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Chiara V, Velando A, Kim SY. Relationships between male secondary sexual traits, physiological state and offspring viability in the three-spined stickleback. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:4. [PMID: 34996346 PMCID: PMC8742421 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01958-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual signals produced by males play a central role in sexual selection, but the relationship between these traits and the quality of the bearer are often ambiguous. Secondary sexual traits may represent genetic quality of the bearer, resulting in positive relationships with physiological state, or may be costly to produce, showing trade-off with physiological state. A number of studies have explored the relationships between secondary sexual traits and other functional traits, but few have studied their fitness consequences. We studied the link between diverse physiological traits and both morphological and behavioural sexual traits and examined how their interplay influences offspring viability in the three-spined stickleback. RESULTS Male sticklebacks showing nest building and courtship behaviour were smaller than those not investing in reproductive activities. There was no evidence that the expression of red nuptial colouration and the quality of courtship behaviour of males are positively related to their metabolic rates, swim ability, oxidative damage and mtDNA copy number. However, individuals showing larger red nuptial colour areas had higher levels of oxidative DNA damage in their sperm. Male courtship behaviour and aggressiveness, but not red colour area, were good predictors of offspring hatching and survival. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, in our study population at the southern edge of the species' distribution, sexual colouration of male sticklebacks was not a good indicator of their body state, but both courtship quality and aggressiveness during the courtship are reliable cues of their gamete quality, influencing the viability of their offspring. Thus, females that choose mates based on their courtship behaviour will have high fitness. In the study population, which represents a fast pace-of-life with high reproductive rate and short lifespan, sexual ornaments of males may not honestly signal their physiological and physical state because they invest at maximum in a single reproductive season despite high costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violette Chiara
- Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Centro de Investigación Mariña, Campus de Vigo, Universidade de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain.
| | - Alberto Velando
- Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Centro de Investigación Mariña, Campus de Vigo, Universidade de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Sin-Yeon Kim
- Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Centro de Investigación Mariña, Campus de Vigo, Universidade de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain
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2
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Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Pruett JA, Ossip-Drahos AG, Campos SM, Seddon RJ, Price SL, Romero-Diaz C, Rivera JA, Vital-García C, Hews DK, Martins EP. Information out of the blue: phenotypic correlates of abdominal color patches in Sceloporus lizards. ZOOLOGY 2021; 149:125961. [PMID: 34592493 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125961] [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: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Colorful ornaments are important visual signals for animal communication that can provide critical information about the quality of the signaler. In this study, we focused on different color characteristics of the abdominal patches of males of six lizard species from the genus Sceloporus. We addressed three main objectives. First, we examined if size, brightness, saturation, and conspicuousness of these ornaments are indicative of body size, condition, immune function, or levels of testosterone and corticosterone. Second, we evaluated if the distinct components of these abdominal patches (blue or green patches and black stripes) transmit similar information about the signaler, which would support the redundant signal hypothesis, or if these components are related to different phenotypic traits, which would support the multiple message hypothesis. Third, we compared the phenotypic correlates of these ornaments among our six species to understand the degree of conservatism in the signaling patterns or to find species-specific signals. Using data collected from males in natural conditions and a multi-model inference framework, we found that in most species the area of the patches and the brightness of the blue component are positively related to body size. Thus, these color characteristics are presumably indicative of the physical strength and competitive ability of males and these shared signals were likely inherited from a common ancestor. In half of the species, males in good body condition also exhibit relatively larger blue and black areas, suggesting that the expression of these ornaments is condition-dependent. Abdominal patches also provide information about immunocompetence of the males as indicated by different correlations between certain color characteristics and ectoparasite load, counts of heterophils, and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio. Our findings reveal that area and brightness of the abdominal patches signal the size and body condition of males, whereas blue saturation and conspicuousness with respect to the surrounding substrate are indicative of immune condition, thus supporting the multiple message hypothesis. However, some of these correlations were not shared by all species and, hence, point to intriguing species-specific signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jaime Zúñiga-Vega
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.
| | - Jake A Pruett
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 425 W. University Boulevard, Durant, OK 74701, USA.
