1
|
Janas K, Gudowska A, Drobniak SM. Avian colouration in a polluted world: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1261-1277. [PMID: 38494176 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13067] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Brilliant, diverse colour ornaments of birds were one of the crucial cues that led Darwin to the idea of sexual selection. Although avian colouration plays many functions, including concealment, thermoregulation, or advertisement as a distasteful prey, a quality-signalling role in sexual selection has attracted most research attention. Sexually selected ornaments are thought to be more susceptible to external stressors than naturally selected traits, and as such, they might be used as a test for environmental quality. For this reason, the last two decades have seen numerous studies on the impact of anthropogenic pollution on the expression of various avian colour traits. Herein, we provide the first meta-analytical summary of these results and examine whether there is an interaction between the mechanism of colour production (carotenoid-based, melanin-based and structural) and the type of anthropogenic factor (categorised as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, urbanisation, or other). Following the assumption of heightened condition dependence of ornaments under sexual selection, we also expected the magnitude of effect sizes to be higher in males. The overall effect size was close to significance and negative, supporting a general detrimental impact of anthropogenic pollutants on avian colouration. In contrast to expectations, there was no interaction between pollution types and colour-producing mechanisms. Yet there were significant differences in sensitivity between colour-producing mechanisms, with carotenoid-based colouration being the most affected by anthropogenic environmental disturbances. Moreover, we observed no significant tendency towards heightened sensitivity in males. We identified a publication gap on structural colouration, which, compared to pigment-based colouration, remains markedly understudied and should thus be prioritised in future research. Finally, we call for the unification of methods used in colour quantification in ecological research to ensure comparability of results among studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Janas
- Ornithological Station, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Gudowska
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Di Lecce I, Sudyka J, Perrier C, Szulkin M. Extra-pair paternity in two passerine birds breeding in a gradient of urbanisation. Mol Ecol 2024:e17481. [PMID: 39044486 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Urbanisation has been increasing worldwide in recent decades, driving environmental change and exerting novel selective pressures on wildlife. Phenotypic differences between urban and rural individuals have been widely documented in several taxa. However, the extent to which urbanisation impacts mating strategies is less known. Here, we investigated extra-pair paternity variation in great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) breeding in nestboxes set in a gradient of urbanisation in Warsaw, Poland, over three breeding seasons. Urbanisation was quantified as the amount of light pollution, noise pollution, impervious surface area (ISA) and tree cover within a 100-m radius around each nestbox. We obtained genotypes for 1213 great tits at 7344 SNP markers and for 1299 blue tits at 9366 SNP markers with a genotyping-by-sequencing method, and inferred extra-pair paternity by computing a genomewide relatedness matrix. We report higher extra-pair paternity in blue tits breeding in more urbanised areas, for example, with higher light pollution and ISA, and lower tree cover. However, no such trend was found in great tits. Late-stage survival of individual nestlings in both species was not associated with paternity or urbanisation proxies, thus we were not able to detect fitness benefits or drawbacks of being an extra-pair offspring in relation to urbanisation. Our results contribute to the growing body of knowledge reporting on the effects of urbanisation on avian ecology and behaviour, and confirm species-specific and population-specific patterns of extra-pair paternity variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Di Lecce
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Sudyka
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Charles Perrier
- CBGP, INRAe, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ellis JL, Ponette-González AG, Fry M, Johnson JA. Reduced reflectance and altered color: The potential cost of external particulate matter accumulation on urban Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) feathers. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.946624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Feather quality in birds is considered an honest signal of individual health as feather appearance and function depend on an individual’s ability to maintain them. In addition to flight and insulation, feathers are essential for social interactions and sexual selection in the form of visual signals. Airborne particulate matter (PM) can accumulate on feather surfaces and alter feather appearance. We quantified PM accumulation on Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) feathers and analyzed the spectral properties of extracted particulates. Feathers were sampled from two pigeon populations, one rural and one urban, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with 47 and 93% developed land cover, respectively, within 2 km of the populations. We determined accumulated PM gravimetrically after rinsing feathers and then measured the visible-near-infrared diffuse reflectance and color properties of extracted particulates. The rate of PM accumulation on rural birds was higher than on urban birds. However, feather particulates collected from urban pigeons had significantly lower total reflectance, reflectance in the visible portion of the spectrum, lightness, and hue angle compared to those of rural pigeons. The hue angle of rural feather particulates displayed a negative relationship with PM accumulation while total reflectance, reflectance in the visible range, and lightness of urban feather particulates were negatively related to PM accumulation. Our findings suggest that wild birds could incur an urban pollution penalty as PM accumulation has the potential to alter feather properties. Further research is needed to better understand the influence of external PM accumulation on the physiological and behavioral health of birds.
