for the link between condition and specific colour traits in males and females. However, understanding the potential function of females' colourful traits in sexual communication has not been the primary focus of any of those previous studies. Here, using a meta-analytic approach, we find that evidence from empirical studies in birds supports the idea that colourful female ornaments are positively associated with residual mass and immune response, clutch size and male-mate preferences. Hence, colourful traits in female birds likely evolved and are maintained by sexual selection as condition-dependent signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- América Hernández
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Margarita Martínez-Gómez
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - René Beamonte-Barrientos
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - Bibiana Montoya
- Estación Científica La Malinche, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta (CTBC), Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
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5
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Fröhlich M, Bartolotta N, Fryns C, Wagner C, Momon L, Jaffrezic M, Mitra Setia T, van Noordwijk MA, van Schaik CP. Multicomponent and multisensory communicative acts in orang-utans may serve different functions. Commun Biol 2021; 4:917. [PMID: 34316012 PMCID: PMC8316500 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02429-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
From early infancy, human face-to-face communication is multimodal, comprising a plethora of interlinked communicative and sensory modalities. Although there is also growing evidence for this in nonhuman primates, previous research rarely disentangled production from perception of signals. Consequently, the functions of integrating articulators (i.e. production organs involved in multicomponent acts) and sensory channels (i.e. modalities involved in multisensory acts) remain poorly understood. Here, we studied close-range social interactions within and beyond mother-infant pairs of Bornean and Sumatran orang-utans living in wild and captive settings, to examine use of and responses to multicomponent and multisensory communication. From the perspective of production, results showed that multicomponent acts were used more than the respective unicomponent acts when the presumed goal did not match the dominant outcome for a specific communicative act, and were more common among non-mother-infant dyads and Sumatran orang-utans. From the perception perspective, we found that multisensory acts were more effective than the respective unisensory acts, and were used more in wild compared to captive populations. We argue that multisensory acts primarily facilitate effectiveness, whereas multicomponent acts become relevant when interaction outcomes are less predictable. These different functions underscore the importance of distinguishing between production and perception in studies of communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen Fröhlich
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Caroline Fryns
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Colin Wagner
- DEPE-IPHC - Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurene Momon
- DEPE-IPHC - Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marvin Jaffrezic
- DEPE-IPHC - Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | | | - Carel P van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Leitão AV, Hall ML, Mulder RA. Female and male plumage color is linked to parental quality, pairing, and extrapair mating in a tropical passerine. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Sexual selection has been proposed to drive the evolution of elaborate phenotypic traits in males, which often confer success in competition or mating. However, in many species, both males and females display such traits. Studies examining how selection acts on both sexes are scarce. In this study, we investigated whether plumage ornamentation is sexually selected in females and males lovely fairy-wren Malurus amabilis, a cooperatively breeding songbird. We found that female and male plumage color was correlated with parental quality but not with individual quality or survival. We also found evidence of positive assortative mating based on plumage color. Microsatellite analyses of paternity indicated that the lovely fairy-wren has high levels of extrapair paternity (EPP), with 53% of offspring (in 58% of broods of 57% of females) resulting from extrapair (EP) mating. Female and male plumage color did not predict reproductive success or the proportion of EP offspring in their own nest, but less colorful males obtained higher EPP when paired with more colorful females and gained overall higher total paternity (own nest and other nests). We argue that plumage color may be under sex-specific selection, highlighting the importance of looking at both sexes in studies of sexual selection and ornament evolution. The current findings together with the previous study suggest that plumage color in female and male lovely fairy-wrens appears to be an honest signal relevant in both intrasexual and intersexual competition contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana V Leitão
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Bush Heritage Australia, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Raoul A Mulder
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Fülöp A, Lukács D, Fábián PI, Kocsis B, Csöppü G, Bereczki J, Barta Z. Sex-specific signalling of individual personality by a mutual plumage ornament in a passerine. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02971-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The significance of colour signals in species with strong sexual dimorphism and/or elaborated visual ornaments is rather well-understood. Less attention has, however, been devoted to study colour signals in species with weak or no apparent sexual dimorphism. In such species, an interesting possibility arises as both sexes can bear the same colour ornament(s) (i.e. sexes are mutually ornamented), but their signalling value might differ in males and females. We aimed to explore this possibility by investigating the phenotypic correlates of the black bib, a melanin-based plumage ornament, in the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). More specifically, we studied the sex-dependent relationships between bib size and three aspects of individuals’ phenotype: body condition (i.e. size-corrected body mass), physiology (i.e. cellular innate immunity/inflammation status, expressed through total leucocyte counts, and chronic physiological stress, expressed through the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes) and individual personality (i.e. activity in a novel environment). We found that bib size was not associated with body condition and cellular innate immunity/inflammation status, but was positively related to physiological stress levels independent of sex. Furthermore, bib size was negatively associated with activity in males but positively in females. Our findings bring important correlative evidence that mutual ornamental traits may have sex-specific signalling value.
