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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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2
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Nolazco S, Delhey K, Fan M, Hall ML, Kingma SA, Roast MJ, Teunissen N, Peters A. Which plumage patches provide information about condition and success in a female fairy-wren? Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that female ornaments can commonly act as signals. However, how signaling functions might be affected by the tendency for reduced ornament elaboration in relation to males is less well-understood. We address this in mutually ornamented purple-crowned fairy-wrens. We investigated putatively ornamental (tail, ear coverts, crown) and non-ornamental (throat, back) plumage patches in females and compared our findings to previous studies in males. Both sexes have brown backs, buff-white throats, and turquoise-blue tails (bluer in males), while ear coverts are rufous in females and black in males. Both sexes also have a seasonal crown (slate-gray in females, black-and-purple in males). Dominant (breeder) females expressed more complete and grayer (more ornamented) crowns, although variation in coloration should not be discriminable by individuals. Unexpectedly, subordinates showed more colorful (saturated) rufous ear coverts, which should be discriminable. Condition-dependence was only evident for crown completeness (% slate-gray cover). Females with more reddish-brown backs were more reproductively successful. Variation in plumage characteristics did not explain differential allocation by mates or chances of gaining dominance. Our outcomes were not entirely consistent with findings in males. The most notable disparity was for the crown, a signal used in male-male competition that in females seems to be expressed as an incomplete version of the male crown that is not associated with fitness benefits. Our study shows that in a species, multiple traits can vary in their information content and that female ornaments can sometimes be less informative than in males, even those that are produced seasonally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Nolazco
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University , 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University , 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800 , Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Seewiesen , Germany
| | - Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University , 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Michelle L Hall
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Seewiesen , Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia , 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009 , Australia
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Seewiesen , Germany
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research , De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Michael J Roast
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University , 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Niki Teunissen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University , 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University , 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Victoria 3800 , Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Seewiesen , Germany
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3
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Gudowska A, Janas K, Wieczorek J, Woznicka O, Płonka PM, Drobniak SM. Canalised and plastic components of melanin-based colouration: a diet-manipulation experiment in house sparrows. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18484. [PMID: 36323747 PMCID: PMC9630266 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21811-2] [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: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether melanin-based plumage colouration accurately reflects a bird's quality is still controversial. To better understand potential mechanisms behind the observed variation in plumage colouration, we shifted our attention from a high-level expression of colour to low-level physiological phenomena by targeting the microstructure and pigment content of the feather. In a well-studied model system, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), we combined an experimental manipulation of birds' physiological condition and availability of resources that are key to the production of the studied colouration (phenylalanine and tyrosine (PT). We found that feathers from sparrows fed with the control diet had noticeably lower values of brightness, suggesting a higher quality of the ornamental "blackness" in comparison to those sampled from birds fed with a PT-reduced diet. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy detected higher melanin concentrations in samples from the control than the PT-reduced group. Our multi-level analysis excluded mechanisms such as barbule density and melanosomes' distribution, clearly pointing to the finest-level proxy of colour: the concentration of melanin in melanosomes themselves. Despite melanins being manufactured by birds endogenously, the efficiency of melanogenesis can be noticeably limited by diet. As a result, the birds' plumage colouration is affected, which may entail consequences in social signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Gudowska
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland ,grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Janas
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Wieczorek
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Department of Biophysics and Cancer Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Olga Woznicka
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Przemysław M. Płonka
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Department of Biophysics and Cancer Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M. Drobniak
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland ,grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Ecology & Evolution Research Centre; School of Biological, Environmental & Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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4
