1
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van den Berg CP, Santon M, Endler JA, Drummond L, Dawson BR, Santiago C, Weber N, Cheney KL. Chemical defences indicate bold colour patterns with reduced variability in aposematic nudibranchs. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240953. [PMID: 39013421 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The selective factors that shape phenotypic diversity in prey communities with aposematic animals are diverse and coincide with similar diversity in the strength of underlying secondary defences. However, quantitative assessments of colour pattern variation and the strength of chemical defences in assemblages of aposematic species are lacking. We quantified colour pattern diversity using quantitative colour pattern analysis (QCPA) in 13 dorid nudibranch species (Infraorder: Doridoidei) that varied in the strength of their chemical defences. We accounted for the physiological properties of a potential predator's visual system (a triggerfish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus) and modelled the appearance of nudibranchs from multiple viewing distances (2 and 10 cm). We identified distinct colour pattern properties associated with the presence and strength of chemical defences. Specifically, increases in chemical defences indicated increases in colour pattern boldness (i.e. visual contrast elicited via either or potentially coinciding chromatic, achromatic and/or spatial contrast). Colour patterns were also less variable among species with chemical defences when compared to undefended species. Our results indicate correlations between secondary defences and diverse, bold colouration while showing that chemical defences coincide with decreased colour pattern variability among species. Our study suggests that complex spatiochromatic properties of colour patterns perceived by potential predators can be used to make inferences on the presence and strength of chemical defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric P van den Berg
- Marine Sensory Ecology Group, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland , Brisbane 4072, Australia
- Ecology of Vision Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Matteo Santon
- Ecology of Vision Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - John A Endler
- Zoology and Ecology, Tropical Environments Sciences, College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University , Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Leon Drummond
- Marine Sensory Ecology Group, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland , Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Bethany R Dawson
- Marine Sensory Ecology Group, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland , Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Carl Santiago
- Marine Sensory Ecology Group, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland , Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Nathalie Weber
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Lausanne , Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Karen L Cheney
- Marine Sensory Ecology Group, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland , Brisbane 4072, Australia
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2
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Zeller K, Ballesta S, Meunier H, Duboscq J, Morino L, Rimele A, Bonnet X, Maille A, Dezecache G, Garcia C. Spot the odd one out: do snake pictures capture macaques' attention more than other predators? Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1945-1958. [PMID: 37855842 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01831-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Detecting and identifying predators quickly is key to survival. According to the Snake Detection Theory (SDT), snakes have been a substantive threat to primates for millions of years, so that dedicated visual skills were tuned to detect snakes in early primates. Past experiments confronted the SDT by measuring how fast primate subjects detected snake pictures among non-dangerous distractors (e.g., flowers), but did not include pictures of primates' other predators, such as carnivorans, raptors, and crocodilians. Here, we examined the detection abilities of N = 19 Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana) and N = 6 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to spot different predators. By implementing an oddity task protocol, we recorded success rates and reaction times to locate a deviant picture among four pictures over more than 400,000 test trials. Pictures depicted a predator, a non-predator animal, or a simple geometric shape. The first task consisted of detecting a deviant picture among identical distractor pictures (discrimination) and the second task was designed to evaluate detection abilities of a deviant picture among different distractor pictures (categorization). The macaques detected pictures of geometric shapes better and faster than pictures of animals, and were better and faster at discriminating than categorizing. The macaques did not detect snakes better or faster than other animal categories. Overall, these results suggest that pictures of snakes do not capture visual attention more than other predators, questioning previous findings in favor of the SDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Zeller
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France.
| | - Sébastien Ballesta
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Silabe, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Hélène Meunier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Silabe, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Julie Duboscq
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Luca Morino
- Ménagerie du Jardin Des Plantes, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Adam Rimele
- Centre de Primatologie de l'Université de Strasbourg, Silabe, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Xavier Bonnet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS ULR, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Audrey Maille
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
- DGD Musées, Jardins Botaniques et Zoologiques, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | | | - Cécile Garcia
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), UMR 7206, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France
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3
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Scaramangas A, Broom M, Ruxton GD, Rouviere A. Evolutionarily stable levels of aposematic defence in prey populations. Theor Popul Biol 2023; 153:15-36. [PMID: 37044181 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of aposematism (the conspicuous signalling of a defence for the deterrence of predators) has advanced notably since its first observation in the late nineteenth century. Indeed, it extends the scope of a well-established game-theoretical model of this very same process both from the analytical standpoint (by considering regimes of varying background mortality and colony size) and from the practical standpoint (by assessing its efficacy and limitations in predicting the evolution of prey traits in finite simulated populations). The nature of the manuscript at hand is more mathematical and its aim is two-fold: first, to determine the relationship between evolutionarily stable levels of defence and signal strength under various regimes of background mortality and colony size. Second, to compare these predictions with simulations of finite prey populations that are subject to random local mutation. We compare the roles of absolute resident fitness, mutant fitness and stochasticity in the evolution of prey traits and discuss the importance of population size in the above.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Scaramangas
- School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, City, University of London, EC1V, 0HB London, UK.
