1
|
Hasegawa M. Compensatory traits can explain the concave cost function of purely sexual traits. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10850. [PMID: 38226344 PMCID: PMC10788312 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10850] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The cost of ornamentation is often measured experimentally to study the relative importance of sexual and viability selection for ornamentation, but these experiments can lead to a misleading conclusion when compensatory trait is ignored. For example, a classic experiment on the outermost tail feathers in the barn swallow Hirundo rustica explains that the concave (or U-shaped) aerodynamic performance cost of the outermost tail feathers would be the evolutionary outcome through viability selection for optimal tail length, but this conclusion depends on the assumption that compensatory traits do not cause reduced performance. Using a simple "toy model" experiment, I demonstrated that ornamentation evolved purely though sexual selection can produce a concave cost function under the presence of compensatory traits, which was further reinforced by a simple mathematical model. Therefore, concave cost function (and the low performance of individuals with reduced ornaments) cannot be used to infer the evolutionary force favoring ornamentation, due to a previously overlooked concept, "overcompensation," which can worsen the whole body performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Environmental ScienceIshikawa Prefectural UniversityNonoichiIshikawaJapan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Soler JJ, Møller AP. Defensive tolerance to parasitism is correlated with sexual selection in swallows. Oecologia 2023; 203:267-276. [PMID: 37462738 PMCID: PMC10684419 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05419-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/18/2023]
Abstract
Parasite-mediated sexual selection has been the topic of extensive research and enthusiastic debate for more than three decades. Here, we suggest that secondary sexual characters may not only signal parasite resistance but also defensive tolerance. We exemplify this possibility by analysing information on two sexually selected traits, annual reproductive success, and ectoparasitism in a barn swallow Hirundo rustica population followed for more than 30 years. For each individual, we estimated the slope of the association between reproductive success and parasitism as an index of tolerance and subsequently explored the association with the expression of the sexually selected traits. In accordance with expectations of parasites playing a role in sexual selection, tail length was negatively related to load of chewing lice and nest size was positively related to tolerance to chewing lice. We discuss the importance of considering defensive tolerance for understanding the role of parasite-mediated sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Soler
- Depto. Ecología Funcional Y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Sacramento S/N, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120, Almería, Spain.
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Male color polymorphism in populations of reef geckos (Sphaerodactylus notatus) reduces the utility of visual signals in sex recognition. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03272-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
|
4
|
Pancerasa M, Ambrosini R, Romano A, Rubolini D, Winkler DW, Casagrandi R. Across the deserts and sea: inter-individual variation in migration routes of south-central European barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:51. [PMID: 36419202 PMCID: PMC9682807 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00352-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spatiotemporal organization of migratory routes of long-distance migrants results from trade-offs between minimizing the journey length and en route risk of migration-related mortality, which may be reduced by avoiding crossing inhospitable ecological barriers. Despite flourishing avian migration research in recent decades, little is still known about inter-individual variability in migratory routes, as well as the carry-over effects of spatial and temporal features of migration on subsequent migration stages. METHODS We reconstructed post- and pre-breeding migration routes, barrier crossing behaviour and non-breeding movements of the largest sample (N = 85) analysed to date of individual barn swallows breeding in south-central Europe, which were tracked using light-level geolocators. RESULTS Most birds spent their non-breeding period in the Congo basin in a single stationary area, but a small fraction of itinerant individuals reaching South Africa was also observed. Birds generally followed a 'clockwise loop migration pattern', moving through the central Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert during post-breeding (north to south) migration yet switching to a more western route, along the Atlantic coast of Africa, Iberia and western Mediterranean during the pre-breeding (south to north) migration. Southward migration was straighter and less variable, while northward migration was significantly faster despite the broader detour along the Atlantic coast and Iberia. These patterns showed limited sex-related variability. The timing of different circannual events was tightly linked with previous migration stages, considerably affecting migration route and speed of subsequent movements. Indeed, individuals departing late from Africa performed straighter and faster pre-breeding migrations, partly compensating for the initial departure delays, but likely at the cost of performing riskier movements across ecological barriers. CONCLUSIONS Different spatiotemporal migration strategies during post- and pre-breeding migration suggest that conditions en route may differ seasonally and allow for more efficient travelling along different migration corridors in either season. While highlighting patterns of inter-individual variability, our results support increasing evidence for widespread loop migration patterns among Afro-Palearctic avian migrants. Also, they suggest that carry-over effects acting across different phases of the annual cycle of migratory species can have major impacts on evolutionary processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Pancerasa
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico Di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque, IRSA-CNR, Via del Mulino 19, 20861, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | | | - Renato Casagrandi
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico Di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20131, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lotem A, Vortman Y, Safran RJ. The evidence for divergent sexual selection among closely related barn swallow populations is strong. Evolution 2022; 76:2204-2211. [PMID: 35561267 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14506] [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: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Lifjeld's comment provides an opportunity to illustrate the intricacies of the "regression to the mean" (RTM) effect, to clarify the difficulty in teasing apart RTM from allocation bias, and to re-examine our results in relation to RTM and in the context of related evidence. Here, we show that (a) the correlations between paternity change and initial paternity are mathematically expected and can equally be produced when changes are caused by the experimental manipulation itself. (b) The approach taken by Lifjeld to control for RTM is overly conservative because it is based on the unrealistic assumption of zero correlation between individuals' repeated measurements. Yet, even when using this conservative method, the main effects we originally reported are still detectable. (c) The combined effect of color darkening and tail elongation in Israel is additionally supported by an increase in the number of extra-pair young in other nests and by three independent studies of this population. (d) The experimental effect of color darkening in North America has been replicated successfully and is consistent with multiple correlative studies. Thus, divergent sexual selection in barn swallow populations is supported by both a conservative reanalysis and multiple, independent analyses of experimental and observational datasets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnon Lotem
