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Arrieta RS, Cornejo P, Mahler B, Llambías PE. A possible case of offspring sex manipulation as result of a biased adult sex ratio. Sci Rep 2024; 14:819. [PMID: 38191894 PMCID: PMC10774364 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51131-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Although random meiosis should prevent the facultative adjustment of offspring sex ratio, theory predicts that females should produce more of the sex with the higher reproductive value. We reported a case of offspring sex ratio manipulation in grass wrens Cistothorus platensis. Males in better body condition would have higher reproductive value than females due to the potential for social polygyny and extra-pair fertilizations. On the other hand, local demography influences reproductive strategies in grass wrens as male abundance affects both social polygyny and extra-pair paternity frequencies. We evaluated whether females bias their brood sex ratio in response to adult sex ratio and nestling body condition (a proxy for female's prospects of producing high-quality males). Females raised more male offspring when males were less abundant in the population (female-biased adult sex ratio). However, we found no relationship between nestling body condition and brood sex ratio, suggesting that females did not bias the brood sex ratio towards males when able to raise nestlings in better body condition. Taken together, our results provide the first suggestive evidence that female birds can manipulate their offspring sex ratio in response to the adult sex ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro S Arrieta
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Paula Cornejo
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Bettina Mahler
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paulo E Llambías
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
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2
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Janas K, Gaweł P, Łatkiewicz A, Lutyk D, Gustafsson L, Cichoń M, Drobniak SM. Sexual dichromatism, size dimorphism, and microscale anatomy of white wing stripe in blue tits. Curr Zool 2021; 67:585-596. [PMID: 34805536 PMCID: PMC8599086 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Achromatic patches are a common element of plumage patterns in many bird species and there is growing body of evidence that in many avian taxa they can play a signaling role in mate choice. Although the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus is a well-established model species in the studies on coloration, its white wing patch has never been examined in the context of sex-specific trait expression. In this exploratory study, we examined sexual size dimorphism and dichromatism of greater covert’s dots creating white wing patch and analyzed its correlations with current body condition and crown coloration—a trait with established role in sexual selection. Further, we qualitatively analyzed microstructural barb morphology underlying covert’s coloration. We found significant sexual dimorphism in the dot size independent of covert size and sexual dichromatism in both white dot and blue outer covert’s vane spectral characteristics. Internal structure of covert barbs within the white dot was similar to the one found in barbs from the blue part that is, with a medullary area consisting of dead keratinocytes containing channel-type ß-keratin spongy nanostructure and centrally located air cavities. However, it lacked melanosomes which was the main observed difference. Importantly, UV chroma of covert’s blue vane was positively correlated with crown UV chroma and current condition (the latter only in males), which should be a premise for further research on the signal function of the wing stripe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Janas
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Paulina Gaweł
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Łatkiewicz
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Dorota Lutyk
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Animal Ecology/Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland.,School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Biological Sciences Building (D26), Kensington Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
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3
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Cholewa M, Jankowiak Ł, Szenejko M, Dybus A, Śmietana P, Wysocki D. The effects of parental age difference on the offspring sex and fitness of European blackbirds. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10858. [PMID: 33828905 PMCID: PMC7996069 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many studies of birds have indicated that offspring sex ratios can vary with environmental and parental traits. On the basis of long-term research, we first evaluated the possible influence of parental age difference and brood characteristics on offspring sex and fitness in multi-brooded Blackbirds Turdus merula. Methodology The study was conducted in the city-centre Stefan Żeromski Park in Szczecin, NW Poland, where the local population of Blackbirds has been studied since 1996. Data on the offspring sex and fitness were collected in five years, 2005-2007 and 2016-2017. During the breeding season we inspected the study area to locate the pairs' territories and to track their nests and clutches. Results We found that the overall sex ratio did not differ statistically from 50:50, but that younger females bonded with older mates did tend to produce more sons, probably because of the greater fitness of male descendants. Accordingly, the sons' breeding success increased with the father's age, but this relationship was close to non-linear, which may indicate that the transgenerational effect of paternal senescence could negatively affect progeny fitness despite the high-quality of older fathers. Older females mated with younger males produced more daughters, which could have been due to the lesser attractiveness of the males and the mothers' poorer condition caused by accelerated senescence. We found that neither offspring hatching sequence nor hatching date or clutch sequence were significant for sex determination. Conclusions We consider that in our Blackbird population, parental age could make a more significant contribution to shaping offspring sex and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cholewa
- Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | - Magdalena Szenejko
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.,Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Andrzej Dybus
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Przemysław Śmietana
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Wysocki
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
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Gherardi-Fuentes C, Ruiz J, Verdugo C, Navedo JG. Male-biased adult sex ratio in non-breeding areas of an extreme long-distance migratory shorebird population. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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5
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Valcu CM, Scheltema RA, Schweiggert RM, Valcu M, Teltscher K, Walther DM, Carle R, Kempenaers B. Life history shapes variation in egg composition in the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Commun Biol 2019; 2:6. [PMID: 30740542 PMCID: PMC6320336 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0247-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal investment directly shapes early developmental conditions and therefore has long-term fitness consequences for the offspring. In oviparous species prenatal maternal investment is fixed at the time of laying. To ensure the best survival chances for most of their offspring, females must equip their eggs with the resources required to perform well under various circumstances, yet the actual mechanisms remain unknown. Here we describe the blue tit egg albumen and yolk proteomes and evaluate their potential to mediate maternal effects. We show that variation in egg composition (proteins, lipids, carotenoids) primarily depends on laying order and female age. Egg proteomic profiles are mainly driven by laying order, and investment in the egg proteome is functionally biased among eggs. Our results suggest that maternal effects on egg composition result from both passive and active (partly compensatory) mechanisms, and that variation in egg composition creates diverse biochemical environments for embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina-Maria Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Richard A. Scheltema
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ralf M. Schweiggert
- Plant Foodstuff Technology and Analysis, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Kim Teltscher
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Dirk M. Walther
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Reinhold Carle
- Plant Foodstuff Technology and Analysis, Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
- Biological Science Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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Szász E, Garamszegi LZ, Rosivall B. What is behind the variation in mate quality dependent sex ratio adjustment? - A meta-analysis. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Szász
- Dept of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd Univ; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C HU-1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Depto de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Donaña-CSIC; Sevilla España
- MTA-ELTE-Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Univ; Budapest Hungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Dept of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd Univ; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C HU-1117 Budapest Hungary
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7
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Song Z, Liu Y, Booksmythe I, Ding C. Effects of individual-based preferences for colour-banded mates on sex allocation in zebra finches. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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8
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Lucass C, Iserbyt A, Eens M, Müller W. Structural (UV) and carotenoid-based plumage coloration - signals for parental investment? Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3269-79. [PMID: 27252832 PMCID: PMC4870211 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care increases parental fitness through improved offspring condition and survival but comes at a cost for the caretaker(s). To increase life-time fitness, caring parents are, therefore, expected to adjust their reproductive investment to current environmental conditions and parental capacities. The latter is thought to be signaled via ornamental traits of the bearer. We here investigated whether pre- and/or posthatching investment of blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) parents was related to ornamental plumage traits (UV crown coloration and carotenoid-based plumage coloration) expressed by either the individual itself (i.e. "good parent hypothesis") or its partner (i.e. "differential allocation hypothesis"). Our results show that neither prehatching (that is clutch size and offspring begging intensity) nor posthatching parental investment (provisioning rate, offspring body condition at fledging) was related to an individual's UV crown coloration or to that of its partner. Similar observations were made for carotenoid-based plumage coloration, except for a consistent positive relationship between offspring begging intensity and maternal carotenoid-based plumage coloration. This sex-specific pattern likely reflects a maternal effect mediated via maternally derived egg substances, given that the relationship persisted when offspring were cross-fostered. This suggests that females adjust their offspring's phenotype toward own phenotype, which may facilitate in particular mother-offspring co-adaptation. Overall, our results contribute to the current state of evidence that structural or pigment-based plumage coloration of blue tits are inconsistently correlated with central life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Lucass
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Arne Iserbyt
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
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9
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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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Booksmythe I, Mautz B, Davis J, Nakagawa S, Jennions MD. Facultative adjustment of the offspring sex ratio and male attractiveness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:108-134. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Isobel Booksmythe
