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Dougherty LR, Rovenolt F, Luyet A, Jokela J, Stephenson JF. Ornaments indicate parasite load only if they are dynamic or parasites are contagious. Evol Lett 2023; 7:176-190. [PMID: 37251584 PMCID: PMC10210455 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Choosing to mate with an infected partner has several potential fitness costs, including disease transmission and infection-induced reductions in fecundity and parental care. By instead choosing a mate with no, or few, parasites, animals avoid these costs and may also obtain resistance genes for offspring. Within a population, then, the quality of sexually selected ornaments on which mate choice is based should correlate negatively with the number of parasites with which a host is infected ("parasite load"). However, the hundreds of tests of this prediction yield positive, negative, or no correlation between parasite load and ornament quality. Here, we use phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 424 correlations from 142 studies on a wide range of host and parasite taxa to evaluate explanations for this ambiguity. We found that ornament quality is weakly negatively correlated with parasite load overall, but the relationship is more strongly negative among ornaments that can dynamically change in quality, such as behavioral displays and skin pigmentation, and thus can accurately reflect current parasite load. The relationship was also more strongly negative among parasites that can transmit during sex. Thus, the direct benefit of avoiding parasite transmission may be a key driver of parasite-mediated sexual selection. No other moderators, including methodological details and whether males exhibit parental care, explained the substantial heterogeneity in our data set. We hope to stimulate research that more inclusively considers the many and varied ways in which parasites, sexual selection, and epidemiology intersect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Faith Rovenolt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alexia Luyet
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jukka Jokela
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica F Stephenson
- Corresponding author: University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences, Clapp Hall, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA.
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2
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Janas K, Gaweł P, Łatkiewicz A, Lutyk D, Gustafsson L, Cichoń M, Drobniak SM. Sexual dichromatism, size dimorphism, and microscale anatomy of white wing stripe in blue tits. Curr Zool 2021; 67:585-596. [PMID: 34805536 PMCID: PMC8599086 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Achromatic patches are a common element of plumage patterns in many bird species and there is growing body of evidence that in many avian taxa they can play a signaling role in mate choice. Although the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus is a well-established model species in the studies on coloration, its white wing patch has never been examined in the context of sex-specific trait expression. In this exploratory study, we examined sexual size dimorphism and dichromatism of greater covert’s dots creating white wing patch and analyzed its correlations with current body condition and crown coloration—a trait with established role in sexual selection. Further, we qualitatively analyzed microstructural barb morphology underlying covert’s coloration. We found significant sexual dimorphism in the dot size independent of covert size and sexual dichromatism in both white dot and blue outer covert’s vane spectral characteristics. Internal structure of covert barbs within the white dot was similar to the one found in barbs from the blue part that is, with a medullary area consisting of dead keratinocytes containing channel-type ß-keratin spongy nanostructure and centrally located air cavities. However, it lacked melanosomes which was the main observed difference. Importantly, UV chroma of covert’s blue vane was positively correlated with crown UV chroma and current condition (the latter only in males), which should be a premise for further research on the signal function of the wing stripe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Janas
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Paulina Gaweł
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Łatkiewicz
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Dorota Lutyk
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Animal Ecology/Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30- 387, Kraków, Poland.,School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Biological Sciences Building (D26), Kensington Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
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3
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Galloway TD, Lamb RJ. Population Dynamics of Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera) Infesting Birds (Aves). ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 66:209-224. [PMID: 33417821 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-041420-075608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the past 25 years, studies on interactions between chewing lice and their bird hosts have increased notably. This body of work reveals that sampling of live avian hosts, collection of the lice, and the aggregated distributions of louse infestations pose challenges for assessing louse populations. The number of lice on a bird varies among host taxa, often with host size and social system. Host preening behavior limits louse abundance, depending on bill shape. The small communities of lice (typically one-four species) that live on individual birds show species-specific patterns of abundance, with consistently common and rare species, and lower year-to-year population variability than other groups of insects. Most species of lice appear to breed continuously on their hosts, with seasonal patterns of abundance sometimes related to host reproduction and molting. Competition may have led to spatial partitioning of the host by louse species, but seldom contributes to current patterns of abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry D Galloway
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada;
| | - Robert J Lamb
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada;
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4
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Graves EE, Eadie JM. White eye patches of female wood ducks, Aix sponsa, vary markedly in size and may reflect individual status or condition. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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5