Significance statement
The signalling role of elaborated colourful ornaments, that are usually possessed only by males in sexually dimorphic species, is well-established. The function of various colour traits which are borne by both sexes (i.e. mutual ornaments), however, is less obvious. Do they have a signalling value in both sexes? If yes, do they signal the same information in males and females? Or, most intriguingly, can they convey different information in the two sexes? To test these alternatives, we studied the signalling value of the black bib, a melanin-based mutual plumage ornament, in Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus). Apart from being correlated with chronic stress in both sexes, bib size was positively related to activity in females but negatively in males. Our results suggest that the information content of the same colour trait in males and females can be different in mutually ornamented species.
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Sykes BE, Hutton P, McGraw KJ. Sex-specific relationships between urbanization, parasitism, and plumage coloration in house finches. Curr Zool 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Historically, studies of condition-dependent signals in animals have been male-centric, but recent work suggests that female ornaments can also communicate individual quality (e.g., disease state, fecundity). There also has been a surge of interest in how urbanization alters signaling traits, but we know little about if and how cities affect signal expression in female animals. We measured carotenoid-based plumage coloration and coccidian (Isospora spp.) parasite burden in desert and city populations of house finches Haemorhous mexicanus to examine links between urbanization, health state, and feather pigmentation in males and females. In earlier work, we showed that male house finches are less colorful and more parasitized in the city, and we again detected such patterns in this study for males; however, urban females were less colorful, but not more parasitized, than rural females. Moreover, contrary to rural populations, we found that urban birds (regardless of sex) with larger patches of carotenoid coloration were also more heavily infected with coccidia. These results show that urban environments can disrupt condition-dependent color expression and highlight the need for more studies on how cities affect disease and signaling traits in both male and female animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Sykes
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Pierce Hutton
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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9
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Sexually dichromatic coloration of female Iberian green lizards correlates with health state and reproductive investment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02915-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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10
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Wilkins MR, Odom KJ, Benedict L, Safran RJ. Analysis of female song provides insight into the evolution of sex differences in a widely studied songbird. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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11
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Simpson RK, Mistakidis AF, Doucet SM. Natural and sexual selection shape the evolution of colour and conspicuousness in North American wood-warblers (Parulidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Natural and sexual selection drive colour evolution in animals. However, these different selective forces are often studied independently or without considering environmental variation. We evaluated the roles of natural and sexual selection together on colour evolution in 15 sympatric wood-warbler species, while considering the influence of variation in the light environment and visual background. We tested the influence of each selective pressure on male and female coloration and contrast against the background using avian visual models in phylogenetically controlled analyses. We found natural and sexual selection simultaneously driving cryptic and conspicuous plumage in males by acting on different body regions. For example, we found that ground-nesting species had males with conspicuous under-body plumage and cryptic upper-body plumage, showing how natural and sexual selection can drive colour evolution concordantly. We also found interesting relationships with female plumage, such as nest predation positively covarying with female contrast against the background, suggesting a cost to female conspicuousness. Our findings here showcase the complexity of selection on coloration and illustrate the importance of: (1) accounting for environmental variation when assessing how natural and sexual selection drive colour evolution; and (2) testing how multiple selection pressures are shaping colour diversity among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K Simpson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison F Mistakidis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stéphanie M Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Does experimentally altered plumage brightness influence extra-pair mating success in female Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor)? CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical evidence suggests that ornamental traits displayed by female birds may reflect aspects of their quality, and function during competitive interactions and (or) social mate attraction; however, less is known about how such traits influence extra-pair paternity. In Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)), plumage brightness of females signals their quality and may be related to extra-pair paternity if it enables them to invade the territories of other females to seek extra-pair copulations and (or) if potential extra-pair mates perceive their plumage brightness as attractive. Therefore, to examine whether the plumage brightness displayed by females influence rates of extra-pair paternity and the number of sires per brood, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of females relative to controls. Our results showed that plumage brightness treatment of the female did not influence the number of extra-pair offspring in nests or the likelihood of a brood containing extra-pair offspring. Additionally, the number of extra-pair males siring offspring within the broods of females did not differ by plumage brightness treatment. Although extra-pair paternity has been shown to be beneficial for female Tree Swallows, our results suggest that plumage brightness of females does not influence their ability to engage in extra-pair mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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de Zwaan DR, Barnes S, Martin K. Plumage melanism is linked to male quality, female parental investment and assortative mating in an alpine songbird. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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14
