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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Wacha A, Gyarmathy H, Klein Á, Rosivall B, Sarkadi F, Szabó G, Török J. Prediction of individual differences in non-iridescent structural plumage colour from nanostructural periodicity and regularity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231804. [PMID: 39100180 PMCID: PMC11296197 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Non-iridescent structural plumage reflectance is a sexually selected indicator of individual quality in several bird species. However, the structural basis of individual differences remains unclear. In particular, the dominant periodicity of the quasi-ordered feather barb nanostructure is of key importance in colour generation, but no study has successfully traced back reflectance parameters, and particularly hue, to nanostructural periodicity, although this would be key to deciphering the information content of individual variation. We used matrix small-angle X-ray scattering measurements of intact, stacked feather samples from the blue tit crown to estimate the sex-dependence and individual variation of nanostructure and its effects on light reflectance. Measures of nanostructural periodicity successfully predicted brightness, ultraviolet chroma and also hue, with statistically similar effects in the two sexes. However, we also observed a lack of overall effect of the nanostructural inhomogeneity estimate on reflectance chromaticity, sex-dependent accuracy in hue prediction and strong sex-dependence in position estimation error. We suggest that reflectance attributes are modified by other feather structures in a sex-specific manner, and that within-individual variation in nanostructural parameters exists within or among feathers and this confounds the interpretation of structure-reflectance relationships at the plumage area level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
- The Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, Orosztony8744, Hungary
| | - András Wacha
- Biological Nanochemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok körútja 2, Budapest1117, Hungary
| | - Helga Gyarmathy
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
| | - Ákos Klein
- The Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, Orosztony8744, Hungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
| | - Fanni Sarkadi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
| | - Gyula Szabó
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
- Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány út 2-4, Vácrátót2163, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest1117, Hungary
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2
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Szabó G, Sarkadi F, Török J. Plumage color degradation indicates reproductive effort: an experiment. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18770. [PMID: 37907494 PMCID: PMC10618437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45348-0] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Plumage color has traditionally been regarded as a static ornamental trait, but evidence is accumulating for significant color changes without molt that typically reduce the conspicuousness of ornamentation. In some species, the social partner seems to increase its reproductive investment if the color trait is experimentally enhanced, suggesting that color change could act as a signal. However, the information content of this signal is so far unclear. For example, birds in poor condition or making greater effort may deteriorate more severely. We used brood size manipulations to alter the reproductive effort of male and female collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis. Both sexes showed less severe decline in some reflectance attribute of their white breast when their brood was experimentally reduced. In each sex, greater deterioration of the reflectance trait affected by the manipulation was accompanied by increased feeding rate by the partner. These feeding patterns do not prove, but are consistent with, a compensatory response by the partner to induced degradation. The manipulation effects on color change we detected confirm for the first time that plumage color deterioration can indicate current reproductive effort, thereby providing a potential fitness advantage to social partners that react to such deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary.
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
- Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, 8744, Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Gyula Szabó
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Fanni Sarkadi
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
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3
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García‐Campa J, Müller W, Morales J. Offspring plumage coloration as a condition-dependent signal in the blue tit. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9787. [PMID: 36744078 PMCID: PMC9889846 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In many species, offspring display conspicuous coloration already early in life, even though they might be very vulnerable to predation at this stage. However, most attention has been drawn to the conspicuous plumage displayed by adult individuals in a sexual context, while other signaling functions have been explored much less. Here, we investigated whether the yellow breast plumage of blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nestlings shows patterns of condition dependence and hence signals individual quality, as has been described for adult birds. During three consecutive breeding seasons, we, therefore, explored the association between nestling body mass and three color components of the yellow breast plumage (i.e., UV chroma, carotenoid chroma, and total brightness), considering both within and among nest effects. Variation in carotenoid chroma was not related to body mass. However, UV chroma and total brightness varied with body mass on an among-nest level, suggesting that they might signal aspects of genetic quality or parental rearing capacity. Interestingly, we also found a within-nest effect of body mass on total brightness, suggesting that this is a good candidate for a condition-dependent signal within the family. Thus, other family members could rely on brightness to adjust their behavioral strategies, such as feeding behavior in parents. Our study thus reveals that certain color components of the yellow breast plumage might signal different aspects of offspring quality, and they might have a correlated signaling value across life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge García‐Campa
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology GroupUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
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4
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Yuan ML, Jung C, Bell RC, Nelson JL. Aposematic patterns shift continuously throughout the life of poison frogs. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. L. Yuan
- Center for Population Biology University of California Davis CA USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - C. Jung
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - R. C. Bell
- Department of Herpetology California Academy of Sciences San Francisco CA USA
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5
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Experimental evidence that adult UV/yellow colouration functions as a signal in blue tit families — but only for parents. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03145-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In bi-parental species, reproduction is not only a crucial life-history stage where individuals must take fitness-related decisions, but these decisions also need to be adjusted to the behavioural strategies of other individuals. Hence, communication is required, which could be facilitated by informative signals. Yet, these signalling traits might have (co-)evolved in multiple contexts, as various family members usually meet and interact during reproduction. In this study, we experimentally explored for the first time whether a colourful plumage trait in adults acts as a signal that regulates multiple intra-family interactions in a bird species, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). We expected that an experimental reduction of adults’ UV/yellow reflectance (i.e. a reduction of apparent individual quality) should affect the behavioural strategies of all family members. We found evidence for this at least in adults, since the partners of UV-blocked individuals (either males or females) increased their parental investment — perhaps to compensate for the apparent lower condition of their mates. As the UV-blocked adult did not change its provisioning behaviour, the partner presumably responded to the manipulated signal and not to a behavioural change. However, the offspring did not co-adjust their begging intensity to the experimental treatment. It is thus possible that they responded to overall parental care rather than the signal. These results suggest that UV/yellow colouration of adult blue tits may act as quality signal revealing the rearing capacity to mates.