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Fülöp A, Németh Z, Kocsis B, Deák-Molnár B, Bozsoky T, Kőmüves G, Barta Z. Fighting ability, personality and melanin signalling in free-living Eurasian tree sparrows ( Passer montanus). PeerJ 2022; 10:e13660. [PMID: 35923892 PMCID: PMC9341450 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals' access to resources is often decided during dyadic contests the outcome of which is determined by the fighting (or competitive) ability of the participants. Individuals' fighting ability (termed also as resource-holding power or potential, RHP) is usually associated with individual features (e.g., sex, age, body size) and is also frequently signalled through various ornaments like the black throat patch (bib) in many birds. Individual personality is a behavioural attribute often linked to fighting ability as well. Based on earlier studies, however, the relationship between personality and fighting ability is far from being straightforward. While accounting for sex and body size, we studied whether exploratory behaviour, an aspect of personality, predicts fighting ability when competing for food during winter in free-living Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus). We also investigated whether the bib can serve as a potential indicator of individual competitiveness in this species. Methods We captured adult tree sparrows, marked them with a unique combination of colour rings, and collected data about the individuals' sex, body size, bib size and exploratory behaviour. Birds were then released and the agonistic behaviour of the marked individuals was recorded while foraging in groups on bird feeding platforms. Results The probability of winning a fight, a proxy for fighting ability of individuals, was not related to exploratory behaviour, in either of the sexes. However, bib size was positively related to probability of winning in females, but not in males. Body size was not associated with probability of winning neither in males, nor in females. Conclusions Our results suggest that, at least in tree sparrows, the outcome of dyadic encounters over food during the non-breeding period are not determined by the exploratory personality of individuals. However, our findings provide further support for a status signalling role of the black bib in tree sparrows, and hint for the first time that bib size might function as a status signal in females as well. Finally, our results do not confirm that body size could serve as an indicator of fighting ability (i.e., RHP) in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Fülöp
- Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Németh
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Bianka Kocsis
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Bettina Deák-Molnár
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Tímea Bozsoky
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Kőmüves
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Barta
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
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5
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Fan M, Hall ML, Roast M, Peters A, Delhey K. Variability, heritability and condition-dependence of the multidimensional male colour phenotype in a passerine bird. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 127:300-311. [PMID: 34188194 PMCID: PMC8405751 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00453-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Elaborate ornamental traits are commonly assumed to be honest signals of individual quality, owing to the presumed costs involved in their production and/or maintenance. Such traits are often highly variable, possibly because of condition-dependence and/or high underlying genetic variation, and it has been suggested that their expression should be more sensitive to condition and/or more heritable than non-ornamental traits. Many bird species display colourful plumage with multiple distinct patches of different developmental origins, forming complex colour phenotypes. Despite this complexity, colourful ornaments are often studied in isolation, without comparison to suitable non-ornamental controls. Based on plumage reflectance data collected over 8 years, we assessed the signalling potential of the multidimensional male colour phenotype in a tropical bird: the purple-crowned fairy-wren Malurus coronatus. Specifically, we tested the predictions that the expression of putative ornamental colours (purple and black - the breeding colours - and blue) is (1) more variable, (2) more heritable and (3) more condition-dependent compared to year-round non-ornamental colours (buff-white and brown). Our results show that ornamental colours exhibit greater levels of variability, and some chromatic components of purple and blue colouration appear slightly heritable (h² = 0.19-0.30). However, contrary to predictions of heightened condition-dependence in ornaments, only brightness of the buff-white and brown colouration increased with male body condition, although brightness of the purple colouration was related to male age as expected. Despite partial support for predictions, the lack of consistent patterns illustrates the complexity of visual signals and highlights the need to study colour phenotypes in their entirety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Michael Roast
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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6
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Rubenstein DR, Corvelo A, MacManes MD, Maia R, Narzisi G, Rousaki A, Vandenabeele P, Shawkey MD, Solomon J. Feather Gene Expression Elucidates the Developmental Basis of Plumage Iridescence in African Starlings. J Hered 2021; 112:417-429. [PMID: 33885791 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Iridescence is widespread in the living world, occurring in organisms as diverse as bacteria, plants, and animals. Yet, compared to pigment-based forms of coloration, we know surprisingly little about the developmental and molecular bases of the structural colors that give rise to iridescence. Birds display a rich diversity of iridescent structural colors that are produced in feathers by the arrangement of melanin-containing organelles called melanosomes into nanoscale configurations, but how these often unusually shaped melanosomes form, or how they are arranged into highly organized nanostructures, remains largely unknown. Here, we use functional genomics to explore the developmental basis of iridescent plumage using superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus), which produce both iridescent blue and non-iridescent red feathers. Through morphological and chemical analyses, we confirm that hollow, flattened melanosomes in iridescent feathers are eumelanin-based, whereas melanosomes in non-iridescent feathers are solid and amorphous, suggesting that high pheomelanin content underlies red coloration. Intriguingly, the nanoscale arrangement of melanosomes within the barbules was surprisingly similar between feather types. After creating a new genome assembly, we use transcriptomics to show that non-iridescent feather development is associated with genes related to pigmentation, metabolism, and mitochondrial function, suggesting non-iridescent feathers are more energetically expensive to produce than iridescent feathers. However, iridescent feather development is associated with genes related to structural and cellular organization, suggesting that, while nanostructures themselves may passively assemble, barbules and melanosomes may require active organization to give them their shape. Together, our analyses suggest that iridescent feathers form through a combination of passive self-assembly and active processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Matthew D MacManes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
| | - Rafael Maia
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Anastasia Rousaki
- Raman Spectroscopy Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krigslaan, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Vandenabeele
- Raman Spectroscopy Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krigslaan, Ghent, Belgium
- Archaeometry Research Group, Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joseph Solomon
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
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7
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Galeb HA, Wilkinson EL, Stowell AF, Lin H, Murphy ST, Martin‐Hirsch PL, Mort RL, Taylor AM, Hardy JG. Melanins as Sustainable Resources for Advanced Biotechnological Applications. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2021; 5:2000102. [PMID: 33552556 PMCID: PMC7857133 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202000102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Melanins are a class of biopolymers that are widespread in nature and have diverse origins, chemical compositions, and functions. Their chemical, electrical, optical, and paramagnetic properties offer opportunities for applications in materials science, particularly for medical and technical uses. This review focuses on the application of analytical techniques to study melanins in multidisciplinary contexts with a view to their use as sustainable resources for advanced biotechnological applications, and how these may facilitate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanaa A. Galeb
- Department of ChemistryLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YBUK
- Department of ChemistryScience and Arts CollegeRabigh CampusKing Abdulaziz UniversityJeddah21577Saudi Arabia
| | - Emma L. Wilkinson
- Department of Biomedical and Life SciencesLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YGUK
| | - Alison F. Stowell
- Department of Organisation, Work and TechnologyLancaster University Management SchoolLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YXUK
| | - Hungyen Lin
- Department of EngineeringLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YWUK
| | - Samuel T. Murphy
- Department of EngineeringLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YWUK
- Materials Science InstituteLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YBUK
| | - Pierre L. Martin‐Hirsch
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustRoyal Preston HospitalSharoe Green LanePrestonPR2 9HTUK
| | - Richard L. Mort
- Department of Biomedical and Life SciencesLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YGUK
| | - Adam M. Taylor
- Lancaster Medical SchoolLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YWUK
| | - John G. Hardy
- Department of ChemistryLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YBUK
- Materials Science InstituteLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YBUK
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8
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Janas K, Łatkiewicz A, Parnell A, Lutyk D, Barczyk J, Shawkey MD, Gustafsson L, Cichoń M, Drobniak SM. Differential effects of early growth conditions on colour-producing nanostructures revealed through small angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopy. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb228387. [PMID: 32764026 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.228387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The costs associated with the production and maintenance of colour patches is thought to maintain their honesty. Although considerable research on sexual selection has focused on structurally coloured plumage ornaments, the proximate mechanisms of their potential condition dependence, and thus their honesty, is rarely addressed, particularly in an experimental context. Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nestlings have ultraviolet (UV)-blue structurally coloured tail feathers, providing a unique opportunity for investigation of the causes of variation in their colour. Here, we examined the influence of early growing conditions on the reflectance and structural properties of UV-blue-coloured tail feathers of blue tit nestlings. We applied a two-stage brood size manipulation to determine which stage of development more strongly impacts the quality of tail feather colouration and microstructure. We used small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron microscopy to characterise the nanoscale and microscale structure of tail feather barbs. Nestlings from the broods enlarged at a later stage of growth showed a sex-specific rectrix development delay, with males being more sensitive to this manipulation. Contrary to predictions, treatment affected neither the quality of the barbs' nanostructures nor the brightness and UV chroma of feathers. However, at the microscale, barbs' keratin characteristics were impaired in late-enlarged broods. Our results suggest that nanostructure quality, which determines the UV-blue colour in tail feathers, is not sensitive to early rearing conditions. Furthermore, availability of resources during feather growth seems to impact the quality of feather microstructure more than body condition, which is likely to be determined at an earlier stage of nestling growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Janas
