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Pal A, Joshi M, Thaker M. Too much information? Males convey parasite levels using more signal modalities than females utilise. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246217. [PMID: 38054353 PMCID: PMC10906484 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Elaborate sexual signals are thought to have evolved and be maintained to serve as honest indicators of signaller quality. One measure of quality is health, which can be affected by parasite infection. Cnemaspis mysoriensis is a diurnal gecko that is often infested with ectoparasites in the wild, and males of this species express visual (coloured gular patches) and chemical (femoral gland secretions) traits that receivers could assess during social interactions. In this paper, we tested whether ectoparasites affect individual health, and whether signal quality is an indicator of ectoparasite levels. In wild lizards, we found that ectoparasite level was negatively correlated with body condition in both sexes. Moreover, some characteristics of both visual and chemical traits in males were strongly associated with ectoparasite levels. Specifically, males with higher ectoparasite levels had yellow gular patches with lower brightness and chroma, and chemical secretions with a lower proportion of aromatic compounds. We then determined whether ectoparasite levels in males influence female behaviour. Using sequential choice trials, wherein females were provided with either the visual or the chemical signals of wild-caught males that varied in ectoparasite level, we found that only chemical secretions evoked an elevated female response towards less parasitised males. Simultaneous choice trials in which females were exposed to the chemical secretions from males that varied in parasite level further confirmed a preference for males with lower parasites loads. Overall, we find that although health (body condition) or ectoparasite load can be honestly advertised through multiple modalities, the parasite-mediated female response is exclusively driven by chemical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arka Pal
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Mihir Joshi
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
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2
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Salmón P, López-Idiáquez D, Capilla-Lasheras P, Pérez-Tris J, Isaksson C, Watson H. Urbanisation impacts plumage colouration in a songbird across Europe: Evidence from a correlational, experimental and meta-analytical approach. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1924-1936. [PMID: 37574652 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Urbanisation is accelerating across the globe, transforming landscapes, presenting organisms with novel challenges, shaping phenotypes and impacting fitness. Urban individuals are claimed to have duller carotenoid-based colouration, compared to their non-urban counterparts, the so-called 'urban dullness' phenomenon. However, at the intraspecific level, this generalisation is surprisingly inconsistent and often based on comparisons of single urban/non-urban populations or studies from a limited geographical area. Here, we combine correlational, experimental and meta-analytical data on a common songbird, the great tit Parus major, to investigate carotenoid-based plumage colouration in urban and forest populations across Europe. We find that, as predicted, urban individuals are paler than forest individuals, although there are large population-specific differences in the magnitude of the urban-forest contrast in colouration. Using one focal region (Malmö, Sweden), we reveal population-specific processes behind plumage colouration differences, which are unlikely to be the result of genetic or early-life conditions, but instead a consequence of environmental factors acting after fledging. Finally, our meta-analysis indicates that the urban dullness phenomenon is well established in the literature, for great tits, with consistent changes in carotenoid-based plumage traits, particularly carotenoid chroma, in response to anthropogenic disturbances. Overall, our results provide evidence for uniformity in the 'urban dullness' phenomenon but also highlight that the magnitude of the effect on colouration depends on local urban characteristics. Future long-term replicated studies, covering a wider range of species and feeding guilds, will be essential to further our understanding of the eco-evolutionary implications of this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David López-Idiáquez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Javier Pérez-Tris
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Hannah Watson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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3
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Sumasgutner P, Nilles T, Hykollari A, de Chapa MM, Isaksson C, Hochleitner L, Renner S, Fusani L. Integument colouration and circulating carotenoids in relation to urbanisation in Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus). THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:48. [PMID: 37736824 PMCID: PMC10516791 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01874-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Urbanisation is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, yet we still lack an integrative understanding of how cities affect behaviour, physiology and parasite susceptibility of free-living organisms. In this study, we focus on carotenoids, strictly dietary micronutrients that can either be used as yellow-red pigments, for integument colouration (signalling function), or as antioxidants, to strengthen the immune system (physiological function) in an urban predator, the Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Kestrels are specialised vole hunters but shift to avian prey in cities where diurnal rodents are not sufficiently available. This different foraging strategy might determine the quantity of carotenoids available. We measured integument colouration, circulating carotenoids in the blood and ectoparasite burden in kestrels along an urban gradient. Our results showed that nestlings that were raised in more urbanised areas displayed, unrelated to their ectoparasite burden, a paler integument colouration. Paler colours were furthermore associated with a lower concentration of circulating carotenoids. These findings support the hypothesis that the entire urban food web is carotenoid deprived and only prey of low quality with low carotenoid content is available (e.g. fewer carotenoids in urban trees, insects, small birds and finally kestrels). The alternative hypothesis that nestlings allocate carotenoids to reduce physiological stress and/or to cope with parasites rather than invest into colouration could not be supported. Our study adds to existing evidence that urban stressors negatively affect carotenoid production in urban areas, a deficiency that dissipate into higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center, Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Tom Nilles
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center, Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alba Hykollari
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuela Merling de Chapa
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
- Hessian Agency for Nature, Environment and Geology, Biodiversity Center, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Lukas Hochleitner
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Swen Renner
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Bakar MAAA, Ker PJ, Tang SGH, Baharuddin MZ, Lee HJ, Omar AR. Translating conventional wisdom on chicken comb color into automated monitoring of disease-infected chicken using chromaticity-based machine learning models. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1174700. [PMID: 37415964 PMCID: PMC10321238 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1174700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria- or virus-infected chicken is conventionally detected by manual observation and confirmed by a laboratory test, which may lead to late detection, significant economic loss, and threaten human health. This paper reports on the development of an innovative technique to detect bacteria- or virus-infected chickens based on the optical chromaticity of the chicken comb. The chromaticity of the infected and healthy chicken comb was extracted and analyzed with International Commission on Illumination (CIE) XYZ color space. Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machines (SVMs), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Decision Trees have been developed to detect infected chickens using the chromaticity data. Based on the X and Z chromaticity data from the chromaticity analysis, the color of the infected chicken's comb converged from red to green and yellow to blue. The development of the algorithms shows that Logistic Regression, SVM with Linear and Polynomial kernels performed the best with 95% accuracy, followed by SVM-RBF kernel, and KNN with 93% accuracy, Decision Tree with 90% accuracy, and lastly, SVM-Sigmoidal kernel with 83% accuracy. The iteration of the probability threshold parameter for Logistic Regression models has shown that the model can detect all infected chickens with 100% sensitivity and 95% accuracy at the probability threshold of 0.54. These works have shown that, despite using only the optical chromaticity of the chicken comb as the input data, the developed models (95% accuracy) have performed exceptionally well, compared to other reported results (99.469% accuracy) which utilize more sophisticated input data such as morphological and mobility features. This work has demonstrated a new feature for bacteria- or virus-infected chicken detection and contributes to the development of modern technology in agriculture applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Anif A. A. Bakar
