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Nicolaï MP, Porchetta S, Clegg JR, Taylor PN, Jocque MM. Supplementary morphological information for Cornufer manus (Kraus & Allison, 2009) and Cornufer vogti (Hediger, 1934), with information on colour in life. Journal of Vertebrate Biology 2022. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.22053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michaël P.J. Nicolaï
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; e-mail:
| | - Sara Porchetta
- Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation (BINCO) npo, Glabbeek, Belgium; e-mail: ,
| | | | - Peter N. Taylor
- Caiman House Field Station, Yupukari Village, Guyana; e-mail:
| | - Merlijn M.T. