1
|
Sheard C, Skinner N, Caro T. The Evolution of Rodent Tail Morphology. Am Nat 2024; 203:629-643. [PMID: 38781527 DOI: 10.1086/729751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
AbstractPopulation-level variation in rodent tail structures has been variously attributed to facilitating social communication, locomotion, thermoregulation, and predator avoidance. Little is known, however, about the applicability of these ecological and social correlates to explaining the tremendous interspecific diversity of this appendage. To investigate the potential drivers of rodent tail morphology at a macroevolutionary level, we first carefully reviewed the literature and constructed a list of major hypotheses regarding this variation. We then compiled a database of 11 different tail traits related to length, color, texture, and ecological characteristics for 2,101 species of rodents (order Rodentia) and examined their key evolutionary correlates. Using Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models across the entire order and additionally within the five rodent suborders, we found that tail length is correlated with both temperature (Allen's rule) and locomotory mode, that black tips are more common in brightly lit environments, that naked tails are often found in warmer climates, that fluffy-tipped tails are more common in smaller and/or arboreal species, that prehensility is predominant in arboreal species and/or species with longer tails, and that tail autotomy is more common in open environments. Most of our tested predictions, largely drawn from population-level studies, are not recapitulated across the entire order, potentially indicating a role of local ecological context in shaping tail morphology.
Collapse
|
2
|
Carlson ML, Stoddard MC. Evolution of Plumage Patterns in a Pattern Morphospace: A Phylogenetic Analysis of Melanerpine Woodpeckers. Am Nat 2024; 203:55-72. [PMID: 38207134 DOI: 10.1086/727508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractPlumage patterns of melanerpine (Melanerpes-Sphyrapicus) woodpeckers are strikingly diverse. Understanding the evolution and function of this diversity is challenging because of the difficulty of quantifying plumage patterns. We use a three-dimensional space to characterize the evolution of melanerpine achromatic plumage patterns. The axes of the space are three pattern features (spatial frequency, orientation, and contrast) quantified using two-dimensional fast Fourier transformation of museum specimen images. Mapping plumage in pattern space reveals differences in how species and subclades occupy the space. To quantify these differences, we derive two new measures of pattern: pattern diversity (diversity across plumage patches within a species) and pattern uniqueness (divergence of patterns from those of other species). We estimate that the melanerpine ancestor had mottled plumage and find that pattern traits across patches and subclades evolve at different rates. We also find that smaller species are more likely to display horizontal face patterning. We promote pattern spaces as powerful tools for investigating animal pattern evolution.
Collapse
|
3
|
Staps M, Miller PW, Tarnita CE, Mallarino R. Development shapes the evolutionary diversification of rodent stripe patterns. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2312077120. [PMID: 37871159 PMCID: PMC10636316 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312077120] [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: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate groups have evolved strikingly diverse color patterns. However, it remains unknown to what extent the diversification of such patterns has been shaped by the proximate, developmental mechanisms that regulate their formation. While these developmental mechanisms have long been inaccessible empirically, here we take advantage of recent insights into rodent pattern formation to investigate the role of development in shaping pattern diversification across rodents. Based on a broad survey of museum specimens, we first establish that various rodents have independently evolved diverse patterns consisting of longitudinal stripes, varying across species in number, color, and relative positioning. We then interrogate this diversity using a simple model that incorporates recent molecular and developmental insights into stripe formation in African striped mice. Our results suggest that, on the one hand, development has facilitated pattern diversification: The diversity of patterns seen across species can be generated by a single developmental process, and small changes in this process suffice to recapitulate observed evolutionary changes in pattern organization. On the other hand, development has constrained diversification: Constraints on stripe positioning limit the scope of evolvable patterns, and although pattern organization appears at first glance phylogenetically unconstrained, development turns out to impose a cryptic constraint. Altogether, this work reveals that pattern diversification in rodents can in part be explained by the underlying development and illustrates how pattern formation models can be leveraged to interpret pattern evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Merlijn Staps
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Pearson W. Miller
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY10010
| | - Corina E. Tarnita
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ08544