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The redder the better? Information content of red skin coloration in female Japanese macaques. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2712-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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15
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Simpson RK, McGraw KJ. Experimental trait mismatches uncover specificity of evolutionary links between multiple signaling traits and their interactions in hummingbirds*. Evolution 2018; 73:436-451. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard K. Simpson
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona 85287
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Windsor Windsor Ontario N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona 85287
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16
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Hare RM, Simmons LW. Sexual selection and its evolutionary consequences in female animals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:929-956. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. Hare
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009 Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009 Australia
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17
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Duckworth BM, Jawor JM. Corticosterone profiles in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis): Do levels vary through life history stages? Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 263:1-6. [PMID: 29678726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
As animals move through life history stages, energy requirements for each stage will vary. Both daily and annual variation in the glucocoriticoid hormones (specifically corticosterone, or CORT, in birds) helps provide the variable energy needed through life history stages. In many bird species, CORT is higher in the breeding season when energy demands can be quite high and is often lower in the non-breeding season. Additionally, CORT has a role to play in the response to stressful stimuli and the level to which CORT is elevated following stressful events can vary through the annual cycle as well. Here we report on baseline and stress-induced CORT levels in both sexes of northern cardinals, Cardinalis cardinalis, a non-migrating, year-round territorial species across life history stages. Corticosterone is overall higher in the non-breeding season than the breeding season in both sexes. Males tend to have higher levels of stress-induced CORT than females, although the observed patterns are complex. Our findings differ from one of the more common profile reported in songbirds where breeding season CORT tends to be higher than non-breeding levels. A strong influence may be the prolonged breeding season seen in cardinals; lower levels of CORT during breeding may guard against adverse maternal effects, interruptions in breeding behaviors, or egg production. Additional investigation of species with similar ecologies to northern cardinals, and more populations of cardinals, may show that annual glucocorticoid profiles are more labile than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Duckworth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive Box 5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, United States
| | - Jodie M Jawor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive Box 5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, United States.
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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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The function of primate multimodal communication. Anim Cogn 2018; 21:619-629. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1197-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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20
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Miller CR, Latimer CE, Zuckerberg B. Bill size variation in northern cardinals associated with anthropogenic drivers across North America. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4841-4851. [PMID: 29876062 PMCID: PMC5980444 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Allen's rule predicts that homeotherms inhabiting cooler climates will have smaller appendages, while those inhabiting warmer climates will have larger appendages relative to body size. Birds' bills tend to be larger at lower latitudes, but few studies have tested whether modern climate change and urbanization affect bill size. Our study explored whether bill size in a wide-ranging bird would be larger in warmer, drier regions and increase with rising temperatures. Furthermore, we predicted that bill size would be larger in densely populated areas, due to urban heat island effects and the higher concentration of supplementary foods. Using measurements from 605 museum specimens, we explored the effects of climate and housing density on northern cardinal bill size over an 85-year period across the Linnaean subspecies' range. We quantified the geographic relationships between bill surface area, housing density, and minimum temperature using linear mixed effect models and geographically weighted regression. We then tested whether bill surface area changed due to housing density and temperature in three subregions (Chicago, IL., Washington, D.C., and Ithaca, NY). Across North America, cardinals occupying drier regions had larger bills, a pattern strongest in males. This relationship was mediated by temperature such that birds in warm, dry areas had larger bills than those in cool, dry areas. Over time, female cardinals' bill size increased with warming temperatures in Washington, D.C., and Ithaca. Bill size was smaller in developed areas of Chicago, but larger in Washington, D.C., while there was no pattern in Ithaca, NY. We found that climate and urbanization were strongly associated with bill size for a wide-ranging bird. These biogeographic relationships were characterized by sex-specific differences, varying relationships with housing density, and geographic variability. It is likely that anthropogenic pressures will continue to influence species, potentially promoting microevolutionary changes over space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen R. Miller