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Malaysia
| | - Pin Jern Ker
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Malaysia
| | - Shirley G. H. Tang
- Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies (CORE), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Zafri Baharuddin
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Malaysia
| | - Hui Jing Lee
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, Institute of Power Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Rahman Omar
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
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5
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Dougherty LR, Rovenolt F, Luyet A, Jokela J, Stephenson JF. Ornaments indicate parasite load only if they are dynamic or parasites are contagious. Evol Lett 2023; 7:176-190. [PMID: 37251584 PMCID: PMC10210455 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Choosing to mate with an infected partner has several potential fitness costs, including disease transmission and infection-induced reductions in fecundity and parental care. By instead choosing a mate with no, or few, parasites, animals avoid these costs and may also obtain resistance genes for offspring. Within a population, then, the quality of sexually selected ornaments on which mate choice is based should correlate negatively with the number of parasites with which a host is infected ("parasite load"). However, the hundreds of tests of this prediction yield positive, negative, or no correlation between parasite load and ornament quality. Here, we use phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 424 correlations from 142 studies on a wide range of host and parasite taxa to evaluate explanations for this ambiguity. We found that ornament quality is weakly negatively correlated with parasite load overall, but the relationship is more strongly negative among ornaments that can dynamically change in quality, such as behavioral displays and skin pigmentation, and thus can accurately reflect current parasite load. The relationship was also more strongly negative among parasites that can transmit during sex. Thus, the direct benefit of avoiding parasite transmission may be a key driver of parasite-mediated sexual selection. No other moderators, including methodological details and whether males exhibit parental care, explained the substantial heterogeneity in our data set. We hope to stimulate research that more inclusively considers the many and varied ways in which parasites, sexual selection, and epidemiology intersect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Faith Rovenolt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alexia Luyet
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jukka Jokela
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica F Stephenson
- Corresponding author: University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences, Clapp Hall, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA.
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6
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Gould GM, Carter GG, Augustine JK. Divergent color signals from homologous unfeathered ornaments in two congeneric grouse. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11833-11847. [PMID: 31695891 PMCID: PMC6822034 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Color-based visual signals are important aspects of communication throughout the animal kingdom. Individuals evaluate color to obtain information about age and condition and to behave accordingly. Birds display a variety of striking, conspicuous colors and make ideal subjects for the study of color signaling. While most studies of avian color focus on plumage, bare unfeathered body parts also display a wide range of color signals. Mate choice and intrasexual competitive interactions are easily observed in lekking grouse, which also signal with prominent unfeathered color patches. Most male grouse have one pair of colorful bare part ornaments (combs), and males of several species also have inflatable air sacs in their throat. Previous studies have mostly focused on comb color and size, but little is known about the signaling role of air sac color. We measured comb size and the color properties of combs and air sacs in the Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), and investigated whether these properties varied with age and mass. We found that mass predicted color properties of air sacs and that age predicted comb size in the Greater Prairie-Chicken, suggesting that these ornaments indicate condition dependence. No conclusive relationships between color and age or size were detected in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Color properties of both ornaments differed between the two species. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms that link condition to color and whether the information advertised by color signals from these ornaments is intended for males, females, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M. Gould
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Jacqueline K. Augustine
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyThe Ohio State University at LimaLimaOHUSA
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7
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Megía-Palma R, Paranjpe D, Reguera S, Martínez J, Cooper RD, Blaimont P, Merino S, Sinervo B. Multiple color patches and parasites in Sceloporus occidentalis: differential relationships by sex and infection. Curr Zool 2018; 64:703-711. [PMID: 30538729 PMCID: PMC6280098 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites generally have a negative influence on the color expression of their hosts. Sexual selection theory predicts resistant high-quality individuals should show intense coloration, whereas susceptible low-quality individuals would show poor coloration. However, intensely colored males of different species of Old and New World lizards were more often infected by hemoparasites. These results suggest that high-quality males, with intense coloration, would suffer higher susceptibility to hemoparasites. This hypothesis remains poorly understood and contradicts general theories on sexual selection. We surveyed a population of Sceloporus occidentalis for parasites and found infections by the parasite genera Lankesterella and Acroeimeria. In this population, both males and females express ventral blue and yellow color patches. Lankesterella was almost exclusively infecting males. The body size of the males significantly predicted the coloration of both blue and yellow patches. Larger males showed darker (lower lightness) blue ventral patches and more saturated yellow patches that were also orange-skewed. Moreover, these males were more often infected by Lankesterella than smaller males. The intestinal parasite Acroeimeria infected both males and females. The infection by intestinal parasites of the genus Acroeimeria was the best predictor for the chroma in the blue patch of the males and for hue in the yellow patch of the females. Those males infected by Acroeimeria expressed blue patches with significantly lower chroma than the uninfected males. However, the hue of the yellow patch was not significantly different between infected and uninfected females. These results suggest a different effect of Lankesterella and Acroeimeria on the lizards. On the one hand, the intense coloration of male lizards infected by Lankesterella suggested high-quality male lizards may tolerate it. On the other hand, the low chroma of the blue coloration of the infected males suggested that this coloration could honestly express the infection by Acroeimeria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Department of Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2., Madrid, Spain
