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Wang L, Yang L, Yang S, Jia Z, Cai J, Rong L, Wu X, Fan L, Gong Y, Li S. Identification of genes associated with feather color in Liancheng white duck using F ST analysis. Anim Genet 2022; 53:518-521. [PMID: 35670225 DOI: 10.1111/age.13201] [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: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Liancheng white duck has two phenotypic traits: white feather and black beak-black foot, but the genes controlling these phenotypic traits are unknown. The objective of this study is to identify various candidate genes related to the plumage of Liancheng white duck. This study used F2 population construction generated between white Kaiya duck and Liancheng white duck and FST analysis between the dominant and recessive loci associated with the Liancheng white duck white feather in order to identify specific gene regions. As per the feather color statistics of the F2 population, it is estimated that there are about three or four genes controlling the white feather of Liancheng white ducks, and the FST results showed that four significant signals were found on chromosomes 4, 12, 13, and 21. Further annotation of these regions led to the identification of five genes involved in the melanin pathway, namely, KIT, CLOCK, MITF, CEBPA, and DOK5. Among them, CEBPA and DOK5 might be affecting the white feather traits of Liancheng white duck by regulating the melanin production and its transfer to the feather. The results provide insightful understanding into the genetic mechanisms of white feather in Liancheng white duck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liubin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sendong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zijia Jia
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinping Cai
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Rong
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xueying Wu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lingzhi Fan
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanchang Gong
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - ShiJun Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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2
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Lopez-Idiaquez D, Teplitsky C, Grégoire A, Fargevieille A, Rey MD, Franceschi CD, Charmantier A, Doutrelant C. Long-term decrease in coloration: a consequence of climate change? Am Nat 2022; 200:32-47. [DOI: 10.1086/719655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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3
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Experimental evidence that adult UV/yellow colouration functions as a signal in blue tit families — but only for parents. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03145-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In bi-parental species, reproduction is not only a crucial life-history stage where individuals must take fitness-related decisions, but these decisions also need to be adjusted to the behavioural strategies of other individuals. Hence, communication is required, which could be facilitated by informative signals. Yet, these signalling traits might have (co-)evolved in multiple contexts, as various family members usually meet and interact during reproduction. In this study, we experimentally explored for the first time whether a colourful plumage trait in adults acts as a signal that regulates multiple intra-family interactions in a bird species, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). We expected that an experimental reduction of adults’ UV/yellow reflectance (i.e. a reduction of apparent individual quality) should affect the behavioural strategies of all family members. We found evidence for this at least in adults, since the partners of UV-blocked individuals (either males or females) increased their parental investment — perhaps to compensate for the apparent lower condition of their mates. As the UV-blocked adult did not change its provisioning behaviour, the partner presumably responded to the manipulated signal and not to a behavioural change. However, the offspring did not co-adjust their begging intensity to the experimental treatment. It is thus possible that they responded to overall parental care rather than the signal. These results suggest that UV/yellow colouration of adult blue tits may act as quality signal revealing the rearing capacity to mates.
Significance statement
How parents respond to signals of genetic or phenotypic quality of their mates has received significant attention. However, previous studies have primarily focused on the receiver’s response and have not always controlled for the signaller’s behaviour and its investment in reproduction. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that ultraviolet (UV)/yellow colouration acts as a signal of parental quality in the blue tit. Parents responded by increasing their effort when paired with UV-blocked (low-quality) mates, while controlling for the mate’s behaviour. We argue that the reduced expression of the signal triggered a compensatory response in the mate. Interestingly, both males and females responded similarly to changes in mate’s UV/yellow reflectance, suggesting similar rules over investment in response to this trait. However, nestlings, a potential (and often neglected) set of observers of parental signals, did not change their behaviour when raised by an UV-blocked (= low-quality) parent.