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Hasegawa M, Arai E. Fork tails evolved differently in swallows and swifts. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:911-919. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Kanagawa Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems Sokendai (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Kanagawa Japan
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6
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Michálková R, Tomášek O, Adámková M, Kreisinger J, Albrecht T. Extra-pair paternity patterns in European barn swallows Hirundo rustica are best explained by male and female age rather than male ornamentation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2725-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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7
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Arai E, Hasegawa M, Wakamatsu K, Ito S. Males with More Pheomelanin Have a Lower Oxidative Balance in Asian Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica gutturalis). Zoolog Sci 2018; 35:505-513. [DOI: 10.2108/zs170204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
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8
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Effectiveness of Morphological Sex Determination in the East Asian Barn Swallow ( Hirundo rustica gutturalis) on Spring Migration. Zool Stud 2018; 57:e43. [PMID: 31966283 DOI: 10.6620/zs.2018.57-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hyun-Young Nam, Seung-Yeon Lee, Sook-Young Cho, Chang-Yong Choi, Se-Young Park, Gi-Chang Bing, Chang-uk Park, Seul-Gi Seo, and Yang-Mo Kim (2018) Information on sexual dimorphism helps explain a species' evolution in sexual selection and conservation issues such as sex-specific response in environmental changes. The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a well-known sexually dimorphic species in which males have longer tail streamers than females. However, when compared with the European-African or American subspecies, little information is available on morphological sex determination in the East Asian subspecies H. r. gutturalis, especially outside the breeding season, when opportunities for molecular sexing are often limited and morphological clues may be the only ones available for sex determination. We collected morphological data on H. r. gutturalis during the northbound spring migration at a stopover site off the Korean coast. Two of eight measured variables - streamer length (the difference in length between the 5th and 6th rectrices; T6-T5) and length of the white patch on the outermost tail (6th rectrix; T6) - were selected as the best predictors for sex determination by stepwise discriminant analysis. Quadratic discriminant functions based on these variables showed that 92.4-93.5% of females and 82.9% of males were correctly classified. Our results provide baseline information that will benefit more accurate sex determination of the East Asian Barn Swallows, especially during the early months of a calendar year in non-breeding and stopover areas.
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9
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Møller AP, Laursen K, Hobson KA. Retrospectively analysing condition in historical samples of birds. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. P. Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution Université Paris‐Sud, CNRS AgroParisTech Université Paris‐Saclay Orsay France
| | - K. Laursen
- Institute of Bioscience Aarhus University Rønde Denmark
| | - K. A. Hobson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada Saskatoon SK Canada
- University of Western Ontario London ON Canada
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10
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Møller AP. Experimental manipulation of size and shape of tail spots and sexual selection in barn swallows. Curr Zool 2018; 63:569-572. [PMID: 29492016 PMCID: PMC5804199 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Barn swallows Hirundo rustica have white spots on their tail feathers, and they have been hypothesized to be a handicap because white spots are prone to feather breakage, ectoparasites are disproportionately common in white spots, and size of white spots increases with tail length. Here I test for attractiveness of narrow and long tail spots by manipulation of their shape while using complete painting of spots and an absence of treatment as a control. Female barn swallows are known to differentially invest in reproduction when mated to attractive males. Spot manipulation took place during laying of the first clutch, and there were no effects of treatment on clutch size or brood size of first or second broods. In contrast, the incidence of second clutches and the total number of eggs and fledglings produced during the breeding season was larger in males with painting of the side of tail spots rather than painting of the tip of spots, painting of entire spots, or no treatment. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that it is the shape rather than the size of tail spots that affects differential reproductive effort by female barn swallows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders P Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay F-91400, France
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11
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How do seasonality and host traits influence the distribution patterns of parasites on juveniles and adults of Columba livia? Acta Trop 2017; 176:305-310. [PMID: 28859962 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Parasites may influence host fitness and consequently exert a selective pressure on distinct phenotypes of the host population. This pressure can result in an evolutionary response, maintaining only individuals with certain traits in the population. The present study was aimed at identifying the morphological characteristics of juveniles and adults of Columba livia that may influence the distribution patterns of lice, Pseudolynchia canariensis and Haemoproteus columbae and how the populations of these parasites vary throughout the seasons of the year. Between July 2012 and July 2014, 377 specimens of C. livia were captured. We observed a significant increase in the mean intensities of infestation by pigeon flies and lice, as well as in species richness of ectoparasites during the warmest seasons, suggesting a reproductive synchrony between ectoparasites and host species. Bill length, body mass, and body length did not affect the infestation levels of ectoparasites on adults and juveniles of C. livia with three distinct plumage colors. In juveniles, plumage color affected only the mean intensity of infestation by lice, with Spread individuals as the most infested. This indicates that melanin in feathers was not an effective barrier against ectoparasites.