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Łatkiewicz
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Andrew Parnell
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Sheffield, The Hicks Building, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
| | - Dorota Lutyk
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Julia Barczyk
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Animal Ecology/Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
- School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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9
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Nolazco S, Hall ML, Kingma SA, Delhey K, Peters A. No evidence for an adaptive role of early molt into breeding plumage in a female fairy wren. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The evolution of ornaments as sexually selected signals is well understood in males, but female ornamentation remains understudied. Fairy wrens offer an excellent model system, given their complex social structure and mating systems, and the diversity of female ornamentation. We investigated whether early molt into ornamental breeding plumage plays an adaptive role in females of the monogamous purple-crowned fairy wren Malurus coronatus, the only fairy wren known to have female seasonal plumage. Using 6 years of monitoring, we found that the timing of female molt was similar to males, but there was no evidence for assortative mating. Like males (previous study), older and dominant individuals acquired their breeding plumage earlier; however, in contrast to males, early molt did not seem to be costly since unfavorable environmental conditions or previous reproductive effort did not delay molt. Early female molt was not associated with any indicator of reproductive quality nor did it attract additional offspring care by their partners. We also found no association between early molt and the likelihood of acquiring a dominant (breeding) position or with the presence or proximity to same-sex rivals. Our study results, which are similar to previous findings in conspecific males, suggest that directional selection for early molt might be relaxed in this species, in contrast to other genetically polygamous fairy wrens in which early molt predicts extrapair mating success in males. However, the finding that molt timing is status dependent raises the possibility that other attributes of the ornament may fulfill an adaptive function in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Nolazco
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
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10
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Javůrková VG, Enbody ED, Kreisinger J, Chmel K, Mrázek J, Karubian J. Plumage iridescence is associated with distinct feather microbiota in a tropical passerine. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12921. [PMID: 31501471 PMCID: PMC6733896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49220-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds present a stunning diversity of plumage colors that have long fascinated evolutionary ecologists. Although plumage coloration is often linked to sexual selection, it may impact a number of physiological processes, including microbial resistance. At present, the degree to which differences between pigment-based vs. structural plumage coloration may affect the feather microbiota remains unanswered. Using quantitative PCR and DGGE profiling, we investigated feather microbial load, diversity and community structure among two allopatric subspecies of White-shouldered Fairywren, Malurus alboscapulatus that vary in expression of melanin-based vs. structural plumage coloration. We found that microbial load tended to be lower and feather microbial diversity was significantly higher in the plumage of black iridescent males, compared to black matte females and brown individuals. Moreover, black iridescent males had distinct feather microbial communities compared to black matte females and brown individuals. We suggest that distinctive nanostructure properties of iridescent male feathers or different investment in preening influence feather microbiota community composition and load. This study is the first to point to structural plumage coloration as a factor that may significantly regulate feather microbiota. Future work might explore fitness consequences and the role of microorganisms in the evolution of avian sexual dichromatism, with particular reference to iridescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Gvoždíková Javůrková
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Science, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague, Suchdol, Czech Republic. .,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Erik D Enbody
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kryštof Chmel
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Mrázek
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 160 00, Prague-Krč, Czech Republic
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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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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Simpson RK, McGraw KJ. Experimental trait mismatches uncover specificity of evolutionary links between multiple signaling traits and their interactions in hummingbirds*. Evolution 2018; 73:436-451. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard K. Simpson
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona 85287
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Windsor Windsor Ontario N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona 85287
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13
