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Seasonal Differences in Expression of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) in Visual Centers of Spotted Munia (Lonchura punctulata). BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3030016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual perception of birds is an incredibly exciting subject of research. Birds have significantly higher visual acuity than most other animals, which helps them stay safe in flight and detect their prey. Understanding how the eyes send information to the brain for additional processing is crucial. The brain has sections (nuclei) that accept input from the retina. The key areas where information is processed are the hyperpallium apicale (HA), hippocampus (HP), optic tectum (TeO), nucleus rotundus (RoT), and the geniculatus lateralis ventralis (Glv); among these, the RoT is one of the most investigated nuclei for vision. This study looked at how the visual centers of non-photoperiodic songbirds (Spotted Munia) adapt in different life history stages by looking at NPY expression. We immunohistochemically quantified NPY expression in four different seasons, including pre-breeding (June), breeding (September), post-breeding (December), and regressed (March) in the brain of Spotted Munia. We evaluated changes in the expression levels of the peptide throughout the year, by determining the expression at four different periods throughout the year. Peptide expression levels were projected to fluctuate within photoperiod-induced seasons. It was discovered that the parts of the brain related to vision (RoT, HA, and HP) have a higher number of immunoreactive cells during their mating season, i.e., during the summer. The appearance of NPY, a non-photic marker, in brain areas linked with light perception, was fascinating. Indirectly, NPY aids avian reproduction in a variety of ways. These findings demonstrate the importance of these nuclei in the process of reproduction, as well as the involvement of NPY in the visual brain areas of Spotted Munia.
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Victory N, Segovia Y, García M. Cone distribution and visual resolution of the yellow-legged gull, Larus michahellis (Naumann, 1840). Anat Histol Embryol 2021; 51:197-214. [PMID: 34939688 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The morphological characteristics of the yellow-legged gull's photoreceptors and cone distribution were studied using light and electron microscopy. In wholemount fresh retinas, five different coloured oil droplets located in the cone inner segments could be seen and characterized by colour, diameter and stratification. The photoreceptors were classified by comparing the fresh and fixed vertical sections under a light and electron microscope. Rods were easily distinguished from cones based on the outer segment morphology and the absence of oil droplets in their inner segments. Four types of single cones were associated with red, yellow, colourless and transparent oil droplets. Unequal double cones comprised a long principal member with a green oil droplet and an accessory short member containing a green microdroplet which was highly electron-dense under electron microscopy. The different types of oil droplets were counted from microphotographs of fresh retinal samples in 20 regions. The density, percentage and diameter of the oil droplets were determined. The results showed that central regions had the highest oil droplet density which decreased towards the retinal periphery in all quadrants. Moreover, the oil droplet density was higher in the dorsotemporal quadrant than in other retinal regions. The average density of the red oil droplets was highest in the central areas, whereas colourless oil droplets had the highest density throughout the retina. In contrast, transparent oil droplets had the lowest density across all the regions of the retina. Finally, the retinal resolution was 52.61 cycles/degree. It was calculated using the posterior nodal distance and the oil droplet diameter. The work concludes by discussing the significance of the relative proportion of different cone types across the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Victory
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Yolanda Segovia
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Magdalena García
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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3
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Mitchell LJ, Cheney KL, Luehrmann M, Marshall NJ, Michie K, Cortesi F. Molecular evolution of ultraviolet visual opsins and spectral tuning of photoreceptors in anemonefishes (Amphiprioninae). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6347585. [PMID: 34375382 PMCID: PMC8511661 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals including birds, reptiles, insects, and teleost fishes can see ultraviolet (UV) light (shorter than 400 nm), which has functional importance for foraging and communication. For coral reef fishes, shallow reef environments transmit a broad spectrum of light, rich in UV, driving the evolution of diverse spectral sensitivities. However, the identities and sites of the specific visual genes that underly vision in reef fishes remain elusive and are useful in determining how evolution has tuned vision to suit life on the reef. We investigated the visual systems of 11 anemonefish (Amphiprioninae) species, specifically probing for the molecular pathways that facilitate UV-sensitivity. Searching the genomes of anemonefishes, we identified a total of eight functional opsin genes from all five vertebrate visual opsin subfamilies. We found rare instances of teleost UV-sensitive SWS1 opsin gene duplications that produced two functionally coding paralogs (SWS1α and SWS1β) and a pseudogene. We also found separate green sensitive RH2A opsin gene duplicates not yet reported in the family Pomacentridae. Transcriptome analysis revealed false clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) expressed one rod opsin (RH1) and six cone opsins (SWS1β, SWS2B, RH2B, RH2A-1, RH2A-2, LWS) in the retina. Fluorescent in situ hybridization highlighted the (co-)expression of SWS1β with SWS2B in single cones, and either RH2B, RH2A, or RH2A together with LWS in different members of double cone photoreceptors (two single cones fused together). Our study provides the first in-depth characterization of visual opsin genes found in anemonefishes and provides a useful basis for the further study of UV-vision in reef fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Karen L Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Martin Luehrmann
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kyle Michie
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.,King's College, Cambridge, CB2 1ST, UK
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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Orije J, Cardon E, Hamaide J, Jonckers E, Darras VM, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. Uncovering a 'sensitive window' of multisensory and motor neuroplasticity in the cerebrum and cerebellum of male and female starlings. eLife 2021; 10:e66777. [PMID: 34096502 PMCID: PMC8219385 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, research unraveling seasonal neuroplasticity in songbirds has focused on the male song control system and testosterone. We longitudinally monitored the song behavior and neuroplasticity in male and female starlings during multiple photoperiods using Diffusion Tensor and Fixel-Based techniques. These exploratory data-driven whole-brain methods resulted in a population-based tractogram confirming microstructural sexual dimorphisms in the song control system. Furthermore, male brains showed hemispheric asymmetries in the pallium, whereas females had higher interhemispheric connectivity, which could not be attributed to brain size differences. Only females with large brains sing but differ from males in their song behavior by showing involvement of the hippocampus. Both sexes experienced multisensory neuroplasticity in the song control, auditory and visual system, and cerebellum, mainly during the photosensitive period. This period with low gonadal hormone levels might represent a 'sensitive window' during which different sensory and motor systems in the cerebrum and cerebellum can be seasonally re-shaped in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien Orije
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Emilie Cardon
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Veerle M Darras
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology DepartmentLeuvenBelgium
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Kötél D, Csörgő T. Melanin-based ornament darkness positively correlates with across-season nutritional condition. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13087-13094. [PMID: 33304519 PMCID: PMC7713921 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic ornamental traits are widely regarded as indicators of nutritional condition. However, variation of nutritional condition outside the reproductive and the ornament production seasons has rarely been considered, although it affects the generality of information content, especially for ornaments that may be used across the year. We measured several indicators of migratory and molt condition in male and female blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) during their autumn migration, and quantified their crown reflectance. We detected robust correlations between migratory and molt condition indices, and the correlation structure was similar in the two sexes. Furthermore, the across-season measure of body condition was positively related to the darkness of the black crown in males, while being unrelated to reflectance traits of the reddish crown in females. Our results reinforce the possibility that some melanin-based ornaments may be year-round indicators of individual quality via their dependence on nutritional condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Department of Systematic Zoology and EcologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Tibor Csörgő
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental BiologyELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
