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Margetts BM, Stuart‐Fox D, Franklin AM. Red vision in animals is broadly associated with lighting environment but not types of visual task. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10899. [PMID: 38304263 PMCID: PMC10828735 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Red sensitivity is the exception rather than the norm in most animal groups. Among species with red sensitivity, there is substantial variation in the peak wavelength sensitivity (λmax) of the long wavelength sensitive (LWS) photoreceptor. It is unclear whether this variation can be explained by visual tuning to the light environment or to visual tasks such as signalling or foraging. Here, we examine long wavelength sensitivity across a broad range of taxa showing diversity in LWS photoreceptor λmax: insects, crustaceans, arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, fish, sharks and rays. We collated a list of 161 species with physiological evidence for a photoreceptor sensitive to red wavelengths (i.e. λmax ≥ 550 nm) and for each species documented abiotic and biotic factors that may be associated with peak sensitivity of the LWS photoreceptor. We found evidence supporting visual tuning to the light environment: terrestrial species had longer λmax than aquatic species, and of these, species from turbid shallow waters had longer λmax than those from clear or deep waters. Of the terrestrial species, diurnal species had longer λmax than nocturnal species, but we did not detect any differences across terrestrial habitats (closed, intermediate or open). We found no association with proxies for visual tasks such as having red morphological features or utilising flowers or coral reefs. These results support the emerging consensus that, in general, visual systems are broadly adapted to the lighting environment and diverse visual tasks. Links between visual systems and specific visual tasks are commonly reported, but these likely vary among species and do not lead to general patterns across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony M. Margetts
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Amanda M. Franklin
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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2
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McCoy DE, Shultz AJ, Dall JE, Dionne JA, Johnsen S. The carotenoid redshift: Physical basis and implications for visual signaling. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10408. [PMID: 37693937 PMCID: PMC10485323 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid pigments are the basis for much red, orange, and yellow coloration in nature and central to visual signaling. However, as pigment concentration increases, carotenoid signals not only darken and become more saturated but they also redshift; for example, orange pigments can look red at higher concentration. This occurs because light experiences exponential attenuation, and carotenoid-based signals have spectrally asymmetric reflectance in the visible range. Adding pigment disproportionately affects the high-absorbance regions of the reflectance spectra, which redshifts the perceived hue. This carotenoid redshift is substantial and perceivable by animal observers. In addition, beyond pigment concentration, anything that increases the path length of light through pigment causes this redshift (including optical nano- and microstructures). For example, male Ramphocelus tanagers appear redder than females, despite the same population and concentration of carotenoids, due to microstructures that enhance light-pigment interaction. This mechanism of carotenoid redshift has sensory and evolutionary consequences for honest signaling in that structures that redshift carotenoid ornaments may decrease signal honesty. More generally, nearly all colorful signals vary in hue, saturation, and brightness as light-pigment interactions change, due to spectrally asymmetrical reflectance within the visible range of the relevant species. Therefore, the three attributes of color need to be considered together in studies of honest visual signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota E. McCoy
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Hopkins Marine StationStanford UniversityPacific GroveCaliforniaUSA
- Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Allison J. Shultz
- Ornithology DepartmentNatural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jacqueline E. Dall
- Ornithology DepartmentNatural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jennifer A. Dionne
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of RadiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sönke Johnsen
- Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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3
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Colour Variation in the Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) and Its Relationship to Individual Quality. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11091314. [PMID: 36138793 PMCID: PMC9495974 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary This study examines colour variation in the highly endangered crocodile lizard, Shinisaurus crocodilurus. Both males and females vary in the extent to which their throats and venters are red. Their colouration is easily visible to a lizard receiver, and we found evidence that colour signals individual quality. Females with red venters had larger heads while females with red throats had greater bite force. In males, redder individuals were older. Finally, we found links between colour and fitness in males but not females. Aspects of male colouration were linked to reproductive output such that they sired offspring from heavier litters. The potential fitness consequences of colour should be considered in captive breeding and release programs. Abstract Colour plays a key role in animal social communication including as an indicator of individual quality. Using spectrophotometry, we examined colour variation in the throat and venter of the crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus), an endangered species native to southern China and northern Vietnam. We detected two broad colour variants, individuals with and without red, for each body region and each sex. A cluster analysis of spectral colour measurements (hue, chroma, luminance) revealed discrete throat and ventral morphs when measured in a single snapshot in time. However, photographic evidence revealed that the amount of red relative to body size increased as they got older. Individuals with red were equally likely to be male or female and throat colour was unrelated to ventral colour. Therefore, it is premature to claim that crocodile lizards have discrete colour morphs. We used visual modelling to show that the throat and venter were easily discriminable to a lizard visual system, suggesting they function in social communication. We also asked whether colour variation signalled individual quality. Females with red throats had greater bite force while males with red throats were older. In addition, females with red venters had larger heads. We also detected differences in morphology linked to colour. Females with red throats had slender bodies and longer tails, while individuals lacking red on their throats were stouter and had shorter tails. Finally, throat and ventral colour were unrelated to reproductive output (litter size and mass) in females. Males with greater ventral luminance contrast sired offspring from litters with greater litter mass (including stillborns), while males with greater ventral chromatic contrast sired offspring whose collective live mass (excluding stillborns) was greater. Males with greater luminance contrast also sired more live offspring (excluding stillborns). Collectively, these results suggest that male ventral colour signals individual quality in males. Conservation initiatives should take colour variation into account when planning future captive breeding and release programs for this endangered species.