Significance statement
How parents respond to signals of genetic or phenotypic quality of their mates has received significant attention. However, previous studies have primarily focused on the receiver’s response and have not always controlled for the signaller’s behaviour and its investment in reproduction. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that ultraviolet (UV)/yellow colouration acts as a signal of parental quality in the blue tit. Parents responded by increasing their effort when paired with UV-blocked (low-quality) mates, while controlling for the mate’s behaviour. We argue that the reduced expression of the signal triggered a compensatory response in the mate. Interestingly, both males and females responded similarly to changes in mate’s UV/yellow reflectance, suggesting similar rules over investment in response to this trait. However, nestlings, a potential (and often neglected) set of observers of parental signals, did not change their behaviour when raised by an UV-blocked (= low-quality) parent.
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6
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McQueen A, Delhey K, Barzan FR, Naimo AC, Peters A. Male fairy-wrens produce and maintain vibrant breeding colors irrespective of individual quality. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Conspicuous colors may signal individual quality if high-quality individuals produce more elaborate colors or have a greater capacity to invest in color maintenance. We investigate these hypotheses using repeated within-individual observations and experimentally induced color production in a wild bird, the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). Male superb fairy-wrens undergo an annual molt from brown, nonbreeding plumage to an ultraviolet-blue and black breeding plumage. Color maintenance is especially relevant for this species because structural, ultraviolet-blue plumage colors are particularly susceptible to fading. Further, only the most sexually attractive males molt to breeding plumage early (before spring) and thereby keep their colors for an extended time before the breeding season. Our results show that (i) sexually attractive, early-molting males do not have higher quality breeding colors and (ii) breeding colors are not impacted by experimentally inducing males to molt early and while in low body condition. We found that (iii) breeding colors do not fade but remain consistent or become more saturated within individuals over time. Despite this, (iv) males do not spend more time preening while in breeding plumage. Instead, males keep their colors in pristine condition by re-molting parts of their breeding plumage throughout the breeding season, suggesting an alternative, potential cost of maintaining ornamental colors. We conclude that variation in structural breeding colors is unlikely to indicate individual quality in superb fairy-wrens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra McQueen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Flavia R Barzan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and CONICET, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Annalise C Naimo
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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7
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Female-female aggression and male responses to the two colour morphs of female common cuckoos. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:28. [PMID: 32564143 PMCID: PMC7306036 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01680-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Female-only colour polymorphism is rare in birds, but occurs in brood parasitic cuckoos (Cuculidae). Obligate brood parasites leave incubation and parental care to other species (hosts), so female-female interactions can play a role in how parasites guard critical resources (host nests) within their laying areas. The plumage of adult female common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) is either rufous (typically rare) or grey (common), whereas adult male conspecifics are monochromatic (grey). In previous studies, hosts and conspecific males responded with less intensity toward the rare female morph in support of a negative frequency-dependent benefit of female plumage polychromatism. Here, we assessed responses of both conspecific females and males to vocal playbacks of female calls, coupled with one of two 3D models of the different morphs of female cuckoos. At our study population, the rufous female morph was as common as the grey morph; therefore, we predicted similarly high rates of conspecific responses in both treatments. Both female and male cuckoos responded to playbacks acoustically, which demonstrated the primary role of acoustic communication in social interactions amongst cuckoos. Following this, some cuckoos flew closer to the models to inspect them visually. As predicted, no significant differences were detected between the live cuckoos’ responses toward the two colour morphs in this population. We conclude that dichromatism in female cuckoos evolved to serve one or more functions other than conspecific signalling.