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Chemnitz J, von Hoermann C, Ayasse M, Steiger S. The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Efficacy of Chemical Communication in the Burying Beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2020; 20:5870645. [PMID: 32658275 PMCID: PMC7357268 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that a wide range of insect sex pheromones are condition dependent and play a fundamental role in mate choice. However, the effectiveness of pheromonal communication might not only depend on internal factors of the sender, but also on attributes of the microhabitat, in which the signaler chooses to emit its chemical signal. For example, the degree of anthropogenic land use might affect how successful the signal is transmitted, as land use has been shown to affect animal communities and the complexity of biotic interactions. To test the hypothesis that parameters of the microenvironment determine males' ability to attract females via their sex pheromone, we used the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides Herbst (Coleoptera: Silphidae) as our model system. We exposed 144 males across differently managed forest stands and analyzed the impact of 29 environmental parameters. Our data revealed that human land use intensity had no effect on a male's attractiveness. However, the harvested tree biomass positively affected the proportion of competitors attracted. Furthermore, we found that soil characteristics were important factors determining the amount and body size of females a male was able to attract. Consequently, we present evidence that the environmental context of a signaling male influences the effectiveness of chemical signaling either because it affects the transmission process or the prevailing abundance of potential signal receivers. Thus, our results demonstrate that males need to make careful decisions about the location where they emit their pheromone, as this choice of microhabitat has an impact on their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Chemnitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian von Hoermann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Lee G, Kong M, Park D, Park J, Jeong U. Electro-Photoluminescence Color Change for Deformable Visual Encryption. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1907477. [PMID: 32319128 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201907477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although structural coloring and photoluminescence (PL) have been investigated for radiation-responsive color change, electroluminescence (EL) has not been used for the radiation-responsive system. An electro-photoluminescence (EPL) color change is presented here. The phosphors in the alternating current electroluminescence (ACEL) act simultaneously as electro-luminophores and photo-luminophores. The EPL chromaticity is systematically investigated depending on the ACEL frequency and UV intensity. It is found that the PL variation depending on UV intensity is the mechanism of the EPL color change. It is revealed that EL and PL can be controlled independently in the low electric field so that the EPL chromaticity can be adjusted by a linear combination of the EL color and the PL color. The EPL color-changing device is used as a deformable visual encryption system and a soft skin for a soft robotic rover, imitating the concealment and signaling functions in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilwoon Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsik Kong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Doowon Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho Park
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Unyong Jeong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
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Badiane A, Martin M, Meylan S, Richard M, Decencière Ferrandière B, Le Galliard JF. Male ultraviolet reflectance and female mating history influence female mate choice and male mating success in a polyandrous lizard. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPre-copulatory female mate choice based on male ultraviolet (UV) coloration has been demonstrated in several vertebrate species; however, post-copulatory mechanisms have been largely overlooked. Here, we investigated female mate preference based on male UV coloration in the common lizard Zootoca vivipara, in which males display conspicuous UV coloration on their throat. During two successive years, we staged sequential mating trials between females and four different males with UV-reduced or control belly and throat coloration. We recorded pre-copulatory female behaviour, copulation behaviour and assigned paternity to all offspring. Females were more aggressive towards UV-reduced males and, during the second year, UV-reduced males had a lower probability of siring at least one egg (fertilization success) during the last mating trials. However, in the second year, copulation was shorter with control males. Altogether, our results suggest that females exert subtle pre-copulatory mate preference based on male UV ornaments and, conditional on the study year and female mating history, some degree of post-copulatory preference for UV-control males leading to differential male fertilization success. This study suggests that UV-based female mate choice may be more widespread than previously thought in vertebrates, and emphasizes the importance of using a study design well adapted to the species reproductive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Badiane
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Mélissa Martin
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Murielle Richard
- CNRS UMR 5321, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Route du CNRS, Saint-Girons, France
| | - Beatriz Decencière Ferrandière
- Centre de Recherche en écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL Research University, UMS 3194, 11 chemin de Busseau, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche en écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL Research University, UMS 3194, 11 chemin de Busseau, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
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Huang T, Pu Y, Song C, Sheng Z, Hu X. A quantitative trait locus on chromosome 2 was identified that accounts for a substantial proportion of phenotypic variance of the yellow plumage color in chicken. Poult Sci 2020; 99:2902-2910. [PMID: 32475423 PMCID: PMC7597730 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chicken plumage color is an important economical trait in poultry breeding, as triple-yellow indigenous broilers are preferred over western commercial broilers in the Chinese market. However, the studies on the pigmentation of plumage coloration are relatively rare at present. Here, we performed a genome-wide mapping study on an F2 intercross, whose 2 founders were one hybrid commercial line “High Quality chicken Line A” that originated from the Anak red chicken and one indigenous line “Huiyang Beard” chicken that is a classical “triple-yellow” Chinese indigenous breed. Moreover, we used an automatic colorimeter that can quantitatively assess the colorations in L∗, a∗, and b∗ values. One major quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 2 was thus identified by both genome-wide association and linkage analyses, which could explain 10 to 20% of the total phenotypic variance of the b∗ measurements of the back plumage color. Using linkage analysis, 2 additional QTL on chromosome 1 and 20 were also found to be significantly associated with the plumage coloration in this cross. With additional samples from Anak red and Huiyang Beard chickens as well as pooled resequencing data from the 2 founders of this cross, we then further narrowed down the QTL regions and identified several candidate genes, such as CABLES1, CHST11, BCL2L1, and CHD22. As the effects of QTL found in this study were substantial, quantitatively measuring the coloration rather than the descriptive measurements provides stronger statistical power for the analyses. In addition, this major QTL on chromosome 2 that was associated with feather pigmentation at the genome-wide level will facilitate the future chicken breeding for yellow plumage color. In conclusions, we mapped 3 associated QTL on chromosome 1, 2, and 20. The candidate genes identified in this study shed light in the genetic basis of yellow plumage color in chicken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Huang
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yuejin Pu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chi Song
- State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zheya Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Xiaoxiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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Merwin JT, Seeholzer GF, Smith BT. Macroevolutionary bursts and constraints generate a rainbow in a clade of tropical birds. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:32. [PMID: 32093609 PMCID: PMC7041239 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-1577-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bird plumage exhibits a diversity of colors that serve functional roles ranging from signaling to camouflage and thermoregulation. However, birds must maintain a balance between evolving colorful signals to attract mates, minimizing conspicuousness to predators, and optimizing adaptation to climate conditions. Examining plumage color macroevolution provides a framework for understanding this dynamic interplay over phylogenetic scales. Plumage evolution due to a single overarching process, such as selection, may generate the same macroevolutionary pattern of color variation across all body regions. In contrast, independent processes may partition plumage and produce region-specific patterns. To test these alternative scenarios, we collected color data from museum specimens of an ornate clade of birds, the Australasian lorikeets, using visible-light and UV-light photography, and comparative methods. We predicted that the diversification of homologous feather regions, i.e., patches, known to be involved in sexual signaling (e.g., face) would be less constrained than patches on the back and wings, where new color states may come at the cost of crypsis. Because environmental adaptation may drive evolution towards or away from color states, we tested whether climate more strongly covaried with plumage regions under greater or weaker macroevolutionary constraint. RESULTS We found that alternative macroevolutionary models and varying rates best describe color evolution, a pattern consistent with our prediction that different plumage regions evolved in response to independent processes. Modeling plumage regions independently, in functional groups, and all together showed that patches with similar macroevolutionary models clustered together into distinct regions (e.g., head, wing, belly), which suggests that plumage does not evolve as a single trait in this group. Wing patches, which were conserved on a macroevolutionary scale, covaried with climate more strongly than plumage regions (e.g., head), which diversified in a burst. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results support the hypothesis that the extraordinary color diversity in the lorikeets was generated by a mosaic of evolutionary processes acting on plumage region subsets. Partitioning of plumage regions in different parts of the body provides a mechanism that allows birds to evolve bright colors for signaling and remain hidden from predators or adapt to local climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon T Merwin
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA.