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4
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Caro SP, Pierre L, Bergès M, Bakker R, Doutrelant C, Bonadonna F. Mutual mate preferences and assortative mating in relation to a carotenoid-based color trait in blue tits. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Choosing an appropriate sexual partner is a critical decision for many animal species. However, many mechanisms involved in mate choice are still poorly understood. Do both males and females choose their sexual partners, do both sexes use the same criteria for choosing, and do their own phenotype influence the choices they make, are questions that need further investigation. Over two successive experiments conducted in captivity with hand-reared blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we manipulated the color of the chest plumage, a secondary sexual trait that reflects an individual’s condition, to create two different color morphs (one pale and one colored). We then tested whether both sexes express a preference, whether they are attracted to the same morphs, and if the subjects’ own chest color influences the preference they show. Our data reveal that both sexes are choosy, with females tending to be slightly choosier than males. We also show that both sexes preferentially select individuals with a pale chest plumage over colorful individuals, and this was again more pronounced in females. Finally, paler individuals tend to be selected by birds that are themselves pale, even if this phenotype matching was not very robust. Such a preference for paler individuals is intriguing because mates are predicted to associate with individuals displaying higher, not lower, value of quality signals. It could result from adaptive mechanisms related to avoidance of aggressiveness in a confined environment, avoidance of conflicting sexual signals within individuals, or from cultural mechanisms leading to a preference for individuals that match its own phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Léo Pierre
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Matthieu Bergès
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Raldi Bakker
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Science, Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Department of Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919 route de Mende, 34090 Montpellier, France
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5
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Appearance matters: multiple functional signals of body colours in a weevil. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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6
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Rigaill L, Garcia C. Does male mate choice select for female coloration in a promiscuous primate species? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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7
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Taff CC, Freeman-Gallant CR. Female ornamentation, incubation behavior, and reproductive success in a wild bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03033-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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9
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The redder the better? Information content of red skin coloration in female Japanese macaques. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2712-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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10
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Holveck MJ, Guerreiro R, Perret P, Doutrelant C, Grégoire A. Eggshell coloration indicates female condition during egg-laying: a field experiment in blue tits. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSeveral selection pressures may explain the evolution of avian eggshell coloration patterns. In cavity-nesting species, there are two main non-exclusive hypotheses. The sexually selected eggshell colour hypothesis proposes that eggshell coloration is a sexually selected signal of female and offspring quality used by males that influences paternal care or future re-mating decisions. The structural function hypothesis proposes that pigments help strengthen the eggshell and are present at higher levels and at the blunt end of the egg when females face calcium shortages. We tested whether eggshell coloration (brown spots on a white ground colour) in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) could reliably indicate female condition at laying by forcing females to produce two consecutive clutches, thus increasing their reproductive costs. Three measures of eggshell coloration – the area covered by spots as well as white ground UV-chroma and brightness – changed between clutches; the fourth measure, spot distribution, did not. The changes were more dramatic in young and lower-quality females. All the measures varied with female quality (i.e. body condition and/or laying date). Overall, higher-quality females produced more colourful (larger, more concentrated spotted surface area; higher UV-chroma) and less bright (i.e. putatively more pigmented) eggshells, a result that is generally in line with past research. We found a clear empirical link between eggshell coloration and female condition in blue tits, an important step in determining whether eggshell coloration is a sexual signal, but which does not exclude a potential concomitant structural function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Jeanne Holveck
- CEFE UMR 5175, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Romain Guerreiro
- CEFE UMR 5175, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Perret
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Arnaud Grégoire
- CEFE UMR 5175, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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11
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Class B, Kluen E, Brommer JE. Tail colour signals performance in blue tit nestlings. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:913-920. [PMID: 31127961 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Indirect sexual selection arises when reproductive individuals choose their mates based on heritable ornaments that are genetically correlated to fitness. Evidence for genetic associations between ornamental colouration and fitness remains scarce. In this study, we investigate the quantitative genetic relationship between different aspects of tail structural colouration (brightness, hue and UV chroma) and performance (cell-mediated immunity, body mass and wing length) in blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nestlings. In line with previous studies, we find low heritability for structural colouration and moderate heritability for performance measures. Multivariate animal models show positive genetic correlations between the three measures of performance, indicating quantitative genetic variation for overall performance, and tail brightness and UV chroma, two genetically independent colour measures, are genetically correlated with performance (positively and negatively, respectively). Our results suggest that mate choice based on independent aspects of tail colouration can have fitness payoffs in blue tits and provide support for the indirect benefits hypothesis. However, low heritability of tail structural colouration implies that indirect sexual selection on mate choice for this ornament will be a weak evolutionary force.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Class
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Edward Kluen
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Research Program in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jon E Brommer
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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12
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Lack of conspecific visual discrimination between second-year males and females in the Saffron Finch. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209549. [PMID: 30589869 PMCID: PMC6307699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dichromatic birds often show delayed plumage maturation, but second-year (SY) males may or may not be distinguishable from females. In competitive contexts, SY males receive a reduced amount of adult males’ aggression, either by mimicking females or through signaling their sex and inexperience as subordinate males. To the human eye, reproductive dull SY male Saffron Finches are indistinguishable from females, whereas after second-year (ASY) males are golden yellow. Our aim is to establish whether SY males are sexually dichromatic with females to the eye of conspecifics. We describe plumage variation in females, SY and ASY males and, in particular, analyze assortative mating by color by comparing a previously disregarded yellow feather patch shared by the three groups. We measured plumage reflectance of the forehead, breast, belly, and axillaries, and used a two-step avian visual model analysis to estimate the ability of Saffron Finches to distinguish between SY males and females. We find that those groups are indistinguishable to conspecifics by color. Furthermore, we find non-significant evidence of assortative mating directly related to the coloration of comparable feather patches between females and each type of male, though body condition of SY males is associated to that of their mates. Our results are compatible with both the female-mimicry and the status signaling hypotheses of evolution and maintenance of delayed plumage maturation. However, the singing behavior of males reveals their presence within the breeding site; the combined effect of song and dull coloration suggest that SY males are honestly revealing their sex and status to conspecifics.
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13
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Testing the Sexual and Social Benefits of Cooperation in Animals. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 34:112-120. [PMID: 30527795 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Theoretical models show that sexual and social selection can stabilise cooperation. However, field tests of these mechanisms have been difficult to conduct and the results are mixed. We discuss the conceptual and practical difficulties associated with testing the role of social and sexual selection on cooperation and argue that there are alternative ways of examining these hypotheses. Specifically, approaches based on the classic theories of sexual selection and signalling, and recent developments in the field of behavioural syndromes, provide mechanisms to insure the reliability of cooperation. In addition, methodological developments (social networks and microtracking) and long-term datasets, allow measuring partner choice in a cooperation context and the resulting fitness benefits for both the cooperators and the individuals that associate with them.