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Brian Mautz
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Jacqueline Davis
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; Downing Street CB2 3EB Cambridge U.K
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
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11
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Romano A, Romano M, Caprioli M, Costanzo A, Parolini M, Rubolini D, Saino N. Sex allocation according to multiple sexually dimorphic traits of both parents in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica). J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1234-47. [PMID: 25913917 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Parents should differentially invest in sons or daughters depending on the sex-specific fitness returns from male and female offspring. In species with sexually selected heritable male characters, highly ornamented fathers should overproduce sons, which will be more sexually attractive than sons of less ornamented fathers. Because of genetic correlations between the sexes, females that express traits which are under selection in males should also overproduce sons. However, sex allocation strategies may consist in reaction norms leading to spatiotemporal variation in the association between offspring sex ratio (SR) and parental phenotype. We analysed offspring SR in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) over 8 years in relation to two sexually dimorphic traits: tail length and melanin-based ventral plumage coloration. The proportion of sons increased with maternal plumage darkness and paternal tail length, consistently with sexual dimorphism in these traits. The size of the effect of these parental traits on SR was large compared to other studies of offspring SR in birds. Barn swallows thus manipulate offspring SR to overproduce 'sexy sons' and potentially to mitigate the costs of intralocus sexually antagonistic selection. Interannual variation in the relationships between offspring SR and parental traits was observed which may suggest phenotypic plasticity in sex allocation and provides a proximate explanation for inconsistent results of studies of sex allocation in relation to sexual ornamentation in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Romano
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Romano
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Caprioli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - A Costanzo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Parolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - D Rubolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - N Saino
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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12
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Vaugoyeau M, Decencière B, Perret S, Karadas F, Meylan S, Biard C. Is oxidative status influenced by dietary carotenoid and physical activity after moult in the great tit (Parus major)? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:2106-15. [PMID: 25964421 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.111039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In the context of sexual and natural selection, an allocation trade-off for carotenoid pigments may exist because of their obligate dietary origin and their role both in the antioxidant and immune systems and in the production of coloured signals in various taxa, particularly birds. When birds have expended large amounts of carotenoids to feather growth such as after autumn moult, bird health and oxidative status might be more constrained. We tested this hypothesis in a bird species with carotenoid-based plumage colour, by manipulating dietary carotenoids and physical activity, which can decrease antioxidant capacity and increase reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) concentration. Great tits were captured after moult and kept in aviaries, under three treatments: physical handicap and dietary supplementation with carotenoids, physical handicap and control diet, and no handicap and control diet. We measured plasma composition (antioxidant capacity, ROM concentration, and vitamin A, vitamin E and total carotenoid concentrations), immune system activation (blood sedimentation) and stress response (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) and predicted that handicap treatment should influence these negatively and carotenoid supplementation positively. Coloration of yellow feathers was also measured. Carotenoid supplementation increased total plasma carotenoid concentration, decreased feather carotenoid chroma and marginally increased ROM concentration. Handicap increased blood sedimentation only in males but had no clear influence on oxidative stress, which contradicted previous studies. Further studies are needed to investigate how physical activity and carotenoid availability might interact and influence oxidative stress outside the moult period, and their combined potential influence on attractiveness and reproductive investment later during the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vaugoyeau
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Beatriz Decencière
- CNRS ENS, UMS 3194, CEREEP - Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, St-Pierre-lès-Nemours 77140, France
| | - Samuel Perret
- CNRS ENS, UMS 3194, CEREEP - Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, St-Pierre-lès-Nemours 77140, France
| | - Filiz Karadas
- Department of Animal Science, University of Yüzüncü Yil, 65080 Van, Turkey
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France ESPE de Paris, Université Sorbonne Paris IV, 10 rue Molitor, Paris 75016, France
| | - Clotilde Biard
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France