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8
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Badás EP, Autor A, Martínez J, Rivero-de Aguilar J, Merino S. Individual Quality and Extra-Pair Paternity in the Blue Tit: Sexy Males Bear the Costs. Evolution 2020; 74:559-572. [PMID: 31944288 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive explanations for the evolution of extra-pair paternity (EPP) suggest that females seek extra-pair copulations with high quality males. Still, the link between ornamentation, individual quality, and paternity remains unclear. Moreover, honest signaling is essential when explaining EPP because it is needed for sexual selection to occur; yet, it is understudied in multiple ornaments. Because blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) show variable color expression in several plumage patches, we tested: (i) over two seasons, whether males in better condition, more ornamented and less infected by blood parasites gain EPP and have higher reproductive success, and (ii) over three seasons, whether mating patterns affect color change. Males with more saturated yellow feathers, brighter tails, and in better condition had higher reproductive success in one of the seasons. Contrary to expectation, in another season, males that gained EPP were parasitized by blood parasites, suggesting increased vector exposure during extra-pair copulations. Our results for two seasons show that males siring more extra-pair young were older and grew brighter cheek or tail feathers for the following season. Despite the increased mating costs, in socially monogamous avian systems, high quality males incur in EPP without compromising traits that may be under sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa P Badás
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.,School of Biology, The Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK
| | - Amaia Autor
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology (Area of Parasitology), University of Alcalá de Henares, Autovia A2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Rivero-de Aguilar
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Department of Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Santiago Merino
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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9
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Gilbert AL, Brooks OL, Lattanzio MS. Multiple behavioral contexts of a melanized tail display in a desert lizard. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony L. Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens Ohio
- Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies Athens Ohio
| | - Olivia L. Brooks
- Department of Biology John Carroll University University Heights Ohio
| | - Matthew S. Lattanzio
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology Christopher Newport University Newport News Virginia
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10
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McQueen A, Kempenaers B, Dale J, Valcu M, Emery ZT, Dey CJ, Peters A, Delhey K. Evolutionary drivers of seasonal plumage colours: colour change by moult correlates with sexual selection, predation risk and seasonality across passerines. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1838-1849. [PMID: 31441210 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Some birds undergo seasonal colour change by moulting twice each year, typically alternating between a cryptic, non-breeding plumage and a conspicuous, breeding plumage ('seasonal plumage colours'). We test for potential drivers of the evolution of seasonal plumage colours in all passerines (N = 5901 species, c. 60% of all birds). Seasonal plumage colours are uncommon, having appeared on multiple occasions but more frequently lost during evolution. The trait is more common in small, ground-foraging species with polygynous mating systems, no paternal care and strong sexual dichromatism, suggesting it evolved under strong sexual selection and high predation risk. Seasonal plumage colours are also more common in species predicted to have seasonal breeding schedules, such as migratory birds and those living in seasonal climates. We propose that seasonal plumage colours have evolved to resolve a trade-off between the effects of natural and sexual selection on colouration, especially in seasonal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra McQueen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard Gwinner Str, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - James Dale
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard Gwinner Str, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Zachary T Emery
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
| | - Cody J Dey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
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11
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Laczi M, Hegyi G, Kötél D, Csizmadia T, Lőw P, Török J. Reflectance in relation to macro- and nanostructure in the crown feathers of the great tit (Parus major). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- The Barn Owl Foundation, Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csizmadia
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Lőw
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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12
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Dynamic signalling using cosmetics may explain the reversed sexual dichromatism in the monogamous greater flamingo. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2551-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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13
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Morales J, Velando A. Coloration of chicks modulates costly interactions among family members. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Judith Morales
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Velando
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Campus As Lagoas – Marcosende, Vigo, Spain
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14
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Shawkey MD, D'Alba L. Interactions between colour-producing mechanisms and their effects on the integumentary colour palette. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0536. [PMID: 28533449 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal integumentary coloration plays a crucial role in visual communication and camouflage, and varies extensively among and within species and populations. To understand the pressures underlying such diversity, it is essential to elucidate the mechanisms by which animals have created novel integumentary coloration. Colours can be produced by selective absorption of light by skin pigments, through light scattering by structured or unstructured tissues, or by a combination of pigments and nanostructures. In this review, we highlight our current understanding of the interactions between pigments and structural integumentary tissues and molecules. We analyse the available evidence suggesting that these combined mechanisms are capable of creating colours and optical properties unachievable by either mechanism alone, thereby effectively expanding the animal colour palette. Moreover, structural and pigmentary colour mechanisms frequently interact in unexpected and overlooked ways, suggesting that classification of colours as being of any particular type may be difficult. Finally, we discuss how these mixtures are useful for investigating the largely unknown genetic, developmental and physical processes generating phenotypic diversity.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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15
