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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Szabó G, Sarkadi F, Török J. Plumage color degradation indicates reproductive effort: an experiment. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18770. [PMID: 37907494 PMCID: PMC10618437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45348-0] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Plumage color has traditionally been regarded as a static ornamental trait, but evidence is accumulating for significant color changes without molt that typically reduce the conspicuousness of ornamentation. In some species, the social partner seems to increase its reproductive investment if the color trait is experimentally enhanced, suggesting that color change could act as a signal. However, the information content of this signal is so far unclear. For example, birds in poor condition or making greater effort may deteriorate more severely. We used brood size manipulations to alter the reproductive effort of male and female collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis. Both sexes showed less severe decline in some reflectance attribute of their white breast when their brood was experimentally reduced. In each sex, greater deterioration of the reflectance trait affected by the manipulation was accompanied by increased feeding rate by the partner. These feeding patterns do not prove, but are consistent with, a compensatory response by the partner to induced degradation. The manipulation effects on color change we detected confirm for the first time that plumage color deterioration can indicate current reproductive effort, thereby providing a potential fitness advantage to social partners that react to such deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary.
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
- Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, 8744, Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Gyula Szabó
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Fanni Sarkadi
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
- HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, 1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary
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2
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Valdez DJ, Benitez-Vieyra SM. Annual molt period and seasonal color variation in the Eared Dove´s crown. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280819. [PMID: 36827341 PMCID: PMC9955656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Molting is an important process in which old and worn feathers are exchanged for new ones. Plumage color is determined by pigments such as carotenes, melanin and by the ultrastructure of the feather. The importance of plumage coloration has been widely studied in different groups of birds, generally at a particular time of the year. However, plumage coloration is not static and few studies have addressed the change in plumage color over time and its relationship to reproductive tasks. The Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata, Des Murs, 1847) has a melanistic coloration with sexual dichromatism in different body regions. The Eared Dove´s crown is the most exposed body region during the bowing display. Our objective was therefore to accurately determine the molting period of the crown feathers and study the seasonal variation in their coloration in females and males. Our findings indicate a molting period of 6 months (January to June). The new feathers are undergoing changes in their coloration from July to December. During that period we apply an avian vision model then enabled us to reveal a seasonal variation in the coloration of the crown feathers in both sexes, as given by a change in the chromatic distances. The highest values in the chromatic distances towards the reproductive period are given by a change in the UV-violet component of the spectrum, indicating changes in the microstructure of the feather. This change in crown coloration towards the breeding season could be linked to reproductive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego J. Valdez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Córdoba, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Santiago M. Benitez-Vieyra
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
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3
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García‐Campa J, Müller W, Morales J. Offspring plumage coloration as a condition-dependent signal in the blue tit. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9787. [PMID: 36744078 PMCID: PMC9889846 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In many species, offspring display conspicuous coloration already early in life, even though they might be very vulnerable to predation at this stage. However, most attention has been drawn to the conspicuous plumage displayed by adult individuals in a sexual context, while other signaling functions have been explored much less. Here, we investigated whether the yellow breast plumage of blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nestlings shows patterns of condition dependence and hence signals individual quality, as has been described for adult birds. During three consecutive breeding seasons, we, therefore, explored the association between nestling body mass and three color components of the yellow breast plumage (i.e., UV chroma, carotenoid chroma, and total brightness), considering both within and among nest effects. Variation in carotenoid chroma was not related to body mass. However, UV chroma and total brightness varied with body mass on an among-nest level, suggesting that they might signal aspects of genetic quality or parental rearing capacity. Interestingly, we also found a within-nest effect of body mass on total brightness, suggesting that this is a good candidate for a condition-dependent signal within the family. Thus, other family members could rely on brightness to adjust their behavioral strategies, such as feeding behavior in parents. Our study thus reveals that certain color components of the yellow breast plumage might signal different aspects of offspring quality, and they might have a correlated signaling value across life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge García‐Campa
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology GroupUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
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4
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López-Rull I, Salaberría C, Fargallo JA. Plastic plumage colouration in response to experimental humidity supports Gloger's rule. Sci Rep 2023; 13:858. [PMID: 36646811 PMCID: PMC9842646 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28090-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowing how animals adapt their phenotype to local temperature and humidity is key to understanding not only ecogeographical rules, but also how species will manage climate change, as current models predict changes in global patterns of temperature and precipitation. In endotherms, colour adaptations in response to climate have been under investigated, and their acclimatization-the individual capacity to reversibly adjust phenotype in response to different environments-is unknown. Geographic trends can provide clues about abiotic variables involved in colouration, as postulated by Gloger's rule, which predicts darker individuals in warm and humid regions. We tested whether house sparrows (Passer domesticus) can adjust colouration when faced with varying humidity conditions. We exposed birds to either a dry (humidity 45%) or a wet environment (70%) six months before their moult, and measured colouration in newly developed feathers in five parts of the body (bib, crown, crown stripe, belly and rump). As predicted by Gloger's rule, birds in wet conditions developed darker (bib and belly) and larger (bib) melanised plumage patches, than birds in dry conditions. Our result provides the first unequivocal evidence that the ability of individual birds to adjust their colouration may be a potential adaptation to climatic changes in endotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel López-Rull