| | - Mark Broom
- School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, City, University of London, EC1V, 0HB London, UK
| | - Graeme D Ruxton
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, UK
| | - Anna Rouviere
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, UK
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4
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Yeager J, Penacchio O. Outcomes of multifarious selection on the evolution of visual signals. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230327. [PMID: 37040810 PMCID: PMC10089717 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Multifarious sources of selection shape visual signals and can produce phenotypic divergence. Theory predicts that variance in warning signals should be minimal due to purifying selection, yet polymorphism is abundant. While in some instances divergent signals can evolve into discrete morphs, continuously variable phenotypes are also encountered in natural populations. Notwithstanding, we currently have an incomplete understanding of how combinations of selection shape fitness landscapes, particularly those which produce polymorphism. We modelled how combinations of natural and sexual selection act on aposematic traits within a single population to gain insights into what combinations of selection favours the evolution and maintenance of phenotypic variation. With a rich foundation of studies on selection and phenotypic divergence, we reference the poison frog genus Oophaga to model signal evolution. Multifarious selection on aposematic traits created the topology of our model's fitness landscape by approximating different scenarios found in natural populations. Combined, the model produced all types of phenotypic variation found in frog populations, namely monomorphism, continuous variation and discrete polymorphism. Our results afford advances into how multifarious selection shapes phenotypic divergence, which, along with additional modelling enhancements, will allow us to further our understanding of visual signal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Yeager
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS), Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencas Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador
| | - Olivier Penacchio
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK
- Computer Vision Center, Computer Science Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
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5
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Lawrence JP, Rojas B, Blanchette A, Saporito RA, Mappes J, Fouquet A, Noonan BP. Linking Predator Responses to Alkaloid Variability in Poison Frogs. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:195-204. [PMID: 36854928 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01412-7] [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: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Many chemically-defended/aposematic species rely on diet for sequestering the toxins with which they defend themselves. This dietary acquisition can lead to variable chemical defenses across space, as the community composition of chemical sources is likely to vary across the range of (an aposematic) species. We characterized the alkaloid content of two populations of the Dyeing Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) in northeastern French Guiana. Additionally, we conducted unpalatability experiments with naive predators, Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), using whole-skin secretion cocktails to assess how a model predator would respond to the defense of individuals from each population. While there was some overlap between the two D. tinctorius populations in terms of alkaloid content, our analysis revealed that these two populations are markedly distinct in terms of overall alkaloid profiles. Predator responses to skin secretions differed between the populations. We identified 15 candidate alkaloids (including three previously undescribed) in seven classes that are correlated with predator response in one frog population. We describe alkaloid profile differences between populations for D. tinctorius and provide a novel method for assessing unpalatability of skin secretions and identifying which toxins may contribute to the predator response. In one population, our results suggest 15 alkaloids that are implicated in predator aversive response. This method is the first step in identifying the causal link between alkaloids and behavioral responses of predators, and thus makes sense of how varying alkaloid combinations are capable of eliciting consistent behavioral responses, and eventually driving evolutionary change in aposematic characters (or characteristics).
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Lawrence
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA. .,Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48825, USA.
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annelise Blanchette
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antoine Fouquet
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France
| | - Brice P Noonan
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
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6
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Blount JD, Rowland HM, Mitchell C, Speed MP, Ruxton GD, Endler JA, Brower LP. The price of defence: toxins, visual signals and oxidative state in an aposematic butterfly. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222068. [PMID: 36651049 PMCID: PMC9845971 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In a variety of aposematic species, the conspicuousness of an individual's warning signal and the quantity of its chemical defence are positively correlated. This apparent honest signalling is predicted by resource competition models which assume that the production and maintenance of aposematic defences compete for access to antioxidant molecules that have dual functions as pigments and in protecting against oxidative damage. To test for such trade-offs, we raised monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) on different species of their milkweed host plants (Apocynaceae) that vary in quantities of cardenolides to test whether (i) the sequestration of cardenolides as a secondary defence is associated with costs in the form of oxidative lipid damage and reduced antioxidant defences; and (ii) lower oxidative state is associated with a reduced capacity to produce aposematic displays. In male monarchs conspicuousness was explained by an interaction between oxidative damage and sequestration: males with high levels of oxidative damage became less conspicuous with increased sequestration of cardenolides, whereas those with low oxidative damage became more conspicuous with increased levels of cardenolides. There was no significant effect of oxidative damage or concentration of sequestered cardenolides on female conspicuousness. Our results demonstrate a physiological linkage between the production of coloration and oxidative state, and differential costs of sequestration and signalling in monarch butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hannah M. Rowland
- Research Group Predators and Toxic Prey, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Christopher Mitchell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Michael P. Speed
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
| | - Graeme D. Ruxton
- School of Biology, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, Greenside Place, St Andrews, UK
| | - John A. Endler
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Lincoln P. Brower
- Department of Biology, Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA 24595, USA
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7
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Fei M, Gols R, Harvey JA. The Biology and Ecology of Parasitoid Wasps of Predatory Arthropods. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 68:109-128. [PMID: 36198401 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-111607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Parasitoid wasps are important components of insect food chains and have played a central role in biological control programs for over a century. Although the vast majority of parasitoids exploit insect herbivores as hosts, others parasitize predatory insects and arthropods, such as ladybird beetles, hoverflies, lacewings, ground beetles, and spiders, or are hyperparasitoids. Much of the research on the biology and ecology of parasitoids of predators has focused on ladybird beetles, whose parasitoids may interfere with the control of insect pests like aphids by reducing ladybird abundance. Alternatively, parasitoids of the invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis may reduce its harmful impact on native ladybird populations. Different life stages of predatory insects and spiders are susceptible to parasitism to different degrees. Many parasitoids of predators exhibit intricate physiological interrelationships with their hosts, adaptively manipulating host behavior, biology, and ecology in ways that increase parasitoid survival and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Fei
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China;
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Jeffrey A Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands;
- Animal Ecology Section, Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Ghobadi S. Communication of post-release plans in crowdfunding development initiatives: A signaling perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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9
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Hagen EH. The Biological Roots of Music and Dance : Extending the Credible Signaling Hypothesis to Predator Deterrence. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2022; 33:261-279. [PMID: 35986877 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-022-09429-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
After they diverged from panins, hominins evolved an increasingly committed terrestrial lifestyle in open habitats that exposed them to increased predation pressure from Africa's formidable predator guild. In the Pleistocene, Homo transitioned to a more carnivorous lifestyle that would have further increased predation pressure. An effective defense against predators would have required a high degree of cooperation by the smaller and slower hominins. It is in the interest of predator and potential prey to avoid encounters that will be costly for both. A wide variety of species, including carnivores and apes and other primates, have therefore evolved visual and auditory signals that deter predators by credibly signaling detection and/or the ability to effectively defend themselves. In some cooperative species, these predator deterrent signals involve highly synchronized visual and auditory displays among group members. Hagen and Bryant (Human Nature, 14(1), 21-51, 2003) proposed that synchronized visual and auditory displays credibly signal coalition quality. Here, this hypothesis is extended to include credible signals to predators that they have been detected and would be met with a highly coordinated defensive response, thereby deterring an attack. Within-group signaling functions are also proposed. The evolved cognitive abilities underlying these behaviors were foundations for the evolution of fully human music and dance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, WA, 98686, USA.