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Badás EP, Martínez J, Rivero-de Aguilar J, Ponce C, Stevens M, Merino S. Colour change in a structural ornament is related to individual quality, parasites and mating patterns in the blue tit. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:17. [PMID: 29404701 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1539-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Carry-over effects refer to processes that occur in one season and influence fitness in the following. In birds, two costly activities, namely reproduction and moult, are restricted to a small time window, and sometimes overlap. Thus, colour in newly moulted feathers is likely to be affected by the costs of reproduction. Using models of bird vision we investigated male colour change in a free-living population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in three sampling occasions: spring 1, winter and spring 2. We related crown, tail, breast and cheek feather colouration after the moult (winter) to the intensity of infections by blood parasites during reproduction (spring 1). In the following spring (spring 2), we explored mating patterns with respect to changes in feather colour (springs 1 vs. 2). Males that were less intensely infected by the malaria parasite Plasmodium while breeding showed purer white cheek feathers in winter, which may indicate higher feather quality. Increased brightness in the white cheek was associated with better body condition during reproduction. In the following season, males with brighter cheeks paired with females that had noticeably brighter cheek patches compared to the male's previous mate. These results suggest that the conditions experienced during reproduction are likely to affect moult and thus feather colouration, at least in the white patch. High quality individuals may allocate resources efficiently during reproduction increasing future reproductive success through variation in mating patterns. Carry-over effects from reproduction might extend not only to the non-breeding phase, but also to the following breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Badás
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - J Martínez
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Alcalá de Henares, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Rivero-de Aguilar
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Alcalá de Henares, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Ponce
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - S Merino
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Hantak MM, Kuchta SR. Predator perception across space and time: relative camouflage in a colour polymorphic salamander. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Phillips JN, Derryberry EP. Equivalent effects of bandwidth and trill rate: support for a performance constraint as a competitive signal. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Fargevieille A, Grégoire A, Charmantier A, Del Rey Granado M, Doutrelant C. Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2069-2078. [PMID: 28405273 PMCID: PMC5383486 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Assortative mating is a potential outcome of sexual selection, and estimating its level is important to better understand local adaptation and underlying trait evolution. However, assortative mating studies frequently base their conclusions on small numbers of individuals sampled over short periods of time and limited spatial scales even though spatiotemporal variation is common. Here, we characterized assortative mating patterns over 10 years in four populations of the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), a passerine bird. We focused on two plumage ornaments-the blue crown and the yellow breast patch. Based on data for 1,657 pairs of birds, we found large interannual variation: assortative mating varied from positive to negative. To determine whether there was nonetheless a general trend in the data, we ran a within-study meta-analysis. It revealed that assortative mating was moderately positive for both ornaments. It also showed that mating patterns differed among populations and especially between two neighboring populations that displayed phenotypic divergence. Our results therefore underscore that long-term studies are needed to draw broad conclusions about mating patterns in natural populations. They also call for studying the potential role of assortative mating in local adaptation and evolution of ornaments in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arnaud Grégoire
- CEFE UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Anne Charmantier
- CEFE UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
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Moreno-Rueda G. Uropygial gland and bib colouration in the house sparrow. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2102. [PMID: 27280079 PMCID: PMC4893339 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds frequently signal different qualities by plumage colouration, mainly during mating. However, plumage colouration is determined during the moult, and therefore it would indicate the quality of individual birds during the moult, not its current quality. Recent studies, however, suggest that birds could modify plumage colouration by using cosmetic preen oil produced by the uropygial gland. In this study, I show that bib colouration is related to uropygial gland size and body condition in male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Moreover, I conducted an experiment in which a group of sparrows were inoculated with an antigen, mimicking an illness. In control birds, short-term changes in bib colouration were related to both body condition and change in uropygial gland size. Therefore, birds that reduced uropygial gland size showed a greater colouration change. However, bib colouration did not change with the change in uropygial gland size in experimental birds inoculated with the antigen. Given that the experiment did not affect preen oil production or consumption, this finding tentatively suggests that the immune challenge provoked a change in the composition of preen oil, affecting its cosmetic properties. In short, the results of this study suggest that (1) male house sparrows produce cosmetic preen oil that alters the colouration of their bibs; (2) the more change in uropygial gland size, the more change in bib colouration; and (3) in this way, bib colouration has the potential to signal current health status, since less healthy birds showed less capacity to change bib colouration.