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sexton CL, Buckley C, Lieberfarb J, Subiaul F, Hecht EE, Bradley BJ. What Is Written on a Dog's Face? Evaluating the Impact of Facial Phenotypes on Communication between Humans and Canines. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2385. [PMID: 37508162 PMCID: PMC10376741 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial phenotypes are significant in communication with conspecifics among social primates. Less is understood about the impact of such markers in heterospecific encounters. Through behavioral and physical phenotype analyses of domesticated dogs living in human households, this study aims to evaluate the potential impact of superficial facial markings on dogs' production of human-directed facial expressions. That is, this study explores how facial markings, such as eyebrows, patches, and widow's peaks, are related to expressivity toward humans. We used the Dog Facial Action Coding System (DogFACS) as an objective measure of expressivity, and we developed an original schematic for a standardized coding of facial patterns and coloration on a sample of more than 100 male and female dogs (N = 103), aged from 6 months to 12 years, representing eight breed groups. The present study found a statistically significant, though weak, correlation between expression rate and facial complexity, with dogs with plainer faces tending to be more expressive (r = -0.326, p ≤ 0.001). Interestingly, for adult dogs, human companions characterized dogs' rates of facial expressivity with more accuracy for dogs with plainer faces. Especially relevant to interspecies communication and cooperation, within-subject analyses revealed that dogs' muscle movements were distributed more evenly across their facial regions in a highly social test condition compared to conditions in which they received ambiguous cues from their owners. On the whole, this study provides an original evaluation of how facial features may impact communication in human-dog interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Sexton
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Colleen Buckley
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | | | - Francys Subiaul
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Brenda J Bradley
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hwang Y, Yoo S, Park C, Kang C. Comparative and experimental studies on the relationship between body size and countershading in caterpillars. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1032-1039. [PMID: 36737844 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14153] [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: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Countershading is a gradient of colouration in which the illuminated dorsal surfaces are darker than the unilluminated ventral surface. It is widespread in the animal kingdom and endows the body with a more uniform colour to decrease the chance of detection by predators. Although recent empirical studies support the theory of survival advantage conferred by countershading, this camouflage strategy has evolved only in some of the cryptic animals, and our understanding of the factors that affect the evolution of countershading is limited. This study examined the association between body size and countershading using lepidopteran larvae (caterpillars) as a model system. Specifically, we predicted that countershading may have selectively evolved in large-sized species among cryptic caterpillars if (1) large size constrains camouflage which facilitates the evolution of a trait reinforcing their crypsis and (2) the survival advantage of countershading is size-dependent. Phylogenetic analyses of four different lepidopteran families (Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Erebidae, and Geometridae) suggest equivocal results: countershading was more likely to be found in larger species in Saturniidae but not in the other families. The field predation experiment assuming avian predators did not support size-dependent predation in countershaded prey. Collectively, we found only weak evidence that body size is associated with countershading in caterpillars. Our results suggest that body size is not a universal factor that has shaped the interspecific variation in countershading observed in caterpillars.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yerin Hwang
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, South Korea
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sohee Yoo
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, South Korea
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chohee Park
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, South Korea
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Changku Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mavrovouna V, Penacchio O, Allen WL. Orienting to the sun improves camouflage for bilaterally symmetrical prey. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Here, we investigate the camouflage consequences of animal orientation behaviour. Shadows can be a conspicuous cue to the presence of prey. For bilaterally symmetrical animals, light field modelling indicates that camouflage will be improved when an animal orients its longitudinal axis directly towards or away from the sun, because the appearance of shadows is minimized. We test this prediction with a field predation experiment, in which wild birds hunt for artificial camouflaged prey oriented with the longitudinal axis either parallel or perpendicular to the sun. We find that prey oriented parallel to the sun are 3.93 times more likely to survive than prey oriented perpendicular to the sun. This result demonstrates the strong orientation dependence of camouflage. Given the dramatic difference in survival of prey with different orientations, we suggest that camouflage should be investigated as an important determinant of the positional behaviour of animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Mavrovouna
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Campus, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Olivier Penacchio
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, South Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK
| | - William L Allen