| | - Alison G Ossip-Drahos
- Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Marian University, 3200 Cold Springs Road, Indianapolis, IN 46222, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Campos
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
| | - Ryan J Seddon
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA; Center for Global Communication Strategies, University of Tokyo, 3-8-4 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Savannah L Price
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
| | - Cristina Romero-Diaz
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Julio A Rivera
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Cuauhcihuatl Vital-García
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Anillo Envolvente y Estocolmo s/n, Colonia Progresista, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, 32310, Mexico.
| | - Diana K Hews
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Science Building Room 283, 600 North Chestnut Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
| | - Emília P Martins
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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3
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Ecological effects on female bill colour explain plastic sexual dichromatism in a mutually-ornamented bird. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14970. [PMID: 34294752 PMCID: PMC8298529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93897-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in ornamentation are common and, in species with conventional sex roles, are generally thought of as stable, due to stronger sexual selection on males. Yet, especially in gregarious species, ornaments can also have non-sexual social functions, raising the possibility that observed sex differences in ornamentation are plastic. For example, females may invest in costly ornamentation more plastically, to protect body and reproductive ability in more adverse ecological conditions. We tested this hypothesis with experimental work on the mutually-ornamented common waxbill (Estrilda astrild), supplementing their diets either with pigmentary (lutein, a carotenoid) or non-pigmentary (vitamin E) antioxidants, or alleviating winter cold temperature. We found that both lutein and vitamin E supplementation increased red bill colour saturation in females, reaching the same mean saturation as males, which supports the hypothesis that female bill colour is more sensitive to environmental or physiological conditions. The effect of vitamin E, a non-pigment antioxidant, suggests that carotenoids were released from their antioxidant functions. Alleviating winter cold did not increase bill colour saturation in either sex, but increased the stability of female bill colour over time, suggesting that female investment in bill colour is sensitive to cold-mediated stress. Together, results show that waxbill bill sexual dichromatism is not stable. Instead, sexual dichromatism can be modulated, and even disappear completely, due to ecology-mediated plastic adjustments in female bill colour.
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4
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How king penguins advertise their sexual maturity. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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5
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Sykes BE, Hutton P, McGraw KJ. Sex-specific relationships between urbanization, parasitism, and plumage coloration in house finches. Curr Zool 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Historically, studies of condition-dependent signals in animals have been male-centric, but recent work suggests that female ornaments can also communicate individual quality (e.g., disease state, fecundity). There also has been a surge of interest in how urbanization alters signaling traits, but we know little about if and how cities affect signal expression in female animals. We measured carotenoid-based plumage coloration and coccidian (Isospora spp.) parasite burden in desert and city populations of house finches Haemorhous mexicanus to examine links between urbanization, health state, and feather pigmentation in males and females. In earlier work, we showed that male house finches are less colorful and more parasitized in the city, and we again detected such patterns in this study for males; however, urban females were less colorful, but not more parasitized, than rural females. Moreover, contrary to rural populations, we found that urban birds (regardless of sex) with larger patches of carotenoid coloration were also more heavily infected with coccidia. These results show that urban environments can disrupt condition-dependent color expression and highlight the need for more studies on how cities affect disease and signaling traits in both male and female animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Sykes
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Pierce Hutton
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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6
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Sexually dichromatic coloration of female Iberian green lizards correlates with health state and reproductive investment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02915-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Funghi C, Trigo S, Gomes ACR, Soares MC, Cardoso GC. Release from ecological constraint erases sex difference in social ornamentation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2486-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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8