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Valdez DJ, Benitez-Vieyra SM. A Spectrophotometric Study of Plumage Color in the Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata), the Most Abundant South American Columbiforme. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155501. [PMID: 27213273 PMCID: PMC4877085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
For birds, plumage color perception is critical in social interactions such as courtship, in both monochromatic and dichromatic species. In the Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata), perhaps the most abundant South American Columbiforme, the plumage of males and females looks alike and both sexes share the same melanistic coloration with gray and pink tones. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether evident sexual dichromatism exists in the plumage of the Eared Dove using a spectrophotometry technique in the avian-visible range (300–700 nm). The results of the classic colorimetric variables analysis (hue, chroma and brightness) show that males are in general brighter and have higher UV chroma values than females. The avian visual model points to differences in achromatic and chromatic levels between males and females in body regions possibly involved in sexual selection (e.g. the crown). The model also indicates chromatic or achromatic differences in body regions not subject to sexual selection such as the black spots on the wing coverts and white tail bands, both of which may be involved in intra- or inter-gender-specific communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Javier Valdez
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET-UNC), Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Santiago Miguel Benitez-Vieyra
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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Lucass C, Iserbyt A, Eens M, Müller W. Structural (UV) and carotenoid-based plumage coloration - signals for parental investment? Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3269-79. [PMID: 27252832 PMCID: PMC4870211 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care increases parental fitness through improved offspring condition and survival but comes at a cost for the caretaker(s). To increase life-time fitness, caring parents are, therefore, expected to adjust their reproductive investment to current environmental conditions and parental capacities. The latter is thought to be signaled via ornamental traits of the bearer. We here investigated whether pre- and/or posthatching investment of blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) parents was related to ornamental plumage traits (UV crown coloration and carotenoid-based plumage coloration) expressed by either the individual itself (i.e. "good parent hypothesis") or its partner (i.e. "differential allocation hypothesis"). Our results show that neither prehatching (that is clutch size and offspring begging intensity) nor posthatching parental investment (provisioning rate, offspring body condition at fledging) was related to an individual's UV crown coloration or to that of its partner. Similar observations were made for carotenoid-based plumage coloration, except for a consistent positive relationship between offspring begging intensity and maternal carotenoid-based plumage coloration. This sex-specific pattern likely reflects a maternal effect mediated via maternally derived egg substances, given that the relationship persisted when offspring were cross-fostered. This suggests that females adjust their offspring's phenotype toward own phenotype, which may facilitate in particular mother-offspring co-adaptation. Overall, our results contribute to the current state of evidence that structural or pigment-based plumage coloration of blue tits are inconsistently correlated with central life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Lucass
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Arne Iserbyt
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
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23
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Chaine AS, Lyon BE. Signal architecture: temporal variability and individual consistency of multiple sexually selected signals. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis S. Chaine
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz CA95064 USA
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS USR2936 2 route du CNRS09200 Moulis France
| | - Bruce E. Lyon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz CA95064 USA
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Henderson LJ, Heidinger BJ, Evans NP, Arnold KE. Ultraviolet crown coloration in female blue tits predicts reproductive success and baseline corticosterone. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Martin M, Meylan S, Gomez D, Le Galliard JF. Ultraviolet and carotenoid-based coloration in the viviparous lizardZootoca vivipara(Squamata: Lacertidae) in relation to age, sex, and morphology. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Martin
- Laboratoire Ecologie & Evolution; Université Pierre et Marie Curie; CNRS UMR 7625; 7, quai Saint Bernard, case 237; 75005; Paris; France
| | | | - Doris Gomez
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité; CNRS UMR 7179; 1 avenue du petit château; 91800; Brunoy; France
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Limbourg T, Mateman AC, Lessells CM. Opposite differential allocation by males and females of the same species. Biol Lett 2013. [PMID: 23193045 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential allocation (DA)-the adjustment of an individual's parental investment in relation to its mate's attractiveness-is increasingly recognized as an important component of sexual selection. However, although DA is expected by both sexes of parents in species with biparental care, DA by males has rarely been investigated. We have previously demonstrated a decrease in the feeding rates of female blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus when their mate's UV coloration was experimentally reduced (i.e. positive DA). In this study, we used the same experimental protocol in the same population to investigate DA by male blue tits in relation to their female's UV coloration. Males mated to UV-reduced females had higher feeding rates than those mated to control females (i.e. negative DA). Thus, male and female blue tits display opposite DA for the same component of parental effort (chick provisioning), the first time that this has been reported for any species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Limbourg
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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27
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Krištofík J, Darolová A, Griggio M, Majtán J, Okuliarová M, Zeman M, Zídková L, Hoi H. Does egg colouration signal female and egg quality in reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)? ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2012.744357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Zirpoli J, Black J, Gabriel P. Parasites and plumage in Steller's jays: an experimental field test of the parasite-mediated handicap hypothesis. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2012.742462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Mahr K, Griggio M, Granatiero M, Hoi H. Female attractiveness affects paternal investment: experimental evidence for male differential allocation in blue tits. Front Zool 2012; 9:14. [PMID: 22731522 PMCID: PMC3419069 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-9-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The differential allocation hypothesis (DAH) predicts that individuals should adjust their parental investment to their current mate’s quality. Although in principle the DAH holds for both sexes, male adjustment of parental investment has only been tested in a few experimental studies, revealing contradictory results. We conducted a field experiment to test whether male blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) allocate their parental effort in relation to female ornamentation (ultraviolet colouration of the crown), as predicted by the DAH. Results We reduced the UV reflectance in a sample of females and compared parental care by their mates with that of males paired to sham-manipulated control females. As predicted by the DAH our results demonstrate that males paired with UV-reduced females invested less in feeding effort but did not defend the chicks less than males paired with control females. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies providing support for male differential allocation in response to female ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Mahr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna,Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria.