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10
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Scaramangas A, Broom M. Aposematic signalling in prey-predator systems: determining evolutionary stability when prey populations consist of a single species. J Math Biol 2022; 85:13. [PMID: 35870017 PMCID: PMC9308619 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-022-01762-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Aposematism is the signalling of a defence for the deterrence of predators. We presently focus on aposematic organisms that exhibit chemical defences, which are usually signalled by some type of brightly coloured skin pigmentation (as is the case with poison frog species of the Dendrobatidae family), although our treatment is likely transferable to other forms of secondary defence. This setup is not only a natural one to consider but also opens up the possibility for rich mathematical modelling: the strength of aposematic traits (signalling and defence) can be unambiguously realised using variables that are continuously quantifiable, independent from one another and which together define a two-dimensional strategy space wherein the aposematic behaviour of any one organism can be represented by a single point. We presently develop an extensive mathematical model in which we explore the joint co-evolution of aposematic traits within the context of evolutionary stability. Even though empirical and model-based studies are conflicting regarding how aposematic traits are related to one another in nature, the majority of works allude to a positive correlation. We presently suggest that both positively and negatively correlated combinations of traits can achieve evolutionarily stable outcomes and further, that for a given level of signal strength there can be more than one optimal level of defence. Our findings are novel and pertinent to a sizeable body of physical evidence, which we discuss.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Broom
- City University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
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11
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Binns GE, Hämäläinen L, Kemp DJ, Rowland HM, Umbers KDL, Herberstein ME. Additive genetic variation, but not temperature, influences warning signal expression in Amata nigriceps moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiinae). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9111. [PMID: 35866015 PMCID: PMC9288930 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many aposematic species show variation in their color patterns even though selection by predators is expected to stabilize warning signals toward a common phenotype. Warning signal variability can be explained by trade‐offs with other functions of coloration, such as thermoregulation, that may constrain warning signal expression by favoring darker individuals. Here, we investigated the effect of temperature on warning signal expression in aposematic Amata nigriceps moths that vary in their black and orange wing patterns. We sampled moths from two flight seasons that differed in the environmental temperatures and also reared different families under controlled conditions at three different temperatures. Against our prediction that lower developmental temperatures would reduce the warning signal size of the adult moths, we found no effect of temperature on warning signal expression in either wild or laboratory‐reared moths. Instead, we found sex‐ and population‐level differences in wing patterns. Our rearing experiment indicated that ~70% of the variability in the trait is genetic but understanding what signaling and non‐signaling functions of wing coloration maintain the genetic variation requires further work. Our results emphasize the importance of considering both genetic and plastic components of warning signal expression when studying intraspecific variation in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina E Binns
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Liisa Hämäläinen
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Darrell J Kemp
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Hannah M Rowland
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans Knöll Straße 8,Jena Germany
| | - Kate D L Umbers
- School of Science Western Sydney University Penrith New South Wales Australia.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith New South Wales Australia
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- School of Natural Sciences, 14 Eastern Road Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
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12
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He R, Pagani-Núñez E, Goodale E, Barnett CRA. Avian predators taste reject mimetic prey in relation to their signal reliability. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2334. [PMID: 35149707 PMCID: PMC8837650 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05600-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aposematic organisms defend themselves through various means to increase their unprofitability to predators which they advertise with conspicuous warning signals. Predators learn to avoid aposematic prey through associative learning that leads to lower predation. However, when these visual signals become unreliable (e.g., through automimicry or Batesian mimicry), predators may switch from using visual signals to taste sampling prey to choose among them. In this experiment, we tested this possibility in a field experiment where we released a total of 4800 mealworm prey in two clusters consisting of either: (i) undefended prey (injected with water) and (ii) model-mimics (injected with either quinine sulphate [models] or water [mimics]). Prey were deployed at 12 sites, with the mimic frequency of the model-mimics ranging between 0 and 1 (at 0.2 intervals). We found that taste rejection peaked at moderate mimic frequencies (0.4 and 0.6), supporting the idea that taste sampling and rejection of prey is related to signal reliability and predator uncertainty. This is the first time that taste-rejection has been shown to be related to the reliability of prey signals in a mimetic prey system.
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Affiliation(s)
- R He
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - E Pagani-Núñez
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - E Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - C R A Barnett
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan.
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13
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Robledo-Ospina LE, Rao D. Dangerous visions: a review of visual antipredator strategies in spiders. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10156-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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14
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Lyra ML, Monteiro JPC, Rancilhac L, Irisarri I, Künzel S, Sanchez E, Condez TH, Rojas-Padilla O, Solé M, Toledo LF, Haddad CFB, Vences M. Initial Phylotranscriptomic Confirmation of Homoplastic Evolution of the Conspicuous Coloration and Bufoniform Morphology of Pumpkin-Toadlets in the Genus Brachycephalus. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:816. [PMID: 34822600 PMCID: PMC8620806 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13110816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Brachycephalus is a fascinating group of miniaturized anurans from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, comprising the conspicuous, brightly colored pumpkin-toadlets and the cryptic flea-toads. Pumpkin-toadlets are known to contain tetrodotoxins and therefore, their bright colors may perform an aposematic function. Previous studies based on a limited number of mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded markers supported the existence of two clades containing species of pumpkin-toadlet phenotype, but deep nodes remained largely unresolved or conflicting between data sets. We use new RNAseq data of 17 individuals from nine Brachycephalus species to infer their evolutionary relationships from a phylogenomic perspective. Analyses of almost 5300 nuclear-encoded ortholog protein-coding genes and full mitochondrial genomes confirmed the existence of two separate pumpkin-toadlet clades, suggesting the convergent evolution (or multiple reversals) of the bufoniform morphology, conspicuous coloration, and probably toxicity. In addition, the study of the mitochondrial gene order revealed that three species (B. hermogenesi, B. pitanga, and B. rotenbergae) display translocations of different tRNAs (NCY and CYA) from the WANCY tRNA cluster to a position between the genes ATP6 and COIII, showing a new mitochondrial gene order arrangement for vertebrates. The newly clarified phylogeny suggests that Brachycephalus has the potential to become a promising model taxon to understand the evolution of coloration, body plan and toxicity. Given that toxicity information is available for only few species of Brachycephalus, without data for any flea-toad species, we also emphasize the need for a wider screening of toxicity across species, together with more in-depth functional and ecological study of their phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana L. Lyra
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade (Campus Rio Claro), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida 24A, N 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil; (M.L.L.); (J.P.C.M.); (C.F.B.H.)
| | - Juliane P. C. Monteiro
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade (Campus Rio Claro), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida 24A, N 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil; (M.L.L.); (J.P.C.M.); (C.F.B.H.)
| | - Loïs Rancilhac
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany; (L.R.); (E.S.)
| | - Iker Irisarri
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, University of Goettingen, Goldschmidtstr, 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Sven Künzel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany;
| | - Eugenia Sanchez
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany; (L.R.); (E.S.)
| | - Thais H. Condez
- Unidade Passos, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais (UEMG), Avenida Juca Stockler 1130, Passos 37900-106, MG, Brazil;
| | - Omar Rojas-Padilla
- Laboratório de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6681, Porto Alegre 90619-900, RS, Brazil;
| | - Mirco Solé
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil;
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil;
| | - Célio F. B. Haddad
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade (Campus Rio Claro), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida 24A, N 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil; (M.L.L.); (J.P.C.M.); (C.F.B.H.)
