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Ramírez-Delgado VH, Serrano-Meneses MA, Cueva Del Castillo R. A macroevolutionary perspective of cryptic coloration in sexually dichromatic grasshoppers of the genus Sphenarium (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae). Oecologia 2025; 207:19. [PMID: 39792152 PMCID: PMC11723891 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05643-7] [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: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 10/29/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2025]
Abstract
Background matching and disruptive coloration are defense mechanisms of animals against visual predators. Disruptive coloration tends to evolve in microhabitats that are visually heterogeneous, while background matching is favored in microhabitats that are chromatically homogeneous. Controlling for the phylogeny, we explored the evolution of the coloration and the marking patterns in the sexual dichromatic and widely distributed neotropical grasshoppers of the genus Sphenarium. These grasshoppers represent an excellent model to investigate the evolution of cryptic coloration on insects due to the heterogeneity of the environments where they have evolved. We found a correlation between the grasshoppers' coloration and disruptive markings with the chromatic properties of their environments that was inferred by the levels of precipitation during the rainy season. The results suggest that colors and marking patterns could evolve due to predation pressures. Color in both sexes could offer camouflage that is not perfectly background matched to a single habitat but instead offers a degree of resemblance to multiple backgrounds. Moreover, we found that males and females chromatic properties differ between them and precipitation levels where the species are found. This suggests that the sexes have diverged in their response to the environments, favoring the evolution of sexual dichromatism in these grasshoppers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Hugo Ramírez-Delgado
- Laboratorio de Ecología, UBIPRO, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, 54090, México
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Itzimná, 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | | | - Raúl Cueva Del Castillo
- Laboratorio de Ecología, UBIPRO, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, 54090, México.
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2
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Van Zele N, Nicot T, Lengagne T, Ksas R, Lourdais O. Physiological costs of warning: Defensive hissing increases metabolic rate and evaporative water loss in a venomous snake. Physiol Behav 2024; 287:114708. [PMID: 39366538 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Revised: 09/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
To minimize predation risk and the cost of confronting predators, prey have developed a range of defensive strategies and warning signals. Although advantageous, defensive warnings may also induce physiological and energy costs to the emitter. Ventilatory sounds (hissing) are the most distributed warning sound in vertebrates. Because they involve the respiratory apparatus, defensive hissing may substantially increase evaporative water loss. Herein, we examined the determinants of hissing as well as its physiological costs in a medium-sized venomous snake, the long-nosed viper (Vipera ammodytes). We first used a neutral arena and applied standardized stimulation to measure the occurrence and acoustic characteristics of warning hissing. Then, we used open-flow respirometry to quantify changes in respiratory gas exchanges (oxygen consumption and evaporative water loss) during defensive responses. We demonstrated that males are more likely to engage in sound warnings when stimulated. Expirations generated the strongest signals compared to inspiration but did not differ between sexes. We found that defensive hissing dramatically increased average metabolic rate and evaporative water loss during the 10-minute stimulation period, and this effect was more pronounced in males. Metabolic rates and evaporative water loss were closely related to the duration of hissing. Overall, our results indicate that respiratory-based warning sounds induce significant physiological costs and may alter water balance. The higher responsiveness in males than females likely reflects sexually selective pressure (higher mobility for mate acquisition) and enhanced risk exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Van Zele
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, LEHNA UMR 5023, CNRS, ENTPE, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-La Rochelle, CEBC-CNRS UMR7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Thomas Nicot
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-La Rochelle, CEBC-CNRS UMR7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, LEHNA UMR 5023, CNRS, ENTPE, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Rémi Ksas
- Venom World, 5 avenue des fleurs de la paix, 17200 , Royan
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-La Rochelle, CEBC-CNRS UMR7372, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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3
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de Alcantara Viana JV, Duarte RC, Lambertini C, Capoccia F, Martins ALO, Vieira C, Romero GQ. Differential Survival and Background Selection in Cryptic Trunk-Dwelling Arthropods in Fire-Prone Environments. Am Nat 2024; 204:E128-E145. [PMID: 39556874 DOI: 10.1086/732864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2024]
Abstract
AbstractFire events change background color, impairing camouflage strategies. However, selection for polymorphic populations may increase camouflage and survival by reducing predation risks. We conducted experiments addressing background selection and predation pressures on the effectiveness of arthropod camouflage against predation in burned and unburned trunks. We tested color and luminance contrasts, as well as trunk preferences, in a color polymorphic grasshopper and praying mantis species with melanic and brown morphs, and a spider species with a single dark color. To expand the scope of our study, we used two distinct visual models of avian predators: ultraviolet sensitive and violet sensitive. We also performed predation experiments using theoretical prey exhibiting black and brown color and human "predators" to understand the effectiveness of color polymorphism against different trunk conditions. Melanic morphs had lower achromatic contrast in burned backgrounds for both visual systems, suggesting that melanism promotes advantages against predation over long distances. However, only spiders actively selected the low-contrasting burned trunks, indicating habitat specialization. The predation experiments showed that black models benefited from camouflage on burned trunks. Conversely, brown models elicited more time and reduced distance in predator searching compared with the black targets on unburned trunks. We suggest that postfire effects can enhance color contrasts and increase predation over color-mismatching individuals, which translates into selection pressures for color polymorphism and matching background choices.
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Green SD, Wilson A, Stevens M. Background selection for camouflage shifts in accordance with color change in an intertidal prawn. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae060. [PMID: 39372492 PMCID: PMC11453103 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae060] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024] Open
Abstract
To maximize camouflage across visually heterogeneous habitats, animals have evolved a variety of strategies, including polyphenism, color change, and behavioral background matching. Despite the expected importance of behavioral processes for mediating camouflage, such as selection for matching substrates, behavior has received less attention than color traits themselves, and interactions between color change and behavior are largely unexplored. Here, we investigated behavioral background matching in green and red chameleon prawns (Hippolyte varians) over the course of a color change experiment. Prawns were housed on mismatching green and red seaweeds for 30 days and periodically given a choice test between the same seaweeds in y-choice trials over the experiment. We found that, as prawns change color and improve camouflage (to the perspective of a fish predator), there is a reinforcing shift in behavior. That is, as prawns shift from red to green color, or vice versa, their seaweed color preference follows this. We provide key empirical evidence that plasticity of appearance (color) is accompanied by a plastic shift in behavior (color preference) that reinforces camouflage in a color changing species on its natural substrate. Overall, our research highlights how short-term plasticity of behavior and longer-term color change act in tandem to maintain crypsis over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D Green
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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Zieliński D, Nawłatyna P, Wójcik Z, Sobieszek B, Słaby A, Nolewajka M, Kapustka J. Assessment of Animal Welfare at an Exotic Animal Fair in Poland: A Focus on the Quality of Exhibition Containers for Reptiles and Amphibians. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1872. [PMID: 38997984 PMCID: PMC11240396 DOI: 10.3390/ani14131872] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Given the growing number of events involving exotic animals, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being of the animals involved. This study aims to evaluate the quality of animal presentation at a selected fair in Poland and assess the level of animal welfare evident in the exhibition boxes, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on this important issue. The evaluators used a five-point Likert scale and a Yes/No system to analyze the living conditions during the fair, including the size of containers, presence of substrate, and environmental enrichment. They also assessed the occurrence of visual abnormal postures and behaviors to gauge the overall level of welfare. To ensure the reliability and consistency of the data and minimize potential bias, each evaluator repeated the rating process three times, with a three-week interval between each session. An average value was then calculated for each aspect. A total of 818 animals were present at the fair, with 688 being reptiles (84.11%) and 130 being amphibians (15.89%). This study revealed that the provision of substrate scored higher for reptiles compared to amphibians, while the size of containers for amphibians received higher ratings than those for reptiles. Visual abnormalities in posture and behavior were more common in reptiles than in amphibians. Display containers for snakes received the lowest ratings and showed more visual abnormalities in posture and behavior, raising concerns about their welfare. Despite the presence of environmental enrichment, the overall level of animal welfare was assessed as being medium/low. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated good reliability among the evaluators during the assessment process, with most assessments showing values > 0.8. Despite existing regulations for exhibitors, neglect remains prevalent. These findings highlight the potential negative impact of animal exposure at fairs on animal welfare. Display containers were often inadequately sized for the animals, particularly for snakes, chameleons, monitor lizards, and salamanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Zieliński
