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Merwin JT, Seeholzer GF, Smith BT. Macroevolutionary bursts and constraints generate a rainbow in a clade of tropical birds. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:32. [PMID: 32093609 PMCID: PMC7041239 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-1577-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bird plumage exhibits a diversity of colors that serve functional roles ranging from signaling to camouflage and thermoregulation. However, birds must maintain a balance between evolving colorful signals to attract mates, minimizing conspicuousness to predators, and optimizing adaptation to climate conditions. Examining plumage color macroevolution provides a framework for understanding this dynamic interplay over phylogenetic scales. Plumage evolution due to a single overarching process, such as selection, may generate the same macroevolutionary pattern of color variation across all body regions. In contrast, independent processes may partition plumage and produce region-specific patterns. To test these alternative scenarios, we collected color data from museum specimens of an ornate clade of birds, the Australasian lorikeets, using visible-light and UV-light photography, and comparative methods. We predicted that the diversification of homologous feather regions, i.e., patches, known to be involved in sexual signaling (e.g., face) would be less constrained than patches on the back and wings, where new color states may come at the cost of crypsis. Because environmental adaptation may drive evolution towards or away from color states, we tested whether climate more strongly covaried with plumage regions under greater or weaker macroevolutionary constraint. RESULTS We found that alternative macroevolutionary models and varying rates best describe color evolution, a pattern consistent with our prediction that different plumage regions evolved in response to independent processes. Modeling plumage regions independently, in functional groups, and all together showed that patches with similar macroevolutionary models clustered together into distinct regions (e.g., head, wing, belly), which suggests that plumage does not evolve as a single trait in this group. Wing patches, which were conserved on a macroevolutionary scale, covaried with climate more strongly than plumage regions (e.g., head), which diversified in a burst. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results support the hypothesis that the extraordinary color diversity in the lorikeets was generated by a mosaic of evolutionary processes acting on plumage region subsets. Partitioning of plumage regions in different parts of the body provides a mechanism that allows birds to evolve bright colors for signaling and remain hidden from predators or adapt to local climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon T Merwin
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA.
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Glenn F Seeholzer
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Brian Tilston Smith
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
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Berg ML, Knott B, Ribot RFH, Buchanan KL, Bennett ATD. Do glucocorticoids or carotenoids mediate plumage coloration in parrots? An experiment in Platycercus elegans. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 280:82-90. [PMID: 31002829 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Conspicuous coloration can indicate phenotypic quality, and may reflect exposure or vulnerability to stress, or access to essential nutrients such as pigments. Although the production of pigmented colours is well understood, much less is known about how structural colours are affected by physiological state. In this study, we tested whether glucocorticoids (corticosterone) predicted expression of plumage coloration in an Australian parrot, the crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans). Parrots provide an interesting and unique test, as they possess conspicuous coloration produced by distinctive pigments known as psittacofulvins, in addition to structural coloration. We have previously documented that coloration in P. elegans is condition-dependent and responds to dietary manipulation. Here, n = 21 P. elegans underwent a dietary manipulation (including food restriction or carotenoid supplementation) during which they moulted, and the change in reflectance was measured for three structural and three pigmentary plumage patches. Stress-induced corticosterone (10 min after handling) measured at the start of the experiment predicted change in coloration in two pigmentary patches (crown and front). We also found that change in stress-induced corticosterone during the experiment was associated with the change in coloration of the crown and two structural patches (cheek and epaulette). Baseline corticosterone (<3 min after handling) was not associated with any measure of coloration. We found no effects of dietary manipulation on baseline or stress-induced corticosterone, but carotenoid supplementation was associated with an increase in a measure of chronic stress (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio), and the corticosterone response to handling decreased over the course of the study. Our results suggest that corticosterone may be linked to colour expression more broadly than previously recognised, including psittacofulvin and structural coloration in parrots, and they confirm the independence of plumage pigmentation in parrots from carotenoid accumulation. Moreover, our study provides new insight into the stress responses of Psittaciformes, one of the most highly threatened avian orders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew L Berg
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - Ben Knott
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Raoul F H Ribot
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew T D Bennett
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