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Yoni Vortman
- Hula Research Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Tel-Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 1220800, Israel
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hasegawa M, Arai E. Extrapair mating opportunity explains the evolutionary transition between the presence and absence of tail ornamentation in swallows. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10196-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
7
|
|
8
|
Shorter-legged males start breeding earlier in the barn swallow. J ETHOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-021-00708-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
9
|
Reiner Brodetzki T, Lotem A, Safran RJ, Hauber ME. Lack of subspecies-recognition in breeding Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica transitiva). Behav Processes 2021; 189:104422. [PMID: 33992739 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Assortative social interactions based on (sub)species recognition can be a driving force in speciation processes. To determine whether breeding Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica transitiva in Israel behave differentially towards members of their own subspecies, relative to a different, transient subspecies H. r. rustica and two sympatrically breeding species (Sand Martin Riparia riparia and House Sparrow Passer domesticus), we conducted a territory intrusion experiment near active nests using taxidermy models. Females responded less to the models than males, and the patterns of the recorded behavioral response traits co-varied statistically with sub- or species identity of the models, but none showed patterns of response selectivity for con(sub)specific model types only. These results do not support a role for subspecies recognition in the territorial intrusion responses of H. r. transitiva.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Arnon Lotem
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Schield DR, Scordato ESC, Smith CCR, Carter JK, Cherkaoui SI, Gombobaatar S, Hajib S, Hanane S, Hund AK, Koyama K, Liang W, Liu Y, Magri N, Rubtsov A, Sheta B, Turbek SP, Wilkins MR, Yu L, Safran RJ. Sex-linked genetic diversity and differentiation in a globally distributed avian species complex. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2313-2332. [PMID: 33720472 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes often bear distinct patterns of genetic variation due to unique patterns of inheritance and demography. The processes of mutation, recombination, genetic drift and selection also influence rates of evolution on sex chromosomes differently than autosomes. Measuring such differences provides information about how these processes shape genomic variation and their roles in the origin of species. To test hypotheses and predictions about patterns of autosomal and sex-linked genomic diversity and differentiation, we measured population genetic statistics within and between populations and subspecies of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) and performed explicit comparisons between autosomal and Z-linked genomic regions. We first tested for evidence of low Z-linked genetic diversity and high Z-linked population differentiation relative to autosomes, then for evidence that the Z chromosome bears greater ancestry information due to faster lineage sorting. Finally, we investigated geographical clines across hybrid zones for evidence that the Z chromosome is resistant to introgression due to selection against hybrids. We found evidence that the barn swallow mating system, demographic history and linked selection each contribute to low Z-linked diversity and high Z-linked differentiation. While incomplete lineage sorting is rampant across the genome, our results indicate faster sorting of ancestral polymorphism on the Z. Finally, hybrid zone analyses indicate barriers to introgression on the Z chromosome, suggesting that sex-linked traits are important in reproductive isolation, especially in migratory divide regions. Our study highlights how selection, gene flow and demography shape sex-linked genetic diversity and underlines the relevance of the Z chromosome in speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Chris C R Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Javan K Carter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Sidi Imad Cherkaoui
- Ecole Supérieure de Technologie de Khénifra, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Béni-Mellal, Morocco
| | - Sundev Gombobaatar
- National University of Mongolia and Mongolian Ornithological Society, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Said Hajib
- Water and Forests Department, Forest Research Center, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
| | - Saad Hanane
- Water and Forests Department, Forest Research Center, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
| | - Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Najib Magri
- Water and Forests Department, Forest Research Center, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
| | | | - Basma Sheta
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta City, Egypt
| | - Sheela P Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Matthew R Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Liu Yu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hund AK, Hubbard JK, Krausová S, Munclinger P, Safran RJ. Different underlying mechanisms drive associations between multiple parasites and the same sexual signal. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
12
|
Heterochiasmy and Sexual Dimorphism: The Case of the Barn Swallow ( Hirundo rustica, Hirundinidae, Aves). Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11101119. [PMID: 32987748 PMCID: PMC7650650 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochiasmy, a sex-based difference in recombination rate, has been detected in many species of animals and plants. Several hypotheses about evolutionary causes of heterochiasmy were proposed. However, there is a shortage of empirical data. In this paper, we compared recombination related traits in females and males of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica (Linnaeus, 1758), the species under strong sexual selection, with those in the pale martin Riparia diluta (Sharpe and Wyatt, 1893), a related and ecologically similar species with the same karyotype (2N = 78), but without obvious sexual dimorphism. Recombination traits were examined in pachytene chromosome spreads prepared from spermatocytes and oocytes. Synaptonemal complexes and mature recombination nodules were visualized with antibodies to SYCP3 and MLH1 proteins, correspondingly. Recombination rate was significantly higher (p = 0.0001) in barn swallow females (55.6 ± 6.3 recombination nodules per autosomal genome), caused by the higher number of nodules at the macrochromosomes, than in males (49.0 ± 4.5). They also showed more even distribution of recombination nodules along the macrochromosomes. At the same time, in the pale martin, sexual differences in recombination rate and distributions were rather small. We speculate that an elevated recombination rate in the female barn swallows might have evolved as a compensatory reaction to runaway sexual selection in males.