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Laczi M, Török J, Rosivall B, Hegyi G. Integration of spectral reflectance across the plumage: implications for mating patterns. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23201. [PMID: 21853088 PMCID: PMC3154270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In complex sexual signaling systems such as plumage color, developmental or genetic links may occur among seemingly distinct traits. However, the interrelations of such traits and the functional significance of their integration rarely have been examined. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated the parallel variation of two reflectance descriptors (brightness and UV chroma) across depigmented and melanized plumage areas of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), and the possible role of integrated color signals in mate acquisition. We found moderate integration in brightness and UV chroma across the plumage, with similar correlation structures in the two sexes despite the strong sexual dichromatism. Patterns of parallel color change across the plumage were largely unrelated to ornamental white patch sizes, but they all showed strong assortative mating between the sexes. Comparing different types of assortative mating patterns for individual spectral variables suggested a distinct role for plumage-level color axes in mate acquisition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results indicate that the plumage-level, parallel variation of coloration might play a role in mate acquisition. This study underlines the importance of considering potential developmental and functional integration among apparently different ornaments in studies of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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31
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Doutrelant C, Grégoire A, Midamegbe A, Lambrechts M, Perret P. Female plumage coloration is sensitive to the cost of reproduction. An experiment in blue tits. J Anim Ecol 2011; 81:87-96. [PMID: 21819397 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01889.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
1. A growing number of studies suggest that female ornaments are linked to maternal quality and influence male mate choice. These findings challenge the traditional male-biased view of sexual selection and the hypothesis that female ornaments are the outcome of a genetic correlation with male ornaments. To further test the hypothesis that female traits have a function, it is now essential to investigate their honesty and to determine how signalling and reproduction interact in females. If female traits are honest indicators of quality, then they are likely to have a specific signalling function. 2. We investigated whether carry-over effects of reproduction might ensure the honesty of plumage colour signalling of a bird species with conspicuous UV-blue and yellow coloration, the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Reproductive effort was manipulated by removing clutches, thereby forcing both sexes to reproduce twice and to raise chicks later in the breeding season when food is less abundant. In the year following this manipulation, we investigated the change in plumage in experimental and control males and females. The change was measured in the two putative feather ornaments, the UV-blue cap and the yellow breast, and another feather trait probably less likely to be sexually selected: the wing length. We also tested whether higher-quality females had their coloration less affected by the experiment. 3. We found that control but not manipulated males and females increased their signal towards UV. In addition, in the manipulated group, females that were able to lay more eggs had their UV-blue coloration less affected by the treatment. For yellow coloration, we found that manipulated yearlings but not manipulated adults decreased their yellow chroma in comparison with control. Lastly, our results show that the condition of the manipulated females tended to be positively correlated with yellow chroma. 4. These results show that the trade-offs between reproduction and signalling can ensure the honesty of conspicuous plumage traits in female and male blue tits. In addition, they suggest that female traits have the potential to evolve under sexual selection in this and other bird species.
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PARKER TH, WILKIN TA, BARR IR, SHELDON BC, ROWE L, GRIFFITH SC. Fecundity selection on ornamental plumage colour differs between ages and sexes and varies over small spatial scales. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:1584-97. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02289.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Hill GE. Condition-dependent traits as signals of the functionality of vital cellular processes. Ecol Lett 2011; 14:625-34. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01622.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Peters A, Kurvers RHJM, Roberts ML, Delhey K. No evidence for general condition-dependence of structural plumage colour in blue tits: an experiment. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:976-87. [PMID: 21306464 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02229.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Condition-dependence is a central but contentious tenet of evolutionary theories on the maintenance of ornamental traits, and this is particularly true for structural plumage colour. By providing diets of different nutritional quality to moulting male and female blue tits, we experimentally manipulated general condition within the natural range, avoiding deprivation or stressful treatments. We measured reflectance of the structural-coloured UV/blue crown, a sexually selected trait in males, and the white cheek, a nonpigmented structural colour, directly after moult and again during the following spring mating season. We employed a variety of colour indices, based on spectral shape and avian visual models but, despite significant variation in condition and coloration, found no evidence for condition-dependence of UV/blue or white plumage colour during either season. These and previously published results suggest that structural colour might be sensitive to stress, rather than reduced body condition, during moult.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Peters
- Sexual Signals Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.