- Departamento Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n., 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Concepción Salaberría
- Departamento Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n., 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Fargallo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Alonso-Alvarez C, Andrade P, Cantarero A, Morales J, Carneiro M. Relocation to avoid costs: A hypothesis on red carotenoid-based signals based on recent CYP2J19 gene expression data. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200037. [PMID: 36209392 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200037] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In many vertebrates, the enzymatic oxidation of dietary yellow carotenoids generates red keto-carotenoids giving color to ornaments. The oxidase CYP2J19 is here a key effector. Its purported intracellular location suggests a shared biochemical pathway between trait expression and cell functioning. This might guarantee the reliability of red colorations as individual quality signals independent of production costs. We hypothesize that the ornament type (feathers vs. bare parts) and production costs (probably CYP2J19 activity compromising vital functions) could have promoted tissue-specific gene relocation. We review current avian tissue-specific CYP2J19 expression data. Among the ten red-billed species showing CYP2J19 bill expression, only one showed strong hepatic expression. Moreover, a phylogenetically-controlled analysis of 25 red-colored species shows that those producing red bare parts are less likely to have strong hepatic CYP2J19 expression than species with only red plumages. Thus, both production costs and shared pathways might have contributed to the evolution of red signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Alejandro Cantarero
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
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6
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Evaluating different metrics to study small color differences: the red bill and plumage of common waxbills as a case study. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03236-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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7
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Fernández-Eslava B, Alonso D, Alonso-Alvarez C. An age-related decline in the expression of a red carotenoid-based ornament in wild birds. Evolution 2021; 75:3142-3153. [PMID: 34643274 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14378] [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] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The past decades have provided valuable information on how animals age in the wild. However, examples of male reproductive senescence are scarce. In particular, few studies have described an age-related decline in the expression of conspicuous traits influencing mating success. Red ornaments could be good candidates to detect this decline because their expression may depend on the availability of pigments (carotenoids) related to oxidative stress, the latter frequently linked to senescence. Furthermore, it has been argued that efficient mitochondrial metabolism is key to express red carotenoid-based ornaments, and mitochondrial dysfunction is usually associated with senescence. We studied the age-linked expression of a red carotenoid-based trait: the yellow-to-red plumage coloration of male common crossbills (Loxia curvirostra). This coloration has recently been experimentally related to mitochondrial function. Here, we analyzed longitudinal plumage coloration data obtained throughout 28 years in free-living birds. We detected an initial increase in redness during the first 2 years of life and a subsequent decline. The relationship between color and age was unrelated to within-individual body mass variability. As far as we know, this is the first demonstration of an age-related ketocarotenoid-based color decrease detected by simultaneously testing within- and between-individual variability in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Fernández-Eslava
- Department of Environmental Biology, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - D Alonso
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Donostia-S. Sebastián, Spain
| | - C Alonso-Alvarez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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8
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Fan M, Hall ML, Roast M, Peters A, Delhey K. Variability, heritability and condition-dependence of the multidimensional male colour phenotype in a passerine bird. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 127:300-311. [PMID: 34188194 PMCID: PMC8405751 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00453-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Elaborate ornamental traits are commonly assumed to be honest signals of individual quality, owing to the presumed costs involved in their production and/or maintenance. Such traits are often highly variable, possibly because of condition-dependence and/or high underlying genetic variation, and it has been suggested that their expression should be more sensitive to condition and/or more heritable than non-ornamental traits. Many bird species display colourful plumage with multiple distinct patches of different developmental origins, forming complex colour phenotypes. Despite this complexity, colourful ornaments are often studied in isolation, without comparison to suitable non-ornamental controls. Based on plumage reflectance data collected over 8 years, we assessed the signalling potential of the multidimensional male colour phenotype in a tropical bird: the purple-crowned fairy-wren Malurus coronatus. Specifically, we tested the predictions that the expression of putative ornamental colours (purple and black - the breeding colours - and blue) is (1) more variable, (2) more heritable and (3) more condition-dependent compared to year-round non-ornamental colours (buff-white and brown). Our results show that ornamental colours exhibit greater levels of variability, and some chromatic components of purple and blue colouration appear slightly heritable (h² = 0.19-0.30). However, contrary to predictions of heightened condition-dependence in ornaments, only brightness of the buff-white and brown colouration increased with male body condition, although brightness of the purple colouration was related to male age as expected. Despite partial support for predictions, the lack of consistent patterns illustrates the complexity of visual signals and highlights the need to study colour phenotypes in their entirety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Michael Roast
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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9