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Lobato E, Doutrelant C, Melo M, Reis S, Covas R. Insularity effects on bird immune parameters: A comparison between island and mainland populations in West Africa. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3645-3656. [PMID: 28616162 PMCID: PMC5468148 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Oceanic islands share several environmental characteristics that have been shown to drive convergent evolutionary changes in island organisms. One change that is often assumed but has seldom been examined is the evolution of weaker immune systems in island species. The reduction in species richness on islands is expected to lead to a reduced parasite pressure and, given that immune function is costly, island animals should show a reduced immune response. However, alternative hypotheses exist; for example, the slower pace of life on islands could favor the reorganization of the immune system components (innate vs. acquired immunity) on islands. Thus far, few island species have been studied and no general patterns have emerged. Here, we compared two immune parameters of birds from São Tomé and Príncipe islands to those of their close relatives at similar latitudes on the mainland (Gabon, West Africa). On islands, the acquired humoral component (total immunoglobulins) was lower for most species, whereas no clear pattern was detected for the innate component (haptoglobin levels). These different responses did not seem to arise from a reorganization of the two immune components, as both total immunoglobulins and haptoglobin levels were positively associated. This work adds to the few empirical studies conducted so far which suggest that changes in immune parameters in response to insularity are not as straightforward as initially thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Lobato
- CIBIO/InBio Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal.,CEFE Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CNRS UMR 5175 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- CEFE Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CNRS UMR 5175 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | - Martim Melo
- CIBIO/InBio Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST-NRF Center of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - Sandra Reis
- CIBIO/InBio Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Rita Covas
- CIBIO/InBio Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology DST-NRF Center of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa.,Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
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9
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Cantarero A, López-Arrabé J, Palma A, Moreno J. Oxidative status in nestlings shows different associations with parental carotenoid-based plumage ornaments depending on parental sex and year: a study of rock sparrowsPetronia petronia. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1260059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cantarero
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jimena López-Arrabé
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Palma
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan Moreno
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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10
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Geary DC. Evolution of Sex Differences in Trait- and Age-Specific Vulnerabilities. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2016; 11:855-876. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691616650677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Traits that facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choice generally have a heightened sensitivity to stressors. They have evolved to signal resilience to infectious disease and nutritional and social stressors, and they are compromised by exposure to man-made toxins. Although these traits can differ from one species or sex to the next, an understanding of the dynamics of competition and choice can in theory be used to generate a priori predictions about sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities for any sexually reproducing species. I provide a review of these dynamics and illustrate associated vulnerabilities in nonhuman species. The age- and sex-specific vulnerability of such traits is then illustrated for stressor-related disruptions of boys’ and girls’ physical growth and play behavior, as well as for aspects of boys’ and girls’ and men’s and women’s personality, language, and spatial abilities. There is much that remains to be determined, but enough is now known to reframe trait sensitivity in ways that will allow scientists and practitioners to better identify and understand vulnerable human traits, and eventually ameliorate or prevent their expression.
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11
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Body mass and immune function, but not bill coloration, predict dominance in female mallards. Behav Processes 2016; 131:59-67. [PMID: 27561967 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Competition over indivisible resources is common and often costly. Therefore, selection should favor strategies, including efficient communication, that minimize unnecessary costs associated with such competition. For example, signaling enables competitors to avoid engaging in costly asymmetrical contests. Recently, bill coloration has been identified as an information-rich signal used by some birds to mediate aggressive interactions and we evaluated this possibility in female mallards Anas platyrhynchos. Specifically, we conducted two rounds of competitive interactions among groups of unfamiliar adult female ducks. By recording all aggressive behaviors exhibited by each individual, as well as the identity of attack recipients, we were able to assign dominance scores and evaluate links between numerous physiological, morphological, and experimental variables that we predicted would influence contest outcome and dominance. Contrary to our predictions, dominance was not linked to any aspect of bill coloration, access to dietary carotenoids during development, two of three measures of immune function, or ovarian follicle maturation. Instead, heavier birds were more dominant, as were those with reduced immune system responses to an experimentally administered external immunostimulant, phytohemagglutinin. These results suggest that visual signals are less useful during the establishment of dominance hierarchies within multi-individual scramble competitions, and that immune function is correlated with contest strategies in competitions for access to limited resources.