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12
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13
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Costanzo A, Ambrosini R, Caprioli M, Gatti E, Parolini M, Canova L, Rubolini D, Romano A, Gianfranceschi L, Saino N. Lifetime reproductive success, selection on lifespan, and multiple sexual ornaments in male European barn swallows. Evolution 2017; 71:2457-2468. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Costanzo
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT); University of Milano Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza, 1, I-20126 Milan Italy
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Emanuele Gatti
- Department of Biosciences; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luca Canova
- Department of Chemistry; Via Taramelli 12, I-27100 Pavia Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT); University of Milano Bicocca; Piazza della Scienza, 1, I-20126 Milan Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of Milan; via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan Italy
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14
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Stenkewitz U, Nielsen ÓK, Skírnisson K, Stefánsson G. Feather holes of rock ptarmigan are associated with amblyceran chewing lice. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ute Stenkewitz
- U. Stenkewitz , Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Iceland, Askja, Sturlugata 7, IS-101 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Ólafur K. Nielsen
- US and Ó. K. Nielsen, Icelandic Inst. of Natural History, Garðabær, Iceland
| | - Karl Skírnisson
- US and K. Skírnisson, Inst. for Experimental Pathology, Univ. of Iceland, Keldur, Reykjavík, Iceland
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15
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Jones JA, Tisdale AC, Bakermans MH, Larkin JL, Smalling CG, Siefferman L. Multiple Plumage Ornaments as Signals of Intrasexual Communication in Golden‐Winged Warblers. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Anthony Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University New Orleans LA USA
- Department of Biology Appalachian State University Boone NC USA
| | - Anna C. Tisdale
- Department of Biology Appalachian State University Boone NC USA
| | - Marja H. Bakermans
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester MA USA
| | - Jeffery L. Larkin
- Department of Biology Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana PA USA
| | | | - Lynn Siefferman
- Department of Biology Appalachian State University Boone NC USA
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16
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Romano A, Costanzo A, Rubolini D, Saino N, Møller AP. Geographical and seasonal variation in the intensity of sexual selection in the barn swallowHirundo rustica: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1582-1600. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze; Università degli Studi di Milano; via Celoria 26 I-20133 Milano Italy
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; F-91400 Orsay France
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17
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Hasegawa M, Arai E. Female Attraction to Higher Pitched Male Enticement Calls in Barn Swallows. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems; Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies); Miura-gun, Kanagawa Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Graduate School of Life Sciences; Tohoku University; Aoba-ku, Sendai Japan
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18
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Tomás A, Palma RL, Rebelo MT, da Fonseca IP. Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) from wild birds in southern Portugal. Parasitol Int 2016; 65:295-301. [PMID: 26899014 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2016.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
This study was carried out to determine chewing louse species of wild birds in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, located in southern Portugal. In addition, the hypothesis that bird age, avian migration and social behaviour have an impact on the louse prevalence was tested. Between September and December of 2013, 122 birds (belonging to 10 orders, 19 families, 31 genera and 35 species) captured in scientific ringing sessions and admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Investigation Centre of Ria Formosa were examined for lice. Twenty-six (21.3%) birds were found to be infested with at least one chewing louse species. The chewing lice identified include 18 species. Colonial birds (34.9%) and migratory birds (29.5%) had statistically significant higher prevalence than territorial birds (6.8%) and resident birds (13.1%), respectively. This paper records 17 louse species for the first time in southern Portugal: Laemobothrion maximum, Laemobothrion vulturis, Actornithophilus piceus lari, Actornithophilus umbrinus, Austromenopon lutescens, Colpocephalum heterosoma, Colpocephalum turbinatum, Eidmanniella pustulosa, Nosopon casteli, Pectinopygus bassani, Pseudomenopon pilosum, Trinoton femoratum, Trinoton querquedulae, Craspedorrhynchus platystomus, Degeeriella fulva, Falcolipeurus quadripustulatus, Lunaceps schismatus. Also a nymph of the genus Strigiphilus was collected from a Eurasian eagle-owl. These findings contribute to the knowledge of avian chewing lice from important birds areas in Portugal.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Tomás
- Center for Environmental and Marine Studies/Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Ricardo L Palma
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P.O. Box 467, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
| | - Maria Teresa Rebelo
- Center for Environmental and Marine Studies/Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pereira da Fonseca
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Research on Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