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Strickland D, Doucet SM. A bird that changes colour without moulting: how the wîskicâhk (Canada Jay, Perisoreus canadensis) tricked the taxonomists. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Avian and mammalian colours are thought to be constant in life and in museum specimens, but several early 20th-century taxonomists singled out the Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1766)) as having unstable feather pigments and warned against using old museum specimens for taxonomic purposes. One such error was Brisson’s (1760) original naming of the species as “the Brown Jay of Canada”. Another was Ridgway’s (1899) naming of the “Gray Jay” as a new subspecies, Perisoreus (canadensis) griseus, through inappropriate comparison of fresh grey specimens with old brown ones. We discovered that browning of initially grey plumage also occurs between annual moults in living individuals of the Canada Jay’s Pacific morphotype. We documented this change using photographs and re-sightings of colour-banded individuals and through spectral analysis of year-old (brown) and incoming (grey) rectrices collected from the same moulting individuals. To assess the distribution of this colour change, we compared September vs. May eBird photographs from across North America. We showed that seasonal colour change is normal in the Pacific morphotype but rare in the two other morphotypes. Collectively, these data have important implications for the taxonomy of the Canada Jay and are a cautionary tale for taxonomists studying animal colouration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stéphanie M. Doucet
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
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10
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Sirkiä PM, Qvarnström A. Adaptive coloration in pied flycatchers ( Ficedula hypoleuca)-The devil is in the detail. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1501-1525. [PMID: 33613985 PMCID: PMC7882974 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the origin and persistence of phenotypic variation within and among populations is a major goal in evolutionary biology. However, the eagerness to find unadulterated explanatory models in combination with difficulties in publishing replicated studies may lead to severe underestimations of the complexity of selection patterns acting in nature. One striking example is variation in plumage coloration in birds, where the default adaptive explanation often is that brightly colored individuals signal superior quality across environmental conditions and therefore always should be favored by directional mate choice. Here, we review studies on the proximate determination and adaptive function of coloration traits in male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). From numerous studies, we can conclude that the dark male color phenotype is adapted to a typical northern climate and functions as a dominance signal in male-male competition over nesting sites, and that the browner phenotypes are favored by relaxed intraspecific competition with more dominant male collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) in areas where the two species co-occur. However, the role of avoidance of hybridization in driving character displacement in plumage between these two species may not be as important as initially thought. The direction of female choice on male coloration in pied flycatchers is not simply as opposite in direction in sympatry and allopatry as traditionally expected, but varies also in relation to additional contexts such as climate variation. While some of the heterogeneity in the observed relationships between coloration and fitness probably indicate type 1 errors, we strongly argue that environmental heterogeneity and context-dependent selection play important roles in explaining plumage color variation in this species, which probably also is the case in many other species studied in less detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi M. Sirkiä
- Finnish Museum of Natural HistoryZoology UnitUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsAnimal EcologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsAnimal EcologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
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11
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McQueen A, Delhey K, Barzan FR, Naimo AC, Peters A. Male fairy-wrens produce and maintain vibrant breeding colors irrespective of individual quality. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Conspicuous colors may signal individual quality if high-quality individuals produce more elaborate colors or have a greater capacity to invest in color maintenance. We investigate these hypotheses using repeated within-individual observations and experimentally induced color production in a wild bird, the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). Male superb fairy-wrens undergo an annual molt from brown, nonbreeding plumage to an ultraviolet-blue and black breeding plumage. Color maintenance is especially relevant for this species because structural, ultraviolet-blue plumage colors are particularly susceptible to fading. Further, only the most sexually attractive males molt to breeding plumage early (before spring) and thereby keep their colors for an extended time before the breeding season. Our results show that (i) sexually attractive, early-molting males do not have higher quality breeding colors and (ii) breeding colors are not impacted by experimentally inducing males to molt early and while in low body condition. We found that (iii) breeding colors do not fade but remain consistent or become more saturated within individuals over time. Despite this, (iv) males do not spend more time preening while in breeding plumage. Instead, males keep their colors in pristine condition by re-molting parts of their breeding plumage throughout the breeding season, suggesting an alternative, potential cost of maintaining ornamental colors. We conclude that variation in structural breeding colors is unlikely to indicate individual quality in superb fairy-wrens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra McQueen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Flavia R Barzan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and CONICET, Oro Verde, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Annalise C Naimo
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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12
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Kötél D, Csörgő T. Melanin-based ornament darkness positively correlates with across-season nutritional condition. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13087-13094. [PMID: 33304519 PMCID: PMC7713921 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic ornamental traits are widely regarded as indicators of nutritional condition. However, variation of nutritional condition outside the reproductive and the ornament production seasons has rarely been considered, although it affects the generality of information content, especially for ornaments that may be used across the year. We measured several indicators of migratory and molt condition in male and female blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) during their autumn migration, and quantified their crown reflectance. We detected robust correlations between migratory and molt condition indices, and the correlation structure was similar in the two sexes. Furthermore, the across-season measure of body condition was positively related to the darkness of the black crown in males, while being unrelated to reflectance traits of the reddish crown in females. Our results reinforce the possibility that some melanin-based ornaments may be year-round indicators of individual quality via their dependence on nutritional condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Tibor Csörgő
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental BiologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
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13