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Zylberberg M, Van Hemert C, Handel CM, DeRisi JL. Avian keratin disorder of Alaska black-capped chickadees is associated with Poecivirus infection. Virol J 2018; 15:100. [PMID: 29903045 PMCID: PMC6003155 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-018-1008-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Avian keratin disorder (AKD) is an epizootic of debilitating beak deformities, first documented in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska during the late 1990s. Similar deformities have now been recorded in dozens of species of birds across multiple continents. Despite this, the etiology of AKD has remained elusive, making it difficult to assess the impacts of this disease on wild populations. We previously identified an association between infection with a novel picornavirus, Poecivirus, and AKD in a small cohort of black-capped chickadees. METHODS To test if the association between Poecivirus and AKD holds in a larger study population, we used targeted PCR followed by Sanger sequencing to screen 124 symptomatic and asymptomatic black-capped chickadees for Poecivirus infection. We further compared the efficacy of multiple non-terminal field sampling methods (buccal swabs, cloacal swabs, fecal samples, and blood samples) for Poecivirus screening. Finally, we used both in situ hybridization and a strand-specific expression assay to localize Poecivirus to beak tissue of AKD-positive individuals and to determine if virus is actively replicating in beak tissue. RESULTS Poecivirus was detected in 28/28 (100%) individuals with AKD, but only 9/96 (9.4%) asymptomatic individuals with apparently normal beaks (p < 0.0001). We found that cloacal swabs are the most sensitive of these sample types for detecting Poecivirus in birds with AKD, but that buccal swabs should be combined with cloacal swabs in evaluating the infection status of asymptomatic birds. Finally, we used both in situ hybridization and a strand-specific expression assay to localize Poecivirus to beak tissue of AKD-positive individuals and to provide evidence of active viral replication. CONCLUSION The data presented here show a strong, statistically significant relationship between Poecivirus infection and AKD, and provide evidence that Poecivirus is indeed an avian virus, infecting and actively replicating in beak tissue of AKD-affected BCCH. Taken together, these data corroborate and extend the evidence for a potential causal association between Poecivirus and AKD in the black-capped chickadee. Poecivirus continues to warrant further investigation as a candidate agent of AKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine Zylberberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94158 USA
| | | | - Colleen M. Handel
- U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
| | - Joseph L. DeRisi
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143 USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
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14
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Kötél D, Csizmadia T, Lőw P, Rosivall B, Szöllősi E, Török J. Reflectance variation in the blue tit crown in relation to feather structure. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.176727. [PMID: 29615523 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.176727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Structural plumage colour is one of the most enigmatic sexually selected traits. The information content of structural colour variation is debated, and the heterogeneity of the findings is hard to explain because the proximate background of within-species colour differences is very scarcely studied. We combined measurements of feather macrostructure and nanostructure to explain within-population variability in blue tit crown reflectance. We found that sexual dichromatism in aspects of crown reflectance was explained only by feather macrostructure, whereas nanostructural predictors accounted for some of the age-related differences in reflectance. Moreover, we found that both mean reflectance and spectral shape traits reflected a combination of quantity and regularity aspects in macrostructure and nanostructure. This rich proximate background provides ample scope for reflectance to convey various types of information on individual quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,The Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, H-8744 Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csizmadia
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Lőw
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Szöllősi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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15
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Magnhagen C, Backström T, Nilsson J, Brännäs E. Oxygen consumption and swimming performance in Arctic charr with different pigmentation patterns. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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16
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Fifty shades of white: how white feather brightness differs among species. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:18. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1543-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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17
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A new Jurassic theropod from China documents a transitional step in the macrostructure of feathers. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:74. [PMID: 28831510 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1496-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Genuine fossils with exquisitely preserved plumage from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of northeastern China have recently revealed that bird-like theropod dinosaurs had long pennaceous feathers along their hindlimbs and may have used their four wings to glide or fly. Thus, it has been postulated that early bird flight might initially have involved four wings (Xu et al. Nature 421:335-340, 2003; Hu et al. Nature 461:640-643, 2009; Han et al. Nat Commun 5:4382, 2014). Here, we describe Serikornis sungei gen. et sp. nov., a new feathered theropod from the Tiaojishan Fm (Late Jurassic) of Liaoning Province, China. Its skeletal morphology suggests a ground-dwelling ecology with no flying adaptations. Our phylogenetic analysis places Serikornis, together with other Late Jurassic paravians from China, as a basal paravians, outside the Eumaniraptora clade. The tail of Serikornis is covered proximally by filaments and distally by slender rectrices. Thin symmetrical remiges lacking barbules are attached along its forelimbs and elongate hindlimb feathers extend up to its toes, suggesting that hindlimb remiges evolved in ground-dwelling maniraptorans before being co-opted to an arboreal lifestyle or flight.