Collapse
|
13
|
Liu Y, Scordato ESC, Zhang Z, Evans M, Safran RJ. Analysing phenotypic variation in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) across China to assess subspecies status. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Phenotypic variation is often used to delineate species and subspecies boundaries. Statistical analysis of phenotypic variation within a species is helpful both for understanding biodiversity and for its conservation. At least three named subspecies of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) have distributions that span China, yet, to date, no systematic study of phenotypic differentiation has been applied to understand the delineation of these subspecies. In this study, we collected 510 samples of barn swallow from 23 populations in China, including two recognized subspecies, H. r. rustica and H. r. gutturalis, and one potential subspecies, H. r. mandschurica. With these samples, we examined and found morphometric and colour differences among different populations. Western Chinese barn swallows (H. r. rustica) have larger body size and could be clearly differentiated from eastern H. r. gutturalis and H. r. mandschurica, while north-eastern populations (named H. r. mandschurica) have darker, redder ventral plumage than H. r. rustica and H. r. gutturalis. However, we inferred that although there were phenotypic differences between H. r. mandschurica and H. r. gutturalis, they were not sufficiently distinct to assign them to separate subspecies based on the 75% rule for defining subspecies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rudin-Bitterli TS, Mitchell NJ, Evans JP. Extensive geographical variation in testes size and ejaculate traits in a terrestrial-breeding frog. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200411. [PMID: 32991823 PMCID: PMC7532705 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ejaculate traits vary extensively among individuals and species, but little is known about their variation among populations of the same species. Here, we investigated patterns of intraspecific variation in male reproductive investment in the terrestrial-breeding frog Pseudophryne guentheri. Like most anurans, breeding activity in P. guentheri is cued by precipitation, and therefore the timing and duration of breeding seasons differ among geographically separated populations, potentially leading to differences in the level of sperm competition. We, therefore, anticipated local adaptation in sperm traits that reflect these phenological differences among populations. Our analysis of six natural populations across a rainfall gradient revealed significant divergence in testes and ejaculate traits that correspond with annual rainfall and rainfall seasonality; males from the northern and drier edge of the species range had significantly smaller testes containing fewer, smaller and less motile sperm compared with those from mesic central populations. These findings may reflect spatial variation in the strength of postcopulatory sexual selection, likely driven by local patterns of precipitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jonathan P. Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hund AK, Hubbard JK, Albrecht T, Vortman Y, Munclinger P, Krausová S, Tomášek O, Safran RJ. Divergent sexual signals reflect costs of local parasites. Evolution 2020; 74:2404-2418. [PMID: 32385910 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Many closely related populations are distinguished by variation in sexual signals and this variation is hypothesized to play an important role in reproductive isolation and speciation. Within populations, there is considerable evidence that sexual signals provide information about the incidence and severity of parasite infections, but it remains unclear if variation in parasite communities across space could play a role in initiating or maintaining sexual trait divergence. To test for variation in parasite-associated selection, we compared three barn swallow subspecies with divergent sexual signals. We found that parasite community structure and host tolerance to ecologically similar parasites varied between subspecies. Across subspecies we also found that different parasites were costly in terms of male survival and reproductive success. For each subspecies, the preferred sexual signal(s) were associated with the most costly local parasite(s), indicating that divergent signals are providing relevant information to females about local parasite communities. Across subspecies, the same traits were often associated with different parasites, indicating that parasite-sexual signal links are quite flexible and may evolve relatively quickly. This study provides evidence for (1) variation in parasite communities and (2) different parasite-sexual signal links among three closely related subspecies with divergent sexual signal traits, suggesting that parasites may play an important role in initiating and/or maintaining the divergence of sexual signals among these closely related, yet geographically isolated populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108
| | - Joanna K Hubbard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, 63501
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Yoni Vortman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 1220800, Israel
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Krausová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Tomášek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hasegawa M, Arai E. Fork tails evolved differently in swallows and swifts. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:911-919. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Kanagawa Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Kanagawa Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
The application of meta-analytic (multi-level) models with multiple random effects: A systematic review. Behav Res Methods 2020; 52:2031-2052. [DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01373-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
18
|
Azcárate-García M, Ruiz-Rodríguez M, Díaz-Lora S, Ruiz-Castellano C, Martín-Vivaldi M, Figuerola J, Martínez-de la Puente J, Tomás G, Pérez-Contreras T, Soler JJ. Ornamental Throat Feathers Predict Telomere Dynamic and Hatching Success in Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) Males. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
|
19
|