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Cruz-Miralles Á, Avilés JM, Chastel O, Expósito-Granados M, Parejo D. Phaeomelanin matters: Redness associates with inter-individual differences in behaviour and feather corticosterone in male scops owls (Otus scops). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241380. [PMID: 33175892 PMCID: PMC7657523 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals within populations often show consistent variation in behavioural and physiological traits which are frequently inter-correlated, potentially leading to phenotypic integration. Understanding the mechanisms behind such integration is a key task in evolutionary ecology, and melanin based colouration has been suggested to play a pivotal role. In birds, most of plumage colour variation is determined by two types of melanin, eumelanin and phaeomelanin, but the role of phaeomelanin in avian phenotype integration has been barely investigated. Here, we test for covariation between phaeomelanin-based colouration, behavioural traits (i.e. nest territoriality, aggressiveness, breath rate and parental behaviour) and corticosterone in feathers in the polymorphic scops owl Otus scops, a bird species in which more phaeomelanic individuals display reddish colourations. In males, we observed that reddish males took longer to return to their nests and showed higher levels of feather CORT than more greyish ones. Behaviour and feather CORT were not associated to plumage colour in females. The found associations between redness, behaviour and feather CORT in males, but not in females, might suggest the existence of a sex-specific integrated phaeomelanic phenotype in scops owls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Cruz-Miralles
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, España
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, España
| | - Jesús M. Avilés
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, España
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Mónica Expósito-Granados
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, España
- Departamento de Economía y Empresa, Área de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, España
| | - Deseada Parejo
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, España
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA-CSIC, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, España
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14
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McQueen A, Kempenaers B, Dale J, Valcu M, Emery ZT, Dey CJ, Peters A, Delhey K. Evolutionary drivers of seasonal plumage colours: colour change by moult correlates with sexual selection, predation risk and seasonality across passerines. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1838-1849. [PMID: 31441210 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Some birds undergo seasonal colour change by moulting twice each year, typically alternating between a cryptic, non-breeding plumage and a conspicuous, breeding plumage ('seasonal plumage colours'). We test for potential drivers of the evolution of seasonal plumage colours in all passerines (N = 5901 species, c. 60% of all birds). Seasonal plumage colours are uncommon, having appeared on multiple occasions but more frequently lost during evolution. The trait is more common in small, ground-foraging species with polygynous mating systems, no paternal care and strong sexual dichromatism, suggesting it evolved under strong sexual selection and high predation risk. Seasonal plumage colours are also more common in species predicted to have seasonal breeding schedules, such as migratory birds and those living in seasonal climates. We propose that seasonal plumage colours have evolved to resolve a trade-off between the effects of natural and sexual selection on colouration, especially in seasonal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra McQueen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard Gwinner Str, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - James Dale
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard Gwinner Str, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Zachary T Emery
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
| | - Cody J Dey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Clayton Campus, 3800, Australia
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15
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Kötél D, Csizmadia T, Lőw P, Rosivall B, Szöllősi E, Török J. Reflectance variation in the blue tit crown in relation to feather structure. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.176727. [PMID: 29615523 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.176727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Structural plumage colour is one of the most enigmatic sexually selected traits. The information content of structural colour variation is debated, and the heterogeneity of the findings is hard to explain because the proximate background of within-species colour differences is very scarcely studied. We combined measurements of feather macrostructure and nanostructure to explain within-population variability in blue tit crown reflectance. We found that sexual dichromatism in aspects of crown reflectance was explained only by feather macrostructure, whereas nanostructural predictors accounted for some of the age-related differences in reflectance. Moreover, we found that both mean reflectance and spectral shape traits reflected a combination of quantity and regularity aspects in macrostructure and nanostructure. This rich proximate background provides ample scope for reflectance to convey various types of information on individual quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,The Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, H-8744 Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csizmadia
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Lőw
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Szöllősi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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16
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Badás EP, Martínez J, Rivero-de Aguilar J, Ponce C, Stevens M, Merino S. Colour change in a structural ornament is related to individual quality, parasites and mating patterns in the blue tit. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:17. [PMID: 29404701 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1539-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Carry-over effects refer to processes that occur in one season and influence fitness in the following. In birds, two costly activities, namely reproduction and moult, are restricted to a small time window, and sometimes overlap. Thus, colour in newly moulted feathers is likely to be affected by the costs of reproduction. Using models of bird vision we investigated male colour change in a free-living population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in three sampling occasions: spring 1, winter and spring 2. We related crown, tail, breast and cheek feather colouration after the moult (winter) to the intensity of infections by blood parasites during reproduction (spring 1). In the following spring (spring 2), we explored mating patterns with respect to changes in feather colour (springs 1 vs. 2). Males that were less intensely infected by the malaria parasite Plasmodium while breeding showed purer white cheek feathers in winter, which may indicate higher feather quality. Increased brightness in the white cheek was associated with better body condition during reproduction. In the following season, males with brighter cheeks paired with females that had noticeably brighter cheek patches compared to the male's previous mate. These results suggest that the conditions experienced during reproduction are likely to affect moult and thus feather colouration, at least in the white patch. High quality individuals may allocate resources efficiently during reproduction increasing future reproductive success through variation in mating patterns. Carry-over effects from reproduction might extend not only to the non-breeding phase, but also to the following breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Badás
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - J Martínez
