1
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Urban CA, Legendre LJ, Clarke JA. Description of natal down of the ostrich (Struthio camelus) and comparison with common quail (Coturnix coturnix): Developmental and evolutionary implications. J Anat 2023; 243:1007-1023. [PMID: 37515428 PMCID: PMC10641043 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13936] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Natal down is a feather stage that differs in both form and function from the definitive feathers of adult birds. It has a simpler structure that has been speculated to be similar to the body coverings of non-avian dinosaurs. However, inference of the evolution of natal down has been limited by our understanding of its structural variation in extant birds. Most descriptive work has focused on neognathous birds, limiting our knowledge of the full diversity of feathers in extant taxa. Here, we describe the natal down of a post-hatch ostrich (Struthio camelus) and compare it to that of a post-hatch quail (Coturnix coturnix). We confirm the presence of featherless spaces (apteria) in S. camelus and the lack of barbules on the tips of natal down in both species. We also find differences between dorsal and ventral natal down structures, such as barbule density in S. camelus and the extent of the bare portion of the barb in both species. Surprisingly, we do not find that the neoptiles of either species follow the ideal morphologies for increasing insulation. Finally, we hypothesize that the different barb types present in S. camelus natal down result from a large addition of new barb ridges during development, which is not known except in feathers with a rachis. These results have implications for our understanding of how structure informs function and development in understudied feather types, such as those shared by non-avian dinosaurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen A Urban
- Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Lucas J Legendre
- Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Julia A Clarke
- Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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2
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Terrill RS, Shultz AJ. Feather function and the evolution of birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:540-566. [PMID: 36424880 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability of feathers to perform many functions either simultaneously or at different times throughout the year or life of a bird is integral to the evolutionary history of birds. Many studies focus on single functions of feathers, but any given feather performs many functions over its lifetime. These functions necessarily interact with each other throughout the evolution and development of birds, so our knowledge of avian evolution is incomplete without understanding the multifunctionality of feathers, and how different functions may act synergistically or antagonistically during natural selection. Here, we review how feather functions interact with avian evolution, with a focus on recent technological and discovery-based advances. By synthesising research into feather functions over hierarchical scales (pattern, arrangement, macrostructure, microstructure, nanostructure, molecules), we aim to provide a broad context for how the adaptability and multifunctionality of feathers have allowed birds to diversify into an astounding array of environments and life-history strategies. We suggest that future research into avian evolution involving feather function should consider multiple aspects of a feather, including multiple functions, seasonal wear and renewal, and ecological or mechanical interactions. With this more holistic view, processes such as the evolution of avian coloration and flight can be understood in a broader and more nuanced context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Terrill
- Moore Laboratory of Zoology, Occidental College, 1600 Campus rd., Los Angeles, CA, 90042, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA, 95382, USA
| | - Allison J Shultz
- Ornithology Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
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3
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Londoño GA, Sandoval‐H J, Sallam MF, Allen JM. On the evolution of mimicry in avian nestlings. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8842. [PMID: 35449583 PMCID: PMC9013854 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Batesian mimicry (BM), where a nontoxic species resembles a toxic species with aposematic coloring, has been recently described for a Neotropical species of the suboscine passerine (Laniocera hypopyrra). Understanding the order and series in which these characteristics evolved is unknown and requires character information from closely related taxa. Here, we trace the origin of mimetic traits and how they evolved by examining antipredator characteristics using images and other field‐collected trait data from nest and nestlings along with data available in the literature for the Laniisominae clade and closely related taxa. We found that morphological modifications of the downy feathers appeared first in the broader clade leading to the Laniisominae clade followed by further morphological and behavioral characteristics within the Laniisominae clade leading to the full BM. Images of nestlings in the Laniisominae and closely related clades demonstrated the extent of antipredator and camouflage characteristics. We found a complex set of behavioral and morphological traits in this clade for reducing predation from hiding to camouflage to mimicry. We further propose the evolution of two distinctive mimicry strategies in the Laniisominae clade: (1) Batesian Mimicry, as described above and (2) Masquerade, resemblance to inedible objects commonly found in their local environment. This complex set of antipredator traits shed light on the diversity of antipredator characteristics in avian nestlings, particularly in neotropical areas where the avian diversity is highest. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of species in the neotropics that lack basic natural history information on nesting traits, and therefore, we are likely missing critical information on the diversity of antipredator characteristics across avian nestlings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A. Londoño
- Facultad de Ciencias NaturalesDepartamento de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad IcesiCaliColombia