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Campus, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Howell N, Sheard C, Koneru M, Brockelsby K, Ono K, Caro T. Aposematism in mammals. Evolution 2021; 75:2480-2493. [PMID: 34347894 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Aposematic coloration is traditionally considered to signal unpalatability or toxicity. In mammals, most research has focused on just one form of defense, namely, noxious anal secretions, and its black-and-white advertisement as exemplified by skunks. The original formulation of aposematism, however, encompassed a broader range of morphological, physiological, and behavioral defenses, and there are many mammal species with black-and-white contrasting patterns that do not have noxious adaptations. Here, using Bayesian phylogenetic models and data from 1726 terrestrial nonvolant mammals we find that two aspects of conspicuous coloration, black-and-white coloration patterns on the head and body, advertise defenses that are morphological (spines, large body size), behavioral (pugnacity), and physiological (anal secretions), as well as being involved with sexual signaling and environmental factors linked to crypsis. Within Carnivora, defensive anal secretions are associated with complex black-and-white head patterns and longitudinal black-and-white body striping; in primates, larger bodied species exhibit irregular patches of black-and-white pelage; and in rodents, pugnacity is linked to sharp countershading and irregular blocks of white and black pelage. We show that black-and-white coloration in mammals is multifunctional, that it serves to warn predators of several defenses other than noxious anal secretions, and that aposematism in mammals is not restricted to carnivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Howell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Sheard
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Manisha Koneru
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Kasey Brockelsby
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Konatsu Ono
- Department of Animal Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Tim Caro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom.,Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nekaris KA, Campera M, Watkins AR, Weldon AV, Hedger K, Morcatty TQ. Aposematic signaling and seasonal variation in dorsal pelage in a venomous mammal. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11387-11397. [PMID: 34429927 PMCID: PMC8366853 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, colouration patterns are often related to concealment, intraspecific communication, including aposematic signals, and physiological adaptations. Slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are arboreal primates native to Southeast Asia that display stark colour contrast, are highly territorial, regularly enter torpor, and are notably one of only seven mammal taxa that possess venom. All slow loris species display a contrasting stripe that runs cranial-caudally along the median sagittal plane of the dorsum. We examine whether these dorsal markings facilitate background matching, seasonal adaptations, and intraspecific signaling. We analyzed 195 images of the dorsal region of 60 Javan slow loris individuals (Nycticebus javanicus) from Java, Indonesia. We extracted greyscale RGB values from dorsal pelage using ImageJ software and calculated contrast ratios between dorsal stripe and adjacent pelage in eight regions. We assessed through generalized linear mixed models if the contrast ratio varied with sex, age, and seasonality. We also examined whether higher contrast was related to more aggressive behavior or increased terrestrial movement. We found that the dorsal stripe of N. javanicus changed seasonally, being longer and more contrasting in the wet season, during which time lorises significantly increased their ground use. Stripes were most contrasting in younger individuals of dispersal age that were also the most aggressive during capture. The dorsal stripe became less contrasting as a loris aged. A longer stripe when ground use is more frequent can be related to disruptive colouration. A darker anterior region by younger lorises with less fighting experience may allow them to appear larger and fiercer. We provide evidence that the dorsum of a cryptic species can have multimodal signals related to concealment, intraspecific communication, and physiological adaptations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K. Anne‐Isola Nekaris
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
- Little Fireface ProjectCipagantiJavaIndonesia
| | - Marco Campera
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
- Little Fireface ProjectCipagantiJavaIndonesia
| | - Anna R. Watkins
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Ariana V. Weldon
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | | | - Thais Q. Morcatty
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Munds RA, Titus CL, Moreira LAA, Eggert LS, Blomquist GE. Examining the molecular basis of coat color in a nocturnal primate family (Lorisidae). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4442-4459. [PMID: 33976821 PMCID: PMC8093732 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms use color for camouflage, sexual signaling, or as a warning sign of danger. Primates are one of the most vibrantly colored Orders of mammals. However, the genetics underlying their coat color are poorly known, limiting our ability to study molecular aspects of its evolution. The role of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) in color evolution has been implicated in studies on rocket pocket mice (Chaetodipus intermediusi), toucans (Ramphastidae), and many domesticated animals. From these studies, we know that changes in MC1R result in a yellow/red or a brown/black morphology. Here, we investigate the evolution of MC1R in Lorisidae, a monophyletic nocturnal primate family, with some genera displaying high contrast variation in color patterns and other genera being monochromatic. Even more unique, the Lorisidae family has the only venomous primate: the slow loris (Nycticebus). Research has suggested that the contrasting coat patterns of slow lorises are aposematic signals for their venom. If so, we predict the MC1R in slow lorises will be under positive selection. In our study, we found that Lorisidae MC1R is under purifying selection (ω = 0.0912). In Lorisidae MC1R, there were a total of 75 variable nucleotides, 18 of which were nonsynonymous. Six of these nonsynonymous substitutions were found on the Perodicticus branch, which our reconstructions found to be the only member of Lorisidae that has predominantly lighter coat color; no substitutions were associated with Nycticebus. Our findings generate new insight into the genetics of pelage color and evolution among a unique group of nocturnal mammals and suggest putative underpinnings of monochromatic color evolution in the Perodicticus lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Munds
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Chelsea L. Titus
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Lais A. A. Moreira
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
| | - Lori S. Eggert
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Caro T, Koneru M. Towards an ecology of protective coloration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:611-641. [PMID: 33258554 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The strategies underlying different forms of protective coloration are well understood but little attention has been paid to the ecological, life-history and behavioural circumstances under which they evolve. While some comparative studies have investigated the ecological correlates of aposematism, and background matching, the latter particularly in mammals, few have examined the ecological correlates of other types of protective coloration. Here, we first outline which types of defensive coloration strategies may be exhibited by the same individual; concluding that many protective coloration mechanisms can be employed simultaneously, particularly in conjunction with background matching. Second, we review the ecological predictions that have been made for each sort of protective coloration mechanism before systematically surveying phylogenetically controlled comparative studies linking ecological and social variables to antipredator defences that involve coloration. We find that some a priori predictions based on small-scale empirical studies and logical arguments are indeed supported by comparative data, especially in relation to how illumination affects both background matching and self-shadow concealment through countershading; how body size is associated with countershading, motion dazzle, flash coloration and aposematism, although only in selected taxa; how immobility may promote background matching in ambush predators; and how mobility may facilitate motion dazzle. Examination of nearly 120 comparative tests reveals that many focus on ecological variables that have little to do with predictions derived from antipredator defence theory, and that broad-scale ecological studies of defence strategies that incorporate phylogenetics are still very much in their infancy. We close by making recommendations for future evolutionary ecological research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K.,Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Manisha Koneru
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Potash AD, Greene DU, Foursa GA, Mathis VL, Conner LM, McCleery RA. A comparison of animal color measurements using a commercially available digital color sensor and photograph analysis. Curr Zool 2020; 66:601-606. [PMID: 33391358 PMCID: PMC7769579 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An animal's pelage, feather, or skin color can serve a variety of functions, so it is important to have multiple standardized methods for measuring color. One of the most common and reliable methods for measuring animal coloration is the use of standardized digital photographs of animals. New technology in the form of a commercially available handheld digital color sensor could provide an alternative to photography-based animal color measurements. To determine whether a digital color sensor could be used to measure animal coloration, we tested the ability of a digital color sensor to measure coloration of mammalian, avian, and lepidopteran museums specimens. We compared results from the sensor to measurements taken using traditional photography methods. Our study yielded significant differences between photography-based and digital color sensor measurements of brightness (light to dark) and colors along the green to red spectrum. There was no difference between photographs and the digital color sensor measurements for colors along the blue to yellow spectrum. The average difference in recorded color (ΔE) by the 2 methods was above the threshold at which humans can perceive a difference. There were significant correlations between the sensor and photographs for all measurements indicating that the sensor is an effective animal coloration measuring tool. However, the sensor's small aperture and narrow light spectrum range designed for human-vision limit its value for ecological research. We discuss the conditions in which a digital color sensor can be an effective tool for measuring animal coloration in both laboratory settings and in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex D Potash
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Daniel U Greene
- Weyerhaeuser Company, Environmental Research South, Columbus, MS 39701, USA
| | - Gabrielle A Foursa