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Alcalá de Henares, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Rivero-de Aguilar
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Alcalá de Henares, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Ponce
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - S Merino
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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17
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Delhey K, Szecsenyi B, Nakagawa S, Peters A. Conspicuous plumage colours are highly variable. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2593. [PMID: 28100823 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Elaborate ornamental traits are often under directional selection for greater elaboration, which in theory should deplete underlying genetic variation. Despite this, many ornamental traits appear to remain highly variable and how this essential variation is maintained is a key question in evolutionary biology. One way to address this question is to compare differences in intraspecific variability across different types of traits to determine whether high levels of variation are associated with specific trait characteristics. Here we assess intraspecific variation in more than 100 plumage colours across 55 bird species to test whether colour variability is linked to their level of elaboration (indicated by degree of sexual dichromatism and conspicuousness) or their condition dependence (indicated by mechanism of colour production). Conspicuous colours had the highest levels of variation and conspicuousness was the strongest predictor of variability, with high explanatory power. After accounting for this, there were no significant effects of sexual dichromatism or mechanisms of colour production. Conspicuous colours may entail higher production costs or may be more sensitive to disruptions during production. Alternatively, high variability could also be related to increased perceptual difficulties inherent to discriminating highly elaborate colours. Such psychophysical effects may constrain the exaggeration of animal colours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia .,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Beatrice Szecsenyi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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18
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Higginson DM, Belloni V, Davis SN, Morrison ES, Andrews JE, Badyaev AV. Evolution of long-term coloration trends with biochemically unstable ingredients. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0403. [PMID: 27194697 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily persistent and widespread use of carotenoid pigments in animal coloration contrasts with their biochemical instability. Consequently, evolution of carotenoid-based displays should include mechanisms to accommodate or limit pigment degradation. In birds, this could involve two strategies: (i) evolution of a moult immediately prior to the mating season, enabling the use of particularly fast-degrading carotenoids and (ii) evolution of the ability to stabilize dietary carotenoids through metabolic modification or association with feather keratins. Here, we examine evolutionary lability and transitions between the two strategies across 126 species of birds. We report that species that express mostly unmodified, fast-degrading, carotenoids have pre-breeding moults, and a particularly short time between carotenoid deposition and the subsequent breeding season. Species that expressed mostly slow-degrading carotenoids in their plumage accomplished this through increased metabolic modification of dietary carotenoids, and the selective expression of these slow-degrading compounds. In these species, the timing of moult was not associated with carotenoid composition of plumage displays. Using repeated samples from individuals of one species, we found that metabolic modification of dietary carotenoids significantly slowed their degradation between moult and breeding season. Thus, the most complex and colourful ornamentation is likely the most biochemically stable in birds, and depends less on ecological factors, such as moult timing and migration tendency. We suggest that coevolution of metabolic modification, selective expression and biochemical stability of plumage carotenoids enables the use of unstable pigments in long-term evolutionary trends in plumage coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn M Higginson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Virginia Belloni
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Sarah N Davis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Erin S Morrison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - John E Andrews
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Alexander V Badyaev
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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19
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Little R, Gardner JL, Amano T, Delhey K, Peters A. Are long-term widespread avian body size changes related to food availability? A test using contemporaneous changes in carotenoid-based color. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3157-3166. [PMID: 28480015 PMCID: PMC5415506 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent changes in global climate have been linked with changes in animal body size. While declines in body size are commonly explained as an adaptive thermoregulatory response to climate warming, many species do not decline in size, and alternative explanations for size change exist. One possibility is that temporal changes in animal body size are driven by changes in environmental productivity and food availability. This hypothesis is difficult to test due to the lack of suitable estimates that go back in time. Here, we use an alternative, indirect, approach and assess whether continent-wide changes over the previous 100 years in body size in 15 species of Australian birds are associated with changes in their yellow carotenoid-based plumage coloration. This type of coloration is strongly affected by food availability because birds cannot synthesize carotenoids and need to ingest them, and because color expression depends on general body condition. We found significant continent-wide intraspecific temporal changes in body size (wing length) and yellow carotenoid-based color (plumage reflectance) for half the species. Direction and magnitude of changes were highly variable among species. Meta-analysis indicated that neither body size nor yellow plumage color showed a consistent temporal trend and that changes in color were not correlated with changes in size over the past 100 years. We conclude that our data provide no evidence that broad-scale variation in food availability is a general explanation for continent-wide changes in body size in this group of species. The interspecific variability in temporal changes in size as well as color suggests that it might be unlikely that a single factor drives these changes, and more detailed studies of museum specimens and long-term field studies are required to disentangle the processes involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roellen Little
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
| | - Janet L. Gardner
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and GeneticsThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Tatsuya Amano
- Conservation Science GroupDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
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20
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21