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35
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Brydegaard M, Lundin P, Guan Z, Runemark A, Akesson S, Svanberg S. Feasibility study: fluorescence lidar for remote bird classification. APPLIED OPTICS 2010; 49:4531-4544. [PMID: 20733624 DOI: 10.1364/ao.49.004531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We present a method for remote classification of birds based on eye-safe fluorescence lidar techniques. Mechanisms of quenching are discussed. Plumage reflectance is related to plumage fluorescence. Laboratory measurements on reflectance and fluorescence are presented, as well as test-range measurements. Also we present examples of birds' in-flight lidar returns. The methods are suitable for studies of night migrating species and high-altitude classification with implications for the detailed understanding of bird migration and global virus spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Brydegaard
- Atomic Physics Division, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
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36
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Delhey K, Burger C, Fiedler W, Peters A. Seasonal changes in colour: a comparison of structural, melanin- and carotenoid-based plumage colours. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11582. [PMID: 20644723 PMCID: PMC2904367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2010] [Accepted: 06/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plumage coloration is important for bird communication, most notably in sexual signalling. Colour is often considered a good quality indicator, and the expression of exaggerated colours may depend on individual condition during moult. After moult, plumage coloration has been deemed fixed due to the fact that feathers are dead structures. Still, many plumage colours change after moult, although whether this affects signalling has not been sufficiently assessed. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied changes in coloration after moult in four passerine birds (robin, Erithacus rubecula; blackbird, Turdus merula; blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus; and great tit, Parus major) displaying various coloration types (melanin-, carotenoid-based and structural). Birds were caught regularly during three years to measure plumage reflectance. We used models of avian colour vision to derive two variables, one describing chromatic and the other achromatic variation over the year that can be compared in magnitude among different colour types. All studied plumage patches but one (yellow breast of the blue tit) showed significant chromatic changes over the year, although these were smaller than for a typical dynamic trait (bill colour). Overall, structural colours showed a reduction in relative reflectance at shorter wavelengths, carotenoid-based colours the opposite pattern, while no general pattern was found for melanin-based colours. Achromatic changes were also common, but there were no consistent patterns of change for the different types of colours. Conclusions/Significance Changes of plumage coloration independent of moult are probably widespread; they should be perceivable by birds and have the potential to affect colour signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- Behavioural Ecology of Sexual Signals Group, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.
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Griggio M, Hoi H, Pilastro A. Plumage maintenance affects ultraviolet colour and female preference in the budgerigar. Behav Processes 2010; 84:739-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2010.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2009] [Revised: 04/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/04/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Mediating male–male interactions: the role of the UV blue crest coloration in blue tits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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39
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López-Rull I, Pagán I, Macías Garcia C. Cosmetic enhancement of signal coloration: experimental evidence in the house finch. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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40
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Sirkiä PM, Laaksonen T. Distinguishing between male and territory quality: females choose multiple traits in the pied flycatcher. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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41
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Poisbleau M, Guillemain M, Pinaud D, Demongin L, Carslake D, David J. Looking like mother makes mallard ducklings dominant over their siblings. Behav Processes 2009; 83:127-9. [PMID: 19733637 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2009.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2009] [Revised: 08/26/2009] [Accepted: 08/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Colour variation in time and space among animals may affect social relationships such as pairing and dominance interactions. For instance, some birds are naturally sensitive to leg colour, with some colours being more visible or attractive than others. The colour of the leg-rings used to mark birds may thus be related to behavioural and reproductive variables. Most studies have investigated this effect for adults during reproduction, but leg-ring colour may also affect the behaviour of young birds. We tested the potential effect of leg-ring colours on the within-brood dominance hierarchy of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings while each brood formed a stable and exclusive family unit with its mother. Ducklings did not acquire a within-brood dominance rank according to the colour of their own ring. This result suggests that mallards may not have a sensory bias for a given colouration. However, ducklings wearing a ring of the same colour as one of the two rings of their mother were dominant over their siblings. We discuss the potential behavioural and methodological implications of this result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Poisbleau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers en Bois, France.