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14
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Lüdtke DU, Foerster K. Choosy males court both large, colourful females and less colourful but responsive females for longer. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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15
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Hare RM, Simmons LW. Sexual selection and its evolutionary consequences in female animals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:929-956. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. Hare
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009 Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009 Australia
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16
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Vargas R, Mackenzie S, Rey S. 'Love at first sight': The effect of personality and colouration patterns in the reproductive success of zebrafish (Danio rerio). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203320. [PMID: 30231039 PMCID: PMC6145548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in animal personality and external appearance such as colouration patterns have both been extensively studied separately. A significant body of research has explored many of pertinent ecological and biological aspects that can be affected by them and their impact upon fitness. Currently little is known about how both factors interact and their effect on reproductive success. In this study, we evaluated two major parameters contributing to the fitness of the species: reproduction and offspring survival. We selected two different phenotypes of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) selected by their colouration patterns: phenotype 1) named Wild type, UAB line (WT-UAB) with a homogeneous colouration pattern (clear and defined lateral stripes) and phenotype 2) Wild type indefinite (WT-I) had a heterogeneous colouration pattern and different degrees of lateral stripe definition. All animals were also screened for personality. We then compared their reproductive success (spawning rate) and offspring survival at different stages, from egg to larvae, and for 2 successive generations (parental generation was G0; First and second generations were G1 and G2 respectively). Our results show that personality traits were the main source of variability between the fitness components measured: both personalities had similar total numbers of eggs spawned but proactive animals, for both colour phenotypes, had higher reproductive success. This was reflected in a higher percentage of spawning viability at 1day post fertilization (dpf), higher total survival and growth rates at larval stages. Proactive phenotypes from WT-UAB population had a higher overall fitness in comparison to the other phenotypes studied. Our findings imply that fitness of this species when kept under similar husbandry conditions is significantly influenced by parental personality and not by their external appearance. Under these conditions the reproductive success is enhanced. The implications of this study are important for zebrafish breeding and husbandry in captivity and are relevant toward understanding the underlying drivers of trait selection in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reynaldo Vargas
- Departamento de Biología Marina y Limnología, Extensión Universitaria de Aguadulce, Universidad de Panamá, Aguadulce, Coclé, República de Panamá
| | - Simon Mackenzie
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia Rey
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
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17
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Plummer KE, Bearhop S, Leech DI, Chamberlain DE, Blount JD. Effects of winter food provisioning on the phenotypes of breeding blue tits. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5059-5068. [PMID: 29876081 PMCID: PMC5980576 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout the Western World, huge numbers of people regularly supply food for wild birds. However, evidence of negative impacts of winter feeding on future reproduction has highlighted a need to improve understanding of the underlying mechanisms shaping avian responses to supplementary food. Here, we test the possibility that carry-over effects are mediated via their impact on the phenotypes of breeding birds, either by influencing the phenotypic structure of populations through changes in winter survival and/or by more direct effects on the condition of breeding birds. Using a landscape-scale 3-year study of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we demonstrate the importance of nutritional composition of supplementary food in determining carry-over effect outcomes. We show that breeding populations which had access to vitamin E-rich foods during the previous winter were comprised of individuals with reduced feather carotenoid concentrations, indicative of lower pre-feeding phenotypic condition, compared to fat-fed and unfed populations. This suggests that supplementary feeding in winter can result in altered population phenotypic structure at the time of breeding, perhaps by enhancing survival and recruitment of lower quality individuals. However, supplementation of a fat-rich diet during winter was detrimental to the oxidative state of breeding birds, with these phenotypic differences ultimately found to impact upon reproductive success. Our findings demonstrate the complex nature by which supplementary feeding can influence wild bird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E. Plummer
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationCollege of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwallUK
- British Trust for OrnithologyThe NunneryThetfordNorfolkUK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationCollege of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwallUK
| | - David I. Leech
- British Trust for OrnithologyThe NunneryThetfordNorfolkUK
| | - Dan E. Chamberlain
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologià dei SistemiUniversità degli Studi di TorinoTurinItaly
| | - Jonathan D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationCollege of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwallUK
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18
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Losdat S, Blount JD, Marri V, Maronde L, Richner H, Helfenstein F. Effects of an early-life paraquat exposure on adult resistance to oxidative stress, plumage colour and sperm performance in a wild bird. J Anim Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Losdat
- Institute of Biology; University of Neuchâtel; Neuchâtel Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Jonathan D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation; College of Life & Environmental Sciences; University of Exeter; Penryn UK
| | - Viviana Marri
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Lea Maronde
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Heinz Richner
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Institute of Biology; University of Neuchâtel; Neuchâtel Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
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19
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Robart AR, Sinervo B. Parental response to intruder females altered by ornamentation and mate quality in a biparental fish. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R Robart
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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20
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Chapman NC, Siriwat P, Howie J, Towlson A, Bellamy L, Fowler K, Pomiankowski A. The complexity of mating decisions in stalk-eyed flies. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6659-6668. [PMID: 28904748 PMCID: PMC5587473 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