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Piotr Nawłatyna
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
- Student Research Club of Animal Behavior and Welfare: Terraristics Section, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Zofia Wójcik
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
- Student Research Club of Animal Behavior and Welfare: Terraristics Section, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Barbara Sobieszek
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
- Student Research Club of Animal Behavior and Welfare: Terraristics Section, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Słaby
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
- Student Research Club of Animal Behavior and Welfare: Terraristics Section, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Martyna Nolewajka
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
- Student Research Club of Animal Behavior and Welfare: Terraristics Section, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Joanna Kapustka
- Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka St. 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
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Zhang Z, Shi C, Han J, Ge X, Li N, Liu Y, Huang J, Chen S. Nonvisual system-mediated body color change in fish reveals nonvisual function of Opsin 3 in skin. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2024; 252:112861. [PMID: 38335869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2024.112861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Body-color changes in many poikilothermic animals can occur quickly. This color change is generally initiated by visual system, followed by neuromuscular or neuroendocrine control. We have previously showed that the ventral skin color of the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) presents golden yellow in dark environment and quickly changes to silvery white in light environment. In the present study, we found that the light-induced whitening of ventral skin color was independent of visual input. Using light-emitting diode sources of different wavelength with same luminance (150 lx) but different absolute irradiance (0.039-0.333 mW/cm2), we further found that the blue light (λmax = 480 nm, 0.107 mW/cm2) is more effectively in induction of whitening of ventral skin color in compare with other light sources. Interestingly, the result of RT-PCR showed opsin 3 transcripts expressed in xanthophores. Recombinant protein of Opsin 3 with 11-cis retinal formed functional blue-sensitive pigment, with an absorption maximum at 468 nm. The HEK293T cells transfected with Opsin 3 showed a blue light-evoked Ca2+ response. Knock-down of Opsin 3 expression blocked the light-induced xanthosomes aggregation in vitro. Moreover, the light-induced xanthosomes aggregation was mediated via Ca2+-PKC and Ca2+-CaMKII pathways, and relied on microtubules and dynein. Decrease of cAMP levels was a prerequisite for xanthosomes aggregation. Our results provide a unique organism model exhibiting light-induced quick body color change, which was independent of visual input but rather rely on non-visual function of Opsin 3 within xanthophore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Chenchen Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Key laboratory of fish applied biology and aquaculture in North China, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Shixi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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Best RM, Swan AL, Ellsworth SA, Levitan DR. The Sexually Dichromatic Use of Chromatophores for Cryptic Coloration in the Shrimp Neopontonides beaufortensis. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2023; 245:120-128. [PMID: 39316740 DOI: 10.1086/731494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
AbstractSexual dimorphism typically arises as a result of sexual selection or sex-specific natural selection. Species that exhibit cryptic coloration provide an excellent system for studying sex-specific selection for sexual dichromatism. In this study, we examined the sexually dichromatic use of chromatophores in the seawhip shrimp, Neopontonides beaufortensis (Borradaile, 1920), which commonly resides on colonies of Leptogorgia virgulata (Lamarck, 1815), a gorgonian octocoral that occurs in multiple color morphs. We documented the frequency of cryptic coloration in N. beaufortensis and tested colony color preference in relation to their current color. In the field, individuals always matched the color of the L. virgulata colony they were found on or were largely translucent. However, when given a choice, individuals chose colonies at random, independent of color. Additionally, we quantified locations across the bodies of males and females that differ most in chromatophore usage and tested the ability of both sexes to change color over 7 days. Females housed with L. virgulata colonies that differed in color from their starting color changed their coloration over the 7 days to better match the colony, while males remained translucent regardless of the color of colony they were housed with. Neopontonides beaufortensis individuals differed most in their coloration in regions corresponding to the saddle region and areas of the abdomen, locations in which females carry their eggs during development. These findings provide insight into the ecological factors underlying sexual dichromatism and shed light on the potential sex-specific selective mechanisms responsible for sexually dimorphic traits.
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8
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Kikuchi DW, Allen WL, Arbuckle K, Aubier TG, Briolat ES, Burdfield-Steel ER, Cheney KL, Daňková K, Elias M, Hämäläinen L, Herberstein ME, Hossie TJ, Joron M, Kunte K, Leavell BC, Lindstedt C, Lorioux-Chevalier U, McClure M, McLellan CF, Medina I, Nawge V, Páez E, Pal A, Pekár S, Penacchio O, Raška J, Reader T, Rojas B, Rönkä KH, Rößler DC, Rowe C, Rowland HM, Roy A, Schaal KA, Sherratt TN, Skelhorn J, Smart HR, Stankowich T, Stefan AM, Summers K, Taylor CH, Thorogood R, Umbers K, Winters AE, Yeager J, Exnerová A. The evolution and ecology of multiple antipredator defences. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:975-991. [PMID: 37363877 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Prey seldom rely on a single type of antipredator defence, often using multiple defences to avoid predation. In many cases, selection in different contexts may favour the evolution of multiple defences in a prey. However, a prey may use multiple defences to protect itself during a single predator encounter. Such "defence portfolios" that defend prey against a single instance of predation are distributed across and within successive stages of the predation sequence (encounter, detection, identification, approach (attack), subjugation and consumption). We contend that at present, our understanding of defence portfolio evolution is incomplete, and seen from the fragmentary perspective of specific sensory systems (e.g., visual) or specific types of defences (especially aposematism). In this review, we aim to build a comprehensive framework for conceptualizing the evolution of multiple prey defences, beginning with hypotheses for the evolution of multiple defences in general, and defence portfolios in particular. We then examine idealized models of resource trade-offs and functional interactions between traits, along with evidence supporting them. We find that defence portfolios are constrained by resource allocation to other aspects of life history, as well as functional incompatibilities between different defences. We also find that selection is likely to favour combinations of defences that have synergistic effects on predator behaviour and prey survival. Next, we examine specific aspects of prey ecology, genetics and development, and predator cognition that modify the predictions of current hypotheses or introduce competing hypotheses. We outline schema for gathering data on the distribution of prey defences across species and geography, determining how multiple defences are produced, and testing the proximate mechanisms by which multiple prey defences impact predator behaviour. Adopting these approaches will strengthen our understanding of multiple defensive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Kikuchi
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Thomas G Aubier
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, UMR 5174, CNRS/IRD, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Emily R Burdfield-Steel
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karen L Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Klára Daňková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Liisa Hämäläinen
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas J Hossie
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mathieu Joron
- CEFE, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Brian C Leavell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ugo Lorioux-Chevalier
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Melanie McClure
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | | | - Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Viraj Nawge
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Erika Páez
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Arka Pal
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Olivier Penacchio
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Computer Vision Center, Computer Science Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tom Reader
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Katja H Rönkä
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniela C Rößler
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Candy Rowe
- Institute of Biosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hannah M Rowland
- Max Planck Research Group Predators and Toxic Prey, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Arlety Roy
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Kaitlin A Schaal
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - John Skelhorn
- Institute of Biosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hannah R Smart
- Hawkesbury Institute of the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ted Stankowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
| | - Amanda M Stefan
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kate Umbers
- Hawkesbury Institute of the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Science Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anne E Winters
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Justin Yeager