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42
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Roberts ML, Ras E, Peters A. Testosterone increases UV reflectance of sexually selected crown plumage in male blue tits. Behav Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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43
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Kingma SA, Komdeur J, Vedder O, von Engelhardt N, Korsten P, Groothuis TG. Manipulation of male attractiveness induces rapid changes in avian maternal yolk androgen deposition. Behav Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arn130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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44
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Kurvers RHJM, Roberts ML, McWilliams SR, Peters A. Experimental manipulation of testosterone and condition during molt affects activity and vocalizations of male blue tits. Horm Behav 2008; 54:263-9. [PMID: 18468606 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2007] [Revised: 03/18/2008] [Accepted: 03/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) is a key hormone regulating behavioral trade-offs in male birds, shifting investment towards sexual and competitive behaviors. However, the role of T in regulating male behavior during the molt has received very little attention, although this is a crucial life-history stage. Since the effect of T on behavior may be condition-dependent, particularly during the costly molt period, we studied the effects of T and condition in a two-way design. We manipulated T under two dietary regimes (standard and improved, resulting in an enhanced condition) in captive blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) undergoing the first pre-basic molt. T treatment increased song frequency, indicating that song is T-dependent also at this time of year. Males on the improved diet sang less than males in relatively worse condition, providing no support for song as an indicator of male condition. T-treated males exhibited greater locomotor activity than control males, but only when fed the standard diet. Neither T- nor diet-treatment affected plumage maintenance (preening). Although T treatment resulted in a delay in molt progress all birds completed the molt. Taken together our results show that during the molt male birds are sensitive to relatively small fluctuations in T. Similar to its commonly observed effects during the breeding season, T stimulated an increase in song and locomotion. While there might be some benefits associated with such T effects, these must be traded-off against costs associated with conspicuous behavior and increased molt duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf H J M Kurvers
- Sexual Signaling Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.
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45
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TÖKÖLYI JÁCINT, BÓKONY VERONIKA, BARTA ZOLTÁN. Seasonal colour change by moult or by the abrasion of feather tips: a comparative study. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01027.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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46
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47
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DOUTRELANT C, GRÉGOIRE A, GRNAC N, GOMEZ D, LAMBRECHTS MM, PERRET P. Female coloration indicates female reproductive capacity in blue tits. J Evol Biol 2007; 21:226-233. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2007.01451.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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48
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Lim ML, Li D. Effects of age and feeding history on structure-based UV ornaments of a jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae). Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:569-75. [PMID: 17476778 PMCID: PMC1766392 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown for birds that females sometimes choose mates on the basis of condition-dependent variation in ultraviolet (UV, less than 400 nm) ornamentation, but there have been few comparable studies on invertebrates. Yet many invertebrates have UV structural coloration. Here, we investigate Cosmophasis umbratica, a jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae) that has sexually dimorphic UV-iridescent ornamentation, and we provide evidence that male UV coloration is condition dependent in this species. Spectral-reflection patterns change with male age and prior feeding history. The position of the UV band (i.e. UV hue) of the carapaces of younger (field-collected as subadults and matured as adults in laboratory) males shifted, relative to older (field-collected as adults) males, significantly towards longer wavelengths. Food deprivation significantly decreased the spectral intensity of the abdomen, but not the carapace. Questions concerning the mechanisms by which UV ornaments change are highlighted, as are hypotheses concerning the role of condition-dependent UV variation in male-male competition and as a criterion used by females when making mate-choice decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L.M Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei UniversityWuhan 430062, Hubei, China
- Author for correspondence ()
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49
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Surmacki A, Nowakowski JK. Soil and preen waxes influence the expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration. Naturwissenschaften 2007; 94:829-35. [PMID: 17541535 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-007-0263-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2006] [Revised: 03/27/2007] [Accepted: 05/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The signaling function of carotenoid-based plumage is mainly determined by the concentration of pigments in feathers. For this reason, most studies of the proximate control of coloration focus on processes during and preceding moult. In great tits Parus major, past research demonstrates that carotenoid-based plumage coloration honestly indicates male quality and, thus, may be a sexually selected signal. In this study, we investigate how dirt and preen oil influence the coloration of carotenoid-based feathers in the great tit. We collected six feathers from each individual bird; three feathers served as controls while the remaining three feathers were washed with a chloroform/methanol mixture to remove soil and preen waxes. We assessed plumage coloration using digital photography. This cleaning procedure slightly enhanced ornamentation; the experimentally cleaned feathers expressed hues shifted towards shorter wavelengths and expressed brighter overall coloration than control feathers. This is the first experimental study conducted on wild birds demonstrating that, in addition to pigment concentration, the presence of preen waxes and soils on feathers may contribute to variation in coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Surmacki
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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50
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Peters A, Delhey K, Johnsen A, Kempenaers B. The Condition‐Dependent Development of Carotenoid‐Based and Structural Plumage in Nestling Blue Tits: Males and Females Differ. Am Nat 2007. [DOI: 10.1086/510139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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