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Delhey K. The colour of an avifauna: A quantitative analysis of the colour of Australian birds. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18514. [PMID: 26679370 PMCID: PMC4683462 DOI: 10.1038/srep18514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal coloration is a poorly-understood aspect of phenotypic variability. Here I expand initial studies of the colour gamut of birds by providing the first quantitative description of the colour variation of an entire avifauna: Australian landbirds (555 species). The colour of Australian birds occupies a small fraction (19%) of the entire possible colour space and colour variation is extremely uneven. Most colours are unsaturated, concentrated in the centre of colour space and based on the deposition of melanins. Other mechanisms of colour production are less common but account for larger portions of colour space and for most saturated colours. Male colours occupy 45–25% more colour space than female colours, indicating that sexual dichromatism translates into a broader range of male colours. Male-exclusive colours are often saturated, at the edge of chromatic space, and have most likely evolved for signalling. While most clades of birds occupy expected or lower-than-expected colour volumes, parrots and cockatoos (Order Psittaciformes) occupy a much larger volume than expected. This uneven distribution of colour variation across mechanisms of colour production, sexes and clades is probably shared by avifaunas in other parts of the world, but this remains to be tested with comparable data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, 78315, Germany
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22
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Context-dependent dynamic UV signaling in female threespine sticklebacks. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17474. [PMID: 26658986 PMCID: PMC4674694 DOI: 10.1038/srep17474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Color signals, including ultraviolet (UV) signals, are widespread throughout the animal kingdom and color changes can be influenced by reproductive and motivational state. However, studies on dynamic changes of UV signals are scarce. Three spine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) that show intraspecific UV communication were used to study dynamic UV signaling in females. Reflectance measurements were taken from the distended abdomen, which serves as signal of female fecundity and readiness to spawn for courting males, and the melanized dorsal region. Scans were taken during egg maturation as well as before and after stimulation with a male to investigate context-dependent color changes. We used a physiological model of vision to determine how females might be perceived by conspecifics and quantified chromatic contrasts among both body regions and between body regions and the background for all stages. Females showed a significant increase in abdominal UV intensity during egg maturation and in response to a courting male. Measures of chromatic contrast among body regions (abdomen vs. dorsal region) and against the background (abdomen vs. background) were also increased during egg maturation and in response to the male stimulus (abdomen vs. background). Our results provide evidence for dynamic UV signaling in females in a reproductive context.
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23
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Geographic variation in breeding system and environment predicts melanin-based plumage ornamentation of male and female Kentish plovers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015; 70:49-60. [PMID: 26766883 PMCID: PMC4701778 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2024-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection determines the elaboration of morphological and behavioural traits and thus drives the evolution of phenotypes. Sexual selection on males and females can differ between populations, especially when populations exhibit different breeding systems. A substantial body of literature describes how breeding systems shape ornamentation across species, with a strong emphasis on male ornamentation and female preference. However, whether breeding system predicts ornamentation within species and whether similar mechanisms as in males also shape the phenotype of females remains unclear. Here, we investigate how different breeding systems are associated with male and female ornamentation in five geographically distinct populations of Kentish plovers Charadrius alexandrinus. We predicted that polygamous populations would exhibit more elaborate ornaments and stronger sexual dimorphism than monogamous populations. By estimating the size and intensity of male (n = 162) and female (n = 174) melanin-based plumage ornaments, i.e. breast bands and ear coverts, we show that plumage ornamentation is predicted by breeding system in both sexes. A difference in especially male ornamentation between polygamous (darker and smaller ornaments) and monogamous (lighter and larger) populations causes the greatest sexual dimorphism to be associated with polygamy. The non-social environment, however, may also influence the degree of ornamentation, for instance through availability of food. We found that, in addition to breeding system, a key environmental parameter, rainfall, predicted a seasonal change of ornamentation in a sex-specific manner. Our results emphasise that to understand the phenotype of animals, it is important to consider both natural and sexual selection acting on both males and females.
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24
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Vaugoyeau M, Decencière B, Perret S, Karadas F, Meylan S, Biard C. Is oxidative status influenced by dietary carotenoid and physical activity after moult in the great tit (Parus major)? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:2106-15. [PMID: 25964421 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.111039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In the context of sexual and natural selection, an allocation trade-off for carotenoid pigments may exist because of their obligate dietary origin and their role both in the antioxidant and immune systems and in the production of coloured signals in various taxa, particularly birds. When birds have expended large amounts of carotenoids to feather growth such as after autumn moult, bird health and oxidative status might be more constrained. We tested this hypothesis in a bird species with carotenoid-based plumage colour, by manipulating dietary carotenoids and physical activity, which can decrease antioxidant capacity and increase reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) concentration. Great tits were captured after moult and kept in aviaries, under three treatments: physical handicap and dietary supplementation with carotenoids, physical handicap and control diet, and no handicap and control diet. We measured plasma composition (antioxidant capacity, ROM concentration, and vitamin A, vitamin E and total carotenoid concentrations), immune system activation (blood sedimentation) and stress response (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) and predicted that handicap treatment should influence these negatively and carotenoid supplementation positively. Coloration of yellow feathers was also measured. Carotenoid supplementation increased total plasma carotenoid concentration, decreased feather carotenoid chroma and marginally increased ROM concentration. Handicap increased blood sedimentation only in males but had no clear influence on oxidative stress, which contradicted previous studies. Further studies are needed to investigate how physical activity and carotenoid availability might interact and influence oxidative stress outside the moult period, and their combined potential influence on attractiveness and reproductive investment later during the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vaugoyeau
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Beatriz Decencière