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Glenn F Seeholzer
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Brian Tilston Smith
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA
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Mészáros B, Jordán L, Bajer K, Martín J, Török J, Molnár O. Relationship between oxidative stress and sexual coloration of lizards depends on thermal habitat. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2019; 106:55. [PMID: 31612286 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1649-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual signals serve as an honest indicator of individual quality, reflecting either developmental and/or maintenance costs. A possible underlying physiological mechanism is oxidative stress, which could mediate energy trade-offs between sexual signals and other quality traits. In ectotherms, thermal performance acts as a key indicator of individual quality and influence signal intensity. We investigated how oxidative state is reflected in visual signals of lizards from different thermal habitats. According to our hypothesis, efficient thermoregulation requires different strategies in different thermal environments. In a habitat with predictable temperature changes, animals are less exposed to suboptimal temperature ranges and selection will, therefore, be stronger on the maximum oxidative damage at optimal body temperature. Contrarily, in a habitat with rather stochastic thermal shifts, individuals are often constricted by suboptimal thermal conditions, and oxidative damage can be limiting on a wide temperature range. We used Iberolacerta cyreni and Psammodromus algirus inhabiting stochastic and predictable thermal environments respectively. We examined two aspects of oxidative stress: the level of reactive oxygen metabolites at the preferred temperature (maximal ROM) and the temperature range in which animals produce at least 80% of the maximum level of reactive oxygen metabolites (effective ROM range). In I. cyreni, we found that duller coloration was related to a wider effective ROM range, while expression of coloration in P. algirus was negatively correlated with the maximal ROM. Our results suggest that different thermal constraints affect different aspects of oxidative damage which can indicate individual quality and are, therefore, represented in sexual ornaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boglárka Mészáros
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
| | - Lilla Jordán
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Katalin Bajer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.,Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Molnár
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
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13
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Berg ML, Knott B, Ribot RFH, Buchanan KL, Bennett ATD. Do glucocorticoids or carotenoids mediate plumage coloration in parrots? An experiment in Platycercus elegans. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 280:82-90. [PMID: 31002829 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Conspicuous coloration can indicate phenotypic quality, and may reflect exposure or vulnerability to stress, or access to essential nutrients such as pigments. Although the production of pigmented colours is well understood, much less is known about how structural colours are affected by physiological state. In this study, we tested whether glucocorticoids (corticosterone) predicted expression of plumage coloration in an Australian parrot, the crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans). Parrots provide an interesting and unique test, as they possess conspicuous coloration produced by distinctive pigments known as psittacofulvins, in addition to structural coloration. We have previously documented that coloration in P. elegans is condition-dependent and responds to dietary manipulation. Here, n = 21 P. elegans underwent a dietary manipulation (including food restriction or carotenoid supplementation) during which they moulted, and the change in reflectance was measured for three structural and three pigmentary plumage patches. Stress-induced corticosterone (10 min after handling) measured at the start of the experiment predicted change in coloration in two pigmentary patches (crown and front). We also found that change in stress-induced corticosterone during the experiment was associated with the change in coloration of the crown and two structural patches (cheek and epaulette). Baseline corticosterone (<3 min after handling) was not associated with any measure of coloration. We found no effects of dietary manipulation on baseline or stress-induced corticosterone, but carotenoid supplementation was associated with an increase in a measure of chronic stress (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio), and the corticosterone response to handling decreased over the course of the study. Our results suggest that corticosterone may be linked to colour expression more broadly than previously recognised, including psittacofulvin and structural coloration in parrots, and they confirm the independence of plumage pigmentation in parrots from carotenoid accumulation. Moreover, our study provides new insight into the stress responses of Psittaciformes, one of the most highly threatened avian orders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew L Berg
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - Ben Knott
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Raoul F H Ribot
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew T D Bennett
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
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14
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Hawkes MF, Duffy E, Joag R, Skeats A, Radwan J, Wedell N, Sharma MD, Hosken DJ, Troscianko J. Sexual selection drives the evolution of male wing interference patterns. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182850. [PMID: 31138076 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The seemingly transparent wings of many insects have recently been found to display unexpected structural coloration. These structural colours (wing interference patterns: WIPs) may be involved in species recognition and mate choice, yet little is known about the evolutionary processes that shape them. Furthermore, to date investigations of WIPs have not fully considered how they are actually perceived by the viewers' colour vision. Here, we use multispectral digital imaging and a model of Drosophila vision to compare WIPs of male and female Drosophila simulans from replicate populations forced to evolve with or without sexual selection for 68 generations. We show that WIPs modelled in Drosophila vision evolve in response to sexual selection and provide evidence that WIPs correlate with male sexual attractiveness. These findings add a new element to the otherwise well-described Drosophila courtship display and confirm that wing colours evolve through sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Hawkes
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK
| | - E Duffy
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK.,2 Institute of Environmental Science, Jagiellonian University , Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow , Poland
| | - R Joag
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK.,2 Institute of Environmental Science, Jagiellonian University , Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow , Poland
| | - A Skeats
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK
| | - J Radwan
- 2 Institute of Environmental Science, Jagiellonian University , Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow , Poland.,3 Evolutionary Biology Group, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University , Umultowska 7, 61-614 Poznan , Poland
| | - N Wedell
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK
| | - M D Sharma
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK
| | - D J Hosken
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK
| | - J Troscianko
- 1 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Tremough, Penryn TR10 9FE , UK
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15
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Gruson H, Andraud C, Daney de Marcillac W, Berthier S, Elias M, Gomez D. Quantitative characterization of iridescent colours in biological studies: a novel method using optical theory. Interface Focus 2018; 9:20180049. [PMID: 30603069 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Iridescent colours are colours that change with viewing or illumination geometry. While they are widespread in many living organisms, most evolutionary studies on iridescence do not take into account their full complexity. Few studies try to precisely characterize what makes iridescent colours special: their angular dependency. Yet, it is likely that this angular dependency has biological functions and is therefore submitted to evolutionary pressures. For this reason, evolutionary biologists need a repeatable method to measure iridescent colours as well as variables to precisely quantify the angular dependency. In this study, we use a theoretical approach to propose five variables that allow one to fully describe iridescent colours at every angle combination. Based on the results, we propose a new measurement protocol and statistical method to reliably characterize iridescence while minimizing the required number of time-consuming measurements. We use hummingbird iridescent feathers and butterfly iridescent wings as test cases to demonstrate the strengths of this new method. We show that our method is precise enough to be potentially used at intraspecific level while being also time-efficient enough to encompass large taxonomic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Gruson