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12
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Koch RE, Josefson CC, Hill GE. Mitochondrial function, ornamentation, and immunocompetence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1459-1474. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E. Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn AL 36849 U.S.A
| | - Chloe C. Josefson
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn AL 36849 U.S.A
| | - Geoffrey E. Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn AL 36849 U.S.A
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13
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Tarvin KA, Wong LJ, Lumpkin DC, Schroeder GM, D'Andrea D, Meade S, Rivers P, Murphy TG. Dynamic Status Signal Reflects Outcome of Social Interactions, but Not Energetic Stress. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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14
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Geary DC. Can Neglected Tropical Diseases Compromise Human Wellbeing in Sex-, Age-, and Trait-Specific Ways? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004489. [PMID: 27077746 PMCID: PMC4831682 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Traits that facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choice have evolved to signal resilience to infectious disease and other stressors. As a result, the dynamics of competition and choice can, in theory, be used to generate predictions about sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities for any sexually reproducing species, including humans. These dynamics and associated vulnerabilities are reviewed for nonhuman species, focusing on traits that are compromised by exposure to parasites. Using the same approach, sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities to parasitic disease are illustrated for children's and adolescent's physical growth and fitness. Suggestions are then provided for widening the assessment of human vulnerabilities to include age-appropriate measures of behavioral (e.g., children's play) and cognitive (e.g., language fluency) traits. These are traits that are likely to be compromised by infection in age- and sex-specific ways. Inclusion of these types of measures in studies of neglected tropic diseases has the potential to provide a more nuanced understanding of how these diseases undermine human wellbeing and may provide a useful means to study the efficacy of associated treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
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15
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Viblanc VA, Dobson FS, Stier A, Schull Q, Saraux C, Gineste B, Pardonnet S, Kauffmann M, Robin JP, Bize P. Mutually honest? Physiological ‘qualities’ signalled by colour ornaments in monomorphic king penguins. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A. Viblanc
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive; Equipe Ecologie Comportementale; UMR 5175 CNRS; 1919 route de Mende Montpellier 34293 France
| | - F. Stephen Dobson
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive; Equipe Ecologie Comportementale; UMR 5175 CNRS; 1919 route de Mende Montpellier 34293 France
- Department of Biological Sciences; Auburn University; 311 Funchess Hall Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - Antoine Stier
- Université de Strasbourg; IPHC; 23 rue Becquerel Strasbourg 67087 France
- CNRS; UMR 7178; Strasbourg 67087 France
| | - Quentin Schull
- Université de Strasbourg; IPHC; 23 rue Becquerel Strasbourg 67087 France
- CNRS; UMR 7178; Strasbourg 67087 France
| | - Claire Saraux
- IFREMER; UMR MARBEC; Avenue Jean Monnet BP 171 Sète Cedex 34203 France
| | - Benoit Gineste
- Université de Strasbourg; IPHC; 23 rue Becquerel Strasbourg 67087 France
- CNRS; UMR 7178; Strasbourg 67087 France
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Université de Strasbourg; IPHC; 23 rue Becquerel Strasbourg 67087 France
- CNRS; UMR 7178; Strasbourg 67087 France
| | - Marion Kauffmann
- Université de Strasbourg; IPHC; 23 rue Becquerel Strasbourg 67087 France
- CNRS; UMR 7178; Strasbourg 67087 France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg; IPHC; 23 rue Becquerel Strasbourg 67087 France
- CNRS; UMR 7178; Strasbourg 67087 France
| | - Pierre Bize
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Scotland UK
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16
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Dias R, Manica L, Gressler D, Bell J, Fecchio A. Plumage coloration, body condition and immunological status in Yellow-billed Cardinals (Paroaria capitata). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1077892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R.I. Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
- Faculdade de Ciências da Educação e Saúde, Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília, 70790-075, Brazil
| | - L.T. Manica
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - D. Gressler
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - J.A. Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - A. Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
- Ornithology Department, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
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17