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4
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He Y, Varley ZK, Nouri LO, Moody CJA, Jardine MD, Maddock S, Thomas GH, Cooney CR. Deep learning image segmentation reveals patterns of UV reflectance evolution in passerine birds. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5068. [PMID: 36038540 PMCID: PMC9424304 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32586-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet colouration is thought to be an important form of signalling in many bird species, yet broad insights regarding the prevalence of ultraviolet plumage colouration and the factors promoting its evolution are currently lacking. In this paper, we develop a image segmentation pipeline based on deep learning that considerably outperforms classical (i.e. non deep learning) segmentation methods, and use this to extract accurate information on whole-body plumage colouration from photographs of >24,000 museum specimens covering >4500 species of passerine birds. Our results demonstrate that ultraviolet reflectance, particularly as a component of other colours, is widespread across the passerine radiation but is strongly phylogenetically conserved. We also find clear evidence in support of the role of light environment in promoting the evolution of ultraviolet plumage colouration, and a weak trend towards higher ultraviolet plumage reflectance among bird species with ultraviolet rather than violet-sensitive visual systems. Overall, our study provides important broad-scale insight into an enigmatic component of avian colouration, as well as demonstrating that deep learning has considerable promise for allowing new data to be brought to bear on long-standing questions in ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen He
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Zoë K Varley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Lara O Nouri
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Christopher J A Moody
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Michael D Jardine
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Steve Maddock
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 211 Portobello, Sheffield, S1 4DP, UK
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum at Tring, Akeman Street, Tring, HP23 6AP, UK.
| | - Christopher R Cooney
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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5
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Eaton MD, Benites P, Campillo L, Wilson RE, Sonsthagen SA. Gull Plumages are, and are Not, What They Appear to Human Vision. ANN ZOOL FENN 2022. [DOI: 10.5735/086.059.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muir D. Eaton
- Biology Department, 2500 University Ave, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50310, USA
| | - Pilar Benites
- Museo de Zoología “Alfonso L. Herrera”, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-399, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Luke Campillo
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i – Mānoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Robert E. Wilson
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA
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Storniolo F, Zuffi MAL, Coladonato AJ, Di Vozzo L, Giglio G, Gini AE, Leonetti FL, Luccini S, Mangiacotti M, Scali S, Abate F, Sperone E, Tatini I, Sacchi R. Patterns of variations in dorsal colouration of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus. Biol Open 2021; 10:271968. [PMID: 34447997 PMCID: PMC8503538 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on animal colouration has grown exponentially in the last decade thanks to multidisciplinary approaches. Most studies are focused on trade-offs between communication and mimicry, which represent the two main constraints and drivers of the evolution of body colourations. Reptiles are excellent model species for investigating this field of study and lizards in particular show great variability of body colourations and their functions. We studied the lizard Podarcis siculus, analysing the variations of dorsal colour of three populations and obtained clear patterns of seasonal and ontogenetical variation of dorsal colour. According to baseline colour, males were greener and brighter than females, although no difference in saturation was recorded. According to seasonal variations, analyses showed that both sexes significantly vary in colour over the year: males reached higher peaks of hue and saturation later than females during spring, while females showed higher peaks of brightness and reached earlier similarly to hue and saturation. Ontogenetic variations were recorded only in males, which become greener, less bright and saturated with growing size. Therefore, our results suggest the occurrence of two opposing strategies in colour expression between sexes: males’ dorsal colouration plays a major role in communication, while females are more crypsis-oriented. Summary: This research paper focuses on the dorsal chromatic variations in Mediterranean lizards, analysing the effect of seasonality and ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Storniolo
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (PI) 56011, Italy
| | - Marco A L Zuffi
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (PI) 56011, Italy
| | - Alan J Coladonato