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Andraud
- CRC, MNHN, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Marianne Elias
- ISYEB, CNRS, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Doris Gomez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.,INSP, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
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16
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Garcia JE, Shrestha M, Howard SR, Petersen P, Dyer AG. Signal or cue: the role of structural colors in flower pollination. Curr Zool 2018; 65:467-481. [PMID: 31413719 PMCID: PMC6688579 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Angle dependent colors, such as iridescence, are produced by structures present on flower petals changing their visual appearance. These colors have been proposed to act as signals for plant–insect communication. However, there is a paucity of behavioral data to allow for interpretations of how to classify these colors either as a signal or a cue when considering the natural conditions under which pollination occurs. We sampled flowers from 6 plant species across various viewpoints looking for changes in the visual appearance of the petals. Spectral characteristics were measured with different instruments to simulate both the spectral and spatial characteristics of honeybee’s vision. We show the presence of color patches produced by angle dependent effects on the petals and the calyx of various species; however, the appearance of the angle dependent color patches significantly varies with viewpoint and would only be resolved by the insect eye at close distances. Behavior experiments with honeybees revealed that pollinators did not use angle dependent colors to drive behavior when presented with novel flower presentations. Results show that angle dependent colors do not comply with the requirements of a signal for plant–pollinator communication since the information transmitted by these colors would be unreliable for potential, free-flying pollination vectors. We thus classify angle dependent colors produced by micro- and ultra-structures as being a cue (a feature which has not evolved for communication), and observe no evidence supporting claims of these angle dependent colors having evolved as visual signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.,Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Scarlett R Howard
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Phred Petersen
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
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17
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Okazaki T. Ultraviolet Reflectance Structures of Peacock Feathers. Zoolog Sci 2018; 35:421-426. [PMID: 30298782 DOI: 10.2108/zs180012] [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: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Male peacock (Pavo cristatus) tail feathers have an eyespot pattern with an inconspicuous black or dark blue center surrounded by brilliant, structural colors, such as blue, light brown, and yellow-green. Under ultraviolet A (UVA), the central part of the eyespot reflects UVA better than the surrounding parts. Herein, I examined various areas of eyespots on paraffin sections of feathers using an optical microscope, and characterized positional relationships between barbs and barbules. These analyses confirmed that barbules in the central part of the eyespot are in a horizontal position with respect to the barb, and that light transmission from the central part is less than that from the other parts. In addition, I compared microstructures of barbules in the central part of eyespot with those in surrounding areas using transmission electron microscope analysis. The melanin rods in the barbules reflecting yellow-green color comprise several ordered lattice structures. In contrast, melanin rods in the central part of the eyespot were only distributed in 1-3 layers on a part of the front side of the barbules. I also demonstrated that keratin structures of barbules are homogeneous in the central part of the eyespot, but have fibrous structures with many voids in the yellow-green parts. Collectively, the present observations suggest that feathers in the central part of the eyespot reflect UVA depending on the direction of irradiation, and these properties are governed by configurations of barbules relative to barbs, melanin rod distributions, and the presence of keratin structures with gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshio Okazaki
- Department of Animal Health Science, Yamazaki Gakuen University, Minami-osawa 4-7-2, Hachiouji, Tokyo 192-0364, Japan
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18
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Dresp-Langley B, Reeves A. Colour for Behavioural Success. Iperception 2018; 9:2041669518767171. [PMID: 29770183 PMCID: PMC5946649 DOI: 10.1177/2041669518767171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour information not only helps sustain the survival of animal species by guiding sexual selection and foraging behaviour but also is an important factor in the cultural and technological development of our own species. This is illustrated by examples from the visual arts and from state-of-the-art imaging technology, where the strategic use of colour has become a powerful tool for guiding the planning and execution of interventional procedures. The functional role of colour information in terms of its potential benefits to behavioural success across the species is addressed in the introduction here to clarify why colour perception may have evolved to generate behavioural success. It is argued that evolutionary and environmental pressures influence not only colour trait production in the different species but also their ability to process and exploit colour information for goal-specific purposes. We then leap straight to the human primate with insight from current research on the facilitating role of colour cues on performance training with precision technology for image-guided surgical planning and intervention. It is shown that local colour cues in two-dimensional images generated by a surgical fisheye camera help individuals become more precise rapidly across a limited number of trial sets in simulator training for specific manual gestures with a tool. This facilitating effect of a local colour cue on performance evolution in a video-controlled simulator (pick-and-place) task can be explained in terms of colour-based figure-ground segregation facilitating attention to local image parts when more than two layers of subjective surface depth are present, as in all natural and surgical images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitta Dresp-Langley
- ICube UMR 7357, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Strasbourg, France
| | - Adam Reeves
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Lisboa CMCA, Bajer K, Pessoa DMA, Huber MAA, Costa GC. Female Brazilian whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus ocellifer) prefer males with high ultraviolet ornament reflectance. Behav Processes 2017; 142:33-39. [PMID: 28528929 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Conspicuous colouration is an important way of social communication in many taxa. The role of ultraviolet (UV) signals in intraspecific communication has only recently been studied in lizards, and there is not a general understanding of the adaptive role of UV colouration. Colour ornaments can signal male quality in mate choice and are therefore suitable for reliably predicting the outcome of female preference. Here, we tested the potential role of UV colouration in female spatial preference in a non-territorial teiid lizard, Cnemidophorus ocellifer. We experimentally manipulated the UV reflectance of size-matched male pairs and tested the effects of our treatment on females' spatial distribution. We found that females associated with males of higher UV reflectance, suggesting that UV colour can be an important clue during mate preference decisions. Our results provide the first empirical evidence for the importance of UV colouration in female preference in a mutually ornamented lizard species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina M C A Lisboa
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal RN 59078-900, Brazil.