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | | | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
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21
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Female incubation attendance and nest vigilance reflect social signaling capacity: a field experiment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2423-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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22
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Simpson RK, McGraw KJ. Multiple signaling in a variable environment: expression of song and color traits as a function of ambient sound and light. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard K. Simpson
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287‐4501 USA
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287‐4501 USA
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23
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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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Merrill L, Naylor MF, Dalimonte M, McLaughlin S, Stewart TE, Grindstaff JL. Early-life immune activation increases song complexity and alters phenotypic associations between sexual ornaments. Funct Ecol 2017; 31:2263-2273. [PMID: 29398763 PMCID: PMC5792086 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Early-life adversity can have long-lasting effects on physiological, behavioural, cognitive, and somatic processes. Consequently, these effects may alter an organism's life-history strategy and reproductive tactics.In response to early-life immune activation, we quantified levels of the acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp) during development in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Then, we examined the long-term impacts of early-life immune activation on an important static sexual signal, song complexity, as well as effects of early-life immune activation on the relationship between song complexity and a dynamic sexual signal, beak colouration. Finally, we performed mate-choice trials to determine if male early-life experience impacted female preference.Challenge with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) resulted in increased song complexity compared to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment or the control. Hp levels were inversely correlated with song complexity. Moreover, KLH-treatment resulted in negative associations between the two sexual signals (beak colouration and song complexity). Females demonstrated some preference for KLH-treated males over controls and for control males over LPS-treated males in mate choice trials.Developmental immune activation has variable effects on the expression of secondary sexual traits in adulthood, including enhancing the expression of some traits. Because developmental levels of Hp and adult song complexity were correlated, future studies should explore a potential role for exposure to inflammation during development on song learning.Early-life adversity may differentially impact static versus dynamic signals. The use of phenotypic correlations can be a powerful tool for examining the impact of early-life experience on the associations among different traits, including sexual signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren Merrill
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Madeleine F. Naylor
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Merria Dalimonte
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Sean McLaughlin
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Tara E. Stewart
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
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25
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Taking turns across channels: Conversation-analytic tools in animal communication. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:201-209. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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26
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Béziers P, Ducrest AL, Simon C, Roulin A. Circulating testosterone and feather-gene expression of receptors and metabolic enzymes in relation to melanin-based colouration in the barn owl. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 250:36-45. [PMID: 28457648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 03/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of how and why secondary sexual characters are associated with sex hormones is important to understand their signalling function. Such a link can occur if i) testosterone participates in the elaboration of sex-traits, ii) the display of an ornament triggers behavioural response in conspecifics that induce a rise in testosterone, or iii) genes implicated in the elaboration of a sex-trait pleiotropically regulate testosterone physiology. To evaluate the origin of the co-variation between melanism and testosterone, we measured this hormone and the expression of enzymes involved in its metabolism in feathers of barn owl (Tyto alba) nestlings at the time of melanogenesis and in adults outside the period of melanogenesis. Male nestlings displaying smaller black feather spots had higher levels of circulating testosterone, potentially suggesting that testosterone could block the production of eumelanin pigments, or that genes involved in the production of small spots pleiotropically regulate testosterone production. In contrast, the enzyme 5α-reductase, that metabolizes testosterone to DHT, was more expressed in feathers of reddish-brown than light-reddish nestlings. This is consistent with the hypothesis that testosterone might be involved in the expression of reddish-brown pheomelanic pigments. In breeding adults, male barn owls displaying smaller black spots had higher levels of circulating testosterone, whereas in females the opposite result was detected during the rearing period, but not during incubation. The observed sex- and age-specific co-variations between black spottiness and testosterone in nestling and adult barn owls may not result from testosterone-dependent melanogenesis, but from melanogenic genes pleiotropically regulating testosterone, or from colour-specific life history strategies that influence testosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Béziers
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Anne-Lyse Ducrest
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline Simon