| | - Dhanashree Paranjpe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Senda Reguera
- Department of Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Area Parasitología, Department of Biomedicina y Biotecnología, Área de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert D Cooper
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Pauline Blaimont
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Santiago Merino
- Department of Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2., Madrid, Spain
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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8
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Fernandes Chagas CR, Lima Gonzalez IH, Borges Salgado PA, Grosse Rossi Ontivero CR, Locosque Ramos P. Occurrence of endoparasites in Ramphastidae (Aves: Piciformes) in São Paulo Zoo. Helminthologia 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/helm-2017-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Summary
Ramphastidae (Aves: Piciformes) are animals recognized for their exuberant colours and long bill, with distribution range from south Mexico to north Argentina. They are important seed dispersers eating little vertebrates eventually. When in captivity, animals usually live in limited spaces, with high density and near by species that do not share a evolution history, facilitating the occurrence of infectious diseases for what they may not have a competent immune system against, including the parasitic ones. This study analyzed the endoparasites that occur in captive Ramphastidae at São Paulo Zoo in the period January 2009 to September 2011. Seven species of toucans and toucanets had parasitological results positive for Trichuridae nematodes, Eimeria sp., Giardia sp., non sporulated coccidian oocists and unidentified nematode eggs, and microfilarie was the only hemoparasite found.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. R. Fernandes Chagas
- Applied Research Department, São Paulo Zoo Foundation, Av. Miguel Stéfano 4241, São Paulo, SP 04301-905, Brazil
| | - I. H. Lima Gonzalez
- Applied Research Department, São Paulo Zoo Foundation, Av. Miguel Stéfano 4241, São Paulo, SP 04301-905, Brazil
| | - P. A. Borges Salgado
- Applied Research Department, São Paulo Zoo Foundation, Av. Miguel Stéfano 4241, São Paulo, SP 04301-905, Brazil
| | | | - P. Locosque Ramos
- Applied Research Department, São Paulo Zoo Foundation, Av. Miguel Stéfano 4241, São Paulo, SP 04301-905, Brazil
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9
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Rodrigo MP, Javier M, Santiago M. Structural- and carotenoid-based throat colour patches in males of Lacerta schreiberi reflect different parasitic diseases. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2205-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Influence of temporal variation and host condition on helminth abundance in the lizard Tropidurus hispidus from north-eastern Brazil. J Helminthol 2016; 91:312-319. [DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x16000225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEcological characteristics and environmental variation influence both host species composition and parasite abundance. Abiotic factors such as rainfall and temperature can improve parasite development and increase its reproduction rate. The comparison of these assemblages between different environments may give us a more refined analysis of how environment affects the variation of helminth parasite abundance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how temporal variation, host size, sex and reproduction affect helminth abundance in the Tropidurus hispidus lizard in Caatinga, Restinga and Atlantic Forest environments. Overall, larger-sized lizards showed higher helminth abundance. We found a monthly variation in the helminth species abundance in all studied areas. In the Caatinga area, monoxenic and heteroxenic parasites were related to the rainy season and to the reproductive period of lizards. In Restinga, monoxenic and heteroxenic helminth species were more abundant during the driest months. In the Atlantic Forest, the rainy and host reproductive season occurred continuously throughout the year, so parasite abundance was relatively constant. Nevertheless, heteroxenic species were more abundant in this area. The present results showed that the temporal variation, body size, sex, reproductive period and habitat type influence the abundance and composition of helminth species in T. hispidus.
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11
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Sánchez MI, Pons I, Martínez-Haro M, Taggart MA, Lenormand T, Green AJ. When Parasites Are Good for Health: Cestode Parasitism Increases Resistance to Arsenic in Brine Shrimps. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005459. [PMID: 26938743 PMCID: PMC4777290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites and pollutants can both affect any living organism, and their interactions can be very important. To date, repeated studies have found that parasites and heavy metals or metalloids both have important negative effects on the health of animals, often in a synergistic manner. Here, we show for the first time that parasites can increase host resistance to metalloid arsenic, focusing on a clonal population of brine shrimp from the contaminated Odiel and Tinto estuary in SW Spain. We studied the effect of cestodes on the response of Artemia to arsenic (acute toxicity tests, 24h LC50) and found that infection consistently reduced mortality across a range of arsenic concentrations. An increase from 25°C to 29°C, simulating the change in mean temperature expected under climate change, increased arsenic toxicity, but the benefits of infection persisted. Infected individuals showed higher levels of catalase and glutathione reductase activity, antioxidant enzymes with a very important role in the protection against oxidative stress. Levels of TBARS were unaffected by parasites, suggesting that infection is not associated with oxidative damage. Moreover, infected Artemia had a higher number of carotenoid-rich lipid droplets which may also protect the host through the "survival of the fattest" principle and the antioxidant potential of carotenoids. This study illustrates the need to consider the multi-stress context (contaminants and temperature increase) in which host-parasite interactions occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta I. Sánchez
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Inès Pons
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Mónica Martínez-Haro
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Mark A. Taggart
- Environmental Contamination and Ecological Health, Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Thurso, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Lenormand
- Department of Genetic and Evolutive Ecology, Center of Functional Ecology and Evolution (CEFE), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Montpellier, France
| | - Andy J. Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
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12
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Buczek M, Okarma H, Demiaszkiewicz AW, Radwan J. MHC, parasites and antler development in red deer: no support for the Hamilton & Zuk hypothesis. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:617-32. [PMID: 26687843 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis proposes that the genetic benefits of preferences for elaborated secondary sexual traits have their origins in the arms race between hosts and parasites, which maintains genetic variance in parasite resistance. Infection, in turn, can be reflected in the expression of costly sexual ornaments. However, the link between immune genes, infection and the expression of secondary sexual traits has rarely been investigated. Here, we explored whether the presence and identity of functional variants (supertypes) of the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which is responsible for the recognition of parasites, predict the load of lung and gut parasites and antler development in the red deer (Cervus elaphus). While we found MHC supertypes to be associated with infection by a number of parasite species, including debilitating lung nematodes, we did not find support for the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis. On the contrary, we found that lung nematode load was positively associated with antler development. We also found that the supertypes that were associated with resistance to certain parasites at the same time cause susceptibility to others. Such trade-offs may undermine the potential genetic benefits of mate choice for resistant partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Buczek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - H Okarma