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Henderson LJ, Evans NP, Heidinger BJ, Adams A, Arnold KE. Maternal condition but not corticosterone is linked to offspring sex ratio in a passerine bird. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110858. [PMID: 25347532 PMCID: PMC4210198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence of offspring sex ratio adjustment in a range of species, but the potential mechanisms remain largely unknown. Elevated maternal corticosterone (CORT) is associated with factors that can favour brood sex ratio adjustment, such as reduced maternal condition, food availability and partner attractiveness. Therefore, the steroid hormone has been suggested to play a key role in sex ratio manipulation. However, despite correlative and causal evidence CORT is linked to sex ratio manipulation in some avian species, the timing of adjustment varies between studies. Consequently, whether CORT is consistently involved in sex-ratio adjustment, and how the hormone acts as a mechanism for this adjustment remains unclear. Here we measured maternal baseline CORT and body condition in free-living blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) over three years and related these factors to brood sex ratio and nestling quality. In addition, a non-invasive technique was employed to experimentally elevate maternal CORT during egg laying, and its effects upon sex ratio and nestling quality were measured. We found that maternal CORT was not correlated with brood sex ratio, but mothers with elevated CORT fledged lighter offspring. Also, experimental elevation of maternal CORT did not influence brood sex ratio or nestling quality. In one year, mothers in superior body condition produced male biased broods, and maternal condition was positively correlated with both nestling mass and growth rate in all years. Unlike previous studies maternal condition was not correlated with maternal CORT. This study provides evidence that maternal condition is linked to brood sex ratio manipulation in blue tits. However, maternal baseline CORT may not be the mechanistic link between the maternal condition and sex ratio adjustment. Overall, this study serves to highlight the complexity of sex ratio adjustment in birds and the difficulties associated with identifying sex biasing mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay J. Henderson
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Neil P. Evans
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Britt J. Heidinger
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Aileen Adams
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn E. Arnold
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Environment Department, The University of York, York, United Kingdom
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15
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Bell SC, Owens IPF, Lord AM. Quality of breeding territory mediates the influence of paternal quality on sex ratio bias in a free-living bird population. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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16
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Henderson LJ, Heidinger BJ, Evans NP, Arnold KE. Ultraviolet crown coloration in female blue tits predicts reproductive success and baseline corticosterone. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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17
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Limbourg T, Mateman AC, Lessells CM. Opposite differential allocation by males and females of the same species. Biol Lett 2013. [PMID: 23193045 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential allocation (DA)-the adjustment of an individual's parental investment in relation to its mate's attractiveness-is increasingly recognized as an important component of sexual selection. However, although DA is expected by both sexes of parents in species with biparental care, DA by males has rarely been investigated. We have previously demonstrated a decrease in the feeding rates of female blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus when their mate's UV coloration was experimentally reduced (i.e. positive DA). In this study, we used the same experimental protocol in the same population to investigate DA by male blue tits in relation to their female's UV coloration. Males mated to UV-reduced females had higher feeding rates than those mated to control females (i.e. negative DA). Thus, male and female blue tits display opposite DA for the same component of parental effort (chick provisioning), the first time that this has been reported for any species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Limbourg
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Female blue tits with brighter yellow chests transfer more carotenoids to their eggs after an immune challenge. Oecologia 2013; 173:387-97. [PMID: 23512200 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2617-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Female ornaments are present in many species, and it is more and more accepted that sexual or social selection may lead to their evolution. By contrast, the information conveyed by female ornaments is less well understood. Here, we investigated the links between female ornaments and maternal effects. In birds, an important maternal effect is the transmission of resources, such as carotenoids, into egg yolk. Carotenoids are pigments with antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties that are crucial for females and developing offspring. In blue tits, we evaluated whether ultraviolet (UV)/blue and yellow feather colouration signals a female's capacity to allocate carotenoids to egg yolk. Because mounting an immune response is costly and trade-offs are more detectable under harsh conditions, we challenged the immune system of females before laying and examined the carotenoid level of their eggs afterward. A positive association between feather carotenoid chroma and egg carotenoid level would be expected if yellow colouration signals basal immunity. Alternatively, if female colouration more generally reflects maternal capacity to invest in reproduction under challenging conditions, then other components of colouration (i.e. yellow brightness and UV/blue colouration) could be linked to maternal capacity to invest in eggs. No association between egg carotenoid levels and UV/blue crown colouration or female yellow chest chroma was found; the latter result suggests that yellow colouration does not signal immune capacity at laying in this species. By contrast, we found that, among females that mounted a detectable response to the vaccine, those with brighter yellow chests transmitted more carotenoids into their eggs. This result suggests yellow brightness signals maternal capacity to invest in reproduction under challenging conditions, and that male blue tits may benefit directly from choosing brighter yellow females.