- Grupo de Biodiversidad Medio Ambiente y Salud, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Batabyal A, Zambre A, Mclaren T, Rankin KJ, Somaweera R, Stuart‐Fox D, Thaker M. The extent of rapid colour change in male agamid lizards is unrelated to overall sexual dichromatism. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10293. [PMID: 37435020 PMCID: PMC10329938 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic colour change is widespread in ectothermic animals, but has primarily been studied in the context of background matching. For most species, we lack quantitative data on the extent of colour change across different contexts. It is also unclear whether and how colour change varies across body regions, and how overall sexual dichromatism relates to the extent of individual colour change. In this study, we obtained reflectance measures in response to different stimuli for males and females of six species of agamid lizards (Agamidae, sister family to Chameleonidae) comprising three closely related species pairs. We computed the colour volume in a lizard-vision colour space occupied by males and females of each species and estimated overall sexual dichromatism based on the area of non-overlapping male and female colour volumes. As expected, males had larger colour volumes than females, but the extent of colour change in males differed between species and between body regions. Notably, species that were most sexually dichromatic were not necessarily those in which males showed the greatest individual colour change. Our results indicate that the extent of colour change is independent of the degree of sexual dichromatism and demonstrate that colour change on different body regions can vary substantially even between pairs of closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Batabyal
- Department of Physical and Natural SciencesFLAME UniversityPuneIndia
- Centre for Ecological SciencesIndian Institute of ScienceBengaluruIndia
| | - Amod Zambre
- Centre for Ecological SciencesIndian Institute of ScienceBengaluruIndia
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Tess Mclaren
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Katrina J. Rankin
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Ruchira Somaweera
- Stantec AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological SciencesIndian Institute of ScienceBengaluruIndia
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10
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McLellan CF, Cuthill IC, Montgomery SH. Pattern variation is linked to anti-predator coloration in butterfly larvae. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230811. [PMID: 37357867 PMCID: PMC10291709 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0811] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Prey animals typically try to avoid being detected and/or advertise to would-be predators that they should be avoided. Both anti-predator strategies primarily rely on colour to succeed, but the specific patterning used is also important. While the role of patterning in camouflage is relatively clear, the design features of aposematic patterns are less well understood. Here, we use a comparative approach to investigate how pattern use varies across a phylogeny of 268 species of cryptic and aposematic butterfly larvae, which also vary in social behaviour. We find that longitudinal stripes are used more frequently by cryptic larvae, and that patterns putatively linked to crypsis are more likely to be used by solitary larvae. By contrast, aposematic larvae are more likely to use horizontal bands and spots, but we find no differences in the use of individual pattern elements between solitary and gregarious aposematic species. However, solitary aposematic larvae are more likely to display multiple pattern elements, whereas those with no pattern are more likely to be gregarious. Our study advances our understanding of how pattern variation, coloration and social behaviour covary across lepidopteran larvae, and highlights new questions about how patterning affects larval detectability and predator responses to aposematic prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum F. McLellan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Innes C. Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Stephen H. Montgomery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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11
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Loeffler-Henry K, Kang C, Sherratt TN. Evolutionary transitions from camouflage to aposematism: Hidden signals play a pivotal role. Science 2023; 379:1136-1140. [PMID: 36927015 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade5156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
The initial evolution of warning signals in unprofitable prey, termed aposematism, is often seen as a paradox because any new conspicuous mutant would be easier to detect than its cryptic conspecifics and not readily recognized by naïve predators as defended. One possibility is that permanent aposematism first evolved through species using hidden warning signals, which are only exposed to would-be predators on encounter. Here, we present a large-scale analysis of evolutionary transitions in amphibian antipredation coloration and demonstrate that the evolutionary transition from camouflage to aposematism is rarely direct but tends to involve an intermediary stage, namely cryptic species that facultatively reveal conspicuous coloration. Accounting for this intermediate step can resolve the paradox and thereby advance our understanding of the evolution of aposematism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Changku Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Thomas N Sherratt
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
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12
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The orchid mantis exhibits high ontogenetic colouration variety and intersexual life history differences. Evol Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-023-10230-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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13
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Radovanović TB, Petrović TG, Gavrilović BR, Despotović SG, Gavrić JP, Kijanović A, Mirč M, Tomašević Kolarov N, Vukov T, Prokić MD. What coloration brings: Implications of background adaptation to oxidative stress in anurans. Front Zool 2023; 20:6. [PMID: 36717935 PMCID: PMC9887830 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00486-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urban development results in habitat destruction, affecting populations of amphibians, the most fragile group of vertebrates. With changes in the environment, these animals become more exposed to light and predators. To enhance their chances of survival, they display plasticity of body coloration. Aside from adaptive benefits, animals exhibiting background matching meet the energetic costs and restrictions of changing body tones. To study the physiological consequences of Hyla arborea tadpole adaptation to background color, we followed oxidative stress parameters after rearing larvae on a constant background (black/white) and after changing the background color. RESULTS Larvae cultivated for 20 days on constant substrate color exhibited differences in body coloration but without differences in lipid peroxidation (LPO) concentration between dark and pale individuals, suggesting that coloration investment during this period did not induce higher oxidative damage in darker tadpoles. Prolonged exposure of larvae (37 days) to a dark habitat increased antioxidative system defense and LPO concentrations, compared to animals reared permanently in the white surroundings. The positive correlation of oxidative damage with color intensity of individuals points to the physiological consequences of higher investment in the number of pigment cells necessary for dark pigmentation. In individuals faced with non-matching background and change in body coloration, defense system declined and LPO occurred relative to individuals cultivated in white habitat. CONCLUSION Here, we have pointed to consequences related to background matching and stress that amphibians experienced during chromatic adaptations. Background color change causes a complex physiological response affecting the antioxidative defense parameters. This investigation elucidates the accompanying cost of amphibians' adjustment to an altered environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana B. Radovanović
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Tamara G. Petrović
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Branka R. Gavrilović
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Svetlana G. Despotović
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Jelena P. Gavrić
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Ana Kijanović
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Marko Mirč
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Nataša Tomašević Kolarov
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Tanja Vukov
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
| | - Marko D. Prokić
- grid.7149.b0000 0001 2166 9385Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, 11060 Serbia
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14
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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: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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15
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de Alcantara Viana JV, Lourenço Garcia de Brito V, de Melo C. Colour matching by arthropods in burned and unburned backgrounds in a Neotropical savanna. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- João Vitor de Alcantara Viana
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Laboratório de Ornitologia e Bioacústica Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) Uberlândia Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas
- Laboratório de Interações Multitróficas e Biodiversidade Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas CP 6109, CEP 13083-970 Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Celine de Melo
- Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
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16
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Meta-analysis of tadpole taste tests: consumption of anuran prey across development and predator strategies. Oecologia 2022; 199:845-857. [PMID: 35857113 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05221-9] [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: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The risk of predation and the costs and benefits of diverse anti-predator strategies can shift across the life stages of an organism. Yet, empirical examples of ontogenetic switches in defense mechanisms are scarce. Anurans represent an alleged exception; previous meta-analytic work suggests that unpalatability of developing anurans is "rare", whereas adult anurans in many lineages are well defended by toxic and/or unpalatable skin secretions. Here, we revisit the question of the unpalatability of anuran young in a meta-analysis of the relative proportion of prey consumed within 922 predation tests, including 135 anuran species. We tested the hypotheses that a predator's propensity to consume anuran young depends on (1) prey family, (2) predator manipulation strategy, and (3) prey ontogenetic stage. We used a binomial mixed model approach with considerations for multiple effect sizes within studies to evaluate the log odds ratio of the proportion of prey consumed by individual predators. Prey consumption was highly variable, but toads (Bufonidae) were consumed in lower proportions. Chewing invertebrates consumed more anuran prey than biting vertebrates. Late stage tadpoles were more vulnerable to predation than other stages of anuran ontogeny. However, more studies are needed to unravel the roles of development and evolutionary history in the chemical ecology of anuran young. This synthesis provides clear meta-analytic evidence that relative unpalatability is an important component in the anti-predator defenses of young in some anuran families, calling into question the degree to which chemically defended anuran families undergo ontogenetic switches in anti-predator strategies.