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Viale Tamarelli 24, Pavia I-27100, Italy
| | - Loris Di Vozzo
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (PI) 56011, Italy
| | - Gianni Giglio
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via Pietro Bucci, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza 87036, Italy
| | - Andrea E Gini
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (PI) 56011, Italy.,Faculty of Sciences, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa 5616, Italy
| | - Francesco L Leonetti
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via Pietro Bucci, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza 87036, Italy
| | - Simone Luccini
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (PI) 56011, Italy
| | - Marco Mangiacotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Viale Tamarelli 24, Pavia I-27100, Italy.,Museo di Storia Naturale, Corso Venezia 55, Milano 20121, Italy
| | - Stefano Scali
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Corso Venezia 55, Milano 20121, Italy
| | - Federico Abate
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Viale Tamarelli 24, Pavia I-27100, Italy
| | - Emilio Sperone
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via Pietro Bucci, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza 87036, Italy
| | - Irene Tatini
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci (PI) 56011, Italy
| | - Roberto Sacchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Viale Tamarelli 24, Pavia I-27100, Italy
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7
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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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8
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Price-Waldman R, Stoddard MC. Avian Coloration Genetics: Recent Advances and Emerging Questions. J Hered 2021; 112:395-416. [PMID: 34002228 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The colorful phenotypes of birds have long provided rich source material for evolutionary biologists. Avian plumage, beaks, skin, and eggs-which exhibit a stunning range of cryptic and conspicuous forms-inspired early work on adaptive coloration. More recently, avian color has fueled discoveries on the physiological, developmental, and-increasingly-genetic mechanisms responsible for phenotypic variation. The relative ease with which avian color traits can be quantified has made birds an attractive system for uncovering links between phenotype and genotype. Accordingly, the field of avian coloration genetics is burgeoning. In this review, we highlight recent advances and emerging questions associated with the genetic underpinnings of bird color. We start by describing breakthroughs related to 2 pigment classes: carotenoids that produce red, yellow, and orange in most birds and psittacofulvins that produce similar colors in parrots. We then discuss structural colors, which are produced by the interaction of light with nanoscale materials and greatly extend the plumage palette. Structural color genetics remain understudied-but this paradigm is changing. We next explore how colors that arise from interactions among pigmentary and structural mechanisms may be controlled by genes that are co-expressed or co-regulated. We also identify opportunities to investigate genes mediating within-feather micropatterning and the coloration of bare parts and eggs. We conclude by spotlighting 2 research areas-mechanistic links between color vision and color production, and speciation-that have been invigorated by genetic insights, a trend likely to continue as new genomic approaches are applied to non-model species.
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9
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Evidence for UV-green dichromacy in the basal hymenopteran Sirex noctilio (Siricidae). Sci Rep 2021; 11:15601. [PMID: 34341410 PMCID: PMC8329207 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95107-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A precondition for colour vision is the presence of at least two spectral types of photoreceptors in the eye. The order Hymenoptera is traditionally divided into the Apocrita (ants, bees, wasps) and the Symphyta (sawflies, woodwasps, horntails). Most apocritan species possess three different photoreceptor types. In contrast, physiological studies in the Symphyta have reported one to four photoreceptor types. To better understand the evolution of photoreceptor diversity in the Hymenoptera, we studied the Symphyta Sirex noctilio, which belongs to the superfamily Siricoidea, a closely related group of the Apocrita suborder. Our aim was to (i) identify the photoreceptor types of the compound eye by electroretinography (ERG), (ii) characterise the visual opsin genes of S. noctilio by genomic comparisons and phylogenetic analyses and (iii) analyse opsin mRNA expression. ERG measurements revealed two photoreceptor types in the compound eye, maximally sensitive to 527 and 364 nm. In addition, we identified three opsins in the genome, homologous to the hymenopteran green or long-wavelength sensitive (LW) LW1, LW2 and ultra-violet sensitive (UV) opsin genes. The LW1 and UV opsins were found to be expressed in the compound eyes, and LW2 and UV opsins in the ocelli. The lack of a blue or short-wavelength sensitive (SW) homologous opsin gene and a corresponding receptor suggests that S. noctilio is a UV-green dichromate.