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López-Arrabé J, Cantarero A, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Palma A, Moreno J. Plumage ornaments and reproductive investment in relation to oxidative status in the Iberian Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca iberiae). CAN J ZOOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A key aspect in the study of plumage traits with a potential role in communication is the cost associated with trait production and maintenance, expressed in terms of oxidative stress. In the Iberian Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca iberiae (Witherby, 1928)), males and some females exhibit a white forehead patch and both sexes present conspicuous white patches on the wings. We examined associations between these plumage ornaments and their ability to cope with oxidative stress. Furthermore, we explored oxidative costs of reproductive investment. Total antioxidant status (TAS) in plasma and glutathione (tGSH) levels in red blood cells, as well as a marker of oxidative damage in plasma lipids (malondialdehyde (MDA)), were assessed simultaneously for the first time in studies of avian reproduction. We found negative associations between antioxidants and ornaments in incubating females, although this relationship was positive while feeding nestlings. For males, MDA levels were negatively associated with ornaments, while TAS showed a positive relation. Female MDA showed a positive correlation with intensity of incubation attendance, while this relation was negative for tGSH levels. These results indicate that multiple achromatic plumage ornaments signal the individual capacity to cope with costs related to oxidative stress. Moreover, this study highlights the critical role of incubation for avian life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena López-Arrabé
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Cantarero
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antonio Palma
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Moreno
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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20
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Rivera-Parra JL, Levin II, Parker PG. Comparative ectoparasite loads of five seabird species in the Galapagos Islands. J Parasitol 2014; 100:569-77. [PMID: 24911632 DOI: 10.1645/12-141.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we describe the ectoparasitic lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) found on 5 species of seabirds (magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens; great frigatebird Fregata minor ; Nazca booby Sula granti ; blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii ; and red-footed booby Sula sula ) on the Galapagos Archipelago. We found 9 species of ectoparasitic lice: 5 species of Pectinopygus ischnocerans, 1 infesting each host; 2 species of Colpocephalum amblyceran lice, 1 on each frigatebird species; and 2 shared amblycerans, Eidmanniella albescens (Piaget, 1880) found on Nazca and blue-footed boobies and Fregatiella aurifasciata (Kellogg, 1899) found on the 2 frigatebirds. We tested the relative importance and interactions of host sex, body size, host, island, host family, and breeding status and found that inter-island differences were the main predictors of prevalence and infestation intensity. These differences could be related to host density or weather, but further evidence is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Rivera-Parra
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. Correspondence should be sent to:
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Vas Z, Fuisz TI, Fehérvári P, Reiczigel J, Rózsa L. Avian brood parasitism and ectoparasite richness-scale-dependent diversity interactions in a three-level host-parasite system. Evolution 2013; 67:959-68. [PMID: 23550748 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01837.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Brood parasitic birds, their foster species and their ectoparasites form a complex coevolving system composed of three hierarchical levels. However, effects of hosts' brood parasitic life-style on the evolution of their louse (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) lineages have never been tested. We present two phylogenetic analyses of ectoparasite richness of brood parasitic clades. Our hypothesis was that brood parasitic life-style affects louse richness negatively across all avian clades due to the lack of vertical transmission routes. Then, narrowing our scope to brood parasitic cuckoos, we explored macroevolutionary factors responsible for the variability of their louse richness. Our results show that taxonomic richness of lice is lower on brood parasitic clades than on their nonparasitic sister clades. However, we found a positive covariation between the richness of cuckoos' Ischnoceran lice and the number of their foster species, possibly due to the complex and dynamic subpopulation structure of cuckoo species that utilize several host species. We documented diversity interactions across a three-level host parasite system and we found evidence that brood parasitism has opposing effects on louse richness at two slightly differing macroevolutionary scales, namely the species richness and the genera richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Vas
- Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Szent István University, Budapest, H-1078, István Str. 2., Hungary.
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Abstract
Abstract
The geographic variations in male ornamentation provide insights into how different populations reach a different mean trait value under opposing forces of natural and sexual selection. Although the latitudinal cline of the elongated tail streamer, a sexually selected trait in the European subspecies of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica rustica, is a classic example, it has recently been shown that other subspecies of swallows have different targets of sexual selection. Here, we studied the latitudinal cline of ornamentation in the Asian subspecies, H. r. gutturalis, in which not the tail length but the white tail spot and red throat patch are important sexually selected traits. After controlling for covariates, the size of the white tail spot increased with latitude, while the size of the red throat patch decreased with latitude. On the other hand, we could not find any clear pattern regarding the elongated tail streamer, measured as fork depth. The divergent ornamentation across populations could be explained by latitudinal clines of sexually selected advantages of each ornament.