| | - Juliana Sandoval‐H
- A.C. Red de Biodiversidad y SistemáticaInstituto de EcologíaXalapaMexico
| | | | - Julie M. Allen
- Biology DepartmentUniversity of Nevada‐RenoRenoNevadaUSA
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4
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Nixon KJA, Parzer HF. Mimicry: just wing it. Wing shape comparison between a mimicking swallowtail and its toxic model. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab107] [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
Female eastern tiger swallowtails (Papilio glaucus) are well-known wing coloration mimics of the toxic pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor). Given that forewing shape is an important component of butterfly flight behaviour found in unpalatable species, we hypothesized that the mimicking females also mimic the forewing shape of their poisonous model. Thus, we predicted that mimicking eastern tiger swallowtails have a more similar wing shape to their model compared with their non-mimicking conspecific morphs. In order to test this, we compared the forewing of the model with mimicking and non-mimicking eastern tiger swallowtail morphs using a standard geometric morphometrics approach. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found significant differences of forewing shape between the two species, with no overlap, regardless of the morph. However, mimicking and non-mimicking female eastern tiger swallowtails were significantly different from each other in wing shape. This indicates that either pleiotropic effects, possibly owing to wing coloration mimicry, or selection for different flight patterns in mimics informed the evolution of forewings in this species. Additionally, we found sexual dimorphism in forewing shape within each species, which supports research indicating that both sexual selection and sex-specific natural selection are important drivers in wing shape evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyra J A Nixon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, USA
| | - Harald F Parzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, USA
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5
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Kikuchi DW, Herberstein ME, Barfield M, Holt RD, Mappes J. Why aren't warning signals everywhere? On the prevalence of aposematism and mimicry in communities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2446-2460. [PMID: 34128583 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Warning signals are a striking example of natural selection present in almost every ecological community - from Nordic meadows to tropical rainforests, defended prey species and their mimics ward off potential predators before they attack. Yet despite the wide distribution of warning signals, they are relatively scarce as a proportion of the total prey available, and more so in some biomes than others. Classically, warning signals are thought to be governed by positive density-dependent selection, i.e. they succeed better when they are more common. Therefore, after surmounting this initial barrier to their evolution, it is puzzling that they remain uncommon on the scale of the community. Here, we explore factors likely to determine the prevalence of warning signals in prey assemblages. These factors include the nature of prey defences and any constraints upon them, the behavioural interactions of predators with different prey defences, the numerical responses of predators governed by movement and reproduction, the diversity and abundance of undefended alternative prey and Batesian mimics in the community, and variability in other ecological circumstances. We also discuss the macroevolution of warning signals. Our review finds that we have a basic understanding of how many species in some taxonomic groups have warning signals, but very little information on the interrelationships among population abundances across prey communities, the diversity of signal phenotypes, and prey defences. We also have detailed knowledge of how a few generalist predator species forage in artificial laboratory environments, but we know much less about how predators forage in complex natural communities with variable prey defences. We describe how empirical work to address each of these knowledge gaps can test specific hypotheses for why warning signals exhibit their particular patterns of distribution. This will help us to understand how behavioural interactions shape ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Kikuchi
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Konsequez 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Michael Barfield
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, U.S.A
| | - Robert D Holt
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, U.S.A
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
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6
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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.
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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
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7
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McLean DJ, Cassis G, Kikuchi DW, Giribet G, Herberstein ME. Insincere Flattery? Understanding the Evolution of Imperfect Deceptive Mimicry. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/706769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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8
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de Solan T, Aubier TG. The Evolutionary Importance of Cues in Protective Mimicry. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Aposematism: Unpacking the Defences. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:595-604. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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10
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Leighton GM, Lees AC, Miller ET. The hairy–downy game revisited: an empirical test of the interspecific social dominance mimicry hypothesis. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Abstract
Examples of mimicry are widely celebrated because of the remarkable physical similarities they entail. A new study shows how an ant-mimicking spider uses behaviour to create the illusion of antennae, while walking in a manner resembling ants following pheromone trails.