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10
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Toomey MB, Ronald KL. Avian color expression and perception: is there a carotenoid link? J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269205. [PMID: 34142139 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids color many of the red, orange and yellow ornaments of birds and also shape avian vision. The carotenoid-pigmented oil droplets in cone photoreceptors filter incoming light and are predicted to aid in color discrimination. Carotenoid use in both avian coloration and color vision raises an intriguing question: is the evolution of visual signals and signal perception linked through these pigments? Here, we explore the genetic, physiological and functional connections between these traits. Carotenoid color and droplet pigmentation share common mechanisms of metabolic conversion and are both affected by diet and immune system challenges. Yet, the time scale and magnitude of these effects differ greatly between plumage and the visual system. Recent observations suggest a link between retinal carotenoid levels and color discrimination performance, but the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. Therefore, we performed a modeling exercise to ask whether and how changes in droplet carotenoid content could alter the perception of carotenoid-based plumage. This exercise revealed that changing oil droplet carotenoid concentration does not substantially affect the discrimination of carotenoid-based colors, but might change how reliably a receiver can predict the carotenoid content of an ornament. These findings suggest that, if present, a carotenoid link between signal and perception is subtle. Deconstructing this relationship will require a deeper understanding of avian visual perception and the mechanisms of color production. We highlight several areas where we see opportunities to gain new insights, including comparative genomic studies of shared mechanisms of carotenoid processing and alternative approaches to investigating color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, 800 S Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | - Kelly L Ronald
- Department of Biology, Hope College, 35 East 12th Street, Holland, MI 49422, USA
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11
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Abstract
The use of spectral information in natural light to inform behaviour is one of the oldest and most fundamental abilities of visual systems. It long-predates animals' venture onto the land, and even the appearance of image-forming eyes. Accordingly, circuits for colour vision evolved under the surface of ancient oceans for hundreds of millions of years. These aquatic beginnings fundamentally underpin, and likely constrain, the organisation of modern visual systems. In contrast to our detailed circuit level understanding from diverse terrestrial vertebrates, however, comparatively little is known about their aquatic counterparts. Here, I summarise some of what is known about neural circuits for colour vision in fish, the most species-diverse group of vertebrates. With a focus on zebrafish, I will explore how their computational strategies are linked to the statistics of natural light in the underwater world, and how their study might help us understand vision in general, including in our own eyes.
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12
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Liénard MA, Bernard GD, Allen A, Lassance JM, Song S, Childers RR, Yu N, Ye D, Stephenson A, Valencia-Montoya WA, Salzman S, Whitaker MRL, Calonje M, Zhang F, Pierce NE. The evolution of red color vision is linked to coordinated rhodopsin tuning in lycaenid butterflies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2008986118. [PMID: 33547236 PMCID: PMC8017955 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008986118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Color vision has evolved multiple times in both vertebrates and invertebrates and is largely determined by the number and variation in spectral sensitivities of distinct opsin subclasses. However, because of the difficulty of expressing long-wavelength (LW) invertebrate opsins in vitro, our understanding of the molecular basis of functional shifts in opsin spectral sensitivities has been biased toward research primarily in vertebrates. This has restricted our ability to address whether invertebrate Gq protein-coupled opsins function in a novel or convergent way compared to vertebrate Gt opsins. Here we develop a robust heterologous expression system to purify invertebrate rhodopsins, identify specific amino acid changes responsible for adaptive spectral tuning, and pinpoint how molecular variation in invertebrate opsins underlie wavelength sensitivity shifts that enhance visual perception. By combining functional and optophysiological approaches, we disentangle the relative contributions of lateral filtering pigments from red-shifted LW and blue short-wavelength opsins expressed in distinct photoreceptor cells of individual ommatidia. We use in situ hybridization to visualize six ommatidial classes in the compound eye of a lycaenid butterfly with a four-opsin visual system. We show experimentally that certain key tuning residues underlying green spectral shifts in blue opsin paralogs have evolved repeatedly among short-wavelength opsin lineages. Taken together, our results demonstrate the interplay between regulatory and adaptive evolution at multiple Gq opsin loci, as well as how coordinated spectral shifts in LW and blue opsins can act together to enhance insect spectral sensitivity at blue and red wavelengths for visual performance adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A Liénard
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02142;
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Gary D Bernard
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Andrew Allen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Siliang Song
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Richard Rabideau Childers
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Nanfang Yu
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Dajia Ye
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Adriana Stephenson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Shayla Salzman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Melissa R L Whitaker
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | | | - Feng Zhang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
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13