All too often, studies of sexual selection focus exclusively on the responses in one sex, on single traits, typically those that are exaggerated and strongly sexually dimorphic. They ignore a range of less obvious traits and behavior, in both sexes, involved in the interactions leading to mate choice. To remedy this imbalance, we analyze a textbook example of sexual selection in the stalk-eyed fly (Diasemopsis meigenii). We studied several traits in a novel, insightful, and efficient experimental design, examining 2,400 male-female pairs in a "round-robin" array, where each female was tested against multiple males and vice versa. In D. meigenii, females exhibit strong mate preference for males with highly exaggerated eyespan, and so we deliberately constrained variation in male eyespan to reveal the importance of other traits. Males performing more precopulatory behavior were more likely to attempt to mate with females and be accepted by them. However, behavior was not a necessary part of courtship, as it was absent from over almost half the interactions. Males with larger reproductive organs (testes and accessory glands) did not make more mating attempts, but there was a strong tendency for females to accept mating attempts from such males. How females detect differences in male reproductive organ size remains unclear. In addition, females with larger eyespan, an indicator of size and fecundity, attracted more mating attempts from males, but this trait did not alter female acceptance. Genetic variation among males had a strong influence on male mating attempts and female acceptance, both via the traits we studied and other unmeasured attributes. These findings demonstrate the importance of assaying multiple traits in males and females, rather than focusing solely on prominent and exaggerated sexually dimorphic traits. The approach allows a more complete understanding of the complex mating decisions made by both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine C. Chapman
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Penthai Siriwat
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - James Howie
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Aaron Towlson
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Lawrence Bellamy
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Kevin Fowler
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Andrew Pomiankowski
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- CoMPLEXUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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21
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Chatelain M, Pessato A, Frantz A, Gasparini J, Leclaire S. Do trace metals influence visual signals? Effects of trace metals on iridescent and melanic feather colouration in the feral pigeon. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
- Warsaw Univ., Center of New Technologies, S. Banacha 2c; PL-02-097 Warsaw Poland
| | - Anaϊs Pessato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS; Montpellier France
| | - Adrien Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
| | - Julien Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
| | - Sarah Leclaire
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS; Montpellier France
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 (CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA); Toulouse France
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22
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Mainwaring MC. Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Skin and flange colour, but not ectoparasites, predict condition and survival in starling nestlings. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Fargevieille A, Grégoire A, Charmantier A, Del Rey Granado M, Doutrelant C. Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2069-2078. [PMID: 28405273 PMCID: PMC5383486 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Assortative mating is a potential outcome of sexual selection, and estimating its level is important to better understand local adaptation and underlying trait evolution. However, assortative mating studies frequently base their conclusions on small numbers of individuals sampled over short periods of time and limited spatial scales even though spatiotemporal variation is common. Here, we characterized assortative mating patterns over 10 years in four populations of the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), a passerine bird. We focused on two plumage ornaments-the blue crown and the yellow breast patch. Based on data for 1,657 pairs of birds, we found large interannual variation: assortative mating varied from positive to negative. To determine whether there was nonetheless a general trend in the data, we ran a within-study meta-analysis. It revealed that assortative mating was moderately positive for both ornaments. It also showed that mating patterns differed among populations and especially between two neighboring populations that displayed phenotypic divergence. Our results therefore underscore that long-term studies are needed to draw broad conclusions about mating patterns in natural populations. They also call for studying the potential role of assortative mating in local adaptation and evolution of ornaments in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arnaud Grégoire
- CEFE UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Anne Charmantier
- CEFE UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
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26
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Grunst AS, Grunst ML, Rathbun NA, Hubbard JK, Safran RJ, Gonser RA, Tuttle EM. Disruptive selection on plumage coloration across genetically determined morphs. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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27
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Testing for links between face color and age, dominance status, parity, weight, and intestinal nematode infection in a sample of female Japanese macaques. Primates 2016; 58:83-91. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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28
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Colour ornamentation in the blue tit: quantitative genetic (co)variances across sexes. Heredity (Edinb) 2016; 118:125-134. [PMID: 27577691 PMCID: PMC5234477 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Although secondary sexual traits are commonly more developed in males than females, in many animal species females also display elaborate ornaments or weaponry. Indirect selection on correlated traits in males and/or direct sexual or social selection in females are hypothesized to drive the evolution and maintenance of female ornaments. Yet, the relative roles of these evolutionary processes remain unidentified, because little is known about the genetic correlation that might exist between the ornaments of both sexes, and few estimates of sex-specific autosomal or sex-linked genetic variances are available. In this study, we used two wild blue tit populations with 9 years of measurements on two colour ornaments: one structurally based (blue crown) and one carotenoid based (yellow chest). We found significant autosomal heritability for the chromatic part of the structurally based colouration in both sexes, whereas carotenoid chroma was heritable only in males, and the achromatic part of both colour patches was mostly non heritable. Power limitations, which are probably common among most data sets collected so far in wild populations, prevented estimation of sex-linked genetic variance. Bivariate analyses revealed very strong cross-sex genetic correlations in all heritable traits, although the strength of these correlations was not related to the level of sexual dimorphism. In total, our results suggest that males and females share a majority of their genetic variation underlying colour ornamentation, and hence the evolution of these sex-specific traits may depend greatly on correlated responses to selection in the opposite sex.