- CNRS ENS, UMS 3194, CEREEP - Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, St-Pierre-lès-Nemours 77140, France
| | - Samuel Perret
- CNRS ENS, UMS 3194, CEREEP - Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, St-Pierre-lès-Nemours 77140, France
| | - Filiz Karadas
- Department of Animal Science, University of Yüzüncü Yil, 65080 Van, Turkey
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France ESPE de Paris, Université Sorbonne Paris IV, 10 rue Molitor, Paris 75016, France
| | - Clotilde Biard
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France
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25
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Roulin A. Condition-dependence, pleiotropy and the handicap principle of sexual selection in melanin-based colouration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:328-48. [PMID: 25631160 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The signalling function of melanin-based colouration is debated. Sexual selection theory states that ornaments should be costly to produce, maintain, wear or display to signal quality honestly to potential mates or competitors. An increasing number of studies supports the hypothesis that the degree of melanism covaries with aspects of body condition (e.g. body mass or immunity), which has contributed to change the initial perception that melanin-based colour ornaments entail no costs. Indeed, the expression of many (but not all) melanin-based colour traits is weakly sensitive to the environment but strongly heritable suggesting that these colour traits are relatively cheap to produce and maintain, thus raising the question of how such colour traits could signal quality honestly. Here I review the production, maintenance and wearing/displaying costs that can generate a correlation between melanin-based colouration and body condition, and consider other evolutionary mechanisms that can also lead to covariation between colour and body condition. Because genes controlling melanic traits can affect numerous phenotypic traits, pleiotropy could also explain a linkage between body condition and colouration. Pleiotropy may result in differently coloured individuals signalling different aspects of quality that are maintained by frequency-dependent selection or local adaptation. Colouration may therefore not signal absolute quality to potential mates or competitors (e.g. dark males may not achieve a higher fitness than pale males); otherwise genetic variation would be rapidly depleted by directional selection. As a consequence, selection on heritable melanin-based colouration may not always be directional, but mate choice may be conditional to environmental conditions (i.e. context-dependent sexual selection). Despite the interest of evolutionary biologists in the adaptive value of melanin-based colouration, its actual role in sexual selection is still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Sirkiä PM, Adamík P, Artemyev AV, Belskii E, Both C, Bureš S, Burgess M, Bushuev AV, Forsman JT, Grinkov V, Hoffmann D, Järvinen A, Král M, Krams I, Lampe HM, Moreno J, Mägi M, Nord A, Potti J, Ravussin PA, Sokolov L, Laaksonen T. Fecundity selection does not vary along a large geographical cline of trait means in a passerine bird. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Päivi M. Sirkiä
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; Zoology Unit; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacky University; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Alexandr V. Artemyev
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre; Russian Academy of Science; Petrozavodsk Russia
| | - Eugen Belskii
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology; Ural Branch; Russian Academy of Science; Ekaterinburg Russia
| | - Christiaan Both
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies; University of Groningen; Haren The Netherlands
| | - Stanislav Bureš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacky University; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Malcolm Burgess
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour; School of Life & Environmental Sciences; University of Exeter; Exeter UK
| | - Andrey V. Bushuev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Faculty of Biology; Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | | | - Vladimir Grinkov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Faculty of Biology; Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | | | - Antero Järvinen
- Kilpisjärvi Biological Station; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | | | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Systematic Biology; University of Daugavpils; Daugavpils Latvia
| | - Helene M. Lampe
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis; University of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Juan Moreno
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - Marko Mägi
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences; Department of Zoology; University of Tartu; Tartu Estonia
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology; Section of Evolutionary Ecology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Jaime Potti
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC; Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Leonid Sokolov
- Biological Station of the Zoological Institute; Russian Academy of Science; Rybachy Russia
| | - Toni Laaksonen
- Department of Biology; Section of Ecology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; Zoology Unit; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
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Delhey K, Delhey V, Kempenaers B, Peters A. A practical framework to analyze variation in animal colors using visual models. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Nagy G, Szász E, Kötél D, Török J. Stable correlation structure among multiple plumage colour traits: can they work as a single signal? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Eszter Szász
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
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Do feather-degrading bacteria actually degrade feather colour? No significant effects of plumage microbiome modifications on feather colouration in wild great tits. Naturwissenschaften 2014; 101:929-38. [PMID: 25228345 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-014-1234-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are known to exert selective pressures on host life history traits since the energy and nutrients needed to mount an immune response are no longer available to invest in other functions. Bird feathers harbour numerous microorganisms, some of which are able to degrade feather keratin (keratinolytic microorganisms) and affect feather integrity and colouration in vitro. Although named "feather-degrading" microorganisms, experimental evidence for their effects on feathers of free-living birds is still lacking. Here, we tested whether (i) keratinolytic microorganisms can degrade feathers in vivo and thus modify the colour of feathers during the nesting period and (ii) whether feather microorganisms have a long-term effect on the investment in colouration of newly moulted feathers. We designed treatments to either favour or inhibit bacterial growth, thus experimentally modifying plumage bacterial communities, in a wild breeding population of great tits (Parus major). Our analyses revealed no significant effects of the treatments on feather colours. Moreover, we found that differences in bacterial exposure during nesting did not significantly affect the colouration of newly moulted feathers. Our results suggest that significant feather degradation obtained during in vitro studies could have led to an overestimation of the potential of keratinolytic microorganisms to shape feather colouration in free-living birds.