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18
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Chatelain M, Pessato A, Frantz A, Gasparini J, Leclaire S. Do trace metals influence visual signals? Effects of trace metals on iridescent and melanic feather colouration in the feral pigeon. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
- Warsaw Univ., Center of New Technologies, S. Banacha 2c; PL-02-097 Warsaw Poland
| | - Anaϊs Pessato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS; Montpellier France
| | - Adrien Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
| | - Julien Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
| | - Sarah Leclaire
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS; Montpellier France
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 (CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA); Toulouse France
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19
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Enbody ED, Lantz SM, Karubian J. Production of plumage ornaments among males and females of two closely related tropical passerine bird species. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4024-4034. [PMID: 28616197 PMCID: PMC5468133 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of elaborate secondary sexual traits (i.e., ornaments) is well‐studied in males but less so in females. Similarity in the appearance of ornaments between males and females supports the view that female ornaments arise as a neutral byproduct of selection on male traits due to genetic correlation between sexes, but recent research suggests an adaptive function of female ornaments in at least some contexts. Information on the degree to which production of ornaments differs between the sexes can shed light on these alternative perspectives. We therefore characterized the structural underpinnings of melanin‐based plumage production in males and females of two closely related passerine bird species (genus Malurus). Importantly, both ornamented and unornamented phenotypes in each sex are present between these two species, providing an opportunity to test the null expectation of equivalent modes of production in male and female ornamented phenotypes. In Malurus alboscapulatus, ornamented females are qualitatively similar to males, but we describe a distinctive ornamented female phenotype that differs from that of males in lacking a blue sheen and in lower feather barbule density. In M. melanocephalus, unornamented males and females are also similar in appearance, and we describe a similarity between unornamented phenotypes of males and females in both color and underlying feather barbule structure and pigment composition. Unornamented male M. melanocephalus can flexibly transition to the ornamented phenotype in weeks, and we found extreme differences in color and feather structure between these two alternative male phenotypes. These results contradict the idea that female ornaments have evolved in this system following a simple switch to male‐like plumage by demonstrating greater complexity in the production of the ornamented phenotype in males than in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik D Enbody
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University New Orleans LA USA
| | - Samantha M Lantz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University New Orleans LA USA
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University New Orleans LA USA
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20
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Abstract
Avian keratin disorder (AKD), characterized by debilitating overgrowth of the avian beak, was first documented in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska. Subsequently, similar deformities have appeared in numerous species across continents. Despite the widespread distribution of this emerging pathology, the cause of AKD remains elusive. As a result, it is unknown whether suspected cases of AKD in the afflicted species are causally linked, and the impacts of this pathology at the population and community levels are difficult to evaluate. We applied unbiased, metagenomic next-generation sequencing to search for candidate pathogens in birds affected with AKD. We identified and sequenced the complete coding region of a novel picornavirus, which we are calling poecivirus. Subsequent screening of 19 AKD-affected black-capped chickadees and 9 control individuals for the presence of poecivirus revealed that 19/19 (100%) AKD-affected individuals were positive, while only 2/9 (22%) control individuals were infected with poecivirus. Two northwestern crows (Corvus caurinus) and two red-breasted nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) with AKD-consistent pathology also tested positive for poecivirus. We suggest that poecivirus is a candidate etiological agent of AKD. Avian keratin disorder (AKD) is an increasingly common disease of wild birds. This disease, characterized by beak overgrowth, was first described in the late 1990s and has been spreading rapidly both geographically and in terms of host species affected. AKD decreases host fitness and can be fatal. However, the cause of the disease has remained elusive, and its impact on host populations is poorly understood. We found a novel and divergent picornavirus in 19/19 AKD-affected black-capped chickadees that we examined but in only 2/9 control cases. We also found this virus in 4 individuals of 2 other passerine species that exhibited symptoms consistent with AKD. Our data suggest that this novel picornavirus warrants further investigation as the causative agent of AKD.