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Demeyrier V, Lambrechts MM, Perret P, Grégoire A. Experimental demonstration of an ecological trap for a wild bird in a human-transformed environment. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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30
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Lucass C, Iserbyt A, Eens M, Müller W. Structural (UV) and carotenoid-based plumage coloration - signals for parental investment? Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3269-79. [PMID: 27252832 PMCID: PMC4870211 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care increases parental fitness through improved offspring condition and survival but comes at a cost for the caretaker(s). To increase life-time fitness, caring parents are, therefore, expected to adjust their reproductive investment to current environmental conditions and parental capacities. The latter is thought to be signaled via ornamental traits of the bearer. We here investigated whether pre- and/or posthatching investment of blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) parents was related to ornamental plumage traits (UV crown coloration and carotenoid-based plumage coloration) expressed by either the individual itself (i.e. "good parent hypothesis") or its partner (i.e. "differential allocation hypothesis"). Our results show that neither prehatching (that is clutch size and offspring begging intensity) nor posthatching parental investment (provisioning rate, offspring body condition at fledging) was related to an individual's UV crown coloration or to that of its partner. Similar observations were made for carotenoid-based plumage coloration, except for a consistent positive relationship between offspring begging intensity and maternal carotenoid-based plumage coloration. This sex-specific pattern likely reflects a maternal effect mediated via maternally derived egg substances, given that the relationship persisted when offspring were cross-fostered. This suggests that females adjust their offspring's phenotype toward own phenotype, which may facilitate in particular mother-offspring co-adaptation. Overall, our results contribute to the current state of evidence that structural or pigment-based plumage coloration of blue tits are inconsistently correlated with central life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Lucass
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Arne Iserbyt
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
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31
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Experimentally altered plumage brightness of female tree swallows: a test of the differential allocation hypothesis. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The differential allocation hypothesis posits that individuals should invest in the current reproductive attempt according to the attractiveness of their mate, but studies of allocation by males when female traits are manipulated to be more attractive are lacking. In the current study, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) relative to controls to examine whether males adjust investment in parental care according to female attractiveness, while simultaneously performing a brood size manipulation. Contrary to our predictions, we found no evidence that males provisioned nestlings according to the plumage brightness of females. However, we found that nestling quality and fledging success were lowest when female plumage brightness was reduced and brood size was enlarged. This may be due to the plumage brightness treatment influencing agonistic interactions with other females, and may suggest that plumage brightness is a signal assessed by females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9
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32
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Cotton AJ, Cotton S, Small J, Pomiankowski A. Male mate preference for female eyespan and fecundity in the stalk-eyed fly, Teleopsis dalmanni. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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33
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Duval C, Zimmer C, Mikšík I, Cassey P, Spencer KA. Early life stress shapes female reproductive strategy through eggshell pigmentation in Japanese quail. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 208:146-53. [PMID: 25169834 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Physiological constraints on colouration have been widely reported; especially in birds, which trade-off antioxidant responses against colourful costly signals. One female extended phenotypic trait, which might also highlight important physiological trade-offs, is the pigmentation of their eggshells. In ground-nesting species, producing eggs that are visually undetectable by predators is the best camouflage strategy. However, the condition-dependence of eggshell pigmentation, and the pigments role in oxidative stress, may constrain females to trade-off between their antioxidant capacity and maximising the camouflage of their eggs when they deposit eggshell pigments. Developmental stress is one factor that influences female antioxidant capacity, and could lead to variations in eggshell pigmentation that might have crucial consequences on individual fitness if egg crypsis is compromised especially under stressful conditions. We investigated the interaction between developmental and breeding conditions with respect to eggshell pigmentation in Japanese quail. We studied 30 females that bred under both control and stressful conditions, and were exposed to pre- and/or post-natal stress, or neither. Pre- and post-natal stress independently influenced eggshell pigmentation strategies under stressful breeding conditions. Under stressful reproduction, eggshell protoporphyrin concentration and maculation were affected by pre-natal stress, whereas eggshell reflectance and biliverdin concentration were influenced by post-natal stress. These changes may reflect potential adaptive strategies shaped by developmental stress, but additional data on the benefit of egg crypsis in quail, combined with studies on the role of both pigments on chick survival, will help to clarify whether early life stress can enhance fitness through eggshell pigmentation when developmental and reproductive environments match.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Duval
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Westburn Lane, St Andrews, Fife KY169JP, United Kingdom.