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Setchell JM. Sexual Selection and the differences between the sexes in Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S105-29. [PMID: 26808101 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has become a major focus in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. It is also a popular research topic in primatology. I use studies of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), a classic example of extravagant armaments and ornaments in animals, to exemplify how a long-term, multidisciplinary approach that integrates field observations with laboratory methods can contribute to on-going theoretical debates in the field of sexual selection. I begin with a brief summary of the main concepts of sexual selection theory and the differences between the sexes. I then introduce mandrills and the study population and review mandrill life history, the ontogeny of sex differences, and maternal effects. Next, I focus on male-male competition and female choice, followed by the less well-studied questions of female-female competition and male choice. This review shows how different reproductive priorities lead to very different life histories and divergent adaptations in males and females. It demonstrates how broadening traditional perspectives on sexual selection beyond the ostentatious results of intense sexual selection on males leads to an understanding of more subtle and cryptic forms of competition and choice in both sexes and opens many productive avenues in the study of primate reproductive strategies. These include the potential for studies of postcopulatory selection, female intrasexual competition, and male choice. These studies of mandrills provide comparison and, I hope, inspiration for studies of both other polygynandrous species and species with mating systems less traditionally associated with sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Behaviour Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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28
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Bonderud E, Flood N, Van Hamme J, Boyda C, Reudink M. Female mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) paired to more colourful males produce male-biased broods. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex allocation theory predicts that females should bias the sex ratio of their offspring in response to differences in the reproductive value of sons versus daughters. Consistent with this prediction, females of many species appear to bias offspring sex ratios in response to mate attractiveness and condition. Male mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) display full body UV-blue structural plumage colouration, which is associated with attractiveness, condition, and reproductive success. Over four breeding seasons, we found females paired with more colourful males produced increasingly male-biased broods and provisioned offspring at a higher rate. Surprisingly, however, we also found females with duller plumage and those mated to first-year males produced more male-biased broods. These results provide support for sex allocation in mountain bluebirds and suggest female reproductive decisions may be influenced by the attractiveness of her mate. However, this system is clearly complex and more work is needed to understand the roles of male age and female colouration in the signalling systems of mountain bluebirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica S. Bonderud
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | - Nancy J. Flood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | | | - Cameron A. W. Boyda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | - Matthew W. Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
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29
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Experimentally altered plumage brightness of female tree swallows: a test of the differential allocation hypothesis. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The differential allocation hypothesis posits that individuals should invest in the current reproductive attempt according to the attractiveness of their mate, but studies of allocation by males when female traits are manipulated to be more attractive are lacking. In the current study, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) relative to controls to examine whether males adjust investment in parental care according to female attractiveness, while simultaneously performing a brood size manipulation. Contrary to our predictions, we found no evidence that males provisioned nestlings according to the plumage brightness of females. However, we found that nestling quality and fledging success were lowest when female plumage brightness was reduced and brood size was enlarged. This may be due to the plumage brightness treatment influencing agonistic interactions with other females, and may suggest that plumage brightness is a signal assessed by females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9
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30
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Hegyi G, Kötél D, Laczi M. Direct benefits of mate choice: a meta-analysis of plumage colour and offspring feeding rates in birds. Naturwissenschaften 2015; 102:62. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-015-1311-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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31
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DeVries MS, Winters CP, Jawor JM. Testosterone might not be necessary to support female aggression in incubating northern cardinals. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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32
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Setchell JM, Smith TE, Knapp LA. Androgens in a female primate: Relationships with reproductive status, age, dominance rank, fetal sex and secondary sexual color. Physiol Behav 2015; 147:245-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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33