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Evolutionary co-variation of host and parasite diversity—the first test of Eichler’s rule using parasitic lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera). Parasitol Res 2012; 111:393-401. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-2850-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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VanderWerf EA. Ecogeographic Patterns of Morphological Variation in Elepaios (Chasiempisspp.): Bergmann's, Allen's, and Gloger's Rules in a Microcosm. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1525/om.2011.73.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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25
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Moreno-Rueda G, Hoi H. Female house sparrows prefer big males with a large white wing bar and fewer feather holes caused by chewing lice. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Experimental evidence for costs due to chewing lice in the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster). Parasitology 2011; 139:53-9. [PMID: 22008242 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182011001727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Animals frequently host organisms on their surface which can be beneficial, have no effect or a negative effect on their host. Ectoparasites, by definition, are those which incur costs to their host, but these costs may vary. Examples of avian ectoparasites are chewing lice which feed exclusively on dead feather or skin material; therefore, costs to their bird hosts are generally considered small. Theoretically, many possible proximate effects exist, like loss of tissue or food, infected bites, transmission of microparasitic diseases or reduced body insulation due to loss of feathers, which may ultimately also have fitness consequences. Here, we experimentally examined a possible negative impact of 2 feather-eating louse species (Meropoecus meropis and Brueelia apiastri) on male and female European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) by removing or increasing louse loads and comparing their impact to a control group (lice removed and immediately returned) after 1 month. A negative effect of chewing lice was found on body mass and sedimentation rate and to a lesser extent on haematocrit levels. Males and females lost more weight when bearing heavy louse loads, and were more susceptible to infestations as indicated by the higher sedimentation rate. Our results further suggest differences in sex-specific susceptibility.
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Vas Z, Lefebvre L, Johnson KP, Reiczigel J, Rózsa L. Clever birds are lousy: co-variation between avian innovation and the taxonomic richness of their amblyceran lice. Int J Parasitol 2011; 41:1295-300. [PMID: 21924269 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2011.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2011] [Revised: 07/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) are ectoparasites that reduce host life expectancy and sexual attractiveness. Their taxonomic richness varies considerably among their hosts. Previous studies have already explored some important factors shaping louse diversity. An unexplored potential correlate of louse taxonomic richness is host behavioural flexibility. In this comparative study, we examine the relationship between louse generic richness, innovative capabilities (as a proxy for behavioural flexibility), and brain size while controlling for host species diversity, phylogeny, body size and research effort. Using data for 108 avian families, we found a highly significant positive relationship between host innovative capabilities and the taxonomic richness of amblyceran lice, but a lack of a similar relationship in ischnoceran lice. Host brain size had only a marginal impact on amblyceran diversity and no correlation with ischnoceran diversity. This suggests that the effect in Amblycera is not mediated by metabolic limitations due to the energetic costs of brain size and maintenance, rather directly caused by the ecological differences between hosts with differing cognitive capabilities. We propose four alternative and mutually non-exclusive hypotheses that may explain this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Vas
- Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, Budapest H-1078, István u. 2, Hungary.
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Griggio M, Valera F, Casas-Crivillé A, Hoi H, Barbosa A. White tail markings are an indicator of quality and affect mate preference in rock sparrows. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-1067-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Brooke MDL. Vertical transmission of feather lice between adult blackbirds Turdus merula and their nestlings: a lousy perspective. J Parasitol 2010; 96:1076-80. [PMID: 21158613 DOI: 10.1645/ge-2513.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
There is limited information about the natural history of the transmission of feather lice (Phthiraptera) from parent birds to their young. This article therefore examines the transmission of 4 species of feather lice from parent blackbirds to their nestlings in an English population, and addresses questions formulated from the perspective of the lice. The lice that disperse onto the several young in the nest were mostly found on the larger chicks, those with higher survival prospects. The lice dispersing to chicks were overwhelmingly nymphs, which cannot be sexed morphologically, and so the prediction that the adult lice dispersing would be disproportionately female, potential founders of a new population, was only supported for the most numerous species, Brueelia merulensis. There was no evidence that louse dispersal to chicks was density dependent and more likely when the parents were more heavily infested. Finally, I predicted that lice might aggregate on female blackbirds, which undertake more brooding, to increase their chance of transmission to nestlings. For 1 louse species, B. merulensis, prevalence, but not louse intensity, was higher on female than male blackbirds. For 2 other louse species, Philopterus turdi and Menacanthus eurysternus, no differences between male and female blackbirds were detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- M de L Brooke
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Hegyi G, Szöllosi E, Jenni-Eiermann S, Török J, Eens M, Garamszegi LZ. Nutritional correlates and mate acquisition role of multiple sexual traits in male collared flycatchers. Naturwissenschaften 2010; 97:567-76. [PMID: 20437222 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0672-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2009] [Revised: 03/17/2010] [Accepted: 04/19/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The information content of a sexual signal may predict its importance in a multiple signal system. Many studies have correlated sexual signal expression with the absolute levels of nutrient reserves. In contrast, the changes of nutrient reserves associated with signal expression are largely unknown in the wild due to technical limitations although they are important determinants of signal information content. We compared two visual and eight acoustic sexual traits in male collared flycatchers to see whether the nutritional correlates of expression predict the role of the signal in sexual selection. We used single point assays of plasma lipid metabolites to estimate short-term changes in nutritional state in relation to sexual trait expression during courtship. As a measure of sexual selection, we estimated the relationship with pairing latency after arrival in a 4-year dataset. Males which found a mate rapidly were characterized by large wing and forehead patches, but small song strophe complexity and small figure repertoire size. Traits more strongly related to pairing latency were also more closely related to changes in nutrient reserves. This indicates a link between signal role and information content. Small wing patches and, surprisingly, complex songs seemed to indicate poor phenotypic quality and were apparently disfavoured at mate acquisition in our population. Future studies of the information content of sexual traits, especially dynamic traits such as song, may benefit from the use of plasma metabolite profiles as non-invasive indicators of short-term changes in body condition.