| | - Cédric Zimmer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Westburn Lane, St Andrews, Fife KY169JP, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Mikšík
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Phillip Cassey
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace SA 5005, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Karen A Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Westburn Lane, St Andrews, Fife KY169JP, United Kingdom
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34
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Jones TB, Drake A, Green DJ. Individual quality explains association between plumage colouration, arrival dates and mate acquisition in yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia). BMC Ecol 2014; 14:13. [PMID: 24886073 PMCID: PMC4024118 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-14-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In many bird species colour traits influence social dominance and breeding success. In our study we first evaluated whether the colour of the basic plumage (tail feathers grown at the end of the breeding season), that provides an index of individual quality, influenced winter habitat use by yellow warblers. We then evaluated whether winter habitat use (inferred using δ13C and δ15N signatures of winter grown greater-coverts) influenced alternate plumage colouration, after controlling for individual quality using basic plumage colouration. Finally, we investigated whether basic and alternate plumage colouration influenced arrival dates, mate acquisition, breeding phenology and reproductive success of yellow warblers breeding in southern (Revelstoke, B.C.) and arctic (Inuvik, N.W.T.) Canada. Results The colour (chroma and hue) of tail feathers, grown on the breeding grounds, was not related to subsequent winter habitat use. Greater covert and tail feather colour (chroma and hue) were correlated, suggesting genetics and/or individual quality played a role in pigment deposition. After controlling for individual difference in tail colour, δ13C values did not explain any variation in greater covert colour, but birds with high δ15N signatures had greater coverts with higher chroma. Male arrival dates varied with tail chroma in Revelstoke and tail hue in Inuvik. Males that arrived early paired with older and/or more colourful mates that initiated clutches earlier, and at one site (Revelstoke) were more likely to fledge young. In addition, in Revelstoke (but not Inuvik) males with high tail hue also acquired more colourful mates. In contrast, after controlling for individual differences in tail colour, greater covert colour did not affect male arrival date, the quality of the mate obtained or reproductive success in either population. Conclusions Our results suggest that plumage colour effects on breeding phenology and mate acquisition result from differences in the intrinsic quality of individuals rather than a carry-over effect of winter habitat use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teri B Jones
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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35
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Freeman-Gallant CR, Schneider RL, Taff CC, Dunn PO, Whittingham LA. Contrasting patterns of selection on the size and coloration of a female plumage ornament in common yellowthroats. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:982-91. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. L. Schneider
- Department of Biology; Skidmore College; Saratoga Springs NY USA
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - C. C. Taff
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group and Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California-Davis; Davis CA USA
| | - P. O. Dunn
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
| | - L. A. Whittingham
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee WI USA
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36
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Duval C, Cassey P, Lovell PG, Mikšík I, Reynolds SJ, Spencer KA. Eggshell appearance does not signal maternal corticosterone exposure in Japanese quail: an experimental study with brown-spotted eggs. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80485. [PMID: 24312476 PMCID: PMC3848978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is a critical period for birds as they have to cope with many stressful events. One consequence of an acute exposure to stress is the release of corticosterone, the avian stress hormone. Prolonged stress can have negative impacts on the immune system, resulting in, for example, increased oxidative stress. Through maternal effects, females are known to modulate their investment in eggs content according to their own physiological condition. Less is known about maternal investment in eggshells, especially in pigments. The two main eggshell pigments may possess opposite antioxidant properties: protoporphyrin (brown) is a pro-oxidant, whereas biliverdin (blue-green) is an antioxidant. In Japanese quail, we know that the deposition of both pigments is related to female body condition. Thus, a chronic stress response may be reflected in eggshell coloration. Using female Japanese quails that lay brown-spotted eggs, we explored whether physiological exposure to corticosterone induces a change in female basal stress and antioxidant factors, and eggshell pigment concentration, spectrophotometric reflectance, and maculation coverage. We supplemented adult females over a 2 week period with either peanut oil (control) or corticosterone (treatment). We collected pre- and post-supplementation eggs and analysed the effect of corticosterone treatment on female physiology and eggshell appearance parameters. Except for corticosterone-fed birds which laid eggs with brighter spots, supplementation had no significant effect on female physiology or eggshell pigment concentration, reflectance and maculation. The change in eggshell spot brightness was not detected by a photoreceptor noise-limited color opponent model of avian visual perception. Our data confirms that eggshell reflectance in spotted eggs varies over the laying sequence, and spot reflectance may be a key factor that is affected by females CORT exposure, even if the changes are not detected by an avian visual model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Duval
- Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Phillip Cassey
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Paul G. Lovell
- Division of Psychology, Abertay University, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Mikšík
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S. James Reynolds
- Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Karen A. Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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37
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Lahaye SEP, Eens M, Darras VM, Pinxten R. Hot or not: the effects of exogenous testosterone on female attractiveness to male conspecifics in the budgerigar. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74005. [PMID: 23951365 PMCID: PMC3741142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies indicate that not only females but also males can be selective when choosing a mate. In species exhibiting male or mutual mate choice, females may benefit from being attractive. While male attractiveness is often positively influenced by higher plasma levels of the androgenic hormone testosterone, it has been shown that testosterone can masculinise female behavior and morphology in several bird species, potentially rendering them less attractive. In this study, we investigated whether female budgerigars, Melopsittacusundulatus, suffer from increased plasma testosterone levels through a negative effect on their attractiveness to males. We experimentally increased plasma testosterone levels in testosterone-treated females (T-females) compared to controls (C-females) and allowed males to choose between a T- and a C-female in a two-way choice situation. Although testosterone treatment significantly affected female behavioral and morphological characteristics, males did not show a significant difference in preference between T- and C-females. These results suggest that experimentally increasing testosterone levels in females does not appear to influence male preference during initial mate choice. Our findings indicate that selection for higher levels of testosterone in male budgerigars is probably not constrained by a correlated response to selection causing negative effects on female attractiveness during initial mate choice. Evaluating whether or not a potential constraint may arise from negative testosterone-induced effects on other fitness related traits in females requires further work.