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Verity L Mathis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Robert A McCleery
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Menéndez I, Gómez Cano AR, Cantalapiedra JL, Peláez‐Campomanes P, Álvarez‐Sierra MÁ, Hernández Fernández M. A multi‐layered approach to the diversification of squirrels. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Menéndez
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas Universidad Complutense de Madrid C/ José Antonio Novais 12 Madrid28040 Spain
- Departamento de Cambio Medioambiental Instituto de Geociencias (UCM, CSIC) C/Severo Ochoa 7 Madrid28040 Spain
| | | | - Juan L. Cantalapiedra
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, GloCEE Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group Universidad de Alcalá Plaza de San Diego s/n, Alcalá de Henares Madrid28801 Spain
| | - Pablo Peláez‐Campomanes
- Departameto de Paleobiología Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN‐CSIC C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2 Madrid28006 Spain
| | - María Ángeles Álvarez‐Sierra
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas Universidad Complutense de Madrid C/ José Antonio Novais 12 Madrid28040 Spain
- Departamento de Cambio Medioambiental Instituto de Geociencias (UCM, CSIC) C/Severo Ochoa 7 Madrid28040 Spain
| | - Manuel Hernández Fernández
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas Universidad Complutense de Madrid C/ José Antonio Novais 12 Madrid28040 Spain
- Departamento de Cambio Medioambiental Instituto de Geociencias (UCM, CSIC) C/Severo Ochoa 7 Madrid28040 Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mendes Pontes AR, da Silva Júnior AP, Chivers D. The occurrence of leucism in groups of tayras Eira barbara Linnaeus 1758 on the Guyana shield. ECOSCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2020.1804724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Paulo da Silva Júnior
- Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Departamento de Ciências Geográficas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
AbstractBlack and white face markings in Artiodactyls are thought to be broadly associated with intraspecific communication. Evidence-based studies on the fine-scale mechanisms of signaling, however, are scant. The occurrence of black and white face markings is one of the most distinctive features of the Northern chamois Rupicapra rupicapra. Although their function is unknown, they might possibly signal fighting abilities: if so, the intensity of face color contrast should positively correlate with traits involved in aggressive contests, i.e. body mass and horn size. We collected data on face marking ‘blackness’ as a proxy of color contrast, dressed body mass and horn length on 103 chamois of either sex harvested during the hunting season of 2019 in the central Italian Alps. To investigate the relationship between color contrast and sex-specific body mass and horn length, we fitted an ordinal multilevel regression model in a Bayesian framework. Contrast score positively associated with increasing body mass in both sexes, but this relationship was much stronger in females than in males. Contrast score positively related with horn length in males but not in females. Our results offer some first insights into the potential correlates of chamois facial mask, suggesting that face markings might provide age-specific cues of mass-based dominance in females, while their role in males appears more uncertain. Behavioral studies on marked or hunted individuals in different environmental settings are necessary to confirm these findings, and provide further understandings of face color patterns in chamois.
Collapse
|
15
|
Potash AD, Greene DU, Mathis VL, Baiser B, Conner LM, McCleery RA. Ecological Drivers of Eastern Fox Squirrel Pelage Polymorphism. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
16
|
Fattorini N, Ferretti F. To scan or not to scan? Occurrence of the group‐size effect in a seasonally nongregarious forager. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Fattorini
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences University of Siena Siena Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Nekaris KAI, Weldon A, Imron MA, Maynard KQ, Nijman V, Poindexter SA, Morcatty TQ. Venom in Furs: Facial Masks as Aposematic Signals in a Venomous Mammal. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E93. [PMID: 30764557 PMCID: PMC6409604 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11020093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of colouration in animals includes concealment, communication and signaling, such as the use of aposematism as a warning signal. Aposematism is unusual in mammals, and exceptions help us to understand its ecology and evolution. The Javan slow loris is a highly territorial venomous mammal that has a distinctive facial mask and monochromatic vision. To help understand if they use aposematism to advertise their venom to conspecifics or predators with different visual systems, we studied a population in Java, Indonesia. Using ImageJ, we selected colours from the facial masks of 58 individuals, converted RBG colours into monochromatic, dichromatic and trichromatic modes, and created a contrast index. During 290 captures, we recorded venom secretion and aggressiveness. Using Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling and generalised additive models for location, scale and shape, we found that young slow lorises differ significantly from adults, being both more contrasting and more aggressive, with aggressive animals showing fewer wounds. We suggest aposematic facial masks serve multiple purposes in slow lorises based on age. Change in colouration through development may play a role in intraspecific competition, and advertise toxicity or aggressiveness to competitors and/or predators in juveniles. Aposematic signals combined with intraspecific competition may provide clues to new venomous taxa among mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Anne-Isola Nekaris