Collapse
|
4
|
Michelangeli M, Martin JM, Pinter-Wollman N, Ioannou CC, McCallum ES, Bertram MG, Brodin T. Predicting the impacts of chemical pollutants on animal groups. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:789-802. [PMID: 35718586 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical pollution is among the fastest-growing agents of global change. Synthetic chemicals with diverse modes-of-action are being detected in the tissues of wildlife and pervade entire food webs. Although such pollutants can elicit a range of sublethal effects on individual organisms, research on how chemical pollutants affect animal groups is severely lacking. Here we synthesise research from two related, but largely segregated fields - ecotoxicology and behavioural ecology - to examine pathways by which chemical contaminants could disrupt processes that govern the emergence, self-organisation, and collective function of animal groups. Our review provides a roadmap for prioritising the study of chemical pollutants within the context of sociality and highlights important methodological advancements for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Michelangeli
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia.
| | - Jake M Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Christos C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
| | - Erin S McCallum
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - Michael G Bertram
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Khare D, Chandwadkar P, Acharya C. Gliding motility of a uranium-tolerant Bacteroidetes bacterium Chryseobacterium sp. strain PMSZPI: insights into the architecture of spreading colonies. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 14:453-463. [PMID: 34907658 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Uranium-tolerant soil bacterium Chryseobacterium sp. strain PMSZPI moved over solid agar surfaces by gliding motility thereby forming spreading colonies which is a hallmark of members of Bacteroidetes phylum. PMSZPI genome harboured orthologs of all the gld and spr genes considered as core bacteroidetes gliding motility genes of which gldK, gldL, gldM and gldN were co-transcribed. Here, we present the intriguing interplay between gliding motility and cellular organization in PMSZPI spreading colonies. While nutrient deficiency enhanced colony spreading, high agar concentrations and presence of motility inhibitor like 5-hydroxyindole reduced the spreading. A detailed in situ structural analysis of spreading colonies revealed closely packed cells forming multiple layers at centre of colony while the edges showed clusters of cells periodically arranged in hexagonal lattices interconnected with each other. The cell migration within colony was visualized as branched structures wherein the cells were buried within extracellular matrix. PMSZPI colonies exhibited strong iridescence possibly as a result of periodicity within the cell population achieved through gliding motility. Presence of uranium reduced motility and iridescence and induced biofilm formation. The coordinated study of gliding motility and iridescence apparently influenced by uranium provides unique insights into the lifestyle of PMSZPI residing in uranium enriched environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devanshi Khare
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Pallavi Chandwadkar
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Celin Acharya
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Heinen‐Kay JL, Kay AD, Zuk M. How urbanization affects sexual communication. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17625-17650. [PMID: 35003629 PMCID: PMC8717295 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is rapidly altering landscapes worldwide, changing environmental conditions, and creating novel selection pressures for many organisms. Local environmental conditions affect the expression and evolution of sexual signals and mating behaviors; changes in such traits have important evolutionary consequences because of their effect on reproduction. In this review, we synthesize research investigating how sexual communication is affected by the environmental changes associated with urbanization-including pollution from noise, light, and heavy metals, habitat fragmentation, impervious surfaces, urban heat islands, and changes in resources and predation. Urbanization often has negative effects on sexual communication through signal masking, altering condition-dependent signal expression, and weakening female preferences. Though there are documented instances of seemingly adaptive shifts in trait expression, the ultimate impact on fitness is rarely tested. The field of urban evolution is still relatively young, and most work has tested whether differences occur in response to various aspects of urbanization. There is limited information available about whether these responses represent phenotypic plasticity or genetic changes, and the extent to which observed shifts in sexual communication affect reproductive fitness. Our understanding of how sexual selection operates in novel, urbanized environments would be bolstered by more studies that perform common garden studies and reciprocal transplants, and that simultaneously evaluate multiple environmental factors to tease out causal drivers of observed phenotypic shifts. Urbanization provides a unique testing ground for evolutionary biologists to study the interplay between ecology and sexual selection, and we suggest that more researchers take advantage of these natural experiments. Furthermore, understanding how sexual communication and mating systems differ between cities and rural areas can offer insights on how to mitigate negative, and accentuate positive, consequences of urban expansion on the biota, and provide new opportunities to underscore the relevance of evolutionary biology in the Anthropocene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justa L. Heinen‐Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulUSA