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Fitzpatrick CL, Altmann J, Alberts SC. Exaggerated sexual swellings and male mate choice in primates: testing the reliable indicator hypothesis in the Amboseli baboons. Anim Behav 2015; 104:175-185. [PMID: 26752790 PMCID: PMC4704114 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The paradigm of competitive males vying to influence female mate choice has been repeatedly upheld, but, increasingly, studies also report competitive females and choosy males. One female trait that is commonly proposed to influence male mate choice is the exaggerated sexual swelling displayed by females of many Old World primate species. The reliable indicator hypothesis posits that females use the exaggerated swellings to compete for access to mates, and that the swellings advertise variation in female fitness. We tested the two main predictions of this hypothesis in a wild population of baboons (Papio cynocephalus). First, we examined the effect of swelling size on the probability of mate-guarding ('consortship') by the highest-ranking male and the behavior of those males that trailed consorshipts ('follower males'). Second, we asked whether a female's swelling size predicted several fitness measures. We found that high-ranking males do not prefer females with larger swellings (when controlling for cycle number and conception) and that females with larger swellings did not have higher reproductive success. Our study-the only complete test of the reliable indicator hypothesis in a primate population-rejects the idea that female baboons compete for mates by advertising heritable fitness differences. Furthermore, we found unambiguous evidence that males biased their mating decisions in favor of females who had experienced more sexual cycles since their most recent pregnancy. Thus, rather than tracking the potential differences in fitness between females, male baboons appear to track and target the potential for a given reproductive opportunity to result in fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; National Museums of Kenya, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; National Museums of Kenya, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
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34
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Dey CJ, Valcu M, Kempenaers B, Dale J. Carotenoid-based bill coloration functions as a social, not sexual, signal in songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes). J Evol Biol 2015; 28:250-8. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. J. Dey
- Department of Biology; McMaster University; Hamilton ON Canada
| | - M. Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | - B. Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | - J. Dale
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Albany Campus; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
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35
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Cornuau JH, Schmeller DS, Pigeault R, Sibeaux A, Tourat A, Loyau A. Information-content of morphological and behavioural sexual traits in the Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus). Behav Processes 2014; 108:36-42. [PMID: 25241307 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Revised: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The question of why females evaluate more than one sexual trait to choose their mates has received increasing attention in recent years. Here, we investigated the information-content of both morphological and behavioural sexual traits that have been identified as predictors of male reproductive success in the palmate newt, Lissotriton helveticus. We examined the co-variation of multiple traits with one aspect of male quality, the male body condition, using both a correlative study and an experimental diet restriction. We found that the development of the three morphological sexual traits (filament length, hind-foot-web size, and crest size) was positively inter-correlated, and was correlated to body condition. In contrast, courtship activity, an important indicator for male reproductive success, was uncorrelated to male body condition. Our results suggest that females likely obtain redundant information on male condition when evaluating filament length, hind-foot-web size and crest size during mate choice. Contrary to our expectations, display activity was not a reliable indicator of male condition, leaving the information-content of this trait unraveled. Our results further suggest that complex, multiple traits may evolve because redundant message, unreliable signals and, possibly, multiple messages can coexist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie H Cornuau
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France; TerrOïko, 2 rue Clémence Isaure, 31250 Revel, France.
| | - Dirk S Schmeller
- Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Université de Toulouse; UPS, INPT; EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Romain Pigeault
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France; IRD 224-UM1-UM2, Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Adelaïde Sibeaux
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France
| | - Audrey Tourat
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France
| | - Adeline Loyau
- Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Université de Toulouse; UPS, INPT; EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France
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36
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Steller sex: infidelity and sexual selection in a social Corvid (Cyanocitta stelleri). PLoS One 2014; 9:e105257. [PMID: 25148039 PMCID: PMC4141755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic analysis of avian mating systems has revealed that more than 70% of monogamous species show incidence of offspring parentage that does not match the social partner. Extra-pair parentage (EPP) has been linked to a variety of factors, including size and symmetry of ornamental traits, coloration, resource availability, and local conspecific density. We examined how ornamental plumage traits of individual Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) and territory characteristics influence genetic fidelity of socially monogamous pairs. We used seven highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to assign paternity to 79 offspring, and identified 12 (15.2%) as extra-pair young (EPY). Steller's jays with extra-pair young had significantly lower values of feather brightness and hue, indicating more ultraviolet-blue shifted coloration, and nested in closer proximity to the forest edge than Steller's jays with no detected EPY. Body size, crest height, asymmetry of ornamental crest stripes, as well as vegetative composition of territories and their proximity to supplemental feeders appeared to have little relationship to EPP. These results indicate that extra-pair parentage plays a role in the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics in both sexes, and suggest local density and availability of resources may influence Steller's jay mating dynamics.