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Parker TH. What do we really know about the signalling role of plumage colour in blue tits? A case study of impediments to progress in evolutionary biology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2012; 88:511-36. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Gleason ED, Marler CA. A positive Link Between Male Testosterone and Spacing Behavior in Pair-Bonded California Mice. Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin D. Gleason
- Department of Psychology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison; WI; USA
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21
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Mahr K, Griggio M, Granatiero M, Hoi H. Female attractiveness affects paternal investment: experimental evidence for male differential allocation in blue tits. Front Zool 2012; 9:14. [PMID: 22731522 PMCID: PMC3419069 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-9-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The differential allocation hypothesis (DAH) predicts that individuals should adjust their parental investment to their current mate’s quality. Although in principle the DAH holds for both sexes, male adjustment of parental investment has only been tested in a few experimental studies, revealing contradictory results. We conducted a field experiment to test whether male blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) allocate their parental effort in relation to female ornamentation (ultraviolet colouration of the crown), as predicted by the DAH. Results We reduced the UV reflectance in a sample of females and compared parental care by their mates with that of males paired to sham-manipulated control females. As predicted by the DAH our results demonstrate that males paired with UV-reduced females invested less in feeding effort but did not defend the chicks less than males paired with control females. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies providing support for male differential allocation in response to female ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Mahr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna,Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria.
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Pinson SE, Wilson JL, Navara KJ. Elevated testosterone during meiotic segregation stimulates laying hens to produce more sons than daughters. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 174:195-201. [PMID: 21925503 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2011] [Revised: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Biases in avian sex ratios have been documented in relation to a variety of social and environmental conditions. Previous studies suggest that treatment with hormones can stimulate females to manipulate offspring sex, and that this effect occurs before ovulation. For example, acute and chronic treatments with testosterone stimulated significant skews towards male offspring. Hormones may act by influencing which sex chromosome is donated by the heterogametic female bird into the oocyte. However, it is difficult to pinpoint when effects of testosterone on offspring sex occurred in previous experiments because testosterone treatments were given either chronically over the entire period of follicular development or many hours before the critical period of chromosome segregation. We injected laying hens with testosterone injections 5 h prior to ovulation to target this critical period and quantified the sexes of the subsequently ovulated eggs. We hypothesized that an injection of testosterone coincident with segregation of sex chromosomes would stimulate hens to produce more male than female offspring. As hypothesized, hens injected with testosterone produced a significant bias towards male offspring compared to controls, nearly 70%. These results suggest that acute testosterone elevation during meiotic segregation may mediate skews in avian primary sex ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Pinson
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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Laczi M, Török J, Rosivall B, Hegyi G. Integration of spectral reflectance across the plumage: implications for mating patterns. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23201. [PMID: 21853088 PMCID: PMC3154270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In complex sexual signaling systems such as plumage color, developmental or genetic links may occur among seemingly distinct traits. However, the interrelations of such traits and the functional significance of their integration rarely have been examined. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated the parallel variation of two reflectance descriptors (brightness and UV chroma) across depigmented and melanized plumage areas of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), and the possible role of integrated color signals in mate acquisition. We found moderate integration in brightness and UV chroma across the plumage, with similar correlation structures in the two sexes despite the strong sexual dichromatism. Patterns of parallel color change across the plumage were largely unrelated to ornamental white patch sizes, but they all showed strong assortative mating between the sexes. Comparing different types of assortative mating patterns for individual spectral variables suggested a distinct role for plumage-level color axes in mate acquisition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results indicate that the plumage-level, parallel variation of coloration might play a role in mate acquisition. This study underlines the importance of considering potential developmental and functional integration among apparently different ornaments in studies of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Doutrelant C, Grégoire A, Midamegbe A, Lambrechts M, Perret P. Female plumage coloration is sensitive to the cost of reproduction. An experiment in blue tits. J Anim Ecol 2011; 81:87-96. [PMID: 21819397 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01889.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