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38
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Henderson LJ, Heidinger BJ, Evans NP, Arnold KE. Ultraviolet crown coloration in female blue tits predicts reproductive success and baseline corticosterone. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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39
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Ostrich chick humoral immune responses and growth rate are predicted by parental immune responses and paternal colouration. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1597-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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40
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Martin M, Meylan S, Gomez D, Le Galliard JF. Ultraviolet and carotenoid-based coloration in the viviparous lizardZootoca vivipara(Squamata: Lacertidae) in relation to age, sex, and morphology. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Martin
- Laboratoire Ecologie & Evolution; Université Pierre et Marie Curie; CNRS UMR 7625; 7, quai Saint Bernard, case 237; 75005; Paris; France
| | | | - Doris Gomez
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité; CNRS UMR 7179; 1 avenue du petit château; 91800; Brunoy; France
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41
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Limbourg T, Mateman AC, Lessells CM. Opposite differential allocation by males and females of the same species. Biol Lett 2013. [PMID: 23193045 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential allocation (DA)-the adjustment of an individual's parental investment in relation to its mate's attractiveness-is increasingly recognized as an important component of sexual selection. However, although DA is expected by both sexes of parents in species with biparental care, DA by males has rarely been investigated. We have previously demonstrated a decrease in the feeding rates of female blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus when their mate's UV coloration was experimentally reduced (i.e. positive DA). In this study, we used the same experimental protocol in the same population to investigate DA by male blue tits in relation to their female's UV coloration. Males mated to UV-reduced females had higher feeding rates than those mated to control females (i.e. negative DA). Thus, male and female blue tits display opposite DA for the same component of parental effort (chick provisioning), the first time that this has been reported for any species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Limbourg
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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42
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Potti J, Canal D, Serrano D. Lifetime fitness and age-related female ornament signalling: evidence for survival and fecundity selection in the pied flycatcher. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1445-57. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Potti
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Seville Spain
| | - D. Canal
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Seville Spain
| | - D. Serrano
- Department of Conservation Biology; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Seville Spain
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43
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Zirpoli J, Black J, Gabriel P. Parasites and plumage in Steller's jays: an experimental field test of the parasite-mediated handicap hypothesis. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2012.742462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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44
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Remeš V, Matysioková B. More ornamented females produce higher-quality offspring in a socially monogamous bird: an experimental study in the great tit (Parus major). Front Zool 2013; 10:14. [PMID: 23521836 PMCID: PMC3617070 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-10-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Animals are often conspicuously colored and explanations range from aposematism and mimicry to sexual selection. Although sexual selection explains vivid coloration in males, functional significance of vivid coloration in females of socially monogamous species remains unclear. The hypothesis of mutual mate choice predicts that more ornamented females produce offspring of higher quality. We tested this prediction in the great tit (Parus major), a small, insectivorous, socially monogamous passerine. RESULTS In both females and males we quantified three ornaments that have been hypothesized to have signaling role in this species (size of black breast stripe, carotenoid chroma of yellow breast feathers, immaculateness of the white cheek). We swapped broods between nests soon after hatching, thus separating genetic plus pre-hatching vs. post-hatching effects on offspring performance. Body mass of offspring at 14 days of age was positively related to the area of black breast stripe of genetic mothers. Immune response to a novel antigen (phytohaemagglutinin) at 14 days of age was positively related to the immaculateness of the white cheek patch of both genetic and foster mothers. CONCLUSIONS We showed that females with more elaborate ornaments produced higher-quality offspring and we discuss potential proximate mechanisms of these relationships. We conclude that as more elaborate ornaments were reliable signals of offspring quality, direct selection by male mate choice might have been responsible for the evolution and/or maintenance of these signaling traits in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimír Remeš
- Department of Zoology & Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17, listopadu 50, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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Female blue tits with brighter yellow chests transfer more carotenoids to their eggs after an immune challenge. Oecologia 2013; 173:387-97. [PMID: 23512200 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2617-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Female ornaments are present in many species, and it is more and more accepted that sexual or social selection may lead to their evolution. By contrast, the information conveyed by female ornaments is less well understood. Here, we investigated the links between female ornaments and maternal effects. In birds, an important maternal effect is the transmission of resources, such as carotenoids, into egg yolk. Carotenoids are pigments with antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties that are crucial for females and developing offspring. In blue tits, we evaluated whether ultraviolet (UV)/blue and yellow feather colouration signals a female's capacity to allocate carotenoids to egg yolk. Because mounting an immune response is costly and trade-offs are more detectable under harsh conditions, we challenged the immune system of females before laying and examined the carotenoid level of their eggs afterward. A positive association between feather carotenoid chroma and egg carotenoid level would be expected if yellow colouration signals basal immunity. Alternatively, if female colouration more generally reflects maternal capacity to invest in reproduction under challenging conditions, then other components of colouration (i.e. yellow brightness and UV/blue colouration) could be linked to maternal capacity to invest in eggs. No association between egg carotenoid levels and UV/blue crown colouration or female yellow chest chroma was found; the latter result suggests that yellow colouration does not signal immune capacity at laying in this species. By contrast, we found that, among females that mounted a detectable response to the vaccine, those with brighter yellow chests transmitted more carotenoids into their eggs. This result suggests yellow brightness signals maternal capacity to invest in reproduction under challenging conditions, and that male blue tits may benefit directly from choosing brighter yellow females.