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany; (L.R.); (E.S.)
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15
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. Sex and habitat differences in size and coloration of an amphibian's poison glands match differential predator pressures. Integr Zool 2021; 17:764-776. [PMID: 34599787 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Chemical defenses are frequently accompanied by salient color patterns actively avoided by predators, a phenomenon referred to as aposematism. However, the production of both chemical defenses and pigments is costly, and is thus expected to be reduced under mild predator pressure. In this work, I compared the size and coloration of parotoid glands (2 dorsal, external swollen structures that secrete toxins in toads) of male and female Epidalea calamita toads from agrosystems and from pine groves. I also quantified the predator attacks received by plasticine toad models, whose "parotoid glands" differed in size and color conspicuousness, exposed in each habitat. Predators avoided models with large and conspicuous parotoid glands, but models in agrosystems were more often attacked. Concerning actual toads, agrosystem and male individuals had larger parotoid glands, presumably implying greater production of chemical defenses than in pine grove and female conspecifics. These findings are aligned with previous research suggesting that both agrosystem toads and males in this system are subjected to a more intense predator pressure. Difference between parotoid gland and dorsum coloration was greater in agrosystem toads. A marked internal pattern could function as an aposematic signal, which could counteract increased predator pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Phisical, Chemical and Natural Systems, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain.,Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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16
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Kikuchi DW, Herberstein ME, Barfield M, Holt RD, Mappes J. Why aren't warning signals everywhere? On the prevalence of aposematism and mimicry in communities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2446-2460. [PMID: 34128583 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Warning signals are a striking example of natural selection present in almost every ecological community - from Nordic meadows to tropical rainforests, defended prey species and their mimics ward off potential predators before they attack. Yet despite the wide distribution of warning signals, they are relatively scarce as a proportion of the total prey available, and more so in some biomes than others. Classically, warning signals are thought to be governed by positive density-dependent selection, i.e. they succeed better when they are more common. Therefore, after surmounting this initial barrier to their evolution, it is puzzling that they remain uncommon on the scale of the community. Here, we explore factors likely to determine the prevalence of warning signals in prey assemblages. These factors include the nature of prey defences and any constraints upon them, the behavioural interactions of predators with different prey defences, the numerical responses of predators governed by movement and reproduction, the diversity and abundance of undefended alternative prey and Batesian mimics in the community, and variability in other ecological circumstances. We also discuss the macroevolution of warning signals. Our review finds that we have a basic understanding of how many species in some taxonomic groups have warning signals, but very little information on the interrelationships among population abundances across prey communities, the diversity of signal phenotypes, and prey defences. We also have detailed knowledge of how a few generalist predator species forage in artificial laboratory environments, but we know much less about how predators forage in complex natural communities with variable prey defences. We describe how empirical work to address each of these knowledge gaps can test specific hypotheses for why warning signals exhibit their particular patterns of distribution. This will help us to understand how behavioural interactions shape ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Kikuchi
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Konsequez 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Michael Barfield
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, U.S.A
| | - Robert D Holt
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, U.S.A
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, Berlin, Germany.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
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17
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White TE, Umbers KDL. Meta-analytic evidence for quantitative honesty in aposematic signals. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210679. [PMID: 33906408 PMCID: PMC8080005 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The combined use of noxious chemical defences and conspicuous warning colours is a ubiquitous anti-predator strategy. That such signals advertise the presence of defences is inherent to their function, but their predicted potential for quantitative honesty-the positive scaling of signal salience with the strength of protection-is the subject of enduring debate. Here, we systematically synthesized the available evidence to test this prediction using meta-analysis. We found evidence for a positive correlation between warning colour expression and the extent of chemical defences across taxa. Notably, this relationship held at all scales; among individuals, populations and species, though substantial between-study heterogeneity remains unexplained. Consideration of the design of signals revealed that all visual features, from colour to contrast, were equally informative of the extent of prey defence. Our results affirm a central prediction of honesty-based models of signal function and narrow the scope of possible mechanisms shaping the evolution of aposematism. They suggest diverse pathways to the encoding and exchange of information, while highlighting the need for deeper knowledge of the ecology of chemical defences to enrich our understanding of this widespread anti-predator adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2106, Australia
| | - Kate D. L. Umbers
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
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18
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Trigo S, Gomes ACR, Cardoso SC, Teixeira M, Cardoso GC, Soares MC. Cleaner blues: Condition-dependent colour and cleaner fish service quality. Behav Processes 2020; 181:104246. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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19
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Conspecific and Predator Perception of the Red Oophaga pumilio Morph from the Central Caribbean of Costa Rica. J HERPETOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1670/19-110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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20
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Niermann CN, Tate TG, Suto AL, Barajas R, White HA, Guswiler OD, Secor SM, Rowe AH, Rowe MP. Defensive Venoms: Is Pain Sufficient for Predator Deterrence? Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12040260. [PMID: 32316477 PMCID: PMC7232307 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain, though unpleasant, is adaptive in calling an animal’s attention to potential tissue damage. A long list of animals representing diverse taxa possess venom-mediated, pain-inducing bites or stings that work by co-opting the pain-sensing pathways of potential enemies. Typically, such venoms include toxins that cause tissue damage or disrupt neuronal activity, rendering painful stings honest indicators of harm. But could pain alone be sufficient for deterring a hungry predator? Some venomologists have argued “no”; predators, in the absence of injury, would “see through” the bluff of a painful but otherwise benign sting or bite. Because most algogenic venoms are also toxic (although not vice versa), it has been difficult to disentangle the relative contributions of each component to predator deterrence. Southern grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) are voracious predators of arthropods, feeding on a diversity of scorpion species whose stings vary in painfulness, including painful Arizona bark scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus) and essentially painless stripe-tailed scorpions (Paravaejovis spinigerus). Moreover, southern grasshopper mice have evolved resistance to the lethal toxins in bark scorpion venom, rendering a sting from these scorpions painful but harmless. Results from a series of laboratory experiments demonstrate that painful stings matter. Grasshopper mice preferred to prey on stripe-tailed scorpions rather than bark scorpions when both species could sting; the preference disappeared when each species had their stingers blocked. A painful sting therefore appears necessary for a scorpion to deter a hungry grasshopper mouse, but it may not always be sufficient: after first attacking and consuming a painless stripe-tailed scorpion, many grasshopper mice went on to attack, kill, and eat a bark scorpion even when the scorpion was capable of stinging. Defensive venoms that result in tissue damage or neurological dysfunction may, thus, be required to condition greater aversion than venoms causing pain alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal N. Niermann
- Department of Biology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA; (C.N.N.); (T.G.T.)