Pap PL, Fülöp A, Adamkova M, Cepak J, Michalkova R, Safran RJ, Stermin AN, Tomasek O, Vágási CI, Vincze O, Wilkins MR, Albrecht T. Selection on multiple sexual signals in two Central and Eastern European populations of the barn swallow. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11277-11287. [PMID: 31641472 PMCID: PMC6802025 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in intensity and targets of sexual selection on multiple traits has been suggested to play a major role in promoting phenotypic differentiation between populations, although the divergence in selection may depend on year, local conditions or age. In this study, we quantified sexual selection for two putative sexual signals across two Central and East European barn swallow (Hirundo rustica rustica) populations from Czech Republic and Romania over multiple years. We then related these differences in selection to variation in sexual characters among barn swallow populations. Our results show that tail length and ventral coloration vary between populations, sexes, and age classes (first-time breeders vs. experienced birds). We found that selection on tail length was stronger in first-time breeders than in experienced birds and in males than in females in the Romanian population, while these differences between age groups and sexes were weak in Czech birds. We suggest that the populational difference in selection on tail length might be related to the differences in breeding conditions. Our results show that ventral coloration is darker (i.e., has lower brightness) in the Romanian than in the Czech population, and in experienced birds and males compared with first-time breeders and females, respectively. The sexual difference in ventral coloration may suggest sexual selection on this trait, which is supported by the significant directional selection of ventral coloration in first-time breeding males on laying date. However, after controlling for the confounding effect of wing length and tarsus length, the partial directional selection gradient on this trait turned nonsignificant, suggesting that the advantage of dark ventral coloration in early breeding birds is determined by the correlated traits of body size. These findings show that ventral coloration may be advantageous over the breeding season, but the underlying mechanism of this relationship is not clarified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Attila Fülöp
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Marie Adamkova
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | | | - Romana Michalkova
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Oldrich Tomasek
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj NapocaRomania
| | | | - Tomas Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Michálková R, Tomášek O, Adámková M, Kreisinger J, Albrecht T. Extra-pair paternity patterns in European barn swallows Hirundo rustica are best explained by male and female age rather than male ornamentation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2725-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
21
|
Saino N, Albetti B, Ambrosini R, Caprioli M, Costanzo A, Mariani J, Parolini M, Romano A, Rubolini D, Formenti G, Gianfranceschi L, Bollati V. Inter-generational resemblance of methylation levels at circadian genes and associations with phenology in the barn swallow. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6505. [PMID: 31019206 PMCID: PMC6482194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42798-3] [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: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression can occur via epigenetic effects as mediated by DNA methylation. The potential for epigenetic effects to be transmitted across generations, thus modulating phenotypic variation and affecting ecological and evolutionary processes, is increasingly appreciated. However, the study of variation in epigenomes and inter-generational transmission of epigenetic alterations in wild populations is at its very infancy. We studied sex- and age-related variation in DNA methylation and parent-offspring resemblance in methylation profiles in the barn swallows. We focused on a class of highly conserved ‘clock’ genes (clock, cry1, per2, per3, timeless) relevant in the timing of activities of major ecological importance. In addition, we considerably expanded previous analyses on the relationship between methylation at clock genes and breeding date, a key fitness trait in barn swallows. We found positive assortative mating for methylation at one clock locus. Methylation varied between the nestling and the adult stage, and according to sex. Individuals with relatively high methylation as nestlings also had high methylation levels when adults. Extensive parent-nestling resemblance in methylation levels was observed. Occurrence of extra-pair fertilizations allowed to disclose evidence hinting at a prevalence of paternal germline or sperm quality effects over common environment effects in generating father-offspring resemblance in methylation. Finally, we found an association between methylation at the clock poly-Q region, but not at other loci, and breeding date. We thus provided evidence for sex-dependent variation and the first account of parent-offspring resemblance in methylation in any wild vertebrate. We also showed that epigenetics may influence phenotypic plasticity of timing of life cycle events, thus having a major impact on fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Benedetta Albetti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, via S. Barnaba 8, I-20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Mariani
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, via S. Barnaba 8, I-20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Formenti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, I-20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bollati
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, via S. Barnaba 8, I-20122, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Pape Møller A, Mateos-González F. Plumage brightness and uropygial gland secretions in barn swallows. Curr Zool 2019; 65:177-182. [PMID: 30936906 PMCID: PMC6430968 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The uropygial gland has been hypothesized to play a role in sexual signaling through a “make-up” function derived from the effects of secretions from the gland on the appearance of the plumage and bare parts of the body. Here we show that plumage brightness of dorsal feathers of individual barn swallows Hirundo rustica was greater in mated than in unmated individuals. In addition, plumage brightness increased with colony size. Furthermore, plumage brightness was positively correlated with the amount of wax in the uropygial gland, negatively correlated with time of sampling of uropygial wax (perhaps because more wax is present early in the morning after an entire night of wax production without any preening), and negatively correlated with the number of chewing lice that degrade the plumage. Experimentally preventing barn swallows from access to the uropygial gland reduced plumage brightness, showing a causal link between secretions from the uropygial gland and plumage brightness. These findings provide evidence consistent with a role of uropygial secretions in signaling plumage brightness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 362, F Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Fernando Mateos-González
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, University of Uppsala, Norbyvägen 18d, SE, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hasegawa M, Arai E, Ito S, Wakamatsu K. Evolution of short tails and breakdown of honest signaling system during a severe winter in the Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-09978-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
|
24
|