| | - Adam D. Kay
- Biology DepartmentUniversity of St. ThomasSt. PaulUSA
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulUSA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chatelain M, Da Silva A, Celej M, Kurek E, Bulska E, Corsini M, Szulkin M. Replicated, urban-driven exposure to metallic trace elements in two passerines. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19662. [PMID: 34608262 PMCID: PMC8490372 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99329-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
While there are increasing examples of phenotypic and genotypic differences between urban and non-urban populations of plants and animals, few studies identified the mechanisms explaining those dissimilarities. The characterization of the urban landscape, which can only be achieved by measuring variability in relevant environmental factors within and between cities, is a keystone prerequisite to understand the effects of urbanization on wildlife. Here, we measured variation in bird exposure to metal pollution within 8 replicated urbanization gradients and within 2 flagship bird species in urban evolutionary ecology: the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and the great tit (Parus major). We report on a highly significant, positive linear relationship between the magnitude of urbanization-inferred as either tree cover, impervious surface cover, or an urbanization score computed from several environmental variables, and copper, zinc and lead concentrations in bird feathers. The reverse relationship was measured in the case of mercury, while cadmium and arsenic did not vary in response to the urbanization level. This result, replicated across multiple cities and two passerine species, strongly suggests that copper, zinc, lead and mercury pollution is likely to trigger the emergence of parallel responses at the phenotypic and/or genotypic level between urban environments worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland. .,Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Arnaud Da Silva
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Celej
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eliza Kurek
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Bulska
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland ,grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michela Corsini
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Szulkin
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Martín J, Recio P, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Barja I, Gutiérrez E, García LV. Relationships between soil pollution by heavy metals and melanin-dependent coloration of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Integr Zool 2021; 17:596-607. [PMID: 34047065 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the basis of coloration in many animals, and although it is often used in communication, thermoregulation, or camouflage, melanin has many other physiological functions. For example, in polluted habitats, melanin can have a detoxifying function. Melanic coloration would help to sequester in the skin the heavy metal contaminants from inside the body, which will be expelled to the exterior when the skin is sloughed. Moreover, animals should have evolved more melanic colorations in more polluted habitats ("industrial melanism" hypothesis). We examined whether the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile, Trogonophis wiegmanni, is able to eliminate heavy metals, derived from soil pollution by seagull depositions, through sloughing its skin. Our results suggest a covariation between levels of soil pollution by heavy metals and the concentration of heavy metals in the sloughed skins of amphisbaenians. This suggests that amphisbaenians may expel heavy metals from their bodies when they slough the skins. We also tested whether amphisbaenians inhabiting soils with higher levels of heavy metal pollution had darker (melanin-dependent) body colorations. However, contrary to predictions from the "industrial melanization" hypothesis, we found a negative relationship between soil pollution and proportions of melanic coloration. This contradictory result could, however, be explained because heavy metals have endocrine disruption effects that increase physiological stress, and higher stress levels could result in decreased melanogenesis. We suggest that although amphisbaenians might have some detoxifying mechanism linked to melanin in the skin, this process might be negatively affected by stress and result ineffective under conditions of high soil pollution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Leveau L. United colours of the city: A review about urbanisation impact on animal colours. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Leveau