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37
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Lumpkin DC, Murphy TG, Tarvin KA. Blood parasite infection differentially relates to carotenoid-based plumage and bill color in the American goldfinch. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3210-7. [PMID: 25473474 PMCID: PMC4222208 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Male and female American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) express condition-dependent carotenoid-based plumage and bill coloration. Plumage color is relatively static, as pigments incorporated into feathers during the spring molt cannot be mobilized thereafter. In contrast, bill color is dynamic, reflecting changes in condition over short time periods. Previous studies have shown that male and female ornaments, though similar in expression, are differentially related to measures of immunocompetence, suggesting that the relationship between ornamentation and parasite infection may differ between the sexes. In this study, we evaluate the relationship between condition-dependent ornamentation (plumage and bill color) and blood parasite infection in male and female American goldfinches. We captured goldfinches after completion of the pre-alternate molt and prior to the onset of nesting and assessed prevalence of Trypanosoma parasites via blood smears. Plumage color strongly predicted trypanosome infection: Birds with more colorful plumage were less likely to present infections. In contrast, we detected no relationship between infection and bill color, which in other studies has been shown to dynamically reflect current condition. Sex did not affect the relationship between infection status and either ornament. Together, these results suggest that physiological pathways linking carotenoid ornamentation and infection may vary even within a single species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Troy G Murphy
- Department of Biology, Trinity University San Antonio, Texas
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38
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Hughes M, Williamson T, Hollowell K, Vickery R. Sex and Weapons: Contrasting Sexual Dimorphisms in Weaponry and Aggression in Snapping Shrimp. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Hughes
- Department of Biology; College of Charleston; Charleston SC USA
| | - Tucker Williamson
- Department of Biology; College of Charleston; Charleston SC USA
- Medical University of South Carolina; Charleston SC USA
| | | | - Rachel Vickery
- Department of Biology; College of Charleston; Charleston SC USA
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39
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Same trait, different receiver response: unlike females, male American goldfinches do not signal status with bill colour. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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DeVries MS, Winters CP, Jawor JM. Female Performance of Male Courtship Display in Northern Cardinals. SOUTHEAST NAT 2014. [DOI: 10.1656/058.013.0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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41
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Freeman-Gallant CR, Schneider RL, Taff CC, Dunn PO, Whittingham LA. Contrasting patterns of selection on the size and coloration of a female plumage ornament in common yellowthroats. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:982-91. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. L. Schneider
- Department of Biology; Skidmore College; Saratoga Springs NY USA
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - C. C. Taff
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group and Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California-Davis; Davis CA USA
| | - P. O. Dunn
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - L. A. Whittingham
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
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42
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Stockley P, Bottell L, Hurst JL. Wake up and smell the conflict: odour signals in female competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130082. [PMID: 24167312 PMCID: PMC3826211 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Odour signals used in competitive and aggressive interactions between males are well studied in the context of sexual selection. By contrast, relatively little is known about comparable signals used by females, despite current interest in the evolution of female ornaments and weaponry. Available evidence suggests that odour signals are important in competitive interactions between female mammals, with reductions or reversals of male-biased sexual dimorphism in signalling where female competition is intense. Scent marking is often associated with conflict between females over access to resources or reproductive opportunities. Female scent marks may therefore provide reliable signals of competitive ability that could be used both by competitors and potential mates. Consistent with this hypothesis, we report that aggressive behaviour of female house mice is correlated with the amount of major urinary protein (MUP) excreted in their urine, a polymorphic set of proteins that are used in scent mark signalling. Under semi-natural conditions, females with high MUP output are more likely to produce offspring sired by males that have high reproductive success, and less likely to produce offspring by multiple different sires, suggesting that females with strong MUP signals are monopolized by males of particularly high quality. We conclude that odour signals are worthy of more detailed investigation as mediators of female competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
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43
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Integrated plumage colour variation in relation to body condition, reproductive investment and laying date in the collared flycatcher. Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:983-91. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1099-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Revised: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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44
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Osmond MM, Reudink MW, Germain RR, Marra PP, Nocera JJ, Boag PT, Ratcliffe LM. Relationships between carotenoid-based female plumage and age, reproduction, and mate colour in the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). CAN J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2013-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Most studies investigating the function and evolution of ornaments have focused on males. Variation in ornaments may also reflect individual quality and convey information in females. We examined correlations between female plumage colour and reproductive variables in the sexually dichromatic songbird, the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla (L., 1758)). Female American Redstarts display yellow, carotenoid-based plumage patches on their tails, wings, and flanks. Using reflectance spectrometry, we quantified brightness (feather structure) and “yellowness” (hue and chroma) of tail and flank feathers to examine whether female plumage colour varies with age, reproductive success, parental care, and the plumage colour of mates. Female plumage varied with age, with adult (after-second-year) females having brighter tail feathers than first-year females. We failed to find a relationship between female plumage colour and pairing or first-egg dates. However, adult females with brighter tails visited their nests less frequently and first-year females with brighter tails fledged fewer offspring. Adult females with brighter tails also mated with males who provided less care. In addition, adult females with yellower flanks paired with males with brighter flanks and with males who provided less parental care. We suggest that plumage colouration in female American Redstarts can act as a signal of individual age and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M. Osmond