Arai E, Hasegawa M, Sato M, Sakai H, Ito S, Wakamatsu K. Eumelanin levels in rufous feathers explain plasma testosterone levels and survival in swallows. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2755-2764. [PMID: 30891214 PMCID: PMC6405925 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigment-based plumage coloration and its physiological properties have attracted many researchers to explain the evolution of such ornamental traits. These studies, however, assume the functional importance of the predominant pigment while ignoring that of other minor pigments, and few studies have focused on the composition of these pigments. Using the pheomelanin-based plumage in two swallow species, we studied the allocation of two pigments (the predominant pigment, pheomelanin, and the minor pigment, eumelanin) in relation to physiological properties and viability in populations under a natural and sexual selection. This is indispensable for studying the evolution of pheomelanin-based plumage coloration. Pheomelanin and eumelanin share the same pathway only during their initial stages of development, which can be a key to unravel the functional importance of pigment allocation and thus of plumage coloration. Using the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica, a migratory species, we found that plasma testosterone levels increased with increasing the proportion of eumelanin pigments compared with pheomelanin pigments, but not with the amount of pheomelanin pigments, during the mating period. In the Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica, a nonmigratory congener, we found that, during severe winter weathers, survivors had a proportionally smaller amount of eumelanin pigments compared with pheomelanin pigments than that in nonsurvivors, but no detectable difference was found in the pheomelanin pigmentation itself. These results indicated that a minor pigment, eumelanin, matters at least in some physiological measures and viability. Because the major pigment, pheomelanin, has its own physiological properties, a combination of major and minor pigments provides multiple information to the signal receivers, potentially enhancing the signaling function of pheomelanic coloration and its diversification across habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsSokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)Hayama‐machiKanagawaJapan
| | - Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsSokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)Hayama‐machiKanagawaJapan
| | - Megumi Sato
- Department of Biology, School of DentistryNihon UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Hidetsugu Sakai
- Department of Biology, School of DentistryNihon UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of ChemistryFujita Health University School of Health SciencesToyoakeAichiJapan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of ChemistryFujita Health University School of Health SciencesToyoakeAichiJapan
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Candolin U. Mate choice in a changing world. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1246-1260. [PMID: 30762277 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Human activities by altering environmental conditions are influencing the mate choice of animals. This is by impacts on: (i) the production and expression of traits evaluated by mate choosers; (ii) the transmission of information about potential mates to choosers; (iii) the reception and processing of the information by choosers; and (iv) the final mate choice. Here, I first discuss how these four stages of the mate-choice process can be altered by environmental change, and how these alterations, in turn, can influence individuals, populations, and communities. Much evidence exists for human-induced environmental changes influencing mate choice, but the consequences for the fitness of courters and choosers are less well known, and even less is known about the impact on population dynamics, species interactions and community composition. More evidence exists for altered mate-choice systems influencing interspecific matings and thereby community composition and biodiversity. I then consider whether plastic adjustments and evolutionary changes can rescue adaptive mate-choice systems, and reflect on the possibility of non-adaptive mate-choice systems becoming less maladaptive under environmental change. Much evidence exists for plastic adjustments of mate-choice systems, but whether these are adaptive is seldom known, as is the contribution of genetic changes. Finally, I contemplate the possibility of mate-choice systems rescuing populations from decline in changing environments. I explain how this is context dependent with both positive and negative outcomes possible. In summary, while much evidence exists for human-induced environmental changes influencing mate-choice systems, less is known about the consequences for ecological and evolutionary processes. Considering the importance that mate choice plays in determining individual fitness and population viability, the effects of environmental change on mate-choice systems should be considered in studies on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of human disturbances to habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Candolin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Arai E, Hasegawa M, Wakamatsu K, Ito S. Males with More Pheomelanin Have a Lower Oxidative Balance in Asian Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica gutturalis). Zoolog Sci 2018; 35:505-513. [DOI: 10.2108/zs170204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Effectiveness of Morphological Sex Determination in the East Asian Barn Swallow ( Hirundo rustica gutturalis) on Spring Migration. Zool Stud 2018; 57:e43. [PMID: 31966283 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2018.57-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hyun-Young Nam, Seung-Yeon Lee, Sook-Young Cho, Chang-Yong Choi, Se-Young Park, Gi-Chang Bing, Chang-uk Park, Seul-Gi Seo, and Yang-Mo Kim (2018) Information on sexual dimorphism helps explain a species' evolution in sexual selection and conservation issues such as sex-specific response in environmental changes. The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a well-known sexually dimorphic species in which males have longer tail streamers than females. However, when compared with the European-African or American subspecies, little information is available on morphological sex determination in the East Asian subspecies H. r. gutturalis, especially outside the breeding season, when opportunities for molecular sexing are often limited and morphological clues may be the only ones available for sex determination. We collected morphological data on H. r. gutturalis during the northbound spring migration at a stopover site off the Korean coast. Two of eight measured variables - streamer length (the difference in length between the 5th and 6th rectrices; T6-T5) and length of the white patch on the outermost tail (6th rectrix; T6) - were selected as the best predictors for sex determination by stepwise discriminant analysis. Quadratic discriminant functions based on these variables showed that 92.4-93.5% of females and 82.9% of males were correctly classified. Our results provide baseline information that will benefit more accurate sex determination of the East Asian Barn Swallows, especially during the early months of a calendar year in non-breeding and stopover areas.