| | - Travis G. Tate
- Department of Biology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA; (C.N.N.); (T.G.T.)
| | - Amber L. Suto
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.L.S.); (O.D.G.)
| | - Rolando Barajas
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (R.B.); (H.A.W.)
| | - Hope A. White
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (R.B.); (H.A.W.)
| | - Olivia D. Guswiler
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.L.S.); (O.D.G.)
| | - Stephen M. Secor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;
| | - Ashlee H. Rowe
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
| | - Matthew P. Rowe
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-405-325-6539
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21
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Suzuki TK, Tomita S, Sezutsu H. Multicomponent structures in camouflage and mimicry in butterfly wing patterns. J Morphol 2020; 280:149-166. [PMID: 30556951 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how morphological structures are built is essential for appreciating the morphological complexity and divergence of organisms. One representative case of morphological structures is the camouflage and mimicry of butterfly wing patterns. Some previous studies have questioned whether camouflage and mimicry are truly structures, considering that they rely on coloration. Nevertheless, our recent study revealed that the leaf pattern of Kallima inachus butterfly wings evolved through the combination of changes in several pigment components in a block-wise manner; it remains unclear whether such block-wise structures are common in other cases of camouflage and mimicry in butterflies and how they come about. Previous studies focused solely on a set of homologous components, termed the nymphalid ground plan. In the present study, we extended the scope of the description of components by including not only the nymphalid ground plan but also other common components (i.e., ripple patterns, dependent patterns, and color fields). This extension allowed us to analyze the combinatorial building logic of structures and examine multicomponent structures of camouflage and mimicry in butterfly wing patterns. We investigated various patterns of camouflage and mimicry (e.g., masquerade, crypsis, Müllerian mimicry, Batesian mimicry) in nine species and decomposed them into an assembly of multiple components. These structural component analyses suggested that camouflage and mimicry in butterfly wing patterns are built up by combining multiple types of components. We also investigated associations between components and the kinds of camouflage and mimicry. Several components are statistically more often used to produce specific types of camouflage or mimicry. Thus, our work provides empirical evidence that camouflage and mimicry patterns of butterfly wings are mosaic structures, opening up a new avenue of studying camouflage, and mimicry from a structural perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao K Suzuki
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shuichiro Tomita
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hideki Sezutsu
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO, Ibaraki, Japan
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22
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23
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Dallagnol Vargas N, Guimarães M, Caorsi V, Wolff Bordignon D, Borges‐Martins M. An experimental assessment of the antipredatory function of green dorsal coloration in poisonous Neotropical red‐bellied toads. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natália Dallagnol Vargas
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Animal Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Murilo Guimarães
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Animal Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Valentina Caorsi
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Animal Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
- The Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach San Michele all’Adige TN Italy
| | - Debora Wolff Bordignon
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Animal Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Márcio Borges‐Martins
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Animal Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
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24
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Aposematism: Unpacking the Defences. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:595-604. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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25
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26
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Preißler K, Gippner S, Lüddecke T, Krause ET, Schulz S, Vences M, Steinfartz S. More yellow more toxic? Sex rather than alkaloid content is correlated with yellow coloration in the fire salamander. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Preißler
- Zoological Institute Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals University of Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - S. Gippner
- Zoological Institute Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
| | - T. Lüddecke
- Zoological Institute Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
- Animal Venomics Research Group Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Gießen Germany
| | - E. T. Krause
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry Friedrich‐Loeffler‐Institut Celle Germany
| | - S. Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
| | - M. Vences
- Zoological Institute Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
| | - S. Steinfartz
- Zoological Institute Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig Germany
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals University of Leipzig Leipzig Germany
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27
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Briolat ES, Burdfield‐Steel ER, Paul SC, Rönkä KH, Seymoure BM, Stankowich T, Stuckert AMM. Diversity in warning coloration: selective paradox or the norm? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:388-414. [PMID: 30152037 PMCID: PMC6446817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Aposematic theory has historically predicted that predators should select for warning signals to converge on a single form, as a result of frequency-dependent learning. However, widespread variation in warning signals is observed across closely related species, populations and, most problematically for evolutionary biologists, among individuals in the same population. Recent research has yielded an increased awareness of this diversity, challenging the paradigm of signal monomorphy in aposematic animals. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis of these disparate lines of investigation, identifying within them three broad classes of explanation for variation in aposematic warning signals: genetic mechanisms, differences among predators and predator behaviour, and alternative selection pressures upon the signal. The mechanisms producing warning coloration are also important. Detailed studies of the genetic basis of warning signals in some species, most notably Heliconius butterflies, are beginning to shed light on the genetic architecture facilitating or limiting key processes such as the evolution and maintenance of polymorphisms, hybridisation, and speciation. Work on predator behaviour is changing our perception of the predator community as a single homogenous selective agent, emphasising the dynamic nature of predator-prey interactions. Predator variability in a range of factors (e.g. perceptual abilities, tolerance to chemical defences, and individual motivation), suggests that the role of predators is more complicated than previously appreciated. With complex selection regimes at work, polytypisms and polymorphisms may even occur in Müllerian mimicry systems. Meanwhile, phenotypes are often multifunctional, and thus subject to additional biotic and abiotic selection pressures. Some of these selective pressures, primarily sexual selection and thermoregulation, have received considerable attention, while others, such as disease risk and parental effects, offer promising avenues to explore. As well as reviewing the existing evidence from both empirical studies and theoretical modelling, we highlight hypotheses that could benefit from further investigation in aposematic species. Finally by collating known instances of variation in warning signals, we provide a valuable resource for understanding the taxonomic spread of diversity in aposematic signalling and with which to direct future research. A greater appreciation of the extent of variation in aposematic species, and of the selective pressures and constraints which contribute to this once-paradoxical phenomenon, yields a new perspective for the field of aposematic signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S. Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
| | - Emily R. Burdfield‐Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
| | - Sarah C. Paul
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FEU.K.
- Department of Chemical EcologyBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25, 33615, BielefeldGermany
| | - Katja H. Rönkä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskylä, 40014Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinki, 00014Finland
| | - Brett M. Seymoure
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO 80525U.S.A.