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Olsson P, Johnsson RD, Foster JJ, Kirwan JD, Lind O, Kelber A. Chicken colour discrimination depends on background colour. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb209429. [PMID: 33097569 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.209429] [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: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
How well can a bird discriminate between two red berries on a green background? The absolute threshold of colour discrimination is set by photoreceptor noise, but animals do not perform at this threshold; their performance can depend on additional factors. In humans and zebra finches, discrimination thresholds for colour stimuli depend on background colour, and thus the adaptive state of the visual system. We have tested how well chickens can discriminate shades of orange or green presented on orange or green backgrounds. Chickens discriminated slightly smaller colour differences between two stimuli presented on a similarly coloured background, compared with a background of very different colour. The slope of the psychometric function was steeper when stimulus and background colours were similar but shallower when they differed markedly, indicating that background colour affects the certainty with which the animals discriminate the colours. The effect we find for chickens is smaller than that shown for zebra finches. We modelled the response to stimuli using Bayesian and maximum likelihood estimation and implemented the psychometric function to estimate the effect size. We found that the result is independent of the psychophysical method used to evaluate the effect of experimental conditions on choice performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Olsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - James J Foster
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - John D Kirwan
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Olle Lind
- Department of Philosophy, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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14
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Billington J, Webster RJ, Sherratt TN, Wilkie RM, Hassall C. The (Under)Use of Eye-Tracking in Evolutionary Ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:495-502. [PMID: 32396816 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
To survive and pass on their genes, animals must perform many tasks that affect their fitness, such as mate-choice, foraging, and predator avoidance. The ability to make rapid decisions is dependent on the information that needs to be sampled from the environment and how it is processed. We highlight the need to consider visual attention within sensory ecology and advocate the use of eye-tracking methods to better understand how animals prioritise the sampling of information from their environments prior to making a goal-directed decision. We consider ways in which eye-tracking can be used to determine how animals work within attentional constraints and how environmental pressures may exploit these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Billington
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - R J Webster
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - T N Sherratt
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - R M Wilkie
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - C Hassall
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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15
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Osorio D. The evolutionary ecology of bird and reptile photoreceptor spectral sensitivities. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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16
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17
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Dong CM, McLean CA, Moussalli A, Stuart‐Fox D. Conserved visual sensitivities across divergent lizard lineages that differ in an ultraviolet sexual signal. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11824-11832. [PMID: 31695890 PMCID: PMC6822044 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The sensory drive hypothesis predicts the correlated evolution of signaling traits and sensory perception in differing environments. For visual signals, adaptive divergence in both color signals and visual sensitivities between populations may contribute to reproductive isolation and promote speciation, but this has rarely been tested or shown in terrestrial species. We tested whether opsin protein expression differs between divergent lineages of the tawny dragon (Ctenophorus decresii) that differ in the presence/absence of an ultraviolet sexual signal. We measured the expression of four retinal cone opsin genes (SWS1, SWS2, RH2, and LWS) using droplet digital PCR. We show that gene expression between lineages does not differ significantly, including the UV wavelength sensitive SWS1. We discuss these results in the context of mounting evidence that visual sensitivities are highly conserved in terrestrial systems. Multiple competing requirements may constrain divergence of visual sensitivities in response to sexual signals. Instead, signal contrast could be increased via alternative mechanisms, such as background selection. Our results contribute to a growing understanding of the roles of visual ecology, phylogeny, and behavior on visual system evolution in reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Dong
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Sciences DepartmentMuseums VictoriaCarltonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Claire A. McLean
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Sciences DepartmentMuseums VictoriaCarltonVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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18
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Abstract
The jawless fish that were ancestral to all living vertebrates had four spectral cone types that were probably served by chromatic-opponent retinal circuits. Subsequent evolution of photoreceptor spectral sensitivities is documented for many vertebrate lineages, giving insight into the ecological adaptation of color vision. Beyond the photoreceptors, retinal color processing is best understood in mammals, especially the blueON system, which opposes short- against long-wavelength receptor responses. For other vertebrates that often have three or four types of cone pigment, new findings from zebrafish are extending older work on teleost fish and reptiles to reveal rich color circuitry. Here, horizontal cells establish diverse and complex spectral responses even in photoreceptor outputs. Cone-selective connections to bipolar cells then set up color-opponent synaptic layers in the inner retina, which lead to a large variety of color-opponent channels for transmission to the brain via retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Brighton, United Kingdom; ,