| | - Katalin Bajer
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal RN 59078-900, Brazil; Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Daniel M A Pessoa
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Marc A A Huber
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal RN 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel C Costa
- Department of Biology, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36124, USA
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20
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Olsson P, Kelber A. Relative colour cues improve colour constancy in birds. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1797-1802. [PMID: 28302870 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.155424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A ripe strawberry looks red to our eyes in sunlight and in the green light of a forest, although the spectrum of light reflected from its surface differs dramatically. This is caused by two effects: colour constancy and our ability to learn relative colour cues - the ripe strawberry remains relatively 'redder' than an unripe green strawberry. While colour constancy - the ability to recognize colours in shifted illumination - has been studied in many animals, the use of relative colour cues is investigated more rarely. In a previous study on chickens, we measured how large a shift in illumination their colour constancy mechanisms tolerate without reliable relative colour cues. Here, we show that chickens remain colour constant over larger illumination shifts, if they can use such relative colour cues. As relative colour cues are readily available in natural environments, we suggest that their use contributes strongly to colour constancy performance in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Olsson
- Lund University, Biology Department, Vision group, Sölvegatan 35, Lund SE-22362, Sweden
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund University, Biology Department, Vision group, Sölvegatan 35, Lund SE-22362, Sweden
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21
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O'Daniels ST, Kesler DC, Mihail JD, Webb EB, Werner SJ. Functional visual sensitivity to ultraviolet wavelengths in the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and its influence on foraging substrate selection. Physiol Behav 2017; 174:144-154. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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22
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Hung HY, Yeung CKL, Omland KE, Yao CT, Yao CJ, Li SH. Himalayan black bulbuls (Hypsipetes leucocephalus niggerimus) exhibit sexual dichromatism under ultraviolet light that is invisible to the human eye. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43707. [PMID: 28382942 PMCID: PMC5382547 DOI: 10.1038/srep43707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dichromatism is a key proxy for the intensity of sexual selection. Studies of dichromatism in birds may, however, have underestimated the intensity and complexity of sexual selection because they used museum specimens alone without taking colour-fading into account or only measured conspicuous visual traits in live animals. We investigated whether the Himalayan black bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus nigerrimus), which is sexually monomorphic to the human eye, exhibits sexual dichromatism distinguishable by a spectrometer. We measured the reflectance (within both the human visual perceptive and the ultraviolet ranges) of two carotenoid-based parts and eight dull and melanin-based parts for each individual live bird or museum skin sampled. According to an avian model of colour discrimination thresholds, we found that males exhibited perceptibly redder beaks, brighter tarsi and darker plumage than did females. This suggests the existence of multiple cryptic sexually dichromatic traits within this species. Moreover, we also observed detectable colour fading in the museum skin specimens compared with the live birds, indicating that sexual dichromatism could be underestimated if analysed using skin specimens alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yi Hung
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan
| | | | - Kevin E. Omland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 21250, USA
| | - Cheng-Te Yao
- Division of Zoology, Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou County, 55244, Taiwan
| | - Chiou-Ju Yao
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, 40453, Taiwan
| | - Shou-Hsien Li
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan
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23
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Olsson P, Wilby D, Kelber A. Spatial summation improves bird color vision in low light intensities. Vision Res 2017; 130:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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24
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EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CATARACT IN CAPTIVE MACARONI (EUDYPTES CHRYSOLOPHUS) AND ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS (EUDYPTES CHRYSOCOME). J Zoo Wildl Med 2016; 47:806-819. [PMID: 27691963 DOI: 10.1638/2015-0252.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed on 160 Macaroni penguins ( Eudyptes chrysolophus ) and 90 Rockhopper penguins ( Eudyptes chrysocome ) at eight North American zoological institutions. Cataract prevalence in the Macaroni population was 46.5% (n = 74) of penguins and 42.3% (135/319) of eyes. Cataract prevalence in the Rockhopper population was 45.5% (n = 40) of penguins and 40.6% (73/180) of eyes. The mean age of Macaroni penguins without ocular disease was 7.4 ± 5.8 yr, while that of Rockhoppers was 9.8 ± 6.4 yr. Risk factors for cataract were examined through husbandry surveys completed by each institution and by evaluation of light intensity and ultraviolet (UV) light measurements acquired in each penguin exhibit. Risk factors associated with cataract in Macaroni penguins included age, dietary smelt, hand-feeding, and fluorescent exhibit lighting. Risk factors associated with cataract in Rockhopper penguins included age, dietary capelin, increasing population density, and increasing length of minimum photoperiod. Factors associated with decreased odds of cataract in Macaroni penguins included saltwater pool, monitoring of water quality for salinity, pH, and alkalinity; use of water additives; presence of pool filtration and sterilization systems; use of metal halide lightbulbs; increasing light intensity; and UV spectrum lighting. Factors associated with decreased odds of cataract in Rockhoppers included dietary herring and krill, increasing exhibit land area, pool temperature monitoring, increasing maximum photoperiod, and increasing minimum UV light.