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCA 90840U.S.A.
| | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of BiologyEast Carolina University1000 E Fifth St, GreenvilleNC 27858U.S.A.
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28
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Sanchez E, Pröhl H, Lüddecke T, Schulz S, Steinfartz S, Vences M. The conspicuous postmetamorphic coloration of fire salamanders, but not their toxicity, is affected by larval background albedo. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2019; 332:26-35. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Sanchez
- Department of Life Sciences, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweig Germany
| | - Heike Pröhl
- The University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation does not have departments, only clinics, institutes and special units, Institute of Zoology, Tierärztliche Hochschule HannoverHannover Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Life Sciences, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweig Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Animal Venomics Research Group, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied EcologyGießen Germany
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweig Germany
| | - Sebastian Steinfartz
- Department of Life Sciences, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweig Germany
| | - Miguel Vences
- Department of Life Sciences, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweig Germany
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29
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Rößler DC, Lötters S, Mappes J, Valkonen JK, Menin M, Lima AP, Pröhl H. Sole coloration as an unusual aposematic signal in a Neotropical toad. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1128. [PMID: 30718568 PMCID: PMC6362010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37705-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals have evolved remarkable strategies to avoid predation. In diurnal, toxic harlequin toads (Atelopus) from the Amazon basin, we find a unique colour signal. Some Atelopus populations have striking red soles of the hands and feet, visible only when walking. When stationary, the toads are hard to detect despite their yellow-black dorsal coloration. Consequently, they switch between high and low conspicuousness. Interestingly, some populations lack the extra colour display of the soles. We found comprehensive support that the red coloration can act as an aposematic signal directed towards potential predators: red soles are significantly more conspicuous than soles lacking red coloration to avian predators and the presence of the red signal significantly increases detection. Further, toads with red soles show bolder behaviour by using higher sites in the vegetation than those lacking this signal. Field experiments hint at a lower attack risk for clay models with red soles than for those lacking the signal, in a population where the red soles naturally occur. We suggest that the absence of the signal may be explained by a higher overall attack risk or potential differences of predator community structure between populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela C Rößler
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, 54296, Trier, Germany.
| | - Stefan Lötters
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, 54296, Trier, Germany
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Janne K Valkonen
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Marcelo Menin
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Amazonas Federal University, Av. General Rodrigo Otávio Jordão Ramos 3000, 69077-000, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Albertina P Lima
- Coordenação de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araujo 2936, 69011-970, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
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Benedek K, Mara G, Mehrparvar M, Bálint J, Loxdale HD, Balog A. Near-regular distribution of adult crimson tansy aphids,Uroleucon tanaceti(L.), increases aposematic signal honesty on different tansy plant chemotypes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Klára Benedek
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Science, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Tirgu-Mures, Romania
| | - Gyöngyvér Mara
- Department of Biological Engineering, Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
| | - Mohsen Mehrparvar
- Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
| | - János Bálint
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Science, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Tirgu-Mures, Romania
| | - Hugh D Loxdale
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff, UK
| | - Adalbert Balog
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Technical and Human Science, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Tirgu-Mures, Romania
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31
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Boevé JL, Nyman T, Shinohara A, Schmidt S. Endogenous toxins and the coupling of gregariousness to conspicuousness in Argidae and Pergidae sawflies. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17636. [PMID: 30518939 PMCID: PMC6281571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35925-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytophagous insects tend to be either cryptic and solitary, or brightly colored and gregarious, as a defense against vertebrate predators. Here, we tested whether potent defensive chemicals produced de novo by larvae of Argidae and Pergidae sawflies have influenced the evolutionary relationship between larval appearance and levels of gregariousness. Phylogeny-based correlation analyses indicated only a weak trend for solitary species to be cryptic, and for gregarious ones to be conspicuous. Numerous Argidae were cryptic-solitary or conspicuous-gregarious, whereas most Pergidae were conspicuous-gregarious. Both families also included not truly gregarious but aggregated species, i.e. with individuals more evenly distributed on the host plant. By considering two specific morphological traits, predominant body coloration and contrasting spots on body, each one was (weakly) associated with appearance but none with gregariousness, which reflects the functional relevance of appearance as a whole. Furthermore, Argidae can display alternate appearances during successive larval instars. Finally, an independent contrasts test showed no obvious correlation between two major toxic peptides. Our results point towards diversely combined patterns of linked ecological traits in these insects. By assuming that warning coloration is more warranted against vertebrate than invertebrate predators, we suggest that the occurrence itself of toxins allowed this diversity via differing predator guilds and environmental factors, to which these insects were confronted during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Luc Boevé
- OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Tommi Nyman
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanhovd Research Station, NO-9925, Svanvik, Norway
| | - Akihiko Shinohara
- Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- SNSB - Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247, Munich, Germany
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32
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Song S, Kim S, Kwon SW, Lee SI, Jablonski PG. Defense sequestration associated with narrowing of diet and ontogenetic change to aposematic colours in the spotted lanternfly. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16831. [PMID: 30442911 PMCID: PMC6237927 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34946-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bright colours in distasteful prey warn off predators, but processes associated with ontogenetic acquisition of warning colours and distasteful compounds have been studied in only a few organisms. Here, we study spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula; Fulgoridae) that change to red colouration when they narrow their host plant preferences to primarily the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima; Simaroubaceae), which is chemically defended by quassinoids. In experiments, we showed that birds taste-avoided lanternflies collected on Ailanthus but not those collected on the secondary hosts. Birds also taste-avoided seeds infused with ailanthone, the main quassinoid sequestered from Ailanthus by lanternflies as shown through mass spectrometry analyses. Hence, the narrowing of host preferences by lanternflies synchronizes the timing of change to red colour with the acquisition of quassinoid defenses. A schematic graphical population-level model of these processes is provided. This is the first report of quassinoid sequestration by insects and the first evidence that Simaroubaceae plants provide defensive chemicals to insects. This is the first report of a fulgoroid insect sequestering identified chemical defenses. The results highlight the importance of the pan-tropical taxon Fulgoridae for evolutionary biology of complex aposematic strategies and for understanding the links between timing of defense sequestration, timing of host plant preference shifts, and timing of colour change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soorim Song
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, 130 Mulford Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3114, USA
| | - Shinae Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea
| | - Sung Won Kwon
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea
| | - Sang-Im Lee
- Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology School of Undergraduate Studies, Daegu, 42988, South Korea. .,Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 08-826, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Piotr G Jablonski
- Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 08-826, Seoul, South Korea. .,Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warsaw, Poland.