Collapse
|
28
|
Smith CCR, Flaxman SM, Scordato ESC, Kane NC, Hund AK, Sheta BM, Safran RJ. Demographic inference in barn swallows using whole-genome data shows signal for bottleneck and subspecies differentiation during the Holocene. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4200-4212. [PMID: 30176075 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Accounting for historical demographic features is vital for many types of evolutionary inferences, including the estimation of divergence times between closely related populations. In barn swallow, Hirundo rustica, inferring historical population sizes and subspecies divergence times can shed light on the recent co-evolution of this species with humans. Pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent uncovered population growth beginning on the order of one million years ago-which may reflect the radiation of the broader Hirundo genus-and a more recent population decline. Additionally, we used approximate Bayesian computation to evaluate hypotheses about recent timescale barn swallow demography, including population growth due to human commensalism, and a potential founder event associated with the onset of nesting on human structures. We found signal for a bottleneck event approximately 7,700 years ago, near the time that humans began building substantial structures, although there was considerable uncertainty associated with this estimate. Subspecies differentiation and subsequent growth occurred after the bottleneck in the best-supported model, an order of magnitude more recently than previous estimates in this system. We also compared results obtained from whole-genome sequencing versus reduced representation sequencing, finding many similar results despite substantial allelic dropout in the reduced representation data, which may have affected estimates of some parameters. This study presents the first genetic evidence of a potential barn swallow founder effect and subspecies divergence coinciding with the Holocene, which is an important step in analysing the biogeographical history of a well-known human commensal species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris C R Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Samuel M Flaxman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado.,Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
| | - Nolan C Kane
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Basma M Sheta
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Dube WC, Hund AK, Turbek SP, Safran RJ. Microclimate and host body condition influence mite population growth in a wild bird-ectoparasite system. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:301-308. [PMID: 30128287 PMCID: PMC6097460 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasite populations are never evenly distributed among the hosts they infect. Avian nest ectoparasites, such as mites, are no exception, as their distribution across the landscape is highly aggregated. It remains unclear if this pattern is driven by differences in transmission events alone, or if the environment that parasites inhabit after transmission also plays a role. Here, we experimentally examined the influence of the post-transmission microclimate, nest characteristics, and host condition on ectoparasite population growth in a bird-ectoparasite system. We infested barn swallow (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) nests with a standardized number of Northern Fowl Mites (Ornithonyssus sylvarium) and analyzed both biotic (nestling mass, wing length, number of other arthropods present in the nest, and brood size) and abiotic (temperature, humidity, nest lining, nest dimensions, and substrate upon which the nest was built) predictors of mite population growth. Our results suggest that mite populations were most successful, in terms of growth, in nests with higher temperatures, lower humidity, few other arthropods, and hosts in good condition. We also found that nests built on wooden substrates support larger populations of mites than those constructed on metal or concrete. These findings lend insight into the factors that drive large-scale patterns of ectoparasite distributions. Experimental manipulations of nest mites controls for initial transmission. Tested the role of microclimate and host factors on mite population growth. Mite populations grow larger in warmer, drier nests with high body condition hosts. Nests on wooden substrates had more stable microclimate and larger mite populations. Presence of other arthropods was negatively correlated with mite population growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William C Dube
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Sheela P Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Costanzo A, Rubolini D, Ambrosini R, Caprioli M, Gatti E, Romano A, Parolini M, Gianfranceschi L, Saino N. Association between extra-pair paternity and nestling sex and condition in the barn swallow. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2552-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
31
|
Costanzo A, Romano A, Ambrosini R, Parolini M, Rubolini D, Caprioli M, Corti M, Canova L, Saino N. Barn swallow antipredator behavior covaries with melanic coloration and predicts survival. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Corti
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Canova
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wilkins MR, Scordato ESC, Semenov GA, Karaardiç H, Shizuka D, Rubtsov A, Pap PL, Shen SF, Safran RJ. Global song divergence in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica): exploring the roles of genetic, geographical and climatic distance in sympatry and allopatry. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Center for Science Outreach, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Georgy A Semenov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Hakan Karaardiç
- Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Education Faculty, Math and Science, Alanya, Turkey
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | | | - Peter L Pap