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25
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Hernández MV, Fabre CCG. The Elaborate Postural Display of Courting Drosophila persimilis Flies Produces Substrate-Borne Vibratory Signals. JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR 2016; 29:578-590. [PMID: 27795616 PMCID: PMC5055905 DOI: 10.1007/s10905-016-9579-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has led to the evolution of extraordinary and elaborate male courtship behaviors across taxa, including mammals and birds, as well as some species of flies. Drosophila persimilis flies perform complex courtship behaviors found in most Drosophila species, which consist of visual, air-borne, gustatory and olfactory cues. In addition, Drosophila persimilis courting males also perform an elaborate postural display that is not found in most other Drosophila species. This postural display includes an upwards contortion of their abdomen, specialized movements of the head and forelegs, raising both wings into a "wing-posture" and, most remarkably, the males proffer the female a regurgitated droplet. Here, we use high-resolution imaging, laser vibrometry and air-borne acoustic recordings to analyse this postural display to ask which signals may promote copulation. Surprisingly, we find that no air-borne signals are generated during the display. We show, however, that the abdomen tremulates to generate substrate-borne vibratory signals, which correlate with the female's immobility before she feeds onto the droplet and accepts copulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Vega Hernández
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
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26
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THE EFFECT OF UVB RADIATION ON SERUM VITAMIN D AND IONIZED CALCIUM IN THE AFRICAN SPOONBILL (PLATALEA ALBA). J Zoo Wildl Med 2016; 47:447-56. [PMID: 27468015 DOI: 10.1638/2014-0239.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic bone disease (MBD) was diagnosed in two chicks produced by a captive breeding colony of African spoonbills (Platalea alba). The birds were housed indoor during the winter breeding season and had no access to natural sunlight. When the index cases occurred, the nesting birds and chicks had a mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentration of 9.9 ± 2.7 nmol/L and a mean ionized calcium (iCa) concentration of 0.98 ± 0.12 mmol/L (winter pretreatment). For comparison purposes, serum was collected the following summer; mean 25-OHD was 20.8 ± 3.9 nmol/L and mean iCa was 1.32 ± 0.05 mmol/L (summer). During the following breeding season, ultraviolet B (UVB) lighting was provided to the flock, resulting in a mean 25-OHD of 19.0 ± 5.6 nmol/L and mean iCa of 1.23 ± 0.06 mmol/L (winter treatment 1). Both 25-OHD and iCa were significantly higher compared with winter pretreatment, and 25-OHD was not significantly different from summer, indicating that treatment during the winter months succeeded in increasing 25-OHD levels to summer levels. However, winter treatment 1 and summer iCa were significantly different. During the next breeding season (winter treatment 2), the birds were exposed to a light with higher UVB output. The mean 25-OHD of the flock was 16.5 ± 7.2 nmol/L, and the mean iCa increased to 1.34 ± 0.04 mmol/L. Both were comparable to summer values. Healthy chicks were hatched during both breeding seasons, and no further cases of MBD occurred during the course of the study. Provision of a UVB light source to captive African spoonbills maintained indoors during the winter months can increase 25-OHD and iCa to levels equivalent to those seen in the summer months, when birds have unrestricted access to natural sunlight. UVB lighting is recommended for all breeding spoonbills that do not have access to natural sunlight.
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27
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The influence of iridescent coloration directionality on male tree swallows’ reproductive success at different breeding densities. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2164-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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28
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Whitney HM, Reed A, Rands SA, Chittka L, Glover BJ. Flower Iridescence Increases Object Detection in the Insect Visual System without Compromising Object Identity. Curr Biol 2016; 26:802-8. [PMID: 26923789 PMCID: PMC4819513 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2015] [Revised: 12/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Iridescence is a form of structural coloration, produced by a range of structures, in which hue is dependent on viewing angle [1, 2, 3, 4]. One of these structures, the diffraction grating, is found both in animals (for example, beetles [2]) and in plants (on the petals of some animal pollinated flowers [5]). The behavioral impacts of floral iridescence and its potential ecological significance are unknown [6, 7, 8, 9]. Animal-pollinated flowers are described as “sensory billboards” [10], with many floral features contributing to a conspicuous display that filters prospective pollinators. Yet floral iridescence is more subtle to the human eye than that of many animal displays because the floral diffraction grating is not perfectly regular [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. This presents a puzzle: if the function of petals is to attract pollinators, then flowers might be expected to optimize iridescence to increase showiness. On the other hand, pollinators memorize floral colors as consistent advertisements of reward quality, and iridescence might corrupt flower color identity. Here we tested the trade-off between flower detectability and recognition, requiring bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to identify artificial flowers that varied in pigmentation and degree of iridescence. We find that iridescence does increase target detectability but that “perfect” iridescence (produced by an artificial diffraction grating) corrupts target identity and bees make many mistakes. However, “imperfect” floral iridescence does not lead to mistaken target identity, while still benefitting flower detectability. We hypothesize that similar trade-offs might be found in the many naturally “imperfect” iridescence-producing structures found in animal-animal, as well as other plant-animal, interactions. Iridescence can increase object detectability Iridescence can increase the disruption of accurate color identification Detectability and disruption are influenced by variation in iridescent structures Floral iridescence is an optimal trade-off between detectability and identification
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Whitney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
| | - Alison Reed
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Sean A Rands
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Lars Chittka
- Department of Experimental and Biological Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Beverley J Glover
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
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Henry L, Biquand V, Craig AJFK, Hausberger M. Sexing Adult Pale-Winged Starlings Using Morphometric and Discriminant Function Analysis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135628. [PMID: 26367269 PMCID: PMC4569554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate sexing of birds is vital for behavioral studies but can be a real problem in the field, especially for monomorphic species. Our goal here was to characterize the morphology of male and female monomorphic pale-winged starlings (Onychognathus nabouroup), a South African sturnid whose plumage is sexually monomorphic. Morphological measurements of genetically sexed animals indicated that males were statistically larger than females for five measurements: Mass, tail length, tarsus length and wing length. By using a Discriminant Function Analysis based on the measurements taken by one ringer, we were able to predict correctly the sex of 81.10% of the birds of data collected in the field and 77.9% of museum skins independently of year of capture and ringer. The model developed here should be useful for further field studies of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Henry
- Université de Rennes 1, UMR CNRS 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Rennes, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Véronique Biquand
- Université de Rennes 1, UMR CNRS 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Rennes, France
| | | | - Martine Hausberger
- CNRS, Université de Rennes 1, UMR 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Rennes, France
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Abstract
Dopamine-melanin nanospheres are promising materials for photoprotection, structural coloration, and thermoregulation due to their unusual optical and chemical properties. Here, we report the experimental parameters which influence size of dopamine-melanin nanospheres and uniformity. Dopamine precursors are oxidatively polymerized in basic aqueous medium. Therefore, concentration of hydroxide ions significantly influences reaction rate and size of nanospheres. To investigate the effect of hydroxide ions, we adjust three different parameters which affect pH of medium: concentration of sodium hydroxide and dopamine hydrochloride, and reaction temperature. At constant temperature, concentration of hydroxide ions is linearly proportional to initial reaction rates which determine the number of nuclei for nanosphere growth. Temperature alters not only initial reaction rate but also diffusivity of molecules, leading to deviation from the relation between the reaction rate and the number of nuclei. The diameter of dopamine-melanin nanospheres can be readily controlled in a range of 80-490nm through adjusting concentration of dopamine precursor, while maintaining uniform-size distribution and dispersion stability. The synthesized nanospheres are analyzed to confirm the chemical structure, which is composed of approximately 6 indole units. Moreover, surface and chemical properties of the nanospheres are characterized to provide valuable information for surface modification and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojeong Cho
- BK21+ program, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin-Hyun Kim
- BK21+ program, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
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31