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Fernandes RF, Maia LF, Couri MRC, Costa LAS, de Oliveira LFC. Raman spectroscopy as a tool in differentiating conjugated polyenes from synthetic and natural sources. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2015; 134:434-441. [PMID: 25033235 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2014.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This work presents the Raman spectroscopic characterization of synthetic analogs of natural conjugated polyenals found in octocorals, focusing the unequivocal identification of the chemical species present in these systems. The synthetic material was produced by the autocondensation reaction of crotonaldehyde, generating a demethylated conjugated polyene containing 11 carbon-carbon double bonds, with just a methyl group on the end of the carbon chain. The resonance Raman spectra of such pigment has shown the existence of enhanced modes assigned to ν₁(CC) and ν₂(CC) modes of the main chain. For the resonance Raman spectra of natural pigments from octocorals collected in the Brazilian coast, besides the previously cited bands, it could be also observed the presence of the ν₄(CCH₃), related to the vibrational mode who describes the vibration of the methyl group of the central carbon chain of carotenoids. Other interesting point is the observation of overtones and combination bands, which for carotenoids involves the presence of the ν₄ mode, whereas for the synthetic polyene this band, besides be seen at a slightly different wavenumber position, does not appear as an enhanced mode and also as a combination, such as for the natural carotenoids. Theoretical molecular orbital analysis of polyenal-11 and lycopene has shown the structural differences which are also responsible for the resonance Raman data, based on the appearance of the (CH3) vibrational mode in the resonant transition only for lycopene. At last, the Raman band at ca. 1010 cm(-1), assigned to the (CH₃) vibrational mode, can be used for attributing the presence of each one of the conjugated polyenes: the resonance Raman spectrum containing the band at ca. 1010 cm(-1) refers to the carotenoid (in this case lycopene), and the absence of such band in resonance conditions refers to the polyenal (in this case the polyenal-11).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaella F Fernandes
- NEEM - Núcleo de Espectroscopia e Estrutura Molecular, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Lenize F Maia
- NEEM - Núcleo de Espectroscopia e Estrutura Molecular, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Mara R C Couri
- NEEM - Núcleo de Espectroscopia e Estrutura Molecular, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Antonio S Costa
- NEQC - Núcleo de Estudos em Química Computacional, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Fernando C de Oliveira
- NEEM - Núcleo de Espectroscopia e Estrutura Molecular, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
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Masello JF, Quillfeldt P, Munimanda GK, Klauke N, Segelbacher G, Schaefer HM, Failla M, Cortés M, Moodley Y. The high Andes, gene flow and a stable hybrid zone shape the genetic structure of a wide-ranging South American parrot. Front Zool 2011; 8:16. [PMID: 21672266 PMCID: PMC3142489 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-8-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2011] [Accepted: 06/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the gene flow in some organisms is strongly affected by physical barriers and geographical distance, other highly mobile species are able to overcome such constraints. In southern South America, the Andes (here up to 6,900 m) may constitute a formidable barrier to dispersal. In addition, this region was affected by cycles of intercalating arid/moist periods during the Upper/Late Pleistocene and Holocene. These factors may have been crucial in driving the phylogeographic structure of the vertebrate fauna of the region. Here we test these hypotheses in the burrowing parrot Cyanoliseus patagonus (Aves, Psittaciformes) across its wide distributional range in Chile and Argentina. RESULTS Our data show a Chilean origin for this species, with a single migration event across the Andes during the Upper/Late Pleistocene, which gave rise to all extant Argentinean mitochondrial lineages. Analyses suggest a complex population structure for burrowing parrots in Argentina, which includes a hybrid zone that has remained stable for several thousand years. Within this zone, introgression by expanding haplotypes has resulted in the evolution of an intermediate phenotype. Multivariate regressions show that present day climatic variables have a strong influence on the distribution of genetic heterogeneity, accounting for almost half of the variation in the data. CONCLUSIONS Here we show how huge barriers like the Andes and the regional environmental conditions imposed constraints on the ability of a parrot species to colonise new habitats, affecting the way in which populations diverged and thus, genetic structure. When contact between divergent populations was re-established, a stable hybrid zone was formed, functioning as a channel for genetic exchange between populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Masello
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Gopi K Munimanda
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Nadine Klauke
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gernot Segelbacher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - H Martin Schaefer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Maritza Cortés
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Diversidad de Aves Marinas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
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TAYSOM AJ, STUART-FOX D, CARDOSO GC. The contribution of structural-, psittacofulvin- and melanin-based colouration to sexual dichromatism in Australasian parrots. J Evol Biol 2010; 24:303-13. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02166.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Griggio M, Zanollo V, Hoi H. UV plumage color is an honest signal of quality in male budgerigars. Ecol Res 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-009-0632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Masello JF, Choconi RG, Helmer M, Kremberg T, Lubjuhn T, Quillfeldt P. Do leucocytes reflect condition in nestling burrowing parrots Cyanoliseus patagonus in the wild? Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2009; 152:176-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2008] [Revised: 09/12/2008] [Accepted: 09/13/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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BLANK STEPHANM, KUTZSCHER CHRISTIAN, MASELLO JUANF, PILGRIM ROBERTLC, QUILLFELDT PETRA. Stick-tight fleas in the nostrils and below the tongue: evolution of an extraordinary infestation site in Hectopsylla (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00239.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Santos SICO, Elward B, Lumeij JT. Sexual Dichromatism in the Blue-fronted Amazon Parrot (Amazona aestiva) Revealed by Multiple-angle Spectrometry. J Avian Med Surg 2006. [DOI: 10.1647/1082-6742(2006)20[8:sditba]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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