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12
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13
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Dalziell AH, Welbergen JA. Mimicry for all modalities. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:609-19. [PMID: 27117779 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Mimicry is a canonical example of adaptive signal design. In principle, what constitutes mimicry is independent of the taxonomic identity of the mimic, the ecological context in which it operates, and the sensory modality through which it is expressed. However, in practice the study of mimicry is inconsistent across research fields, with theoretical and empirical advances often failing to cross taxonomic and sensory divides. We propose a novel conceptual framework whereby mimicry evolves if a receiver perceives the similarity between a mimic and a model and as a result confers a selective benefit onto the mimic. Here, misidentification and/or deception are no longer formal requirements, and mimicry can evolve irrespective of the underlying proximate mechanisms. The centrality of receiver perception in this framework enables us to formally distinguish mimicry from perceptual exploitation and integrate mimicry and multicomponent signalling theory for the first time. In addition, it resolves inconsistencies in our understanding of the role of learning in mimicry evolution, and shows that imperfect mimicry is expected to be the norm. Mimicry remains a key model for understanding signal evolution and cognition, and we recommend the adoption of a unified approach to stimulate future interdisciplinary developments in this fascinating area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia H Dalziell
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Justin A Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
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14
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Kavanagh PH, Shaw RC, Burns KC. Potential aposematism in an insular tree species: are signals dishonest early in ontogeny? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick H. Kavanagh
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; P.O. Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
- Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Rachael C. Shaw
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; P.O. Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
| | - Kevin C. Burns
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; P.O. Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
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15
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Igic B, McLachlan J, Lehtinen I, Magrath RD. Crying wolf to a predator: deceptive vocal mimicry by a bird protecting young. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150798. [PMID: 26041353 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals often mimic dangerous or toxic species to deter predators; however, mimicry of such species may not always be possible and mimicry of benign species seems unlikely to confer anti-predator benefits. We reveal a system in which a bird mimics the alarm calls of harmless species to fool a predator 40 times its size and protect its offspring against attack. Our experiments revealed that brown thornbills (Acanthiza pusilla) mimic a chorus of other species' aerial alarm calls, a cue of an Accipiter hawk in flight, when predators attack their nest. The absence of any flying predators in this context implies that these alarms convey deceptive information about the type of danger present. Experiments on the primary nest predators of thornbills, pied currawongs (Strepera graculina), revealed that the predators treat these alarms as if they themselves are threatened by flying hawks, either by scanning the sky for danger or fleeing, confirming a deceptive function. In turn, these distractions delay attack and provide thornbill nestlings with an opportunity to escape. This sophisticated defence strategy exploits the complex web of interactions among multiple species across several trophic levels, and in particular exploits a predator's ability to eavesdrop on and respond appropriately to heterospecific alarm calls. Our findings demonstrate that prey can fool predators by deceptively mimicking alarm calls of harmless species, suggesting that defensive mimicry could be more widespread because of indirect effects on predators within a web of eavesdropping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Igic
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jessica McLachlan
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Inkeri Lehtinen
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Lev-Yadun S. Partly transparent young legume pods: Do they mimic caterpillars for defense and simultaneously enable better photosynthesis? PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2015; 10:e1048941. [PMID: 26633565 PMCID: PMC4883939 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2015.1048941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Being partly or fully transparent as a defense from predation is mostly known in various groups of aquatic animals and various terrestrial arthropods. Plants, being photosynthetic and having cell walls made of various polymers, cannot be wholly transparent. In spite of these inherent limitations, some succulent plant species of arid zones have partially transparent "windows" in order to perform photosynthesis in their below-ground leaves, as defense from herbivores as well as for protection from harsh environmental conditions. Similarly, transparent "windows" or even wholly transparent leaves are found in certain thick or thin, above-ground organs irrespective of aridity. The young pods of various wild annual Mediterranean legume species belonging to the genera Lathyrus, Pisum and Vicia are partly transparent and may therefore look like caterpillars when viewed with back illumination. I propose that this character serves 2 functions: (1) being a type of defensive caterpillar mimicry that may reduce their consumption by various herbivores in that very sensitive stage, and (2) simultaneously allowing better photosynthesis in the rapidly growing seeds and pods. Unlike animals that are transparent for either defensive or aggressive crypsis, in the case of young legume pods it allows them to visually mimic caterpillars for defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simcha Lev-Yadun
- Department of Biology & Environment; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Haifa – Oranim; Tivon, Israel
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