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Lagorio MG, Cordon GB, Iriel A. Reviewing the relevance of fluorescence in biological systems. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2015; 14:1538-59. [PMID: 26103563 DOI: 10.1039/c5pp00122f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence is emitted by diverse living organisms. The analysis and interpretation of these signals may give information about their physiological state, ways of communication among species and the presence of specific chemicals. In this manuscript we review the state of the art in the research on the fluorescence emitted by plant leaves, fruits, flowers, avians, butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, millipedes, cockroaches, bees, spiders, scorpions and sea organisms and discuss its relevance in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gabriela Lagorio
- INQUIMAE/D.Q.I.A y Q.F. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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32
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Kemp DJ, Herberstein ME, Fleishman LJ, Endler JA, Bennett ATD, Dyer AG, Hart NS, Marshall J, Whiting MJ. An integrative framework for the appraisal of coloration in nature. Am Nat 2015; 185:705-24. [PMID: 25996857 DOI: 10.1086/681021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The world in color presents a dazzling dimension of phenotypic variation. Biological interest in this variation has burgeoned, due to both increased means for quantifying spectral information and heightened appreciation for how animals view the world differently than humans. Effective study of color traits is challenged by how to best quantify visual perception in nonhuman species. This requires consideration of at least visual physiology but ultimately also the neural processes underlying perception. Our knowledge of color perception is founded largely on the principles gained from human psychophysics that have proven generalizable based on comparative studies in select animal models. Appreciation of these principles, their empirical foundation, and the reasonable limits to their applicability is crucial to reaching informed conclusions in color research. In this article, we seek a common intellectual basis for the study of color in nature. We first discuss the key perceptual principles, namely, retinal photoreception, sensory channels, opponent processing, color constancy, and receptor noise. We then draw on this basis to inform an analytical framework driven by the research question in relation to identifiable viewers and visual tasks of interest. Consideration of the limits to perceptual inference guides two primary decisions: first, whether a sensory-based approach is necessary and justified and, second, whether the visual task refers to perceptual distance or discriminability. We outline informed approaches in each situation and discuss key challenges for future progress, focusing particularly on how animals perceive color. Given that animal behavior serves as both the basic unit of psychophysics and the ultimate driver of color ecology/evolution, behavioral data are critical to reconciling knowledge across the schools of color research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell J Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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33
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Xu M, Fincke OM. Ultraviolet wing signal affects territorial contest outcome in a sexually dimorphic damselfly. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Lind O, Delhey K. Visual modelling suggests a weak relationship between the evolution of ultraviolet vision and plumage coloration in birds. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:715-22. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- O. Lind
- Department of Philosophy; Lund University; Lund Sweden
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science; The University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - K. Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences; Monash University; Melbourne Vic. Australia
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Abstract
Glass patterns are structured dot stimuli used to investigate the visual perception of global form. Studies have demonstrated that humans and pigeons differ in their processing of circular versus linearly organized Glass patterns. To test whether this comparative difference is characteristic of birds as a phylogenetic class, we investigated for the first time how a passerine (starlings, Sturnus vulgaris) discriminated multiple Glass patterns from random-dot stimuli in a simultaneous discrimination. By examining acquisition, steady-state performance, and the effects of diminishing global coherence, it was found that the perception of Glass patterns by 5 starlings differed from human perception and corresponded to that established with pigeons. This suggests an important difference in how birds and primates are specialized in their processing of circular visual patterns, perhaps related to face perception, or in how these highly visual animals direct attention to the global and local components of spatially separated form stimuli.
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37
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Mercadante A, Hill GE. An experimental test of the role of structural blue and melanin-based chestnut coloration in aggressive contests in male eastern bluebirds. Front Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2014.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Physical Alignments Between Plumage Carotenoid Spectra and Cone Sensitivities in Ultraviolet-Sensitive (UVS) Birds (Passerida: Passeriformes). Evol Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-014-9273-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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39
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Leitão AV, Monteiro AH, Mota PG. Ultraviolet reflectance influences female preference for colourful males in the European serin. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1623-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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40
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Ross MR, Gillespie KL, Hopper LM, Bloomsmith MA, Maple TL. Differential preference for ultraviolet light among captive birds from three ecological habitats. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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41
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Key ornamental innovations facilitate diversification in an avian radiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:10687-92. [PMID: 23754395 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1220784110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of biodiversity are often explained by ecological processes, where traits that promote novel ways of interacting with the environment (key innovations) play a fundamental role in promoting diversification. However, sexual selection and social competition can also promote diversification through rapid evolution of ornamental traits. Because selection can operate only on existing variation, the tendency of ornamental traits to constrain or enable the production of novel phenotypes is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of diversification. Starlings are a speciose group characterized by diverse iridescent colors produced by nanometer-scale arrays of melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes) that play a central role in sexual selection and social competition. We show that evolutionary lability of these colors is associated with both morphological and lineage diversification in African starlings. The solid rod-like melanosome morphology has evolved in a directional manner into three more optically complex forms that can produce a broader range of colors than the ancestral form, resulting in (i) faster color evolution, (ii) the occupation of novel, previously unreachable regions of colorspace, and ultimately (iii) accelerated lineage diversification. As in adaptive radiations, key innovations in ornament production can provide high phenotypic trait variability, leading to dramatic effects on the tempo and mode of diversification.
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42
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Ödeen A, Håstad O. The phylogenetic distribution of ultraviolet sensitivity in birds. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:36. [PMID: 23394614 PMCID: PMC3637589 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colour vision in birds can be categorized into two classes, the ultraviolet (UVS) and violet sensitive (VS). Their phylogenetic distributions have traditionally been regarded as highly conserved. However, the complicated nature of acquiring spectral sensitivities from cone photoreceptors meant that until recently, only a few species had actually been studied. Whether birds are UVS or VS can nowadays be inferred from a wide range of species via genomic sequencing of the UV/violet SWS1 cone opsin gene. Results We present genomic sequencing results of the SWS1 gene from 21 avian orders. Amino acid residues signifying UV sensitivity are found in the two most important spectral tuning sites 86 and 90 of Pteroclidiformes and Coraciiformes, in addition to the major clades, Palaeognathae, Charadriiformes, Trogoniformes, Psittaciformes and Passeriformes, where they where previously known to occur. We confirm that the presumed UVS-conferring amino acid combination F86, C90 and M93 is common to Palaeognathae and unique to this clade, despite available spectrometric evidence showing the ostrich retina to be VS. Conclusions By mapping our results together with data from previous studies on a molecular phylogeny we show that avian colour vision shifted between VS and UVS at least 14 times. Single nucleotide substitutions can explain all these shifts. The common ancestor of birds most likely had a VS phenotype. However, the ancestral state of the avian SWS1 opsin’s spectral tuning sites cannot be resolved, since the Palaeognathae are F86, C90 while the Neognathae are ancestrally S86, S90. The phylogenetic distribution of UVS and VS colour vision in birds is so complex that inferences of spectral sensitivities from closely related taxa should be used with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ödeen
- Department of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala S-752 36, Sweden.