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Beck ML, Hopkins WA, Hawley DM. Relationships among plumage coloration, blood selenium concentrations, and immune responses of adult and nestling tree swallows. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:3415-24. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.123794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In a number of taxa, males and females both display ornaments that may be associated with individual quality and could be reliable signals to potential mates or rivals. We examined the iridescent blue/green back and white breast of adult tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to determine if plumage reflectance was related to adult or offspring immune responses. We simultaneously addressed the influence of blood selenium levels and the interaction between blood selenium and plumage coloration on adult and nestling immunity. Selenium is a well-known antioxidant necessary for mounting a robust immune response but its importance in wild birds remains poorly understood. In females, the brightness of white breast coloration was positively associated with bactericidal capacity, but there was no association with blood selenium. In contrast, male bactericidal capacity was associated with an interactive effect between dorsal plumage coloration and blood selenium concentrations. Males with bluer hues and greater blue chroma showed increased bactericidal capacity as blood selenium concentrations increased, while bactericidal capacity declined in greener males at higher blood selenium concentrations. In nestlings, bactericidal capacity was positively associated with nestling blood selenium concentrations and white brightness of both social parents. These results suggest that white plumage reflectance is indicative of quality in tree swallows and that greater attention should be paid to the reflectance of large white plumage patches. Additionally, the role of micronutrients, such as selenium, in mediating relationships between physiology and signals of quality, should be explored further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. Beck
- 106 Cheatham Hall, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USA
| | - William A. Hopkins
- 106 Cheatham Hall, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USA
| | - Dana M. Hawley
- 2125 Derring Hall, Department of Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, USA
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18
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Fairhurst GD, Dawson RD, van Oort H, Bortolotti GR. Synchronizing feather-based measures of corticosterone and carotenoid-dependent signals: what relationships do we expect? Oecologia 2014; 174:689-98. [PMID: 24233689 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2830-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids produce many of the red, orange and yellow signal traits of birds, and individuals must trade off utilizing carotenoids for physiological processes versus ornamentation. Proximate mechanisms regulating this trade-off are poorly understood, despite their importance for expression of color signals. Corticosterone (CORT) may play a significant mechanistic role in signal expression because it mobilizes energy substrates and influences foraging behavior. We used a unique feather-based approach to test whether CORT mediates expression of carotenoid-based coloration. First, we investigated relationships between levels of CORT from feathers (CORT(f)) and carotenoid-based plumage signals in common redpolls (Acanthis flammea). Then, we determined how the width of growth bars and probability of having fault bars on feathers varied with CORT(f), specifically whether these metrics reflected developmental costs of elevated CORT ("stress" hypothesis) or represented an individual's quality ("quality" hypothesis). CORT(f) correlated positively with the strength of carotenoid signals, but only in adult males. However, also in adult males, CORT(f) was positively related to width of feather growth bars and negatively with probability of having fault bars, providing support for the quality hypothesis. Overall, CORT(f) was lower in adult males than in females or young males, possibly due to dominance patterns. Our results indicate that CORT may indirectly benefit feather quality, potentially by mediating the expression of carotenoid signals. We place our sex-specific findings into a novel framework that proposes that the influences of CORT in mediating carotenoid-based plumage traits will depend on the extent to which carotenoids are traded off between competing functions.
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Lumpkin DC, Murphy TG, Tarvin KA. Blood parasite infection differentially relates to carotenoid-based plumage and bill color in the American goldfinch. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3210-7. [PMID: 25473474 PMCID: PMC4222208 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Male and female American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) express condition-dependent carotenoid-based plumage and bill coloration. Plumage color is relatively static, as pigments incorporated into feathers during the spring molt cannot be mobilized thereafter. In contrast, bill color is dynamic, reflecting changes in condition over short time periods. Previous studies have shown that male and female ornaments, though similar in expression, are differentially related to measures of immunocompetence, suggesting that the relationship between ornamentation and parasite infection may differ between the sexes. In this study, we evaluate the relationship between condition-dependent ornamentation (plumage and bill color) and blood parasite infection in male and female American goldfinches. We captured goldfinches after completion of the pre-alternate molt and prior to the onset of nesting and assessed prevalence of Trypanosoma parasites via blood smears. Plumage color strongly predicted trypanosome infection: Birds with more colorful plumage were less likely to present infections. In contrast, we detected no relationship between infection and bill color, which in other studies has been shown to dynamically reflect current condition. Sex did not affect the relationship between infection status and either ornament. Together, these results suggest that physiological pathways linking carotenoid ornamentation and infection may vary even within a single species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Troy G Murphy
- Department of Biology, Trinity University San Antonio, Texas