1. A growing number of studies suggest that female ornaments are linked to maternal quality and influence male mate choice. These findings challenge the traditional male-biased view of sexual selection and the hypothesis that female ornaments are the outcome of a genetic correlation with male ornaments. To further test the hypothesis that female traits have a function, it is now essential to investigate their honesty and to determine how signalling and reproduction interact in females. If female traits are honest indicators of quality, then they are likely to have a specific signalling function. 2. We investigated whether carry-over effects of reproduction might ensure the honesty of plumage colour signalling of a bird species with conspicuous UV-blue and yellow coloration, the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Reproductive effort was manipulated by removing clutches, thereby forcing both sexes to reproduce twice and to raise chicks later in the breeding season when food is less abundant. In the year following this manipulation, we investigated the change in plumage in experimental and control males and females. The change was measured in the two putative feather ornaments, the UV-blue cap and the yellow breast, and another feather trait probably less likely to be sexually selected: the wing length. We also tested whether higher-quality females had their coloration less affected by the experiment. 3. We found that control but not manipulated males and females increased their signal towards UV. In addition, in the manipulated group, females that were able to lay more eggs had their UV-blue coloration less affected by the treatment. For yellow coloration, we found that manipulated yearlings but not manipulated adults decreased their yellow chroma in comparison with control. Lastly, our results show that the condition of the manipulated females tended to be positively correlated with yellow chroma. 4. These results show that the trade-offs between reproduction and signalling can ensure the honesty of conspicuous plumage traits in female and male blue tits. In addition, they suggest that female traits have the potential to evolve under sexual selection in this and other bird species.
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Pryke SR, Rollins LA, Griffith SC. CONTEXT-DEPENDENT SEX ALLOCATION: CONSTRAINTS ON THE EXPRESSION AND EVOLUTION OF MATERNAL EFFECTS. Evolution 2011; 65:2792-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01391.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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PARKER TH, WILKIN TA, BARR IR, SHELDON BC, ROWE L, GRIFFITH SC. Fecundity selection on ornamental plumage colour differs between ages and sexes and varies over small spatial scales. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:1584-97. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02289.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
In cooperatively breeding species, the fitness consequences of producing sons or daughters depend upon the fitness impacts of positive (repayment hypothesis) and negative (local competition hypothesis) social interactions among relatives. In this study, we examine brood sex allocation in relation to the predictions of both the repayment and the local competition hypotheses in the cooperatively breeding long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus. At the population level, we found that annual brood sex ratio was negatively related to the number of male survivors across years, as predicted by the local competition hypothesis. At an individual level, in contrast to predictions of the repayment hypothesis, there was no evidence for facultative control of brood sex ratio. However, immigrant females produced a greater proportion of sons than resident females, a result consistent with both hypotheses. We conclude that female long-tailed tits make adaptive decisions about brood sex allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K-B Nam
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
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Carvalho LS, Knott B, Berg ML, Bennett ATD, Hunt DM. Ultraviolet-sensitive vision in long-lived birds. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 278:107-14. [PMID: 20667872 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light generates substantial damage, and in mammals, visual sensitivity to UV is restricted to short-lived diurnal rodents and certain marsupials. In humans, the cornea and lens absorb all UV-A and most of the terrestrial UV-B radiation, preventing the reactive and damaging shorter wavelengths from reaching the retina. This is not the case in certain species of long-lived diurnal birds, which possess UV-sensitive (UVS) visual pigments, maximally sensitive below 400 nm. The Order Psittaciformes contains some of the longest lived bird species, and the two species examined so far have been shown to possess UVS pigments. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of UVS pigments across long-lived parrots, macaws and cockatoos, and therefore assess whether they need to cope with the accumulated effects of exposure to UV-A and UV-B over a long period of time. Sequences from the SWS1 opsin gene revealed that all 14 species investigated possess a key substitution that has been shown to determine a UVS pigment. Furthermore, in vitro regeneration data, and lens transparency, corroborate the molecular findings of UV sensitivity. Our findings thus support the claim that the Psittaciformes are the only avian Order in which UVS pigments are ubiquitous, and indicate that these long-lived birds have UV sensitivity, despite the risks of photodamage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia S Carvalho