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Hsiung BK, Blackledge TA, Shawkey MD. Spiders do have melanin after all. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:3632-5. [PMID: 26449977 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.128801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Melanin pigments are broadly distributed in nature - from bacteria to fungi to plants and animals. However, many previous attempts to identify melanins in spiders were unsuccessful, suggesting that these otherwise ubiquitous pigments were lost during spider evolution. Yet, spiders exhibit many dark colours similar to those produced by melanins in other organisms, and the low solubility of melanins makes isolation and characterization difficult. Therefore, whether melanins are truly absent or have simply not yet been detected is an open question. Raman spectroscopy provides a reliable way to detect melanins in situ, without the need for isolation. In this study, we document the presence of eumelanin in diverse species of spiders using confocal Raman microspectroscopy. Comparisons of spectra with theoretically calculated data falsify the previous hypothesis that dark colours are produced solely by ommochromes in spiders. Our data indicate that melanins are present in spiders and further supporting that they are present in most living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor-Kai Hsiung
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
| | - Todd A Blackledge
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
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22
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Hubbard JK, Jenkins BR, Safran RJ. Quantitative genetics of plumage color: lifetime effects of early nest environment on a colorful sexual signal. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:3436-49. [PMID: 26380676 PMCID: PMC4569038 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic differences among individuals are often linked to differential survival and mating success. Quantifying the relative influence of genetic and environmental variation on phenotype allows evolutionary biologists to make predictions about the potential for a given trait to respond to selection and various aspects of environmental variation. In particular, the environment individuals experience during early development can have lasting effects on phenotype later in life. Here, we used a natural full-sib/half-sib design as well as within-individual longitudinal analyses to examine genetic and various environmental influences on plumage color. We find that variation in melanin-based plumage color - a trait known to influence mating success in adult North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) - is influenced by both genetics and aspects of the developmental environment, including variation due to the maternal phenotype and the nest environment. Within individuals, nestling color is predictive of adult color. Accordingly, these early environmental influences are relevant to the sexually selected plumage color variation in adults. Early environmental conditions appear to have important lifelong implications for individual reproductive performance through sexual signal development in barn swallows. Our results indicate that feather color variation conveys information about developmental conditions and maternal care alleles to potential mates in North American barn swallows. Melanin-based colors are used for sexual signaling in many organisms, and our study suggests that these signals may be more sensitive to environmental variation than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna K Hubbard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder Ramaley N122, UCB 334, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Brittany R Jenkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder Ramaley N122, UCB 334, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder Ramaley N122, UCB 334, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
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Roulin A. Condition-dependence, pleiotropy and the handicap principle of sexual selection in melanin-based colouration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:328-48. [PMID: 25631160 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The signalling function of melanin-based colouration is debated. Sexual selection theory states that ornaments should be costly to produce, maintain, wear or display to signal quality honestly to potential mates or competitors. An increasing number of studies supports the hypothesis that the degree of melanism covaries with aspects of body condition (e.g. body mass or immunity), which has contributed to change the initial perception that melanin-based colour ornaments entail no costs. Indeed, the expression of many (but not all) melanin-based colour traits is weakly sensitive to the environment but strongly heritable suggesting that these colour traits are relatively cheap to produce and maintain, thus raising the question of how such colour traits could signal quality honestly. Here I review the production, maintenance and wearing/displaying costs that can generate a correlation between melanin-based colouration and body condition, and consider other evolutionary mechanisms that can also lead to covariation between colour and body condition. Because genes controlling melanic traits can affect numerous phenotypic traits, pleiotropy could also explain a linkage between body condition and colouration. Pleiotropy may result in differently coloured individuals signalling different aspects of quality that are maintained by frequency-dependent selection or local adaptation. Colouration may therefore not signal absolute quality to potential mates or competitors (e.g. dark males may not achieve a higher fitness than pale males); otherwise genetic variation would be rapidly depleted by directional selection. As a consequence, selection on heritable melanin-based colouration may not always be directional, but mate choice may be conditional to environmental conditions (i.e. context-dependent sexual selection). Despite the interest of evolutionary biologists in the adaptive value of melanin-based colouration, its actual role in sexual selection is still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Gamero A, Senar JC, Hohtola E, Nilsson JÅ, Broggi J. Population differences in the structure and coloration of great tit contour feathers. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gamero
- Department of Biology; University of Oulu; FIN-90014 Oulu Finland
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology; University of Göttingen; D-37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Juan C. Senar
- Unitat Associada d'Ecologia Evolutiva i de la Conducta; CSIC; Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona; 08003 Barcelona Spain
| | - Esa Hohtola
- Department of Biology; University of Oulu; FIN-90014 Oulu Finland
| | - Jan-Åke Nilsson
- Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology; University of Lund; S-22362 Lund Sweden
| | - Juli Broggi
- Estación Biológica Doñana; CSIC; 41092 Sevilla Spain
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