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17
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Alfakih A, Watt PJ, Nadeau NJ. The physiological cost of colour change: evidence, implications and mitigations. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275479. [PMID: 35593398 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.210401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals benefit from phenotypic plasticity in changing environments, but this can come at a cost. Colour change, used for camouflage, communication, thermoregulation and UV protection, represents one of the most common plastic traits in nature and is categorised as morphological or physiological depending on the mechanism and speed of the change. Colour change has been assumed to carry physiological costs, but current knowledge has not advanced beyond this basic assumption. The costs of changing colour will shape the evolution of colour change in animals, yet no coherent research has been conducted in this area, leaving a gap in our understanding. Therefore, in this Review, we examine the direct and indirect evidence of the physiological cost of colour change from the cellular to the population level, in animals that utilise chromatophores in colour change. Our Review concludes that the physiological costs result from either one or a combination of the processes of (i) production, (ii) translocation and (iii) maintenance of pigments within the colour-containing cells (chromatophores). In addition, both types of colour change (morphological and physiological) pose costs as they require energy for hormone production and neural signalling. Moreover, our Review upholds the hypothesis that, if repetitively used, rapid colour change (i.e. seconds-minutes) is more costly than slow colour change (days-weeks) given that rapidly colour-changing animals show mitigations, such as avoiding colour change when possible. We discuss the potential implications of this cost on colour change, behaviour and evolution of colour-changing animals, generating testable hypotheses and emphasising the need for future work to address this gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ateah Alfakih
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Albaha University, Almakhwah 65553, Saudi Arabia.,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Penelope J Watt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Nicola J Nadeau
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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18
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Yeager J, Barnett JB. Continuous Variation in an Aposematic Pattern Affects Background Contrast, but Is Not Associated With Differences in Microhabitat Use. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.803996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in aposematic signals was once predicted to be rare, yet in recent years it has become increasingly well documented. Despite increases in the frequency with which polytypism and polymorphism have been suggested to occur, population-wide variance is rarely quantified. We comprehensively sampled a subpopulation of the poison frog Oophaga sylvatica, a species which is polytypic across its distribution and also shows considerable within-population polymorphism. On one hand, color pattern polymorphism could be the result of multifarious selection acting to balance different signaling functions and leading to the evolution of discrete sub-morphs which occupy different fitness peaks. Alternatively, variance could simply be due to relaxed selection, where variation would be predicted to be continuous. We used visual modeling of conspecific and heterospecific observers to quantify the extent of within population phenotypic variation and assess whether this variation produced distinct signals. We found that, despite considerable color pattern variation, variance could not be partitioned into distinct groups, but rather all viewers would be likely to perceive variation as continuous. Similarly, we found no evidence that frog color pattern contrast was either enhanced or diminished in the frogs’ chosen microhabitats compared to alternative patches in which conspecifics were observed. Within population phenotypic variance therefore does not seem to be indicative of strong selection toward multiple signaling strategies, but rather pattern divergence has likely arisen due to weak purifying selection, or neutral processes, on a signal that is highly salient to both conspecifics and predators.
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19
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Yu L, Xu X, Li F, Zhou W, Zeng H, Tan EJ, Zhang S, Li D. From crypsis to masquerade: Ontogeny changes the colour defences of a crab spider hiding as bird droppings. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution School of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan China
| | - Xin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution School of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan China
- School of Life Sciences Hunan Normal University Changsha China
| | - Fan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution School of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan China
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore
- College of Life Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore
| | - Hua Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Peking University Beijing China
| | | | - Shichang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution School of Life Sciences Hubei University Wuhan China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore
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20
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21
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Wuthrich KL, Nagel A, Swierk L. Rapid Body Color Change Provides Lizards with Facultative Crypsis in the Eyes of Their Avian Predators. Am Nat 2021; 199:277-290. [DOI: 10.1086/717678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Lin Wuthrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902
| | - Amber Nagel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Lindsey Swierk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511; and Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies, Iquitos, Loreto 16001, Perú
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22
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Ontogenetic colour change of a sexual ornament in males of a damselfly: female mimicry, crypsis or both? Naturwissenschaften 2021; 109:2. [PMID: 34874492 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01775-5] [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: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Female mimicry by males is a widespread phenomenon in several taxa and may be involved in aggression avoidance or facilitated access to resources. In early developmental stages, female mimicry may be a mechanism involved in signalling sexual immaturity or, when coupled with strategies related to visual camouflage, may be involved in the avoidance of male-male agonistic interactions. Here, we addressed whether the delayed colour maturation of a sexual ornament in males of Mnesarete pudica damselflies might be a case of crypsis, female mimicry or both. We analysed how conspecifics and predators perceive the pigmented wings of juvenile males by contrasting the wing spectra against a savannah background and the wings of both juvenile and sexually mature males and females. Our results based on the modelled visual system of conspecifics and predators suggest that the colour maturation of juvenile males may function as both crypsis and female mimicry. We discuss whether these results related to age- and sexual-dichromatism might be a mechanism to avoid unwanted intraspecific interactions or to avoid territorial and aggressive males. We conclude that the female mimicry and crypsis in juvenile males of M. pudica are mechanisms involved in avoidance of predators and unwanted intraspecific interactions, and the signalling of sexual maturity.