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43
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Tobias JA, Montgomerie R, Lyon BE. The evolution of female ornaments and weaponry: social selection, sexual selection and ecological competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:2274-93. [PMID: 22777016 PMCID: PMC3391421 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 319] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ornaments, weapons and aggressive behaviours may evolve in female animals by mate choice and intrasexual competition for mating opportunities-the standard forms of sexual selection in males. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that selection tends to operate in different ways in males and females, with female traits more often mediating competition for ecological resources, rather than mate acquisition. Two main solutions have been proposed to accommodate this disparity. One is to expand the concept of sexual selection to include all mechanisms related to fecundity; another is to adopt an alternative conceptual framework-the theory of social selection-in which sexual selection is one component of a more general form of selection resulting from all social interactions. In this study, we summarize the history of the debate about female ornaments and weapons, and discuss potential resolutions. We review the components of fitness driving ornamentation in a wide range of systems, and show that selection often falls outside the limits of traditional sexual selection theory, particularly in females. We conclude that the evolution of these traits in both sexes is best understood within the unifying framework of social selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Tobias
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
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44
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Barreira AS, Lagorio MG, Lijtmaer DA, Lougheed SC, Tubaro PL. Fluorescent and ultraviolet sexual dichromatism in the blue-winged parrotlet. J Zool (1987) 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2012.00931.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. S. Barreira
- División Ornitología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’; Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; Argentina
| | - M. G. Lagorio
- INQUIMAE Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; Argentina
| | - D. A. Lijtmaer
- División Ornitología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’; Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; Argentina
| | - S. C. Lougheed
- Department of Biology; Queen's University; Kingston; ON; Canada
| | - P. L. Tubaro
- División Ornitología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’; Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; Argentina
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45
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Ultraviolet visual sensitivity in three avian lineages: paleognaths, parrots, and passerines. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2012; 198:495-510. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0724-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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46
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Werner SJ, Tupper SK, Carlson JC, Pettit SE, Ellis JW, Linz GM. The role of a generalized ultraviolet cue for blackbird food selection. Physiol Behav 2012; 106:597-601. [PMID: 22525492 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2011] [Revised: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Birds utilize ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths for plumage signaling and sexual selection. Ultraviolet cues may also be used for the process of avian food selection. The aim of our study was to investigate whether a UV cue and a postingestive repellent can be used to condition food avoidance in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). We found that birds conditioned with an UV-absorbent, postingestive repellent subsequently avoided UV-absorbent food. Thus, the UV-absorbent cue (coupled with 0-20% of the conditioned repellent concentration) was used to maintain avoidance for up to 18 days post-conditioning. Similarly, birds conditioned with the UV-absorbent, postingestive repellent subsequently avoided UV-reflective food. Thus, conditioned avoidance of an UV-absorbent cue can be generalized to an unconditioned, UV-reflective cue for nutrient selection and toxin avoidance. These findings support the hypothesized function of UV vision for avian food selection, the implications of which remain to be explored for the sensory and behavioral ecology within agronomic and natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Werner
- USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521-2154, United States.
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47
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Li Q, Gao KQ, Meng Q, Clarke JA, Shawkey MD, D'Alba L, Pei R, Ellison M, Norell MA, Vinther J. Reconstruction ofMicroraptorand the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage. Science 2012; 335:1215-9. [PMID: 22403389 DOI: 10.1126/science.1213780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quanguo Li
- Beijing Museum of Natural History, 126 Tianqiao South Street, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
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48
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Secondi J, Lepetz V, Théry M. Male attractiveness is influenced by UV wavelengths in a newt species but not in its close relative. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30391. [PMID: 22272342 PMCID: PMC3260282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional communication in the UV range has been reported in Invertebrates and all major groups of Vertebrates but Amphibians. Although perception in this wavelength range has been shown in a few species, UV signalling has not been demonstrated in this group. One reason may be that in lentic freshwater habitats, litter decomposition generates dissolved organic carbon that absorbs UV radiation and thus hinders its use for visual signalling. We tested the effect of male UV characteristics on female sexual preference in two newt species that experience contrasting levels of UV water transmission when breeding. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We analysed water spectral characteristics of a sample of breeding ponds in both species. We quantified male ventral coloration and measured male attractiveness under two lighting conditions (UV present, UV absent) using a no-choice female preference design. UV transmission was higher in Lissotriton vulgaris breeding sites. Male UV patterns also differed between experimental males of the two species. We observed a first common peak around 333 nm, higher in L. vulgaris, and a second peak around 397 nm, more frequent and higher in L. helveticus. Male attractiveness was significantly reduced in L. vulgaris when UV was not available but not in L. helveticus. Male attractiveness depended on the hue of the first UV peak in L. vulgaris. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Our study is the first report of functional UV-based communication in Amphibians. Interestingly, male spectral characteristics and female preferences were consistent with the differences in habitat observed between the two species as L. helveticus often breeds in ponds containing more UV blocking compounds. We discuss the three hypotheses proposed so far for UV signalling in animals (enhanced signal detectability, private communication channel, indicator of individual quality).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Secondi
- GECCO, Group Ecology and Conservation of Vertebrates, University of Angers, Angers, France.
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49
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Evans JE, Smith EL, Bennett AT, Cuthill IC, Buchanan KL. Short-term physiological and behavioural effects of high- versus low-frequency fluorescent light on captive birds. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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50
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Lehtonen PK, Laaksonen T, Artemyev AV, Belskii E, Berg PR, Both C, Buggiotti L, Bureš S, Burgess MD, Bushuev AV, Krams I, Moreno J, Mägi M, Nord A, Potti J, Ravussin PA, Sirkiä PM, Sætre GP, Winkel W, Primmer CR. Candidate genes for colour and vision exhibit signals of selection across the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) breeding range. Heredity (Edinb) 2011; 108:431-40. [PMID: 22027894 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2011.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of natural selection in shaping adaptive trait differentiation in natural populations has long been recognized. Determining its molecular basis, however, remains a challenge. Here, we search for signals of selection in candidate genes for colour and its perception in a passerine bird. Pied flycatcher plumage varies geographically in both its structural and pigment-based properties. Both characteristics appear to be shaped by selection. A single-locus outlier test revealed 2 of 14 loci to show significantly elevated signals of divergence. The first of these, the follistatin gene, is expressed in the developing feather bud and is found in pathways with genes that determine the structure of feathers and may thus be important in generating variation in structural colouration. The second is a gene potentially underlying the ability to detect this variation: SWS1 opsin. These two loci were most differentiated in two Spanish pied flycatcher populations, which are also among the populations that have the highest UV reflectance. The follistatin and SWS1 opsin genes thus provide strong candidates for future investigations on the molecular basis of adaptively significant traits and their co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Lehtonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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