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - J Radwan
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.,Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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13
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Wenzel MA, Douglas A, James MC, Redpath SM, Piertney SB. The role of parasite-driven selection in shaping landscape genomic structure in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica). Mol Ecol 2015; 25:324-41. [PMID: 26578090 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Landscape genomics promises to provide novel insights into how neutral and adaptive processes shape genome-wide variation within and among populations. However, there has been little emphasis on examining whether individual-based phenotype-genotype relationships derived from approaches such as genome-wide association (GWAS) manifest themselves as a population-level signature of selection in a landscape context. The two may prove irreconcilable as individual-level patterns become diluted by high levels of gene flow and complex phenotypic or environmental heterogeneity. We illustrate this issue with a case study that examines the role of the highly prevalent gastrointestinal nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis in shaping genomic signatures of selection in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica). Individual-level GWAS involving 384 SNPs has previously identified five SNPs that explain variation in T. tenuis burden. Here, we examine whether these same SNPs display population-level relationships between T. tenuis burden and genetic structure across a small-scale landscape of 21 sites with heterogeneous parasite pressure. Moreover, we identify adaptive SNPs showing signatures of directional selection using F(ST) outlier analysis and relate population- and individual-level patterns of multilocus neutral and adaptive genetic structure to T. tenuis burden. The five candidate SNPs for parasite-driven selection were neither associated with T. tenuis burden on a population level, nor under directional selection. Similarly, there was no evidence of parasite-driven selection in SNPs identified as candidates for directional selection. We discuss these results in the context of red grouse ecology and highlight the broader consequences for the utility of landscape genomics approaches for identifying signatures of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius A Wenzel
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Alex Douglas
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Marianne C James
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Steve M Redpath
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Stuart B Piertney
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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14
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Carotenoids increase immunity and sex specifically affect color and redox homeostasis in a monochromatic seabird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1922-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Vergara P, Fargallo JA, Martínez-Padilla J. Genetic basis and fitness correlates of dynamic carotenoid-based ornamental coloration in male and female common kestrels Falco tinnunculus. J Evol Biol 2014; 28:146-54. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Vergara
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - J. A. Fargallo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - J. Martínez-Padilla
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC; Madrid Spain
- Department of Ethology and Biodiversity Conservation; Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC; Sevilla Spain
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16
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Figuerola J, López G, Soriguer R. Plasma carotenoid levels in passerines are related to infection by (some) parasites. Front Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2014.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Wenzel MA, Piertney SB. Fine-scale population epigenetic structure in relation to gastrointestinal parasite load in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica). Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4256-73. [PMID: 24943398 PMCID: PMC4282444 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic modification of cytosine methylation states can be elicited by environmental stresses and may be a key process affecting phenotypic plasticity and adaptation. Parasites are potent stressors with profound physiological and ecological effects on their host, but there is little understanding in how parasites may influence host methylation states. Here, we estimate epigenetic diversity and differentiation among 21 populations of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) in north-east Scotland and test for association of gastrointestinal parasite load (caecal nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis) with hepatic genome-wide and locus-specific methylation states. Following methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP), 129 bands, representing 73 methylation-susceptible and 56 nonmethylated epiloci, were scored across 234 individuals. The populations differed significantly in genome-wide methylation levels and were also significantly epigenetically (FSC = 0.0227; P < 0.001) and genetically (FSC = 0.0058; P < 0.001) differentiated. Parasite load was not associated with either genome-wide methylation levels or epigenetic differentiation. Instead, we found eight disproportionately differentiated epilocus-specific methylation states (FST outliers) using bayescan software and significant positive and negative association of 35 methylation states with parasite load from bespoke generalized estimating equations (GEE), simple logistic regression (sam) and Bayesian environmental analysis (bayenv2). Following Sanger sequencing, genome mapping and geneontology (go) annotation, some of these epiloci were linked to genes involved in regulation of cell cycle, signalling, metabolism, immune system and notably rRNA methylation, histone acetylation and small RNAs. These findings demonstrate an epigenetic signature of parasite load in populations of a wild bird and suggest intriguing physiological effects of parasite-associated cytosine methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius A Wenzel
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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18
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Martínez-Padilla J, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Mougeot F, Ludwig S, Redpath SM. Intra-sexual competition alters the relationship between testosterone and ornament expression in a wild territorial bird. Horm Behav 2014; 65:435-44. [PMID: 24698833 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In a reliable signalling system, individual quality is expected to mediate the costs associated with ornamental displays, with relatively lower costs being paid by individuals of higher quality. These relative costs should depend not only on individual quality, but also on levels of intra-sexual competition. We explored the current and delayed effects that testosterone implants have on bird ornamentation in populations with contrasted population densities, as a proxy for intra-sexual competition. In a replicated experiment, we manipulated testosterone in 196 yearling male red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus in autumn in populations of high and low levels of intra-sexual competition. Males were assigned to one of three exogenous testosterone (T) treatments: empty implants (T0), small T implants (T1) or larger T implants (T2). We monitored subsequent changes in testosterone levels, ornament size and carotenoid-based colouration, carotenoid levels and body condition from autumn to spring. Testosterone implants increased testosterone levels, comb redness and comb size, and decreased body condition but these effects depended on levels of intra-sexual competition. Specifically, T2-implanted birds increased testosterone levels and comb size more, and reduced body condition more, in populations where intra-sexual competition was low. In the following spring, testosterone levels of T2-treated birds kept increasing in populations where intra-sexual competition was high but not in populations where intra-sexual competition was low. Our results highlight that levels of intra-sexual competition alter the relationship between testosterone levels and ornament expression, influencing their condition-dependence; they also indicate that the outcome of standard hormone manipulation conducted in free-living animals vary depending on the population context.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Martínez-Padilla
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 23005, Madrid, Spain.