- Departamento de Ecología Genética y Evolución Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires – IEGEBA (CONICET – UBA) Ciudad Universitaria, Pab 2, Piso 4 Buenos Aires1426Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Grieves LA, Bottini CLJ, Branfireun BA, Bernards MA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, MacDougall-Shackleton EA. Food stress, but not experimental exposure to mercury, affects songbird preen oil composition. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:275-285. [PMID: 32036507 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02171-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global pollutant and potent neurotoxic metal. Its most toxic and bioavailable form, methylmercury, can have both lethal and sublethal effects on wildlife. In birds, methylmercury exposure can disrupt behavior, hormones, the neuroendocrine system, and feather integrity. Lipid-rich tissues and secretions may be particularly susceptible to disruption by lipophilic contaminants such as methylmercury. One such substance is feather preen oil, a waxy secretion of the uropygial gland that serves multiple functions including feather maintenance, anti-parasitic defense, and chemical signaling. If methylmercury exposure alters preen oil composition, it could have cascading effects on feather quality, susceptibility to ectoparasites, and mate choice and other social behaviors. We investigated whether exposure to methylmercury, either alone or in association with other stressors, affects preen oil chemical composition. We used a two-factor design to expose adult song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to an environmentally relevant dietary dose of methylmercury and/or to another stressor (unpredictable food supply) for eight weeks. The wax ester composition of preen oil changed significantly over the 8-week experimental period. This change was more pronounced in the unpredictable food treatment, regardless of dietary methylmercury. Contrary to our prediction, we found no main effect of methylmercury exposure on preen oil composition, nor did methylmercury interact with unpredictable food supply in predicting the magnitude of chemical shifts in preen oil. While it remains critical to study sublethal effects of methylmercury on wildlife, our findings suggest that the wax ester composition of preen oil is robust to environmentally relevant doses of this contaminant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L A Grieves
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - C L J Bottini
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - B A Branfireun
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - M A Bernards
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - S A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - E A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Leclaire S, Chatelain M, Pessato A, Buatois B, Frantz A, Gasparini J. Pigeon odor varies with experimental exposure to trace metal pollution. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2019; 28:76-85. [PMID: 30506322 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-2001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Trace metals are chemical pollutants that have well-known noxious effects on wildlife and that are current major environmental issues in urban habitats. Previous studies have demonstrated their negative (e.g. lead) or positive (e.g. zinc) effects on body condition, immunity and reproductive success. Because of their effects on condition, trace metals are likely to influence the production of condition-dependent ornaments. The last decade has revealed that bird odors, like mammal odors, can convey information on individual quality and might be used as secondary sexual ornaments. Here, we used solid-phase microextraction headspace sampling with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to investigate whether plumage scent varied with experimental supplementation in lead and/or zinc in feral pigeons. Zinc supplementation (alone or in combination with lead) changed the proportion of several volatiles, including an increase in the proportion of hydroxy-esters. The production of these esters, that most likely originate from preen gland secretions, may be costly and might thus be reduced by stress induced by zinc deficiency. Although lead is known to negatively impact pigeon condition, it did not statistically affect feather scent, despite most of the volatiles that increased with zinc exposure tended to be decreased in lead-supplemented pigeons. Further studies should evaluate the functions of plumage volatiles to predict how trace metals can impact bird fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Leclaire
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 (CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA), 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse, 31062, France.
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France.
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Marion Chatelain
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
- Wild Urban Evolution and Ecology Lab, Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland
| | - Anaïs Pessato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Victoria, 3217, Australia
| | - Bruno Buatois
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Adrien Frantz
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Julien Gasparini
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|