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Sheng-Feng Shen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Arai E, Hasegawa M, Ito S, Wakamatsu K. Sex allocation based on maternal body size in Japanese barn swallows. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2017.1336118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Møller AP. Experimental manipulation of size and shape of tail spots and sexual selection in barn swallows. Curr Zool 2018; 63:569-572. [PMID: 29492016 PMCID: PMC5804199 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Barn swallows Hirundo rustica have white spots on their tail feathers, and they have been hypothesized to be a handicap because white spots are prone to feather breakage, ectoparasites are disproportionately common in white spots, and size of white spots increases with tail length. Here I test for attractiveness of narrow and long tail spots by manipulation of their shape while using complete painting of spots and an absence of treatment as a control. Female barn swallows are known to differentially invest in reproduction when mated to attractive males. Spot manipulation took place during laying of the first clutch, and there were no effects of treatment on clutch size or brood size of first or second broods. In contrast, the incidence of second clutches and the total number of eggs and fledglings produced during the breeding season was larger in males with painting of the side of tail spots rather than painting of the tip of spots, painting of entire spots, or no treatment. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that it is the shape rather than the size of tail spots that affects differential reproductive effort by female barn swallows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders P Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay F-91400, France
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Saino N, Ambrosini R, Rubolini D, Romano M, Caprioli M, Romano A, Parolini M. Carry-over effects of brood size on morphology, reproduction, and lifespan in barn swallows. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
36
|
Hasegawa M, Arai E, Nakamura M. Experimental manipulation of female tail length did not cause differential allocation by males in the barn swallow. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems; Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies); Miura-gun Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems; Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies); Miura-gun Japan
| | - Masahiko Nakamura
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology; Department of Biology; Joetsu University of Education; Joetsu-shi Japan
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
|
38
|
Parolini M, Romano A, Costanzo A, Khoriauli L, Santagostino M, Nergadze SG, Canova L, Rubolini D, Giulotto E, Saino N. Telomere length is reflected by plumage coloration and predicts seasonal reproductive success in the barn swallow. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:6100-6109. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Lela Khoriauli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | | | | | - Luca Canova
- Department of Chemistry University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Elena Giulotto
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Romano A, Saino N, Møller AP. Viability and expression of sexual ornaments in the barn swallowHirundo rustica: a meta-analysis. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1929-1935. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milano Italy
| | - N. Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milano Italy
| | - A. P. Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS; Université Paris-Sud; AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; Orsay France
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Costanzo A, Ambrosini R, Caprioli M, Gatti E, Parolini M, Canova L, Rubolini D, Romano A, Gianfranceschi L, Saino N. Lifetime reproductive success, selection on lifespan, and multiple sexual ornaments in male European barn swallows. Evolution 2017; 71:2457-2468. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT); University of Milano Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza, 1, I-20126 Milan Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Emanuele Gatti
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luca Canova
- Department of Chemistry; Via Taramelli 12, I-27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT); University of Milano Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza, 1, I-20126 Milan Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Galván I. Condition-dependence of pheomelanin-based coloration in nuthatches Sitta europaea suggests a detoxifying function: implications for the evolution of juvenile plumage patterns. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9138. [PMID: 28831177 PMCID: PMC5567206 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09771-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult-like juvenile plumage patterns often signal genotypic quality to parents. During adulthood, the same patterns often signal quality to mates. This has led to assume that adult-like juvenile plumage is a developmental consequence of sexual selection operating in adults. Many of these patterns are produced by the pigment pheomelanin, whose synthesis may help remove toxic excess cysteine. Excess cysteine is likely to arise under conditions of relatively low stress, such as those experienced by nestling birds. Thus, adult-like plumage may be advantageous for juveniles if produced by pheomelanin. In the Eurasian nuthatch Sitta europaea, juveniles are sexually dichromatic and identical to adults. Nestling nuthatches in poorer condition develop more intense pheomelanin-based feathers, indicating greater pigment production. The same is not observed in adults. This is contrary to a function related to signaling quality and instead suggests that, at least in the Eurasian nuthatch, adult-like juvenile plumage has evolved because of the detoxifying function of pheomelanin-based pigmentation. Given the prevalence of colors typically conferred by pheomelanin in juvenile plumage patterns, the detoxifying capacity of pheomelanin under low stress levels should be considered as an explanation for the evolution of both adult-like and distinctively juvenile plumage patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galván
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, 41092, Sevilla, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Hasegawa M, Arai E, Sato M, Sakai H. Plasma Testosterone Levels Increase with Expression of Male Ornaments During Mating, but not Incubation, in Japanese Barn Swallows. Zoolog Sci 2017; 34:261-266. [PMID: 28770683 DOI: 10.2108/zs160187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent experimental studies involving the manipulation of sexual traits have demonstrated that sexual trait expression feeds back to testosterone levels, perhaps via social interactions, reinforcing the linkage between sexual trait expression and testosterone levels during the mating period. However, information on this reinforcement under the natural variation of sexual traits remains limited. Using Japanese barn swallows, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, in which extra-pair paternity is quite rare (< 3%), we studied the relationship between plasma testosterone level and a male sexual trait, throat patch size, during the mating and incubation periods. Given the importance of social interaction, we predicted that this relationship should be intense during the mating period, but not the