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23
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Postema EG. The effectiveness of eyespots and masquerade in protecting artificial prey across ontogenetic and seasonal shifts. Curr Zool 2021; 68:451-458. [PMID: 36090146 PMCID: PMC9450170 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
When constraints on antipredator coloration shift over the course of development, it can be advantageous for animals to adopt different color strategies for each life stage. Many caterpillars in the genus Papilio exhibit unique ontogenetic color sequences: for example, early instars that masquerade as bird feces, with later instars possessing eyespots. I hypothesize that larvae abandon feces masquerade in favor of eyespots due to ontogenetic changes in signaler size. This ontogenetic pattern also occurs within broader seasonal shifts in background color and predator activity. I conducted predation experiments with artificial prey to determine how potential signaling constraints (specifically size and season) shape predation risk, and consequently the expression of ontogenetic color change in Papilio larvae. Seasonally, both predation and background greenness declined significantly from July to September, though there was little evidence that these patterns impacted the effectiveness of either color strategy. Caterpillar size and color strongly affected the attack rate of avian predators: attacks increased with prey size regardless of color, and eyespotted prey were attacked more than masquerading prey overall. These results may reflect a key size-mediated tradeoff between conspicuousness and intimidation in eyespotted prey, and raise questions about how interwoven aspects of behavior and signal environment might maintain the prevalence of large, eyespotted larvae in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Postema
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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24
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Encel SA, Ward AJW. Social context affects camouflage in a cryptic fish species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:211125. [PMID: 34659783 PMCID: PMC8511788 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Crypsis, or the ability to avoid detection and/or recognition, is an important and widespread anti-predator strategy across the animal kingdom. Many animals are able to camouflage themselves by adapting their body colour to the local environment. In particular, rapid changes in body colour are often critical to the survival of cryptic prey which rely on evading detection by predators. This is especially pertinent for animals subject to spatio-temporal variability in their environment, as they must adapt to acute changes in their visual surroundings. However, which features of the local environment are most relevant is not well understood. In particular, little is known about how social context interacts with other environmental stimuli to influence crypsis. Here, we use a common cryptic prey animal, the goby (Pseudogobius species 2) to examine how the presence and body colour of conspecifics influence the rate and extent to which gobies change colour. We find that solitary gobies change colour to match their background faster and to a greater extent than gobies in pairs. Further, we find that this relationship holds irrespective of the colour of nearby conspecifics. This study demonstrates the importance of social context in mediating colour change in cryptic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella A. Encel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ashley J. W. Ward
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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25
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Guerra-Grenier E, Liu R, Arnason JT, Sherratt TN. Chemical defense and tonic immobility in early life stages of the Harlequin cabbage bug, Murgantia histrionica (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10133-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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26
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Caro T, Koneru M. Towards an ecology of protective coloration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:611-641. [PMID: 33258554 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The strategies underlying different forms of protective coloration are well understood but little attention has been paid to the ecological, life-history and behavioural circumstances under which they evolve. While some comparative studies have investigated the ecological correlates of aposematism, and background matching, the latter particularly in mammals, few have examined the ecological correlates of other types of protective coloration. Here, we first outline which types of defensive coloration strategies may be exhibited by the same individual; concluding that many protective coloration mechanisms can be employed simultaneously, particularly in conjunction with background matching. Second, we review the ecological predictions that have been made for each sort of protective coloration mechanism before systematically surveying phylogenetically controlled comparative studies linking ecological and social variables to antipredator defences that involve coloration. We find that some a priori predictions based on small-scale empirical studies and logical arguments are indeed supported by comparative data, especially in relation to how illumination affects both background matching and self-shadow concealment through countershading; how body size is associated with countershading, motion dazzle, flash coloration and aposematism, although only in selected taxa; how immobility may promote background matching in ambush predators; and how mobility may facilitate motion dazzle. Examination of nearly 120 comparative tests reveals that many focus on ecological variables that have little to do with predictions derived from antipredator defence theory, and that broad-scale ecological studies of defence strategies that incorporate phylogenetics are still very much in their infancy. We close by making recommendations for future evolutionary ecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K.,Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Manisha Koneru
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
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27
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Duarte RC, Dias GM, Flores AAV, Stevens M. Different ontogenetic trajectories of body colour, pattern and crypsis in two sympatric intertidal crab species. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Animals frequently exhibit great variation in appearance, especially in heterogeneous habitats where individuals can be concealed differentially against backgrounds. Although background matching is a common anti-predator strategy, gaps exist in our understanding of within- and among-species variation. Specifically, the drivers of changes in appearance associated with habitat use and occurring through ontogeny are poorly understood. Using image analysis, we tested how individual appearance and camouflage in two intertidal crab species, the mud crab Panopeus americanus and the mottled crab Pachygrapsus transversus, relate to ontogeny and habitat use. We predicted that both species would change appearance with ontogeny, but that resident mud crabs would exhibit higher background similarity than generalist mottled crabs. Both species showed ontogenetic changes; the mud crabs became darker, whereas mottled crabs became more green. Small mud crabs were highly variable in colour and pattern, probably stemming from the use of camouflage in heterogeneous habitats during the most vulnerable life stage. Being habitat specialists, mud crabs were better concealed against all backgrounds than mottled crabs. Mottled crabs are motile and generalist, occupying macroalgae-covered rocks when adults, which explains why they are greener and why matches to specific habitats are less valuable. Differential habitat use in crabs can be associated with different coloration and camouflage strategies to avoid predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael C Duarte
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, Brazil
| | - Gustavo M Dias
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
| | - Augusto A V Flores
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, Brazil
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, UK
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Kim Y, Hwang Y, Bae S, Sherratt TN, An J, Choi SW, Miller JC, Kang C. Prey with hidden colour defences benefit from their similarity to aposematic signals. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201894. [PMID: 32900312 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Some camouflaged animals hide colour signals and display them only transiently. These hidden colour signals are often conspicuous and are used as a secondary defence to warn or startle predators (deimatic displays) and/or to confuse them (flash displays). The hidden signals used in these displays frequently resemble typical aposematic signals, so it is possible that prey with hidden signals have evolved to employ colour patterns of a form that predators have previously learned to associate with unprofitability. Here, we tested this hypothesis by conducting two experiments that examined the effect of predator avoidance learning on the efficacy of deimatic and flash displays. We found that the survival benefits of both deimatic and flash displays were substantially higher against predators that had previously learned to associate the hidden colours with unprofitability than against naive predators. These findings help explain the phenological patterns we found in 1568 macro-lepidopteran species on three continents: species with hidden signals tend to occur later in the season than species without hidden signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsu Kim
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, Jeollanamdo 58554, South Korea
| | - Yerin Hwang
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, Jeollanamdo 58554, South Korea
| | - Sangryong Bae
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, Jeollanamdo 58554, South Korea
| | - Thomas N Sherratt
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Jeongseop An
- National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon, Chungcheongnamdo 33657, South Korea
| | - Sei-Woong Choi
- Department of Environmental Education, Mokpo National University, Cheonggye, Muan, Jeollanamdo 58554, South Korea
| | - Jeffrey C Miller
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Changku Kang
- Department of Biosciences, Mokpo National University, Muan, Jeollanamdo 58554, South Korea
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Despland E. Ontogenetic shift from aposematism and gregariousness to crypsis in a Romaleid grasshopper. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237594. [PMID: 32817631 PMCID: PMC7444530 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Traits of chemically-defended animals can change as an individual grows and matures, and both theoretical and empirical evidence favour a direction of change from crypsis to aposematism. This study examines the suite of traits involved in an unusual opposite shift from aposematism to crypsis in a neotropical toxic-plant-feeding Romaleid grasshopper, Chromacris psittacus (Gerstaecker, 1873). Field surveys, behavioural observations and a rearing experiment compare host plant choice, aggregation, locomotion and thermoregulation between life history stages. Results showed that both nymphs and adults fed exclusively on a narrow range of Solanaceae plants, suggesting that the shift in defensive syndrome is not due to a change in chemical defense. Instead, nymphal aposematism appears linked to aggregation in response to plant-based selection pressures. Slow nymphal development suggests a cost to feeding on toxic plant compounds, and grouping could mitigate this cost. Grouping also increases conspicuousness, and hence can favour warning colourating in chemically-defended insects. The role of diet breadth in aposematism is poorly understood, and these results suggest how constraints imposed by feeding on toxic plants can generate bottom-up selection pressures shaping the adaptive suites of traits of chemically-defended animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Despland
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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30
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Jin H, Yoda S, Liu L, Kojima T, Fujiwara H. Notch and Delta Control the Switch and Formation of Camouflage Patterns in Caterpillars. iScience 2020; 23:101315. [PMID: 32650115 PMCID: PMC7347997 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In most Papilio species, a younger larva mimics bird droppings but changes its pattern to match host plant colors in its final instar. This change is determined by juvenile hormone (JH) during the JH-sensitive period (JHSP) early in the fourth instar. Recently, we found that homeobox genes control the pre-pattern formation specifically during JHSP, but the molecular mechanisms underlying final patterning and pigmentation at molt are unknown. By knockdown of Delta and Notch in Papilio xuthus larvae, we here showed that these genes define the edge and pigmentation area in final patterns, during and even after JHSP, suggesting that they bridge the JHSP and molt. Knockdown of Delta in Papilio machaon led to similar phenotypic changes, and knockdown of Notch caused pigmentation loss in twin spots of the silkworm Multilunar (L) mutant. Our findings suggest the importance of the Notch signaling pathway in caterpillars' adaptive evolution of color pattern formation. Notch and its ligand Delta regulate camouflage patterns of caterpillars They define edge and pigmentation area in Papilio xuthus final larval patterns They are suggested to bridge the juvenile hormone response period and final molt Notch signaling pathway is important for caterpillars' color pattern evolution
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Jin
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Shinichi Yoda
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kojima
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Fujiwara
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
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31
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Contrast to background influences predation on aposematic but not cryptic artificial caterpillars in a Brazilian coastal shrubland. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646742000005x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAposematism and crypticity are visual defensive strategies against predation; however, the relative effectiveness of these two strategies to reduce the risk of predation is not yet fully understood. We evaluated the risk of predation for caterpillars with cryptic and aposematic colouration as well as the probability of predation relative to the natural variation of contrast with the substrate. We expected that the two models would experience similar predation attempts and that the contrast with the substrate would be negatively related to the predation on aposematic mimic models and positively to the predation of cryptic models. Overall, 224 models were laid out along a transect and exposed to predation for five consecutive days during winter and autumn. Daily predation was 11.0% (winter) and 4.8% (autumn). Significant differences were not observed between predation rates on the two model types (50.6% aposematic). Most of the predated models had arthropod marks (86.4%) and only 13.6% had bird marks. The chance of predation was higher the greater the contrast between the aposematic mimic model and the substrate, although no relationship was observed for the cryptic model. Our results suggest that the two colour patterns do not differ in their defensive effectiveness and that micro-habitat selection might define the predation risk on aposematic mimic caterpillars in environments dominated by arthropod predators.