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33
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Briolat ES, Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Blount JD, Stevens M. No evidence of quantitative signal honesty across species of aposematic burnet moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). J Evol Biol 2018; 32:31-48. [PMID: 30317689 PMCID: PMC6378400 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many defended species use conspicuous visual warning signals to deter potential predators from attacking. Traditional theory holds that these signals should converge on similar forms, yet variation in visual traits and the levels of defensive chemicals is common, both within and between species. It is currently unclear how the strength of signals and potency of defences might be related: conflicting theories suggest that aposematic signals should be quantitatively honest, or, in contrast, that investment in one component should be prioritized over the other, while empirical tests have yielded contrasting results. Here, we advance this debate by examining the relationship between defensive chemicals and signal properties in a family of aposematic Lepidoptera, accounting for phylogenetic relationships and quantifying coloration from the perspective of relevant predators. We test for correlations between toxin levels and measures of wing colour across 14 species of day‐flying burnet and forester moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae), protected by highly aversive cyanogenic glucosides, and find no clear evidence of quantitative signal honesty. Significant relationships between toxin levels and coloration vary between sexes and sampling years, and several trends run contrary to expectations for signal honesty. Although toxin concentration is positively correlated with increasing luminance contrast in forewing pattern in 1 year, higher toxin levels are also associated with paler and less chromatically salient markings, at least in females, in another year. Our study also serves to highlight important factors, including sex‐specific trends and seasonal variation, that should be accounted for in future work on signal honesty in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle S Briolat
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carl E Olsen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonathan D Blount
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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34
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Seymoure BM, Raymundo A, McGraw KJ, Owen McMillan W, Rutowski RL. Environment-dependent attack rates of cryptic and aposematic butterflies. Curr Zool 2018; 64:663-669. [PMID: 30323845 PMCID: PMC6178784 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved adaptive coloration that reduces their risk of predation. Cryptic coloration reduces the likelihood of detection/recognition by potential predators, while warning or aposematic coloration advertises unprofitability and thereby reduces the likelihood of attack. Although some studies show that aposematic coloration functions better at decreasing attack rate than crypsis, recent work has suggested and demonstrated that crypsis and aposematism are both successful strategies for avoiding predation. Furthermore, the visual environment (e.g., ambient lighting, background) affects the ability for predators to detect prey. We investigated these 2 related hypotheses using 2 well-known visually aposematic species of Heliconius butterflies, which occupy different habitats (open-canopy vs. closed-canopy), and one palatable, cryptic, generalist species Junonia coenia. We tested if the differently colored butterflies differ in attack rates by placing plasticine models of each of the 3 species in 2 different tropical habitats where the butterflies naturally occur: disturbed, open-canopy habitat and forested, closed-canopy habitat. The cryptic model had fewer attacks than one of the aposematic models. Predation rates differed between the 2 habitats, with the open habitat having much higher predation. However, we did not find an interaction between species and habitat type, which is perplexing due to the different aposematic phenotypes naturally occurring in different habitats. Our findings suggest that during the Panamanian dry season avian predation on perched butterflies is not a leading cause in habitat segregation between the 2 aposematic species and demonstrate that cryptically colored animals at rest may be better than aposematic prey at avoiding avian attacks in certain environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Seymoure
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Andrew Raymundo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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35
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Burdfield-Steel E, Brain M, Rojas B, Mappes J. The price of safety: food deprivation in early life influences the efficacy of chemical defence in an aposematic moth. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Burdfield-Steel
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Morgan Brain
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Univ. of Jyväskylä Finland
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36
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Lüddecke T, Schulz S, Steinfartz S, Vences M. A salamander’s toxic arsenal: review of skin poison diversity and function in true salamanders, genus Salamandra. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:56. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1579-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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37
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Distance-dependent defensive coloration in the poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius, Dendrobatidae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6416-6421. [PMID: 29866847 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800826115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Poison dart frogs provide classic examples of warning signals: potent toxins signaled by distinctive, conspicuous coloration. We show that, counterintuitively, the bright yellow and blue-black color of Dendrobates tinctorius (Dendrobatidae) also provides camouflage. Through computational modeling of predator vision, and a screen-based detection experiment presenting frogs at different spatial resolutions, we demonstrate that at close range the frog is highly detectable, but from a distance the colors blend together, forming effective camouflage. This result was corroborated with an in situ experiment, which found survival to be background-dependent, a feature more associated with camouflage than aposematism. Our results suggest that in D. tinctorius the distribution of pattern elements, and the particular colors expressed, act as a highly salient close range aposematic signal, while simultaneously minimizing detectability to distant observers.