| | - L Pérez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, s/n, 3005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespucio, s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - F Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, s/n, 3005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - S Ludwig
- Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Eggleston Hall, Barnard Castle, DL12 0AG UK
| | - S M Redpath
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
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Alcala-Canto Y, Ramos-Martinez E, Tapia-Perez G, Gutierrez L, Sumano H. Pharmacodynamic evaluation of a reference and a generic toltrazuril preparation in broilers experimentally infected withEimeria tenellaorE. acervulina. Br Poult Sci 2014; 55:44-53. [DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2013.872770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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20
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Martínez-Padilla J, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Mougeot F, Ludwig SC, Redpath SM. Experimentally elevated levels of testosterone at independence reduce fitness in a territorial bird. Ecology 2014; 95:1033-44. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1905.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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21
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Blévin P, Tartu S, Angelier F, Leclaire S, Bustnes JO, Moe B, Herzke D, Gabrielsen GW, Chastel O. Integument colouration in relation to persistent organic pollutants and body condition in arctic breeding black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 470-471:248-254. [PMID: 24140695 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 09/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrates cannot synthetize carotenoids de novo but have to acquire them through their diet. In birds, carotenoids are responsible for the yellow to red colouration of many secondary sexual traits. They are also involved in physiological functions such as immunostimulation and immunoregulation. Consequently, carotenoid-based colouration is very often considered as a reliable signal for health and foraging abilities. Although a few studies have suggested that carotenoid-based coloured traits could be sensitive to environmental pollution such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contamination, the relationships between pollutants and colouration remain unclear. Here, we examined the relationships between the colouration of carotenoid-based integuments and individual POP levels in pre-laying female black-legged kittiwakes from very high latitudes. In this area, these arctic seabirds are exposed to high POPs contamination. Additionally, we investigated the relationships between colouration and body condition, a frequently used index of individual quality. We found a negative relationship between POP levels and several components of integument colouration: saturation of eye-ring, gapes and tongue, suggesting that POPs could disrupt colouration of labile integuments in female kittiwakes. In addition, we found that females in better body condition displayed more orange and brighter gapes and tongue than females in poor body condition. These results demonstrate that hue and brightness are sensitive to the current health and nutritional status of female kittiwakes. Overall, our study shows that carotenoid-based colour integuments can be affected by several environmental-driven variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC-CNRS), UPR 1934-CNRS, F-79360 France.
| | - Sabrina Tartu
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC-CNRS), UPR 1934-CNRS, F-79360 France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC-CNRS), UPR 1934-CNRS, F-79360 France
| | - Sarah Leclaire
- Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, ENFA, UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique; CNRS), 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NINA, Fram centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NINA, Fram centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, NILU, Fram centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC-CNRS), UPR 1934-CNRS, F-79360 France.
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22
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Yang C, Wang J, Fang Y, Sun YH. Is sexual ornamentation an honest signal of male quality in the Chinese grouse (Tetrastes sewerzowi)? PLoS One 2013; 8:e82972. [PMID: 24386132 PMCID: PMC3873284 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the variation in sexual ornamentation of male Chinese grouse (Tetrastes sewerzowi) in the Gansu Province, China, seeking to identify factors involved in whether ornament size and brightness are honest signals of male quality. Compared to unmated males, mated males had significantly larger and redder combs and, although they did not have significantly larger territories, they defended them more vigorously. Mated males had significantly higher blood carotenoid and testosterone levels, significantly better body condition, and significantly lower parasite loads than unmated males. Our findings are thus consistent with the hypothesis that comb size and color are honest signals of better male quality in the grouse, mediated through lower parasite loads and/or higher testosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. of China
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. of China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. of China
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. of China
| | - Yun Fang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. of China
| | - Yue-Hua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. of China
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23
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McGraw KJ, Giraudeau M, Hill GE, Toomey MB, Staley M. Ketocarotenoid circulation, but not retinal carotenoid accumulation, is linked to eye disease status in a wild songbird. Arch Biochem Biophys 2013; 539:156-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2013.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Revised: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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24
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García-de Blas E, Mateo R, Viñuela J, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Alonso-Alvarez C. Free and Esterified Carotenoids in Ornaments of an Avian Species: The Relationship to Color Expression and Sources of Variability. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:483-98. [DOI: 10.1086/671812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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Martínez-Padilla J, Redpath SM, Zeineddine M, Mougeot F. Insights into population ecology from long-term studies of red grouseLagopus lagopus scoticus. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:85-98. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Martínez-Padilla
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; Department of Evolutionary Biology; José Guitérrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Steve M. Redpath
- ACES; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Zoology Building Tillydrone Av. Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - Mohammed Zeineddine
- ACES; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Aberdeen; Zoology Building Tillydrone Av. Aberdeen AB24 2TZ UK
| | - François Mougeot
- EEZA-CSIC; La Cañada de San Urbano; 04120 Almeria Spain
- IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n 13005 Ciuada Real Spain
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26
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Physiological costs enforce the honesty of lek display in the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). Oecologia 2012; 172:983-93. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2548-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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27