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32
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da Silva CRB, van den Berg CP, Condon ND, Riginos C, Wilson RS, Cheney KL. Intertidal gobies acclimate rate of luminance change for background matching with shifts in seasonal temperature. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1735-1746. [PMID: 32227334 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rate of colour change and background matching capacity are important functional traits for avoiding predation and hiding from prey. Acute changes in environmental temperature are known to impact the rate at which animals change colour, and therefore may affect their survival. Many ectotherms have the ability to acclimate performance traits such as locomotion, metabolic rate and growth rate with changes in seasonal temperature. However, it remains unclear how other functional traits that are directly linked to behaviour and survival respond to long-term changes in temperature (within an individual's lifetime). We assessed whether the rate of colour change is altered by long-term changes in temperature (seasonal variation) and if rate of colour change can acclimate to seasonal thermal conditions. We used an intertidal rock-pool goby Bathygobius cocosensis, to test this and exposed individuals to representative seasonal mean temperatures (16 or 31°C, herein referred to cold- and warm-exposed fish respectively) for 9 weeks and then tested their rate of luminance change when placed on white and black backgrounds at acute test temperatures 16 and 31°C. We modelled rate of luminance change using the visual sensitives of a coral trout Plectropmus leopardus to determine how well gobies matched their backgrounds in terms of luminance contrast to a potential predator. After exposure to long-term seasonal conditions, the warm-exposed fish had faster rates of luminance change and matched their background more closely when tested at 31 than at 16°C. Similarly, the cold-exposed fish had faster rates of luminance change and matched their backgrounds more closely at 16°C than at 31°C. This demonstrates that rate of luminance change can be adjusted to compensate for long-term changes in seasonal temperature. This is the first study to show that animals can acclimate rate of colour change for background matching to seasonal thermal conditions. We also show that rapid changes in acute temperature reduce background matching capabilities. Stochastic changes in climate are likely to affect the frequency of predator-prey interactions which may have substantial knock-on effects throughout ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen R B da Silva
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Cedric P van den Berg
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicholas D Condon
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Cynthia Riginos
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Robbie S Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Karen L Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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33
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Baling M, Stuart‐Fox D, Brunton DH, Dale J. Spatial and temporal variation in prey color patterns for background matching across a continuous heterogeneous environment. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2310-2319. [PMID: 32184983 PMCID: PMC7069320 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In heterogeneous habitats, camouflage via background matching can be challenging because visual characteristics can vary dramatically across small spatial scales. Additionally, temporal variation in signaling functions of coloration can affect crypsis, especially when animals use coloration seasonally for intraspecific signaling (e.g., mate selection). We currently have a poor understanding of how wild prey optimize background matching within continuously heterogeneous habitats, and whether this is affected by requirements of intraspecific signaling across biological seasons. Here, we quantified color patterns of a wild population of shore skink (Oligosoma smithi), a variably colored lizard endemic to New Zealand, to (a) investigate whether background matching varies across a vegetation gradient; (b) assess potential signaling functions of color; and (c) to determine whether there is a trade-off between requirements for crypsis and intraspecific signaling in coloration across seasons. Although all pattern types occurred throughout the vegetation gradient, we found evidence for background matching in skinks across the vegetation gradient, where dorsal brightness and pattern complexity corresponded with the proportion of vegetation cover. There was also a significant disparity between ventral color (saturation) of juveniles and adults, and also between sexes, suggestive of sex recognition. However, there was little indication that color was condition-dependent in adults. Despite some evidence for a potential role in signaling, crypsis did not greatly differ across seasons. Our study suggests that selection favors a mix of generalist and specialist background matching strategies across continuously heterogeneous habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen Baling
- Unitec Institute of TechnologyAucklandNew Zealand
- School of Natural and Computational SciencesMassey University (Albany Campus)AucklandNew Zealand
| | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Dianne H. Brunton
- School of Natural and Computational SciencesMassey University (Albany Campus)AucklandNew Zealand
| | - James Dale
- School of Natural and Computational SciencesMassey University (Albany Campus)AucklandNew Zealand
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34
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Vinterstare J, Hulthén K, Nilsson PA, Nilsson Sköld H, Brönmark C. Experimental manipulation of perceived predation risk and cortisol generates contrasting trait trajectories in plastic crucian carp. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb213611. [PMID: 31974218 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.213611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Most animals constitute potential prey and must respond appropriately to predator-mediated stress in order to survive. Numerous prey also adaptively tailor their response to the prevailing level of risk and stress imposed by their natural enemies, i.e. they adopt an inducible defence strategy. Predator exposure may activate the stress axis, and drive the expression of anti-predator traits that facilitate survival in a high-risk environment (the predation-stress hypothesis). Here, we quantified two key morphological anti-predator traits, body morphology and coloration, in crucian carp reared in the presence or absence of a predator (pike) in addition to experimental manipulation of physiological stress via implants containing either cortisol or a cortisol inhibitor. We found that predator-exposed fish expressed a deeper-bodied phenotype and darker body coloration as compared with non-exposed individuals. Skin analyses revealed that an increase in the amount of melanophores caused the dramatic colour change in predator-exposed fish. Increased melanization is costly, and the darker body coloration may act as an inducible defence against predation, via a conspicuous signal of the morphological defence or by crypsis towards dark environments and a nocturnal lifestyle. By contrast, the phenotype of individuals carrying cortisol implants did not mirror the phenotype of predator-exposed fish but instead exhibited opposite trajectories of trait change: a shallow-bodied morphology with a lighter body coloration as compared with sham-treated fish. The cortisol inhibitor did not influence the phenotype of fish i.e. neither body depth nor body coloration differed between this group and predator-exposed fish with a sham implant. However, our results illuminate a potential link between stress physiology and morphological defence expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerker Vinterstare
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kaj Hulthén
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - P Anders Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden
| | | | - Christer Brönmark
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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35