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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, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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Møller AP. Body temperature and fever in a free-living bird. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2010; 156:68-74. [PMID: 20188208 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2010.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2010] [Revised: 02/19/2010] [Accepted: 02/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fever is an adaptive physiological response that animals use to fight infections by microorganisms. Although used routinely by veterinary and medical doctors for assessment of health status, there are hardly any studies of fever in free-living animals. Body temperature in a sample of more than 500 adult barn swallows Hirundo rustica varied considerably, but was consistent among capture events. Body temperature increased during the day, and reached a minimum in the middle of the breeding season. A normal quantile plot revealed that 4.5% of adults constituted a separate population that had fever. There were only marginal effects of handling on body temperature. Body temperature increased by 2.6 standard deviations following injection with LPS, showing that body temperature indeed increased with an immune challenge. Body temperature was negatively related to abundance of feather mites, but was not related to abundance of other ectoparasites or size of the uropygial gland. Barn swallows with high body temperatures also had large body mass and showed weak stress responses as reflected by their tonic immobility. Barn swallows in large colonies had lower body temperatures than solitary or less colonial individuals. Body temperature was not related to arrival date, timing of breeding, annual fecundity or adult survival. However, individuals that were easier to catch had higher body temperatures. These findings suggest that body temperature is a consistent physiological parameter of individuals, a small fraction of individuals has fever, and that febrile individuals have specific parasite loads, body mass, social environment and ability to escape capture.
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Møller AP, Erritzøe J. Why birds eat colourful grit: colour preferences revealed by the colour of gizzard stones. J Evol Biol 2009; 23:509-17. [PMID: 20050966 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01918.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Colour preferences from sexual or social contexts are assumed to have arisen owing to preferences for specific kinds of food, representing a sensory bias, but once colour preferences have evolved in a sexual context, they may also be expressed during foraging. We tested whether preferences for specific body colours (i.e. plumage and soft parts) were related to colour preferences for grit ingested by birds. Birds eat grit to facilitate break down of food by the gizzard, and this function is independent of the colour of grit, but depends on the physical properties of stones. Bird species were significantly consistent in colour of grit, and grit of different colours varied in prevalence among species, even when analyses were restricted to a sample from a single locality. There were positive correlations between presence of lilac and red grit in the gizzard and presence of sexually dichromatic lilac and red colour on the body. There was a positive correlation between red grit colour and red sexually monochromatic body colour. Bird species with many different sexual colours, but not sexually monochromatic colours on their body had many different colours of grit. Males had more lilac and red grit than females, with this effect differing among species, whereas that was not the case for grit of other colours. These findings are consistent with the sensory bias hypothesis that birds express preferences for grit of specific colours and a high diversity of colours related to sexual colouration of the body, even when the colour of such grit is only visible to the individual at the moment of ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- A P Møller
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay Cedex, France.