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Same trait, different receiver response: unlike females, male American goldfinches do not signal status with bill colour. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Hill GE. Cellular respiration: the nexus of stress, condition, and ornamentation. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:645-57. [PMID: 24791751 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental hypothesis for the evolution and maintenance of ornamental traits is that ornaments convey information to choosing females about the quality of prospective mates. A diverse array of ornaments (e.g., colors, morphological features, and behaviors) has been associated with a wide range of measures of individual quality, but decades of study of such indicator traits have failed to produce general mechanisms of honest signaling. Here, I propose that efficiency of cellular respiration, as a product of mitochondrial function, underlies the associations between ornamentation and performance for a broad range of traits across taxa. A large biomedical literature documents the fundamental biochemical links between oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the process of metabolism, the function of the immune system, the synthesis of proteins, and the development and function of the nervous system. The production of virtually all ornaments whose expressions have been demonstrated to be condition-dependent is directly affected by the efficiency of cellular respiration, suggesting that the signaling of respiratory efficiency may be the primary function of such traits. Furthermore, the production of ornaments links to stress-response systems, including particularly the neuroendocrine system, through mitochondrial function, thereby makes ornamental traits effective signals of the capacity to withstand environmental perturbations. The identification of a unifying mechanism of honest signaling holds the potential to connect many heretofore-disparate fields of study related to stress and ornamentation, including neuroendocrinology, respiratory physiology, metabolic physiology, and immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5414, USA
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Freeman-Gallant CR, Schneider RL, Taff CC, Dunn PO, Whittingham LA. Contrasting patterns of selection on the size and coloration of a female plumage ornament in common yellowthroats. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:982-91. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. L. Schneider
- Department of Biology; Skidmore College; Saratoga Springs NY USA
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - C. C. Taff
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group and Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California-Davis; Davis CA USA
| | - P. O. Dunn
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - L. A. Whittingham
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
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Chin EH, Quinn JS, Burness G. Acute stress during ontogeny suppresses innate, but not acquired immunity in a semi-precocial bird (Larus delawarensis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 193:185-92. [PMID: 23988691 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Wild animals often encounter adverse conditions, and in response, activate their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. To date, work examining the development of the stress response has focused on altricial species, with little work focusing on species with other developmental patterns. Additionally, the effects of acute stress on indices of innate and adaptive immunity have been little studied in birds, particularly during development. We examined the ontogeny of the stress response in the semi-precocial ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis). At hatch, 10, and 20days post-hatching, chicks underwent a standardized handling stress protocol, with blood samples taken within 3min of, and 30min after, initial disturbance. Levels of corticosterone (CORT), natural antibodies (NAb), complement activity, and immunoglobulins (IgY) were assessed in plasma samples. In contrast with altricial species, ring-billed gull chicks had detectible CORT levels at hatch, and were able to mount a stress response. At all ages, acute handling stress depressed NAb levels and complement-mediated lysis, but not IgY levels. IgY levels were higher in two chick broods than three chick broods, suggesting levels are determined in part by resource dependence. Our data provide insight into the development of the stress response and immune function in a colonial waterbird species, in which chicks are mobile shortly post hatch, and subject to aggression and possible injury from nearby adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice H Chin
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.
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Hill GE, Johnson JD. The mitonuclear compatibility hypothesis of sexual selection. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131314. [PMID: 23945683 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Why females assess ornaments when choosing mates remains a central question in evolutionary biology. We hypothesize that the imperative for a choosing female to find a mate with nuclear oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes that are compatible with her mitochondrial OXPHOS genes drives the evolution of ornaments. Indicator traits are proposed to signal the efficiency of OXPHOS function thus enabling females to select mates with nuclear genes that are compatible with maternal mitochondrial genes in the formation of OXPHOS complexes. Species-typical pattern of ornamentation is proposed to serve as a marker of mitochondrial type ensuring that females assess prospective mates with a shared mitochondrial background. The mitonuclear compatibility hypothesis predicts that the production of ornaments will be closely linked to OXPHOS pathways, and that sexual selection for compatible mates will be strongest when genes for nuclear components of OXPHOS complexes are Z-linked. The implications of this hypothesis are that sexual selection may serve as a driver for the evolution of more efficient cellular respiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL 36849-5414, USA.
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