incubation period, due to reduced social interaction during the latter. We found low plasma testosterone levels during the incubation period compared with those in the mating period, and plasma testosterone levels were significantly positively related to throat patch area during the mating period, but not the incubation period. Similar relationships were found in another sexual trait, the size of white tail spots. During the incubation period, body condition, instead of male sexual trait expression, was negatively related to plasma testosterone level, indicating that an intrinsic link, rather than reinforcement, is important during this period. These relationships are consistent with the hypothesis that social interaction reinforces the relationship between sexual traits and plasma testosterone levels. The current study provides evidence for a highly variable relationship between testosterone and ornamentation across breeding periods in the natural variation of sexual traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- 1 Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai, (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Miuragun, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- 1 Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai, (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Miuragun, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Megumi Sato
- 2 Department of Biology, Nihon University School of Denstry, Chiyodaku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan
| | - Hidetsugu Sakai
- 2 Department of Biology, Nihon University School of Denstry, Chiyodaku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Zastavniouk C, Weir LK, Fraser DJ. The evolutionary consequences of habitat fragmentation: Body morphology and coloration differentiation among brook trout populations of varying size. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6850-6862. [PMID: 28904765 PMCID: PMC5587476 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A reduction in population size due to habitat fragmentation can alter the relative roles of different evolutionary mechanisms in phenotypic trait differentiation. While deterministic (selection) and stochastic (genetic drift) mechanisms are expected to affect trait evolution, genetic drift may be more important than selection in small populations. We examined relationships between mature adult traits and ecological (abiotic and biotic) variables among 14 populations of brook trout. These naturally fragmented populations have shared ancestry but currently exhibit considerable variability in habitat characteristics and population size (49 < Nc < 10,032; 3 < Nb < 567). Body size, shape, and coloration differed among populations, with a tendency for more variation among small populations in both trait means and CV when compared to large populations. Phenotypic differences were more frequently and directly linked to habitat variation or operational sex ratio than to population size, suggesting that selection may overcome genetic drift at small population size. Phenotype-environment associations were also stronger in females than males, suggesting that natural selection due to abiotic conditions may act more strongly on females than males. Our results suggest that natural and sexual-selective pressures on phenotypic traits change during the process of habitat fragmentation, and that these changes are largely contingent upon existing habitat conditions within isolated fragments. Our study provides an improved understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of habitat fragmentation and lends insight into the ability of some small populations to respond to selection and environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura K Weir
- Department of Biology Saint Mary's University Halifax NS Canada
| | - Dylan J Fraser
- Department of Biology Concordia University Montreal QC Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Hasegawa M, Arai E. Negative interplay of tail and throat ornaments at pair formation in male barn swallows. BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Pair formation is indispensable for breeding in monogamous species, generating selection for male traits that increase the probability of pairing success. Male ornamentation is one such trait, and several empirical studies have shown the importance of each of multiple ornaments. Still, it remains unclear how multiple ornaments in combination affect the probability of pair formation. Using the Japanese barn swallow, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, we studied the interplay of two sexually selected male traits, tail length and throat coloration, during pair formation. Independent of other morphological, ornamental and abiotic variables, the probability of pair formation was predicted by the negative interplay between tail length and plumage colour saturation: males possessing more-colourful plumage with shorter tails or males possessing less-colourful plumage with longer tails had a higher probability of pair formation than others. The current findings may explain spatiotemporal variation in ornamentation and sexual selection in this model species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Corti M, Bazzi G, Costanzo A, Podofillini S, Saino N, Rubolini D, Romano A. Behavioural stress response and melanin-based plumage colouration in barn swallow nestlings. BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Consistent and correlated inter-individual differences in behaviours, the so-called ‘personalities’, have been identified in many vertebrates. The ability to respond to stressful events is part of personalities and can have important fitness consequences, as it determines how individuals cope with environmental challenges. As a consequence of pleiotropic effects of genes involved in several functions, inter-individual differences in behavioural responses can be associated with phenotypic traits, like melanin-based plumage colouration in birds. We examined the association between three proxies of the behavioural stress response and breast plumage colouration in barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings. We found that nestling behavioural responses were consistent within individuals and similar among siblings, thus suggesting that these behaviours may contribute to define individual ‘personalities’. However, nestling behavioural stress response was not significantly predicted by variation in breast plumage colouration, indicating that in juveniles of this species melanin-based colouration does not convey to conspecifics reliable information on individual ability to cope with stressful events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Corti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Gaia Bazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Podofillini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|