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MØLLER ANDERSPAPE, ERRITZØE JOHANNES, NIELSEN JANTØTTRUP. Frequency of fault bars in feathers of birds and susceptibility to predation. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01204.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Chakarov N, Boerner M, Krüger O. Fitness in common buzzards at the cross-point of opposite melanin-parasite interactions. Funct Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01460.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Vas Z, Csörgo T, Møller AP, Rózsa L. The Feather Holes on the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica and Other Small Passerines are Probably Caused by Brueelia Spp. Lice. J Parasitol 2008; 94:1438-40. [PMID: 18576840 DOI: 10.1645/ge-1542.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2007] [Accepted: 04/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Vas
- Loránd Eötvös University, Department of General Zoology, Pázmány Péter, Budapest, Hungary
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37
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Galván I. The importance of white on black: unmelanized plumage proportion predicts display complexity in birds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-008-0662-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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38
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Hegyi G, Garamszegi LZ, Eens M. The roles of ecological factors and sexual selection in the evolution of white wing patches in ducks. Behav Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arn085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Galván I, Sanz JJ. The cheek plumage patch is an amplifier of dominance in great tits. Biol Lett 2008; 4:12-5. [PMID: 18029295 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2007.0504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amplifiers are signals that enhance the perception of other signals or cues, but no studies to date provide empirical evidence for the role of these signals in a reproductive context. Here we use the white cheek patch of great tits as a model for studying this issue. Aggressive interactions decrease patch immaculateness, so patch size may be an amplifier of dominance, that is, more clearly reveal status. If so, in high-quality individuals patch size should correlate positively with reproductive success (here estimated by laying date, assuming that the earlier the better), whereas low-quality individuals with a large patch should only more clearly reveal their low quality and thus suffer low reproductive success, which is exactly the pattern found in males. In contrast, the cheek patch does not seem to function as an amplifier in female great tits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galván
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
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Balbontín J, Hermosell IG, Marzal A, Reviriego M, De Lope F, Møller AP. Age-related change in breeding performance in early life is associated with an increase in competence in the migratory barn swallow Hirundo rustica. J Anim Ecol 2007; 76:915-25. [PMID: 17714270 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01269.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. We investigated age-related changes in two reproductive traits (laying date and annual fecundity) in barn swallows Hirundo rustica L. using a mixed model approach to di-stinguish among between- and within-individual changes in breeding performance with age. 2. We tested predictions of age-related improvements of competence (i.e. constraint hypothesis) and age-related progressive disappearance of poor-quality breeders (i.e. selection hypothesis) to explain age-related increase in breeding performance in early life. 3. Reproductive success increased in early life, reaching a plateau at middle age (e.g. at 3 years of age) and decreasing at older age (> 4 years). Age-related changes in breeding success were due mainly to an effect of female age. 4. Age of both female and male affected timing of reproduction. Final linear mixed effect models (LME) for laying date included main and quadratic terms for female and male age, suggesting a deterioration in reproductive performance at older age for both males and females. 5. We found evidence supporting the constraints hypothesis that increases in competence within individuals, with ageing being the most probable cause of the observed increase in breeding performance with age in early life. Two mechanisms were implicated: (1) advance in male arrival date with age provided middle-aged males with better access to mates. Yearling males arrived later to the breeding grounds and therefore had limited access to high-quality mates. (2) Breeding pairs maintaining bonds for 2 consecutive years (experienced pairs) had higher fecundity than newly formed inexperienced breeding pairs. 6. There was no support for the selection hypothesis because breeding performance was not correlated with life span. 7. We found a within-individual deterioration in breeding and migratory performance (arrival date) in the oldest age-classes consistent with senescence in these reproductive and migratory traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Balbontín
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Extremadura, E-06071 Badajoz, Spain.
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Ortego J, Aparicio JM, Calabuig G, Cordero PJ. Risk of ectoparasitism and genetic diversity in a wild lesser kestrel population. Mol Ecol 2007; 16:3712-20. [PMID: 17845443 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03406.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parasites and infectious diseases are major determinants of population dynamics and adaptive processes, imposing fitness costs to their hosts and promoting genetic variation in natural populations. In the present study, we evaluate the role of individual genetic diversity on risk of parasitism by feather lice Degeeriella rufa in a wild lesser kestrel population (Falco naumanni). Genetic diversity at 11 microsatellite loci was associated with risk of parasitism by feather lice, with more heterozygous individuals being less likely to be parasitized, and this effect was statistically independent of other nongenetic parameters (colony size, sex, location, and year) which were also associated with lice prevalence. This relationship was nonlinear, with low and consistent prevalences among individuals showing high levels of genetic diversity that increased markedly at low levels of individual heterozygosity. This result appeared to reflect a genome-wide effect, with no single locus contributing disproportionably to the observed effect. Thus, overall genetic variation, rather than linkage of markers to genes experiencing single-locus heterosis, seems to be the underlying mechanism determining the association between risk of parasitism and individual genetic diversity in the study host-parasite system. However, feather lice burden was not affected by individual heterozygosity; what suggest that differences in susceptibility, rather than variation in defences once the parasite has been established, may shape the observed pattern. Overall, our results highlight the role of individual genetic diversity on risk of parasitism in wild populations, what has both important evolutionary implications and major consequences for conservation research on the light of emerging infectious diseases that may endanger genetically depauperated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Ortego