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - D Osorio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Brighton, United Kingdom; ,
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19
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Price TD, Stoddard MC, Shevell SK, Bloch NI. Understanding how neural responses contribute to the diversity of avian colour vision. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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20
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Sibeaux A, Cole GL, Endler JA. The relative importance of local and global visual contrast in mate choice. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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21
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Prost S, Armstrong EE, Nylander J, Thomas GWC, Suh A, Petersen B, Dalen L, Benz BW, Blom MPK, Palkopoulou E, Ericson PGP, Irestedt M. Comparative analyses identify genomic features potentially involved in the evolution of birds-of-paradise. Gigascience 2019; 8:giz003. [PMID: 30689847 PMCID: PMC6497032 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giz003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The diverse array of phenotypes and courtship displays exhibited by birds-of-paradise have long fascinated scientists and nonscientists alike. Remarkably, almost nothing is known about the genomics of this iconic radiation. There are 41 species in 16 genera currently recognized within the birds-of-paradise family (Paradisaeidae), most of which are endemic to the island of New Guinea. In this study, we sequenced genomes of representatives from all five major clades within this family to characterize genomic changes that may have played a role in the evolution of the group's extensive phenotypic diversity. We found genes important for coloration, morphology, and feather and eye development to be under positive selection. In birds-of-paradise with complex lekking systems and strong sexual dimorphism, the core birds-of-paradise, we found Gene Ontology categories for "startle response" and "olfactory receptor activity" to be enriched among the gene families expanding significantly faster compared to the other birds in our study. Furthermore, we found novel families of retrovirus-like retrotransposons active in all three de novo genomes since the early diversification of the birds-of-paradise group, which might have played a role in the evolution of this fascinating group of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Prost
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, 3040 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA
| | - Ellie E Armstrong
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305–5020, USA
| | - Johan Nylander
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gregg W C Thomas
- Department of Biology and School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University, 1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Alexander Suh
- Department of Evolutionary Biology (EBC), Uppsala University, Norbyvaegen 14-18, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bent Petersen
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Oster Voldgade 5-7, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Centre of Excellence for Omics-Driven Computational Biodiscovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology,Jalan Bedong-Semeling, 08100 Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Love Dalen
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brett W Benz
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Mozes P K Blom
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eleftheria Palkopoulou
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per G P Ericson
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Irestedt
- Department of Biodiversity and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativaegen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Stuckert AMM, Drury S, Anderson CM, Bowling TBT, Mckinnon JS. Evolution and assessment of colour patterns in stream-resident and anadromous male threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from three regions. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 94:520-525. [PMID: 30693501 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We compared the colour patterns of free swimming, reproductively active male threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus of the anadromous and stream ecotypes from three geographically distinct regions. Consistent with the hypothesis of environmentally mediated selection, our results indicate ecologically replicated differences in G. aculeatus coloration between anadromous and stream-resident populations, and that G. aculeatus probably have the visual acuity to discriminate colour pattern differences between anadromous and stream-resident fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M M Stuckert
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sara Drury
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Tyler B T Bowling
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Mckinnon
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin, USA
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23
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Stoddard MC, Osorio D. Animal Coloration Patterns: Linking Spatial Vision to Quantitative Analysis. Am Nat 2019; 193:164-186. [DOI: 10.1086/701300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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24
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Bornman JF, Barnes PW, Robson TM, Robinson SA, Jansen MAK, Ballaré CL, Flint SD. Linkages between stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate change and their implications for terrestrial ecosystems. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2019; 18:681-716. [DOI: 10.1039/c8pp90061b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Linkages between stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate change: terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet F. Bornman
- College of Science
- Health
- Engineering and Education
- Murdoch University
- Perth
| | - Paul W. Barnes
- Department of Biological Sciences and Environment Program
- Loyola University
- USA
| | - T. Matthew Robson
- Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology
- Viikki Plant Science Centre
- University of Helsinki
- Finland
| | - Sharon A. Robinson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions