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Wenzel MA, Webster LMI, Paterson S, Mougeot F, Martínez-Padilla J, Piertney SB. A transcriptomic investigation of handicap models in sexual selection. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1442-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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28
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Simons MJP, Cohen AA, Verhulst S. What does carotenoid-dependent coloration tell? Plasma carotenoid level signals immunocompetence and oxidative stress state in birds-A meta-analysis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43088. [PMID: 22905205 PMCID: PMC3419220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms maintaining honesty of sexual signals are far from resolved, limiting our understanding of sexual selection and potential important parts of physiology. Carotenoid pigmented visual signals are among the most extensively studied sexual displays, but evidence regarding hypotheses on how carotenoids ensure signal honesty is mixed. Using a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 357 effect sizes across 88 different species of birds, we tested two prominent hypotheses in the field: that carotenoid-dependent coloration signals i) immunocompetence and/or ii) oxidative stress state. Separate meta-analyses were performed for the relationships of trait coloration and circulating carotenoid level with different measures of immunocompetence and oxidative stress state. For immunocompetence we find that carotenoid levels (r = 0.20) and trait color intensity (r = 0.17) are significantly positively related to PHA response. Additionally we find that carotenoids are significantly positively related to antioxidant capacity (r = 0.10), but not significantly related to oxidative damage (r = -0.02). Thus our analyses provide support for both hypotheses, in that at least for some aspects of immunity and oxidative stress state the predicted correlations were found. Furthermore, we tested for differences in effect size between experimental and observational studies; a larger effect in observational studies would indicate that co-variation might not be causal. However, we detected no significant difference, suggesting that the relationships we found are causal. The overall effect sizes we report are modest and we discuss potential factors contributing to this, including differences between species. We suggest complementary mechanisms maintaining honesty rather than the involvement of carotenoids in immune function and oxidative stress and suggest experiments on how to test these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirre J P Simons
- Behavioural Biology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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29
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Sternalski A, Mougeot F, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Bretagnolle V. Carotenoid-based coloration, condition, and immune responsiveness in the nestlings of a sexually dimorphic bird of prey. Physiol Biochem Zool 2012; 85:364-75. [PMID: 22705486 DOI: 10.1086/665981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In many birds, nestlings exhibit brightly colored traits that are pigmented by carotenoids. Carotenoids are diet limited and also serve important health-related physiological functions. The proximate mechanisms behind the expression of these carotenoid-pigmented traits are still poorly known, especially in nestlings with sexual size dimorphism. In these nestlings, intrabrood competition levels and growth strategies likely differ between sexes, and this may in turn influence carotenoid allocation rules. We used dietary carotenoid supplementation to test whether wild marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) nestlings were carotenoid limited and whether carotenoid allocation strategies varied between sexes, which differ in their size and growth strategies. When supplemented, nestlings used the supplemental carotenoids to increase their coloration independently of their sex. We showed that the condition dependence of the carotenoid level and the response to an immune challenge (phytohemagglutinin test) differed between sexes, possibly because sexual size dimorphism influences growth strategies and/or intrabrood competition levels and access to different types of food. In this species, which often feeds on mammals, a trade-off likely exists between food quantity (energy) and quality (carotenoid content). Finally, carotenoid-based coloration expressed in marsh harrier nestlings appeared to be indicative of immune responsiveness rather than condition, therefore potentially advertising to parents nestling quality or value rather than nutritional need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Sternalski
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
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30
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Martinez-Padilla J, Vergara P, Mougeot F, Redpath SM. Parasitized mates increase infection risk for partners. Am Nat 2012; 179:811-20. [PMID: 22617268 DOI: 10.1086/665664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Individuals can gain fitness benefits and costs through their mates. However, studies on sexual selection have tended to focus on genetic benefits. A potentially widespread cost of pairing with a parasitized mate is that doing so will increase an individual's parasite abundance. Such a cost has been overlooked in systems in which parasites are indirectly transmitted. We manipulated the abundance of the nematode parasite Trichostrongylus tenuis, an indirectly transmitted parasite, within pairs of wild red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus in spring. Parasite levels were correlated within pairs before the experiment. We removed parasites from males, females, or both members of the pair and evaluated individual parasite uptake over the subsequent breeding period. At the end of the breeding season, an individual's parasite abundance was greater when its mate had not been initially purged of parasites. This cost appeared to be greater for males. We discuss the implications of our results in relation to the costs that parasites may have on sexual selection processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Martinez-Padilla
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
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31
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Orledge JM, Blount JD, Hoodless AN, Royle NJ. Antioxidant supplementation during early development reduces parasite load but does not affect sexual ornament expression in adult ring-necked pheasants. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01977.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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32
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Experimental assessment of the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on offspring quality in chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica). Parasitology 2012; 139:819-24. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182011002381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYParasites reduce host fitness and consequently impose strong selection pressures on their hosts. It has been hypothesized that parasites are scarcer and their overall effect on hosts is weaker at higher latitudes. Although Antarctic birds have relatively low numbers of parasites, their effect on host fitness has rarely been investigated. The effect of helminth parasitism on growth rate was experimentally studied in chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) nestlings. In a total of 22 two-nestling broods, 1 nestling was treated with anthelminthics (for cestodes and nematodes) while its sibling was left as a control. Increased growth rate was predicted in de-wormed nestlings compared to their siblings. As expected, 15 days after treatment, the experimental nestlings had increased body mass more than their siblings. These results show a non-negligible negative effect of helminth parasites on nestling body condition that would presumably affect future survival and thus fitness, and it has been suggested there is a strong relationship between body mass and mortality in chinstrap penguins.