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| | - Ariana Weldon
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| | - Muhammad Ali Imron
- Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Madah, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
| | - Keely Q Maynard
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| | - Vincent Nijman
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| | - Stephanie A Poindexter
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Thais Queiroz Morcatty
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Seasonal pelage color change of two sympatric arboreal squirrel species in the subarctic region. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1682694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
|
19
|
Tamura N, Boonkhaw P, Prayoon U, Kanchanasaka B, Hayashi F. Mating calls are a sensitive indicator of phylogenetic relationships in tropical tree squirrels (Callosciurus spp.). Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
20
|
Stumpp R, Casali D, Cunha H, Paglia A. Complete albinism in Oxymycterus dasytrichus (Schinz 1821) (Rodentia: Cricetidae). MAMMALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2018-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Reports of albinism are available for several groups of mammals, including the secondmost diverse family of Rodentia, Cricetidae. Nonetheless, in South America, where cricetid rodents are the most representative of the small mammals, both in richness and abundance, few records of albinism exist. Here, we document the first case of albinism for the cricetid Oxymicterus dasytrichus, and compare the skin, hair and skull morphology of the albino with specimens of the regular coat color pattern of O. dasytrichus collected in the state of Minas Gerais, where the albino specimen was collected. Despite the marked external morphological differences observed in the hair and skin colors, cranial measurements indicate that no salient differences can be observed when comparing particular measures for the skulls of albino and non-albino specimens, neither through a multivariate statistical analysis. We also briefly discuss the relative rarity of complete albinism in Neotropical rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Stumpp
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia Geral , Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 , Pampulha CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG , Brazil
| | - Daniel Casali
- Laboratório de Evolução de Mamíferos, Departamento de Zoologia , Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 , Pampulha CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG , Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 , Pampulha CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG , Brazil
| | - Heitor Cunha
- SETE Soluções e Tecnologia Ambiental , R. Pernambuco, 100 0, Savassi CEP 30130-154, Belo Horizonte, MG , Brazil
| | - Adriano Paglia
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia Geral , Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 , Pampulha CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG , Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Soma M, Garamszegi LZ. Evolution of patterned plumage as a sexual signal in estrildid finches. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Masayo Soma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Americo Vespucio, Seville, Spain
- MTA-ELTE, Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Talamoni S, Viana PIM, Costa CG, Palú L, Oliveira RB, Pessôa LM. Occurrence of leucism in Eira barbara (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in Brazil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2017-0328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract The occurrence of anomalous coloration (albinism, leucism and melanism) in mammals is a rare phenomenon in nature, but this phenomenon has been reported for several species of mammals. In this study, we report on the occurrence of leucism in Eira barbara by examining three road-killed individuals and two sightings of live animals in Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Santuário do Caraça, southeastern Brazil. In addition, we examined tayra specimens housed in mammal collections from Brazil and USA. The animals found dead and those sighted had a whitish yellow fur on the body and head, resulting in lighter coloration than the coloring pattern commonly observed in tayras. Despite these lighter color pattern, the specimens showed parts of soft tissue, such as iris and the skin, with pigmentation very similar to that present in individuals with the typical color pattern. This set of factors indicates the specimens recorded were in fact leucistic and not albino. Among the specimens examined in the scientific collections, we found nine individuals from different localities that presented the whitish yellow color pattern. Some studies attribute the higher frequency of cases of leucism due to small populations and / or with some mechanism of reproductive isolation. Thus, analysis of the genetic variability of populations containing individuals with such characteristics should be considered. On the other hand, the occurrence of polymorphic color phenotype in tayras indicates that hypotheses related to the fixation of recessive characteristics, or on possible environmental adaptive advantages of these phenotypes can be tested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Talamoni
- Pontificia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Lauro Palú
- Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural - Santuário do Caraça, Brazil
| | | | | |
Collapse
|