- School of Earth
- Atmosphere and Life Sciences and Global Challenges Program
- University of Wollongong
- Wollongong
| | - Marcel A. K. Jansen
- Plant Ecophysiology Group
- School of Biological
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- UCC
- Cork
| | - Carlos L. Ballaré
- University of Buenos Aires
- Faculty of Agronomy and IFEVA-CONICET, and IIB
- National University of San Martin
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
| | - Stephan D. Flint
- Department of Forest
- Rangeland and Fire Sciences
- University of Idaho
- Moscow
- USA
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25
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Abstract
Animal signals-involving combinations of acoustic, chemical, visual, and behavioral cues-are among the most diverse traits in nature. Testing hypotheses about signal evolution has been hampered by difficulties with comparing highly divergent signals among species. In this Primer, I describe recent advances in capturing signals and studying their evolution. I highlight new findings using an information theory-based approach to quantifying signal variation in the diverse birds-of-paradise. Growing access to signal databases in tandem with development of new analytical tools will open up new avenues for studying the proximate mechanisms and ultimate evolutionary causes of signal variation, both within and among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Eliason
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Should I stay or should I go? Perching damselfly use simple colour and size cues to trigger flight. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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27
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Brock CD, Rennison D, Veen T, Bolnick DI. Opsin expression predicts male nuptial color in threespine stickleback. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7094-7102. [PMID: 30073070 PMCID: PMC6065272 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical models of sexual selection suggest that male courtship signals can evolve through the build-up of genetic correlations between the male signal and female preference. When preference is mediated via increased sensitivity of the signal characteristics, correlations between male signal and perception/sensitivity are expected. When signal expression is limited to males, we would expect to find signal-sensitivity correlations in males. Here, we document such a correlation within a breeding population of threespine stickleback mediated by differences in opsin expression. Males with redder nuptial coloration express more long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin, making them more sensitive to orange and red. This correlation is not an artifact of shared tuning to the optical microhabitat. Such correlations are an essential feature of many models of sexual selection, and our results highlight the potential importance of opsin expression variation as a substrate for signal-preference evolution. Finally, these results suggest a potential sensory mechanism that could drive negative frequency-dependent selection via male-male competition and thus maintain variation in male nuptial color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad D. Brock
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Texas at AustinTexas
- Biodiversity Institute & the Department of BotanyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyoming
| | - Diana Rennison
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Thor Veen
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Texas at AustinTexas
- Life SciencesQuest UniversitySquamishBCCanada
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28
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Living Light 2018: Conference Report. Biomimetics (Basel) 2018; 3:biomimetics3020011. [PMID: 31105233 PMCID: PMC6352687 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics3020011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Living Light is a biennial conference focused on all aspects of light–matter interaction in biological organisms with a broad, interdisciplinary outlook. The 2018 edition was held at the Møller Centre in Cambridge, UK, from April 11th to April 14th, 2018. Living Light’s main goal is to bring together researchers from different backgrounds (e.g., biologists, physicists and engineers) in order to discuss the current state of the field and sparkle new collaborations and new interdisciplinary projects. With over 90 national and international attendees, the 2018 edition of the conference was strongly multidisciplinary: oral and poster presentations encompassed a wide range of topics ranging from the evolution and development of structural colors in living organisms and their genetic manipulation to the study of fossil photonic structures.
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29
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Cuthill IC, Allen WL, Arbuckle K, Caspers B, Chaplin G, Hauber ME, Hill GE, Jablonski NG, Jiggins CD, Kelber A, Mappes J, Marshall J, Merrill R, Osorio D, Prum R, Roberts NW, Roulin A, Rowland HM, Sherratt TN, Skelhorn J, Speed MP, Stevens M, Stoddard MC, Stuart-Fox D, Talas L, Tibbetts E, Caro T. The biology of color. Science 2017; 357:357/6350/eaan0221. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 353] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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30
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Endler JA, Mappes J. The current and future state of animal coloration research. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160352. [PMID: 28533467 PMCID: PMC5444071 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal colour patterns are a model system for understanding evolution because they are unusually accessible for study and experimental manipulation. This is possible because their functions are readily identifiable. In this final paper of the symposium we provide a diagram of the processes affecting colour patterns and use this to summarize their functions and put the other papers in a broad context. This allows us to identify significant 'holes' in the field that only become obvious when we see the processes affecting colour patterns, and their interactions, as a whole. We make suggestions about new directions of research that will enhance our understanding of both the evolution of colour patterns and visual signalling but also illuminate how the evolution of multiple interacting traits works.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Endler
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
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