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33
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Vergara P, Mougeot F, Martínez-Padilla J, Leckie F, Redpath SM. The condition dependence of a secondary sexual trait is stronger under high parasite infection level. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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34
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35
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Leclaire S, Bourret V, Wagner RH, Hatch SA, Helfenstein F, Chastel O, Danchin É. Behavioral and physiological responses to male handicap in chick-rearing black-legged kittiwakes. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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36
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Integument coloration signals reproductive success, heterozygosity, and antioxidant levels in chick-rearing black-legged kittiwakes. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:773-82. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0827-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2011] [Revised: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Casagrande S, Groothuis TGG. The interplay between gonadal steroids and immune defence in affecting a carotenoid-dependent trait. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011; 65:2007-2019. [PMID: 21957328 PMCID: PMC3172405 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1210-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Revised: 05/30/2011] [Accepted: 05/31/2011] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The hypothesis that sexual ornaments are honest signals of quality because their expression is dependent on hormones with immune-depressive effects has received ambiguous support. The hypothesis might be correct for those signals that are carotenoid-dependent because the required carotenoid deposition in the signal, stimulated by testosterone, might lower the carotenoid-dependent immune defence of the organism. Two pathways underlying this androgen-dependent honest signaling have been suggested. Firstly, androgens that are needed for ornament expression may suppress immune defence, a cost that only high-quality animals can afford. Alternatively, immune activation may downregulate the production of androgens in low-quality individuals. Which of these alternatives is correct, and to what extent these effects are mediated by the different metabolites of androgens, remain open questions. To provide answers to these questions, we manipulated the levels of testosterone (T), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and 17-β-estradiol (E2) in diamond doves Geopelia cuneata, a species in which both sexes exhibit a carotenoid-dependent, androgen-regulated red–orange periorbital ring of bare skin. On the first day of the experiment (day 0), we inserted steroid-releasing implants into groups of birds and on day 14, we subjected half of the birds to an immunological challenge by immunizing them with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). In females, but not in males, androgen but not estradiol treatments reduced antibody production to SRBC. In addition, the immunological challenge reduced redness and size of the trait as well as androgens levels in both sexes and in all treatments. This indicates that an immunological challenge can lower circulating T at the cost of the trait expression. These findings are in accordance with both pathways postulated in the immunocompetence-handicap hypothesis, but do not entirely support the idea that the immunosuppressive effect of androgens yields honest signaling since both T and DHT were not immunosuppressive in males, for which sexual signaling is supposed to be especially important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Behavioural Biology, Centre for Behaviour and Neuroscience, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Ton G. G. Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Centre for Behaviour and Neuroscience, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Stephen ID, Coetzee V, Perrett DI. Carotenoid and melanin pigment coloration affect perceived human health. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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McGraw KJ, Lee K, Lewin A. The effect of capture-and-handling stress on carotenoid-based beak coloration in zebra finches. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2011; 197:683-91. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-011-0631-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2010] [Revised: 01/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Multiple coloured ornaments in male common kestrels: different mechanisms to convey quality. Naturwissenschaften 2011; 98:289-98. [PMID: 21327419 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0767-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Revised: 01/31/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The simultaneous exhibition of more than one secondary sexual trait is a widespread phenomenon in nature, though it has rarely been explored. It has been proposed that different ornaments may convey complementary or back-up information about a single aspect of individual quality (redundancy hypothesis) or that each ornament may convey unique information (multiple-messages hypothesis). During a 5-year period, we measured several carotenoid-based (eye ring, bill cere and tarsi skin) and melanin-based (head, back, rump and tail feathers) potential ornamental colours in male common kestrels. We analysed whether multiple ornaments can convey different or related information about individual quality. We explored whether different ornaments can express different information depending on the pigment (carotenoids or melanins), the time-scale over which the ornament can change (dynamic vs. static) and the season of the year when the ornament is formed. We found that both melanin- and carotenoid- based traits correlated with indexes of quality, including body condition, body condition of their partners and laying date. However, not all ornaments correlated with the same measures of quality. In addition, some ornaments were intercorrelated within the same individuals while others were not. These results suggest that different ornaments can convey information about different qualities, as predicted by the multiple-messages hypothesis. In addition, this study suggests that the predominant pigment (e.g. carotenoid vs. melanin, eumelanin vs. pheomelanin), the time-scale over which the trait is developed (static feathers vs. dynamic skin) and the season of the year at which the ornament is produced can be potential mechanisms to convey different messages in male common kestrels.
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Pérez-Rodríguez L, Mougeot F, Bortolotti GR. The effects of preen oils and soiling on the UV–visible reflectance of carotenoid-pigmented feathers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1153-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Relationships between dietary carotenoids, body tissue carotenoids, parasite burden, and health state in wild mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings. Arch Biochem Biophys 2010; 504:154-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2010.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2010] [Revised: 06/29/2010] [Accepted: 07/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Differential effects of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and estradiol on carotenoid deposition in an avian sexually selected signal. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2010; 197:1-13. [PMID: 20824278 PMCID: PMC3016205 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-010-0579-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2010] [Revised: 08/21/2010] [Accepted: 08/23/2010] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that carotenoid-based traits are under the control of testosterone (T) by up-regulation of carotenoid carriers (lipoproteins) and/or tissue-specific uptake of carotenoids. T can be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2), and variation in conversion rate may partly explain some contradictory findings in the literature. Moreover, most studies on the effect of T on sexual signals have focused on the male sex only, while in many species females show the same signal, albeit to a lesser extent. We studied the effects of T, DHT, and E2 treatment in male and female diamond doves Geopelia cuneata in which both sexes have an enlarged red eye ring, which is more pronounced in males. We first showed that this periorbital ring contains very high concentration of carotenoids, of which most are lutein esters. Both T and DHT were effective in enhancing hue, UV-chroma and size in both sexes, while E2 was ineffective. However, E2 dramatically increased the concentration of circulating lipoproteins. We conclude that in both sexes both color and size of the secondary sexual trait are androgen dependent. The action of androgens is independent of lipoproteins regulation. Potential mechanisms and their consequences for trade-off are discussed.