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Medina I, Vega-Trejo R, Wallenius T, Symonds MRE, Stuart-Fox D. From cryptic to colorful: Evolutionary decoupling of larval and adult color in butterflies. Evol Lett 2019; 4:34-43. [PMID: 32055409 PMCID: PMC7006464 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals undergo complete metamorphosis, where larval forms change abruptly in adulthood. Color change during ontogeny is common, but there is little understanding of evolutionary patterns in these changes. Here, we use data on larval and adult color for 246 butterfly species (61% of all species in Australia) to test whether the evolution of color is coupled between life stages. We show that adults are more variable in color across species than caterpillars and that male adult color has lower phylogenetic signal. These results suggest that sexual selection is driving color diversity in male adult butterflies at a broad scale. Moreover, color similarities between species at the larval stage do not predict color similarities at the adult stage, indicating that color evolution is decoupled between young and adult forms. Most species transition from cryptic coloration as caterpillars to conspicuous coloration as adults, but even species with conspicuous caterpillars change to different conspicuous colors as adults. The use of high‐contrast coloration is correlated with body size in caterpillars but not adults. Taken together, our results suggest a change in the relative importance of different selective pressures at different life stages, resulting in the evolutionary decoupling of coloration through ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Regina Vega-Trejo
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory 0200 Australia.,Department of Zoology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Thomas Wallenius
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory 0200 Australia
| | - Matthew R E Symonds
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Devi Stuart-Fox
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria 3010 Australia
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36
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Green SD, Duarte RC, Kellett E, Alagaratnam N, Stevens M. Colour change and behavioural choice facilitate chameleon prawn camouflage against different seaweed backgrounds. Commun Biol 2019; 2:230. [PMID: 31263774 PMCID: PMC6588621 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0465-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Camouflage is driven by matching the visual environment, yet natural habitats are rarely uniform and comprise many backgrounds. Therefore, species often exhibit adaptive traits to maintain crypsis, including colour change and behavioural choice of substrates. However, previous work largely considered these solutions in isolation, whereas many species may use a combination of behaviour and appearance to facilitate concealment. Here we show that green and red chameleon prawns (Hippolyte varians) closely resemble their associated seaweed substrates to the vision of predatory fish, and that they can change colour to effectively match new backgrounds. Prawns also select colour-matching substrates when offered a choice. However, colour change occurs over weeks, consistent with seasonal changes in algal cover, whereas behavioural choice of matching substrates occurs in the short-term, facilitating matches within heterogeneous environments. We demonstrate how colour change and behaviour combine to facilitate camouflage against different substrates in environments varying spatially and temporally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D. Green
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, TR10 9FE UK
| | - Rafael C. Duarte
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, 11612-109 Brazil
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, 09606-045 Brazil
| | - Emily Kellett
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, TR10 9FE UK
| | - Natasha Alagaratnam
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, TR10 9FE UK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, TR10 9FE UK
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37
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Hughes A, Liggins E, Stevens M. Imperfect camouflage: how to hide in a variable world? Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190646. [PMID: 31088268 PMCID: PMC6532520 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Camouflage is an important anti-predator strategy for many animals and is traditionally thought of as being tightly linked to a specific visual background. While much work focuses on optimizing camouflage against one background, this may not be relevant for many species and contexts, as animals may encounter many different habitats throughout their lives due to temporal and spatial variation in their environment. How should camouflage be optimized when an animal or object is seen against multiple visual backgrounds? Various solutions may exist, including colour change to match new environments or use of behaviour to maintain crypsis by choosing appropriate substrates. Here, we focus on a selection of approaches under a third alternative strategy: animals may adopt (over evolution) camouflage appearances that represent an optimal solution against multiple visual scenes. One approach may include a generalist or compromise strategy, where coloration matches several backgrounds to some extent, but none closely. A range of other camouflage types, including disruptive camouflage, may also provide protection in multiple environments. Despite detailed theoretical work determining the plausibility of compromise camouflage and elucidating the conditions under which it might evolve, there is currently mixed experimental evidence supporting its value and little evidence of it in natural systems. In addition, there remain many questions including how camouflage strategies should be defined and optimized, and how they might interact with other types of crypsis and defensive markings. Overall, we provide a critical overview of our current knowledge about how camouflage can enable matching to multiple backgrounds, discuss important challenges of working on this question and make recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Hughes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Eric Liggins
- QinetiQ, Cody Technology Park, Ively Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0LX, UK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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38
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Loeffler-Henry K, Kang C, Sherratt TN. Consistent Associations between Body Size and Hidden Contrasting Color Signals across a Range of Insect Taxa. Am Nat 2019; 194:28-37. [PMID: 31251647 DOI: 10.1086/703535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
While there have been a number of recent advances in our understanding of the evolution of animal color patterns, much of this work has focused on color patterns that are constantly displayed. However, some animals hide functional color signals and display them only transiently through behavioral displays. These displays are widely employed as a secondary defense following detection when fleeing (flash display) or when stationary (deimatic display). Yet if displays of hidden colors are so effective in deterring predation, why have not all species evolved them? An earlier study suggested that the hidden antipredatory color signals in insects are more likely to have evolved in species with large size because either (or both) (i) large cryptic prey are more frequently detected and pursued or (ii) hidden color signals in large prey are more effective in deterring predation than in small prey. These arguments should apply universally to any prey that use hidden signals, so the association between large size and hidden contrasting color signals should be evident across diverse groups of prey. In this study, we tested this prediction in five different groups of insects. Using phylogenetically controlled analysis to elucidate the relationship between body size and color contrast between forewings and hind wings, we found evidence for the predicted size-color contrast associations in four different groups of insects, namely, Orthoptera, Phasmatidae, Mantidae, and Saturniidae, but not in Sphingidae. Collectively, our study indicates that body size plays an important role in explaining variation in the evolution of hidden contrasting color signals in insects.