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38
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39
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An Empirical Test Indicates Only Qualitatively Honest Aposematic Signaling Within a Population of Vertebrates. J HERPETOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1670/17-047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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40
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Briolat ES, Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Blount JD, Stevens M. Sex differences but no evidence of quantitative honesty in the warning signals of six-spot burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae L.). Evolution 2018; 72:1460-1474. [PMID: 29767461 PMCID: PMC6099377 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13505] [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: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The distinctive black and red wing pattern of six-spot burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae, L.) is a classic example of aposematism, advertising their potent cyanide-based defences. While such warning signals provide a qualitatively honest signal of unprofitability, the evidence for quantitative honesty, whereby variation in visual traits could provide accurate estimates of individual toxicity, is more equivocal. Combining measures of cyanogenic glucoside content and wing color from the perspective of avian predators, we investigate the relationship between coloration and defences in Z. filipendulae, to test signal honesty both within and across populations. There were no significant relationships between mean cyanogenic glucoside concentration and metrics of wing coloration across populations in males, yet in females higher cyanogenic glucoside levels were associated with smaller and lighter red forewing markings. Trends within populations were similarly inconsistent with quantitative honesty, and persistent differences between the sexes were apparent: larger females, carrying a greater total cyanogenic glucoside load, displayed larger but less conspicuous markings than smaller males, according to several color metrics. The overall high aversiveness of cyanogenic glucosides and fluctuations in color and toxin levels during an individual's lifetime may contribute to these results, highlighting generally important reasons why signal honesty should not always be expected in aposematic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Sophie Briolat
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwall TR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
| | - Mika Zagrobelny
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science CentreDepartment of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Copenhagen40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK‐1871 Frederiksberg CCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Carl Erik Olsen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and Copenhagen Plant Science CentreDepartment of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Copenhagen40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK‐1871 Frederiksberg CCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Jonathan D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwall TR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwall TR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
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41
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Gamberale-Stille G, Kazemi B, Balogh A, Leimar O. Biased generalization of salient traits drives the evolution of warning signals. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0283. [PMID: 29669901 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of receiver biases in shaping the evolution of many signalling systems is widely acknowledged. Here, we show that receiver bias can explain which traits evolve to become warning signals. For warning coloration, a generalization bias for a signalling trait can result from predators learning to discriminate unprofitable from profitable prey. However, because the colour patterns of prey are complex traits with multiple components, it is crucial to understand which of the many aspects of prey appearance evolve into signals. We provide experimental evidence that the more salient differences in prey traits give rise to greater generalization bias, corresponding to stronger selection towards trait exaggeration. Our results are based on experiments with domestic chickens as predators in a Skinner-box-like setting, and imply that the difference in appearance between profitable and unprofitable prey that is most rapidly learnt produces the greatest generalization bias. As a consequence, certain salient traits of unprofitable prey are selected towards exaggeration to even higher salience, driving the evolution of warning coloration. This general idea may also help to explain the evolution of many other striking signalling traits found in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Baharan Kazemi
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Balogh
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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42
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Barnett JB, Cuthill IC, Scott-Samuel NE. Distance-dependent pattern blending can camouflage salient aposematic signals. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0128. [PMID: 28679722 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of viewing distance on the perception of visual texture is well known: spatial frequencies higher than the resolution limit of an observer's visual system will be summed and perceived as a single combined colour. In animal defensive colour patterns, distance-dependent pattern blending may allow aposematic patterns, salient at close range, to match the background to distant observers. Indeed, recent research has indicated that reducing the distance from which a salient signal can be detected can increase survival over camouflage or conspicuous aposematism alone. We investigated whether the spatial frequency of conspicuous and cryptically coloured stripes affects the rate of avian predation. Our results are consistent with pattern blending acting to camouflage salient aposematic signals effectively at a distance. Experiments into the relative rate of avian predation on edible model caterpillars found that increasing spatial frequency (thinner stripes) increased survival. Similarly, visual modelling of avian predators showed that pattern blending increased the similarity between caterpillar and background. These results show how a colour pattern can be tuned to reveal or conceal different information at different distances, and produce tangible survival benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Barnett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Innes C Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Nicholas E Scott-Samuel
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
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43
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Bulbert MW, White TE, Saporito RA, Kraus F. Ontogenetic colour change in Oreophryne ezra (Anura: Microhylidae) reflects an unusual shift from conspicuousness to crypsis but not in toxicity. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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44
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Bolton SK, Dickerson K, Saporito RA. Variable Alkaloid Defenses in the Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio are Perceived as Differences in Palatability to Arthropods. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:273-289. [PMID: 28289966 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0827-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Conspicuously colored dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from dietary arthropods, resulting in considerable alkaloid variation among populations; however, little is known about how variation is perceived as a defense against predators. Previous studies have found variable alkaloids in the dendrobatid Oophaga pumilio to be associated with differences in toxicity to laboratory mice, suggesting variable defenses are important. Arthropods are natural predators that use chemoreception to detect prey, including frogs, and may therefore perceive variation in alkaloid profiles as differences in palatability. The goal of the present study is to determine how arthropods respond to variable alkaloid defenses in O. pumilio. Frog alkaloids were sampled from individual O. pumilio from ten geographic locations throughout the Bocas del Toro region of Panama and the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Alkaloid extracts were used in feeding bioassays with the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster and the ant Ectatomma ruidum. Both species of arthropods fed significantly less on frog alkaloid extracts when compared to controls, and differences in alkaloid palatability were observed among frog populations, as well as between sexes and life stages within a population. Differences in alkaloid quantity, richness, and type were the main predictors of arthropod palatability. Our findings also represent the first direct evidence of a palatability spectrum in a vertebrate that sequesters chemical defenses from dietary sources. Further, the presence of a palatability spectrum suggests that variable alkaloid defenses in O. pumilio are ecologically relevant and play an important role in natural predator-prey interactions, particularly with respect to arthropod predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Bolton
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Boulevard, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Kelsie Dickerson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California at Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Boulevard, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.
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45
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Václav R, Kolníková Z. Effects of food and thermal regimes on body condition indices and skin colouration in corn snakes. Biologia (Bratisl) 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/biolog-2017-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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46
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Boppré M, Vane-Wright RI, Wickler W. A hypothesis to explain accuracy of wasp resemblances. Ecol Evol 2016; 7:73-81. [PMID: 28070276 PMCID: PMC5214283 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mimicry is one of the oldest concepts in biology, but it still presents many puzzles and continues to be widely debated. Simulation of wasps with a yellow‐black abdominal pattern by other insects (commonly called “wasp mimicry”) is traditionally considered a case of resemblance of unprofitable by profitable prey causing educated predators to avoid models and mimics to the advantage of both (Figure 1a). However, as wasps themselves are predators of insects, wasp mimicry can also be seen as a case of resemblance to one's own potential antagonist. We here propose an additional hypothesis to Batesian and Müllerian mimicry (both typically involving selection by learning vertebrate predators; cf. Table 1) that reflects another possible scenario for the evolution of multifold and in particular very accurate resemblances to wasps: an innate, visual inhibition of aggression among look‐alike wasps, based on their social organization and high abundance. We argue that wasp species resembling each other need not only be Müllerian mutualists and that other insects resembling wasps need not only be Batesian mimics, but an innate ability of wasps to recognize each other during hunting is the driver in the evolution of a distinct kind of masquerade, in which model, mimic, and selecting agent belong to one or several species (Figure 1b). Wasp mimics resemble wasps not (only) to be mistaken by educated predators but rather, or in addition, to escape attack from their wasp models. Within a given ecosystem, there will be selection pressures leading to masquerade driven by wasps and/or to mimicry driven by other predators that have to learn to avoid them. Different pressures by guilds of these two types of selective agents could explain the widely differing fidelity with respect to the models in assemblages of yellow jackets and yellow jacket look‐alikes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Boppré
- Forstzoologie und Entomologie Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Germany
| | - Richard I Vane-Wright
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE)University of Kent Canterbury UK; Life Sciences Natural History Museum London UK
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Warning signal properties covary with toxicity but not testosterone or aggregate carotenoids in a poison frog. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9830-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Rojas B. Behavioural, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of diversity in frog colour patterns. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1059-1080. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rojas
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Jyvaskyla; PO Box 35 Jyväskylä FI 40001 Finland
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