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Holveck MJ, Grégoire A, Staszewski V, Guerreiro R, Perret P, Boulinier T, Doutrelant C. Eggshell spottiness reflects maternally transferred antibodies in blue tits. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50389. [PMID: 23226272 PMCID: PMC3511563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Blue-green and brown-spotted eggshells in birds have been proposed as sexual signals of female physiological condition and egg quality, reflecting maternal investment in the egg. Testing this hypothesis requires linking eggshell coloration to egg content, which is lacking for brown protoporphyrin-based pigmentation. As protoporphyrins can induce oxidative stress, and a large amount in eggshells should indicate either high female and egg quality if it reflects the female's high oxidative tolerance, or conversely poor quality if it reflects female physiological stress. Different studies supported either predictions but are difficult to compare given the methodological differences in eggshell-spottiness measurements. Using the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus as a model species, we aimed at disentangling both predictions in testing if brown-spotted eggshell could reflect the quality of maternal investment in antibodies and carotenoids in the egg, and at improving between-study comparisons in correlating several common measurements of eggshell coloration (spectral and digital measures, spotted surface, pigmentation indices). We found that these color variables were weakly correlated highlighting the need for comparable quantitative measurements between studies and for multivariate regressions incorporating several eggshell-color characteristics. When evaluating the potential signaling function of brown-spotted eggshells, we thus searched for the brown eggshell-color variables that best predicted the maternal transfer of antibodies and carotenoids to egg yolks. We also tested the effects of several parental traits and breeding parameters potentially affecting this transfer. While eggshell coloration did not relate to yolk carotenoids, the eggs with larger and less evenly-distributed spots had higher antibody concentrations, suggesting that both the quantity and distribution of brown pigments reflected the transfer of maternal immune compounds in egg yolks. As yolk antibody concentrations were also positively related to key proxies of maternal quality (egg volume, number, yellow feather brightness, tarsus length), eggshells with larger spots concentrated at their broad pole may indicate higher-quality eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Jeanne Holveck
- Ecologie Evolutive, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE-CNRS), Montpellier, France.
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Nordeide JT, Kekäläinen J, Janhunen M, Kortet R. Female ornaments revisited - are they correlated with offspring quality? J Anim Ecol 2012. [PMID: 23194443 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolution and signalling content of female ornamentation has remained an enduring challenge to evolutionary biologists, despite the fact that secondary sexual characters are widespread in females. While females usually invest significant amounts of their resources, including carotenoids, in offspring, all the resources allocated to elaborate ornamentation reduce resources available for other purposes. This may in turn constrain female fitness leading to dishonest female signalling. We review the literature for empirical studies on mutually ornamented species with conventional sex roles, by focusing on the association between female ornaments and quality of their offspring. We found 43 papers where 33 (77%) are bird-studies, nine (21%) are on fishes, and one (2%) is a lizard-study. Nine of these report negative, 14 non-existing, and 20 positive associations between female ornament and offspring quality. Eighteen of the bird studies (55%) show a positive association between the two traits investigated, whereas five (15%) of the studies report a negative association. The number of fish studies, although few, is skewed in the opposite direction with two (22%) and four (44%) studies supporting positive and negative association, respectively. A minority of studies on carotenoids-based ornaments reports a positive association (4 of 18 studies, or 22%) between the traits, which is low compared to studies on non-carotenoids-based ornaments (16 of 25 studies, or 64%). The above-mentioned relative large number of studies with negative association, especially common in studies on fishes and in carotenoids-based-ornaments, challenges the generality of the direct selection hypothesis to account for female fineries. This is important because this hypothesis seems to have strong support in recent literature on the topic. In the present paper, we also propose possible explanations for the observed differences between taxa and suggest directions and ideas for future research on the evolution of female ornamentation.
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South SH, Arnqvist G, Servedio MR. FEMALE PREFERENCE FOR MALE COURTSHIP EFFORT CAN DRIVE THE EVOLUTION OF MALE MATE CHOICE. Evolution 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01716.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Mahr K, Griggio M, Granatiero M, Hoi H. Female attractiveness affects paternal investment: experimental evidence for male differential allocation in blue tits. Front Zool 2012; 9:14. [PMID: 22731522 PMCID: PMC3419069 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-9-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The differential allocation hypothesis (DAH) predicts that individuals should adjust their parental investment to their current mate’s quality. Although in principle the DAH holds for both sexes, male adjustment of parental investment has only been tested in a few experimental studies, revealing contradictory results. We conducted a field experiment to test whether male blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) allocate their parental effort in relation to female ornamentation (ultraviolet colouration of the crown), as predicted by the DAH. Results We reduced the UV reflectance in a sample of females and compared parental care by their mates with that of males paired to sham-manipulated control females. As predicted by the DAH our results demonstrate that males paired with UV-reduced females invested less in feeding effort but did not defend the chicks less than males paired with control females. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies providing support for male differential allocation in response to female ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Mahr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna,Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160, Vienna, Austria.
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MURPHY TROYG, PHAM TIFFANYT. Condition and brightness of structural blue-green: motmot tail-racket brightness is related to speed of feather growth in males, but not in females. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01891.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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