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos - IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, E-13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
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van Dongen WFD, Mulder RA. Relative importance of multiple plumage ornaments as status signals in golden whistlers (Pachycephala pectoralis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0440-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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43
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MØLLER ANDERSPAPE, HAUSSY CLAUDY. Fitness consequences of variation in natural antibodies and complement in the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica. Funct Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2006.01215.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Diet quality affects an attractive white plumage pattern in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0370-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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45
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Møller AP, Chabi Y, Cuervo JJ, Lope F, Kilpimaa J, Kose M, Matyjasiak P, Pap PL, Saino N, Sakraoui R, Schifferli L, Hirschheydt J. AN ANALYSIS OF CONTINENT-WIDE PATTERNS OF SEXUAL SELECTION IN A PASSERINE BIRD. Evolution 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2006.tb01162.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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47
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Andersson MS, Ödeen A, Håstad O. A partly coverable badge signalling avian virus resistance. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2006.00222.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Møller AP, Chabi Y, Cuervo JJ, de Lope F, Kilpimaa J, Kose M, Matyjasiak P, Pap PL, Saino N, Sakraoui R, Schifferli L, von Hirschheydt J. AN ANALYSIS OF CONTINENT-WIDE PATTERNS OF SEXUAL SELECTION IN A PASSERINE BIRD. Evolution 2006. [DOI: 10.1554/05-665.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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49
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Eaton MD. A Phylogenetic Perspective on the Evolution of Chromatic Ultraviolet Plumage Coloration in Grackles and Allies (Icteridae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1093/auk/123.1.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPlumage traits have been studied intensely for more than a century, especially bright and exaggerated plumage. A large body of evidence across a range of avian taxa supports sexual selection as a major evolutionary force acting on plumage colors. The discovery of ultraviolet (UV) coloration in avian plumage resulted in the extension of sexual selection hypotheses to explain the evolution of potential UV plumage traits. However, there have been no comparative evolutionary studies elucidating the origin of UV signals in birds. Here, I used a comparative phylogenetic approach to investigate the evolution of chromatic UV plumage colors in the grackles-and-allies clade of the New World blackbirds (Icteridae). On the basis of reflectance data collected from museum study skins, I have determined that UV plumage signals have evolved multiple times from an ancestral condition that lacked UV plumage signals, with very few unambiguous reversals. Although UV plumage has evolved in both males and females, there have been significantly more evolutionary changes in male UV plumage characters. Concentrated changes tests and correlations of independent contrasts reveal evidence for sexual selection of some male UV plumage characters, as well as an increase in UV plumage coloration for species found in open habitats. These results support the use of objective assessments of avian colors (i.e. spectrophotometry) to properly interpret patterns of plumage evolution generally, and they suggest the need for behavioral studies on the function of chromatic UV signals in several blackbird species.Una Perspectiva Filogenética sobre la Evolución de la Coloración Ultravioleta en los Changos y Chamones (Icteridae)
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Affiliation(s)
- Muir D. Eaton
- Bell Museum of Natural History and Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
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Møller AP, Rózsa L. Parasite biodiversity and host defenses: chewing lice and immune response of their avian hosts. Oecologia 2004; 142:169-76. [PMID: 15503162 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-004-1735-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2004] [Accepted: 09/20/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Antagonistic host-parasite interactions lead to coevolution of host defenses and parasite virulence. Such adaptation by parasites to host defenses may occur to the detriment of the ability of parasites to exploit alternative hosts, causing parasite specialization and speciation. We investigated the relationship between level of anti-parasite defense in hosts and taxonomic richness of two chewing louse suborders (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) on birds. While Amblyceran lice tend to occur in contact with host skin, feed on host skin and chew emerging tips of developing feathers to obtain blood, Ischnoceran lice live on feathers and feed on the non-living keratin of feather barbules. We hypothesized that Amblyceran abundance and richness would have evolved in response to interaction with the immune system of the host, while Ischnoceran taxonomic richness would have evolved independently of immunological constraints. In an interspecific comparison, the abundance of Ischnocerans was positively related to host body size, while host body mass and Ischnoceran taxonomic richness accounted for the abundance of Amblycerans. Amblyceran taxonomic richness was predicted by the intensity of T-cell mediated immune response of nestling hosts, while the T-cell response of adults had no significant effect. In contrast, Ischnoceran taxonomic richness was not predicted by host T-cell responses. These results suggest that the taxonomic richness of different parasite taxa is influenced by different host defenses, and they are consistent with the hypothesis that increasing host allocation to immune defense increases Amblyceran biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Pape Møller
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 7103, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Bât. A, 7ème étage, 7 quai St. Bernard, Case 237, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
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