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Fargallo JA, Velando A, Lopez-Rull I, Ganan N, Lifshitz N, Wakamatsu K, Torres R. Sex-specific phenotypic integration: endocrine profiles, coloration, and behavior in fledgling boobies. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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Matrková J, Remeš V. Environmental and genetic effects on pigment-based vs. structural component of yellow feather colouration. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36640. [PMID: 22590581 PMCID: PMC3349711 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Carotenoid plumage is of widespread use in bird communication. Carotenoid-based feather colouration has recently been shown to be dependent on both pigment concentration and feather structure. If these two components are determined differently, one plumage patch may potentially convey different aspects of individual quality. Methodology/Principal Findings We evaluated the effects of genetic and environmental factors on carotenoid-based yellow breast colouration of Great Tit (Parus major) nestlings. By partial cross-fostering, we separated the genetic and pre-natal vs. post-natal parental effects on both the structural and the pigment-based component of carotenoid-based plumage colouration. We also simultaneously manipulated the post-hatching environment by brood size manipulation. The structural component of nestling colouration reflected features of female colouration. On the other hand, the pigment-based component was more affected by rearing conditions presumably representing food quality. While the structural component was related to both origin- and environment-related factors, the pigment-based component seemed to be environment-dependent only. These results support the notion that pigment-based and structural components of feather colouration are determined differently. Conclusions/Significance Chromatic and achromatic components of carotenoid-based feather colouration reflected different aspects of individual quality and history, and thus may potentially form a multicomponent signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Matrková
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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32
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Forensic species identification of large macaws using DNA barcodes and microsatellite profiles. Mol Biol Rep 2011; 39:693-9. [PMID: 21625864 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-011-0787-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2010] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Using mitochondrial and nuclear markers species identification was conducted in the case of seized feathers. Earlier, we had sequenced cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) both from 10 seized specimens and 43 validation specimens from captive macaws belonging to 4 Ara species (A. macao, A. chloropterus, A. ararauna, and A. ambiguus) and identified 19 haplotypes based on COI sequences. Species-level identification using Barcode of Life Data Systems showed that seized feathers shared the highest similarity with scarlet macaws (A. macao), and this result was supported by the tree-base identification with high bootstrap values. Moreover, microsatellite profiles in AgGT17 locus showed that patterns of allelic distribution in the seized feathers were apparently distinct from those of red-and-green macaw (A. chloropterus), but were overlapped with those of A. macao, suggesting that all of seized feathers were derived from several individuals of A. macao. We also determined the parentage of hybrid macaws by the combination of COI barcodes and microsatellite profiles. The technique presented here will contribute to forensic identification and future conservation of large macaws that have been lost due to deforestation.
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Structural color change following hydration and dehydration of iridescent mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) feathers. ZOOLOGY 2011; 114:59-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2010.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2010] [Revised: 10/06/2010] [Accepted: 11/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Peters A, Kurvers RHJM, Roberts ML, Delhey K. No evidence for general condition-dependence of structural plumage colour in blue tits: an experiment. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:976-87. [PMID: 21306464 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02229.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Condition-dependence is a central but contentious tenet of evolutionary theories on the maintenance of ornamental traits, and this is particularly true for structural plumage colour. By providing diets of different nutritional quality to moulting male and female blue tits, we experimentally manipulated general condition within the natural range, avoiding deprivation or stressful treatments. We measured reflectance of the structural-coloured UV/blue crown, a sexually selected trait in males, and the white cheek, a nonpigmented structural colour, directly after moult and again during the following spring mating season. We employed a variety of colour indices, based on spectral shape and avian visual models but, despite significant variation in condition and coloration, found no evidence for condition-dependence of UV/blue or white plumage colour during either season. These and previously published results suggest that structural colour might be sensitive to stress, rather than reduced body condition, during moult.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Peters
- Sexual Signals Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.
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The carotenoid conundrum: improved nutrition boosts plasma carotenoid levels but not immune benefits of carotenoid supplementation. Oecologia 2011; 166:35-43. [PMID: 21301878 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-1921-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/12/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are widely heralded as central to honest signaling due to their dual roles as pigments and antioxidants/immunostimulants. The aim of this study is to test if diet quality and carotenoids alone or in an interaction influence condition, carotenoid availability in plasma and immune responsiveness. Therefore, a diet experiment during the moult of great tits, Parus major, was performed. In a two-way design, we manipulated general quality (digestibility, protein and vitamin content) as well as carotenoid (lutein) content of semi-synthetic diets. Higher quality diet improved individual condition since birds had greater body mass, and to a lesser extent, higher hematocrit. In addition to the expected positive effect of carotenoid supplementation and individual lutein consumption on circulating lutein, there was a positive effect of enhanced diet quality on plasma carotenoid levels. Carotenoid supplementation, but not diet quality, improved the local inflammatory response and maintenance of body mass during a humoral immune reaction. The enhancement of circulating carotenoid levels by improved general quality of the diet or individual condition could provide a testable, mechanistic explanation for the variation in effects of carotenoid supplementation studies.
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