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Matthew W. Reudink
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Ryan R. Germain
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Joseph J. Nocera
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Peter T. Boag
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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Potti J, Canal D, Serrano D. Lifetime fitness and age-related female ornament signalling: evidence for survival and fecundity selection in the pied flycatcher. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1445-57. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Potti
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Seville Spain
| | - D. Canal
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Seville Spain
| | - D. Serrano
- Department of Conservation Biology; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Seville Spain
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46
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Natural variation in circulating testosterone does not predict nestling provisioning rates in the northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Nordeide JT, Kekäläinen J, Janhunen M, Kortet R. Female ornaments revisited - are they correlated with offspring quality? J Anim Ecol 2012. [PMID: 23194443 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolution and signalling content of female ornamentation has remained an enduring challenge to evolutionary biologists, despite the fact that secondary sexual characters are widespread in females. While females usually invest significant amounts of their resources, including carotenoids, in offspring, all the resources allocated to elaborate ornamentation reduce resources available for other purposes. This may in turn constrain female fitness leading to dishonest female signalling. We review the literature for empirical studies on mutually ornamented species with conventional sex roles, by focusing on the association between female ornaments and quality of their offspring. We found 43 papers where 33 (77%) are bird-studies, nine (21%) are on fishes, and one (2%) is a lizard-study. Nine of these report negative, 14 non-existing, and 20 positive associations between female ornament and offspring quality. Eighteen of the bird studies (55%) show a positive association between the two traits investigated, whereas five (15%) of the studies report a negative association. The number of fish studies, although few, is skewed in the opposite direction with two (22%) and four (44%) studies supporting positive and negative association, respectively. A minority of studies on carotenoids-based ornaments reports a positive association (4 of 18 studies, or 22%) between the traits, which is low compared to studies on non-carotenoids-based ornaments (16 of 25 studies, or 64%). The above-mentioned relative large number of studies with negative association, especially common in studies on fishes and in carotenoids-based-ornaments, challenges the generality of the direct selection hypothesis to account for female fineries. This is important because this hypothesis seems to have strong support in recent literature on the topic. In the present paper, we also propose possible explanations for the observed differences between taxa and suggest directions and ideas for future research on the evolution of female ornamentation.
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Grindstaff JL, Lovern MB, Burtka JL, Hallmark-Sharber A. Structural coloration signals condition, parental investment, and circulating hormone levels in Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2012; 198:625-37. [PMID: 22622467 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0735-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Many of the brilliant plumage coloration displays of birds function as signals to conspecifics. One species in which the function of plumage ornaments has been assessed is the Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis). Studies of a population breeding in Alabama (USA) have established that plumage ornaments signal quality, parental investment, and competitive ability in both sexes. Here we tested the additional hypotheses that (1) Eastern bluebird plumage ornamentation signals nest defense behavior in heterospecific competitive interactions and (2) individual variation in plumage ornamentation reflects underlying differences in circulating hormone levels. We also tested the potential for plumage ornaments to signal individual quality and parental investment in a population breeding in Oklahoma (USA). We found that Eastern bluebirds with more ornamented plumage are in better condition, initiate breeding earlier in the season, produce larger clutches, have higher circulating levels of the stress hormone corticosterone, and more ornamented males have lower circulating androgen levels. Plumage coloration was not related to nest defense behavior. Thus, plumage ornamentation may be used by both sexes to assess the physiological condition and parental investment of prospective mates. Experimental manipulations of circulating hormone levels during molt are needed to define the role of hormones in plumage ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Grindstaff
- Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences West, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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GARCÍA-NAVAS VICENTE, FERRER ESPERANZAS, SANZ JUANJOSÉ. Plumage yellowness predicts foraging ability in the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01865.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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50
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DeVries MS, Holbrook AL, Winters CP, Jawor JM. Non-breeding gonadal testosterone production of male and female northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) following GnRH challenge. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 174:370-8. [PMID: 21986087 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2011] [Revised: 09/18/2011] [Accepted: 09/25/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Yearly, testosterone (T) levels fluctuate as many vertebrates cycle through reproductive and non-reproductive periods. Among many temperate birds, it is well established that levels of T peak as gonads recrudesce for breeding and then fall as gonads regress prior to the non-breeding season. While the tissues producing breeding season T are well studied, the tissues responsible for non-breeding T have received less investigative attention. We examined the ability of male and female Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) to elevate gonadal T following standardized injections of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) across three non-breeding seasons. Males and females were capable of significantly elevating gonadal T production following GnRH injections during periods of reproductive quiescence. The magnitude of T elevation varied across the non-breeding season, but not between sexes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a significant increase in gonadal T production following GnRH injections administered in the non-breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Susan DeVries
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.
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