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39
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Boege K, Agrawal AA, Thaler JS. Ontogenetic strategies in insect herbivores and their impact on tri-trophic interactions. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 32:61-67. [PMID: 31113633 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Insect herbivores express tremendous ontogenetic variation in traits related to growth and maturation, but also as an evolutionary consequence of ecological interactions with plants and predators. These selective pressures can either reinforce or restrict expression of particular ontogenetic strategies, allowing herbivores to simultaneously cope with plant resistance and risk of predation through ontogenetic change. For example, whereas an increase in defense-sabotaging behavior, aposematism and sequestration along herbivore ontogeny seems to be reinforced by both bottom-up and top-down forces, some ontogenetic trends in anti-predator behavior can be limited by plant resistance. Communication among plants, herbivores and their natural enemies is also influenced by insect ontogenies. The study of ontogenetic strategies of herbivores requires the assessment of the genetic variation, heritability and adaptive value across herbivore development, considering the variation in plant quality and predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Boege
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-275, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Anurag A Agrawal
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA; Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer S Thaler
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA; Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA
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40
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Yang M, Wang Y, Liu Q, Liu Z, Jiang F, Wang H, Guo X, Zhang J, Kang L. A β-carotene-binding protein carrying a red pigment regulates body-color transition between green and black in locusts. eLife 2019; 8:e41362. [PMID: 30616714 PMCID: PMC6324882 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes of body color have important effects for animals in adapting to variable environments. The migratory locust exhibits body color polyphenism between solitary and gregarious individuals, with the former displaying a uniform green coloration and the latter having a prominent pattern of black dorsal and brown ventral surface. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the density-dependent body color changes of conspecific locusts remain largely unknown. Here, we found that upregulation of β-carotene-binding protein promotes the accumulation of red pigment, which added to the green color palette present in solitary locusts changes it from green to black, and that downregulation of this protein led to the reverse, changing the color of gregarious locusts from black to green. Our results provide insight that color changes of locusts are dependent on variation in the red β-carotene pigment binding to βCBP. This finding of animal coloration corresponds with trichromatic theory of color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and RodentsInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yanli Wang
- Institute of Applied BiologyShanxi UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and RodentsInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Sino-Danish CollegeUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhikang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and RodentsInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Feng Jiang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Huimin Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiaojiao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and RodentsInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jianzhen Zhang
- Institute of Applied BiologyShanxi UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and RodentsInstitute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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Duarte RC, Stevens M, Flores AAV. The adaptive value of camouflage and colour change in a polymorphic prawn. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16028. [PMID: 30375480 PMCID: PMC6207773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34470-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Camouflage has been a textbook example of natural selection and adaptation since the time of the earliest evolutionists. However, aside from correlational evidence and studies using artificial dummy prey, experiments directly showing that better camouflaged prey to predator vision are at reduced risk of attack are lacking. Here, we show that the level of camouflage achieved through colour adjustments towards the appearance of seaweed habitats is adaptive in reducing predation pressure in the prawn Hippolyte obliquimanus. Digital image analysis and visual modelling of a fish predator (seahorse) predicted that brown prawns would be imperfectly concealed against both brown and red seaweed respectively, whereas pink prawns should be well camouflaged only in red weed. Predation trials with captive seahorses (Hippocampus reidi), coupled with high-speed video analyses, closely matched model predictions: predation rates were similar for brown prawns between seaweed types, but pink individuals were attacked significantly less on red than brown weed. Our work provides some of the clearest direct evidence to date that colour polymorphism and colour change provides a clear adaptive advantage for camouflage, and also highlights how this can be asymmetric across morphs and habitats (i.e. dependent on the specific background-morph combination).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Campos Duarte
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manoel Hypólito do Rego, km 131.5, São Sebastião, SP, 11612-109, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Augusto Alberto Valero Flores
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manoel Hypólito do Rego, km 131.5, São Sebastião, SP, 11612-109, Brazil
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Gaitonde N, Joshi J, Kunte K. Evolution of ontogenic change in color defenses of swallowtail butterflies. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9751-9763. [PMID: 30386572 PMCID: PMC6202720 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural selection by visually hunting predators has led to the evolution of color defense strategies such as masquerade, crypsis, and aposematism that reduce the risk of predation in prey species. These color defenses are not mutually exclusive, and switches between strategies with ontogenic development are widespread across taxa. However, the evolutionary dynamics of ontogenic color change are poorly understood. Using comparative phylogenetics, we studied the evolution of color defenses in the complex life cycles of swallowtail butterflies (family Papilionidae). We also tested the relative importance of life history traits, chemical and visual backgrounds, and ancestry on the evolution of protective coloration. We found that vulnerable early- and late-instar caterpillars of species that feed on sparsely vegetated, toxic plants were aposematic, whereas species that feed on densely vegetated, nontoxic plants had masquerading and cryptic caterpillars. Masquerading caterpillars resembled bird droppings at early instars and transitioned to crypsis with an increase in body size at late instars. The immobile pupae-safe from motion-detecting, visually hunting predators-retained the ancestral cryptic coloration in all lineages, irrespective of the toxic nature of the host plant. Thus, color defense strategy (masquerade, crypsis, or aposematism) at a particular lifestage in the life cycle of swallowtail butterflies was determined by the interaction between life history traits such as body size and motion levels, phytochemical and visual backgrounds, and ancestry. We show that ontogenic color change in swallowtail butterflies is an adaptive response to age-dependent vulnerability to predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Gaitonde
- National Center for Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchBengaluruIndia
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)ManipalIndia
| | - Jahnavi Joshi
- National Center for Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchBengaluruIndia
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Center for Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchBengaluruIndia
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Murali G, Merilaita S, Kodandaramaiah U. Grab my tail: evolution of dazzle stripes and colourful tails in lizards. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1675-1688. [PMID: 30102810 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the functions of animal coloration has been a long-standing question in evolutionary biology. For example, the widespread occurrence of striking longitudinal stripes and colourful tails in lizards begs for an explanation. Experiments have suggested that colourful tails can deflect attacks towards the tail (the 'deflection' hypothesis), which is sacrificable in most lizards, thereby increasing the chance of escape. Studies also suggest that in moving lizards, longitudinal body stripes can redirect predators' strikes towards the tail through the 'motion dazzle' effect. Despite these experimental studies, the ecological factors associated with the evolution of such striking colorations remain unexplored. Here, we investigated whether predictions from motion dazzle and attack deflection could explain the widespread occurrence of these striking marks using comparative methods and information on eco-physiological variables (caudal autotomy, diel activity, microhabitat and body temperature) potentially linked to their functioning. We found both longitudinal stripes and colourful tails are associated with diurnal activity and with the ability to lose the tail. Compared to stripeless species, striped species are more likely to be ground-dwelling and have higher body temperature, emphasizing the connection of stripes to mobility and rapid escape strategy. Colourful tails and stripes have evolved multiple times in a correlated fashion, suggesting that their functions may be linked. Overall, our results together with previous experimental studies support the notion that stripes and colourful tails in lizards may have protective functions based on deflective and motion dazzle effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopal Murali
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Sami Merilaita
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ullasa Kodandaramaiah
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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Niu Y, Sun H, Stevens M. Plant Camouflage: Ecology, Evolution, and Implications. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:608-618. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Cuthill IC, Allen WL, Arbuckle K, Caspers B, Chaplin G, Hauber ME, Hill GE, Jablonski NG, Jiggins CD, Kelber A, Mappes J, Marshall J, Merrill R, Osorio D, Prum R, Roberts NW, Roulin A, Rowland HM, Sherratt TN, Skelhorn J, Speed MP, Stevens M, Stoddard MC, Stuart-Fox D, Talas L, Tibbetts E, Caro T. The biology of color. Science 2017; 357:357/6350/eaan0221. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 353] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Duarte RC, Flores AAV, Stevens M. Camouflage through colour change: mechanisms, adaptive value and ecological significance. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160342. [PMID: 28533459 PMCID: PMC5444063 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals from a wide range of taxonomic groups are capable of colour change, of which camouflage is one of the main functions. A considerable amount of past work on this subject has investigated species capable of extremely rapid colour change (in seconds). However, relatively slow colour change (over hours, days, weeks and months), as well as changes arising via developmental plasticity are probably more common than rapid changes, yet less studied. We discuss three key areas of colour change and camouflage. First, we review the mechanisms underpinning colour change and developmental plasticity for camouflage, including cellular processes, visual feedback, hormonal control and dietary factors. Second, we discuss the adaptive value of colour change for camouflage, including the use of different camouflage types. Third, we discuss the evolutionary-ecological implications of colour change for concealment, including what it can tell us about intraspecific colour diversity, morph-specific strategies, and matching to different environments and microhabitats. Throughout, we discuss key unresolved questions and present directions for future work, and highlight how colour change facilitates camouflage among habitats and arises when animals are faced with environmental changes occurring over a range of spatial and temporal scales.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael C Duarte
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Augusto A V Flores
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, Brazil
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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Caro T. Wallace on Coloration: Contemporary Perspective and Unresolved Insights. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:23-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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