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Gladbach A, Gladbach DJ, Kempenaers B, Quillfeldt P. Female-specific colouration, carotenoids and reproductive investment in a dichromatic species, the upland goose Chloephaga picta leucoptera. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010; 64:1779-1789. [PMID: 20976290 PMCID: PMC2952766 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0990-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Revised: 05/17/2010] [Accepted: 05/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although studies on the evolution and function of female ornaments have become more numerous in the last years, the majority of these studies were carried out in cases where female ornaments were a smaller and duller version of the ornaments found in males. There are substantially fewer studies on species with female-specific ornaments. However, no study so far investigated the potential of female-specific colouration as a quality signal in birds with conventional sex roles. We studied female-specific ornamentation in a strongly sexually dichromatic species, the upland goose Chloephaga picta leucoptera, in two consecutive years. Male upland geese have white head and breast feathers and black legs, whereas females have reddish-brown head and breast feathers and conspicuous yellow-orange legs. We found that female-specific colouration in upland geese can reliably indicate different aspects of female phenotypic quality. Females with more orange coloured legs and more red-like head colours had higher clutch and egg volumes than females with a paler leg and head colouration, and a more reddish plumage colouration was related to a higher body condition. These relationships provide the theoretic possibility for males to assess female phenotypic quality on the basis of colouration. Furthermore, the females with a more orange-like tarsus colouration had higher plasma carotenoid levels. Both tarsus colouration and carotenoid concentrations of individual females were highly correlated across years, indicating that tarsus colour is a stable signal. Despite this correlation, small individual differences in plasma carotenoid concentrations between the two study years were related to differences in tarsus colouration. We thus show for the first time in a wild bird and under natural conditions that carotenoid-based integument colouration remains consistent between individuals in consecutive years and is also a dynamic trait reflecting individual changes in carotenoid levels. In this species, where pairs form life-long bonds, the honesty of the carotenoid-based integument colouration suggests that it may be a sexually selected female ornament that has evolved through male mate choice. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00265-010-0990-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Gladbach
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - David Joachim Gladbach
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Science, University of Göttingen, Waldweg 26, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department Behavioural Ecology & Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, E. Gwinnerstrasse, 82329 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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Pérez-Rodríguez L, Mougeot F, Alonso-Alvarez C. Carotenoid-based coloration predicts resistance to oxidative damage during immune challenge. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:1685-90. [PMID: 20435819 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.039982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Many animal ornaments may have evolved as signals advertising the quality of the bearer. The honesty of the information content of these signals would rely on the costs associated with their expression, these being relatively greater for low-quality than for high-quality individuals. Given the physiological functions of carotenoids, carotenoid-based ornaments could indicate individual immunocompetence, and possibly the ability to mount an immune response at a lower cost. We evaluated whether the red carotenoid-based coloration of male red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) predicts the capacity of the individual to counteract the oxidative stress generated by a cell-mediated immune response. Individuals were subcutaneously injected with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or phosphate buffer solution (PBS) as a control. We found that eye ring pigmentation predicted the change in the amount of peroxidized lipids (TBARS) in blood after the PHA-induced inflammatory challenge. The degree of pigmentation of this carotenoid-based ornament was also negatively related to individual changes in γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), another biomarker of oxidative stress involved in antioxidant metabolism (i.e. glutathione recycling). However, changes in circulating carotenoids did not significantly explain changes in lipid peroxidation or GGT levels, suggesting that the higher resistance to oxidative stress of those individuals with more pigmented eye rings was not directly mediated by their greater circulating levels of carotenoids. Our results indicate that carotenoid-based coloration can predict not only immune responsiveness (more coloured males mount greater responses) but also an individual's ability to counter the oxidative stress generated during immune challenge (more coloured males experience less oxidative damage when mounting an immune response).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francois Mougeot
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
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MARTÍNEZ-PADILLA J, MOUGEOT F, WEBSTER LMI, PÉREZ-RODRÍGUEZ L, PIERTNEY SB. Testing the interactive effects of testosterone and parasites on carotenoid-based ornamentation in a wild bird. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:902-13. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.01956.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Martínez-Padilla J, Dixon H, Vergara P, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Fargallo JA. Does egg colouration reflect male condition in birds? Naturwissenschaften 2010; 97:469-77. [PMID: 20309517 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0660-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 02/16/2010] [Accepted: 02/17/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
How colouration provides information about individuals in birds has been a central issue in recent decades. Although much information has been derived, little is known about the adaptive significance of egg colouration in birds. A recent idea suggests that biliverdin- and porphyrin-pigmented eggs may act as a post-mating sexual signal for males to assess female quality. In birds, it is common for males to influence prelaying female condition by courtship feeding. Using Eurasian kestrels, a species that lays protoporphyrin-pigmented eggs, we descriptively assessed the influence of male feeding on egg pigmentation by considering female phenotype, condition, breeding parameters and male body condition. We found that older females and females with greyer tails (an index of individual quality) produce highly pigmented eggs. However, male body condition was the only variable that explained egg colouration when considered together with the female-related variables. Therefore, females that mated with males in better condition laid highly pigmented eggs. With the same species, we also explored the cost of producing protoporphyrin-pigmented eggs using a food-supply experiment before the laying period. Food supplementation did not increase egg pigmentation, but hatching success and egg mass were positively related to egg colouration only in food supplied pairs. We suggest that egg colouration might be costly to produce and probably suggests egg quality. However, this cost cannot be explained by female quality, but by male condition instead. In general, our results do not support the theory that egg colouration is a post-mating sexual signal in species where males determine female condition at the time of laying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martínez-Padilla
- Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES), University of Aberdeen & The Macaulay Institute, School of Biological Sciences, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, UK.
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Navarro C, Pérez-Contreras T, Avilés JM, Mcgraw KJ, Soler JJ. Beak colour reflects circulating carotenoid and vitamin A levels in spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0920-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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49
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Mougeot F, Martínez-Padilla J, Bortolotti GR, Webster LMI, Piertney SB. Physiological stress links parasites to carotenoid-based colour signals. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:643-50. [PMID: 20074170 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01926.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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50
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Mougeot F, Martínez-Padilla J, Blount JD, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Webster LMI, Piertney SB. Oxidative stress and the effect of parasites on a carotenoid-based ornament. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:400-7. [PMID: 20086124 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.037101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress, the physiological condition whereby the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species overwhelms the capacity of antioxidant defences, causes damage to key bio-molecules. It has been implicated in many diseases, and is proposed as a reliable currency in the trade-off between individual health and ornamentation. Whether oxidative stress mediates the expression of carotenoid-based signals, which are among the commonest signals of many birds, fish and reptiles, remains controversial. In the present study, we explored interactions between parasites, oxidative stress and the carotenoid-based ornamentation of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. We tested whether removing nematode parasites influenced both oxidative balance (levels of oxidative damage and circulating antioxidant defences) and carotenoid-based ornamentation. At the treatment group level, parasite purging enhanced the size and colouration of ornaments but did not significantly affect circulating carotenoids, antioxidant defences or oxidative damage. However, relative changes in these traits among individuals indicated that males with a greater number of parasites prior to treatment (parasite purging) showed a greater increase in the levels of circulating carotenoids and antioxidants, and a greater decrease in oxidative damage, than those with initially fewer parasites. At the individual level, a greater increase in carotenoid pigmentation was associated with a greater reduction in oxidative damage. Therefore, an individual's ability to express a carotenoid-based ornament appeared to be linked to its current oxidative balance and susceptibility to oxidative stress. Our experimental results suggest that oxidative stress can mediate the impact of parasites on carotenoid-based signals, and we discuss possible mechanisms linking carotenoid-based ornaments to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Mougeot
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas, CSIC, General Segura 1, 04001 Almeria, Spain.
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