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
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Delhey K, Burger C, Fiedler W, Peters A. Seasonal changes in colour: a comparison of structural, melanin- and carotenoid-based plumage colours. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11582. [PMID: 20644723 PMCID: PMC2904367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2010] [Accepted: 06/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plumage coloration is important for bird communication, most notably in sexual signalling. Colour is often considered a good quality indicator, and the expression of exaggerated colours may depend on individual condition during moult. After moult, plumage coloration has been deemed fixed due to the fact that feathers are dead structures. Still, many plumage colours change after moult, although whether this affects signalling has not been sufficiently assessed. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied changes in coloration after moult in four passerine birds (robin, Erithacus rubecula; blackbird, Turdus merula; blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus; and great tit, Parus major) displaying various coloration types (melanin-, carotenoid-based and structural). Birds were caught regularly during three years to measure plumage reflectance. We used models of avian colour vision to derive two variables, one describing chromatic and the other achromatic variation over the year that can be compared in magnitude among different colour types. All studied plumage patches but one (yellow breast of the blue tit) showed significant chromatic changes over the year, although these were smaller than for a typical dynamic trait (bill colour). Overall, structural colours showed a reduction in relative reflectance at shorter wavelengths, carotenoid-based colours the opposite pattern, while no general pattern was found for melanin-based colours. Achromatic changes were also common, but there were no consistent patterns of change for the different types of colours. Conclusions/Significance Changes of plumage coloration independent of moult are probably widespread; they should be perceivable by birds and have the potential to affect colour signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- Behavioural Ecology of Sexual Signals Group, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.
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Griggio M, Hoi H, Pilastro A. Plumage maintenance affects ultraviolet colour and female preference in the budgerigar. Behav Processes 2010; 84:739-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2010.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2009] [Revised: 04/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/04/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Mediating male–male interactions: the role of the UV blue crest coloration in blue tits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Zampiga E, Hoi H, Pilastro A. Preening, plumage reflectance and female choice in budgerigars. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2004.9522625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Zampiga
- a Konrad Lorenz Institut für Vergleichende Verhaltensforschung , Savoyenstrasse 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - H. Hoi
- a Konrad Lorenz Institut für Vergleichende Verhaltensforschung , Savoyenstrasse 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - A. Pilastro
- b Dipartimento di Biologia , Università di Padova , Via U. Bassi 58/B, I-35131, Padova, Italy
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Du B, Lu X. Sex allocation and paternity in a cooperatively breeding passerine: evidence for the male attractiveness hypothesis? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0976-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Nolan PM, Stephen Dobson F, Nicolaus M, Karels TJ, McGraw KJ, Jouventin P. Mutual Mate Choice for Colorful Traits in King Penguins. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01775.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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D’Alba L, Shawkey MD, Korsten P, Vedder O, Kingma SA, Komdeur J, Beissinger SR. Differential deposition of antimicrobial proteins in blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) clutches by laying order and male attractiveness. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010; 64:1037-1045. [PMID: 20414331 PMCID: PMC2854352 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0919-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2009] [Revised: 01/30/2010] [Accepted: 02/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Female birds can influence offspring fitness by varying the relative quantities of egg components they deposit within and between clutches. Antimicrobial proteins (lysozyme, ovotransferrin, and avidin) are significant components of the avian albumen and likely aid in defense of embryos from microbial infection. Within clutches, females may enhance antimicrobial defense of early-laid eggs to protect them from the high risk of infection incurred before the onset of incubation. Among entire clutches, females may invest more resources in young sired by more attractive males because they have higher reproductive value. We tested these hypotheses by quantifying antimicrobial protein distribution within and among clutches in blue tit eggs. Contrary to our hypothesis, clutches showed no differential deposition of lysozyme or avidin within clutches, but eggs laid in the middle of the sequence had higher concentrations of ovotransferrin than eggs in the beginning and end. Consistent with our second hypothesis, we found that females produced eggs with higher concentrations of lysozyme (although not ovotransferrin or avidin) when mated to more attractive (more UV-reflective) males. Furthermore, females mated to polygynous males deposited less lysozyme than those mated to monogamous males. These data suggest that allocation of lysozyme at the clutch level may be a maternal effect mediated by male qualities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana D’Alba
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908 USA
| | - Matthew D. Shawkey
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908 USA
| | - Peter Korsten
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands
- Present Address: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT UK
| | - Oscar Vedder
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands
| | - Sjouke A. Kingma
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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STELKENS RIKEB, WEDEKIND CLAUS. Environmental sex reversal, Trojan sex genes, and sex ratio adjustment: conditions and population consequences. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:627-46. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04526.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Johannessen LE, Kristiansen L, Hansen BT, Slagsvold T. Facultative Adjustment of Brood Sex Ratio in Response to Indirect Manipulation of Behaviour. Ethology 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01695.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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FONT ENRIQUE, PÉREZ I DE LANUZA GUILLEM, SAMPEDRO CARLOS. Ultraviolet reflectance and cryptic sexual dichromatism in the ocellated lizard, Lacerta (Timon) lepida (Squamata: Lacertidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01251.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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40
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Griggio M, Zanollo V, Hoi H. UV plumage color is an honest signal of quality in male budgerigars. Ecol Res 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-009-0632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Siitari H, Alatalo RV, Halme P, Buchanan KL, Kilpimaa J. Color signals in the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix): signal properties and their condition dependency. Am Nat 2009; 169 Suppl 1:S81-92. [PMID: 19426093 DOI: 10.1086/510140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in techniques of quantifying between-individual differences of color-based ornaments has revealed undiscovered possibilities for research in sexual selection. We present how the color spectra data can be comprehensively used for studying the importance of sexual ornaments in the black grouse and how these ornaments are related to a male condition. For this, we used both correlative field and experimental data. Field data indicated that older males had more chromatic coloration than yearlings. Blue chroma of males was correlated with male mating success. We experimentally manipulated yearling birds with testosterone implants and found that testosterone-implanted males had impaired expression of several sexual ornaments: 10 months after the implantation, both structural-based blue and carotenoid-based red eye comb coloration were diminished, as well as lyre (tail) length. However, the manipulation did not affect vital traits under natural selection (wing length or body mass). Our data indicate that structural color is an important trait in sexual selection in this lekking species. Importantly, the data also indicate that male sexual ornaments are more susceptible to environmental conditions than the other male traits, thus showing their heightened condition dependency compared with the other traits mediating the honesty of signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Siitari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
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Maternal characteristics and the production and recruitment of sons in the eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Hjernquist MB, Thuman Hjernquist KA, Forsman JT, Gustafsson L. Sex allocation in response to local resource competition over breeding territories. Behav Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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DREISS AN, SILVA N, RICHARD M, MOYEN F, THÉRY M, MØLLER AP, DANCHIN É. Condition-dependent genetic benefits of extrapair fertilization in female blue titsCyanistes caeruleus. J Evol Biol 2008; 21:1814-22. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01578.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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46
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Kingma SA, Komdeur J, Vedder O, von Engelhardt N, Korsten P, Groothuis TG. Manipulation of male attractiveness induces rapid changes in avian maternal yolk androgen deposition. Behav Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arn130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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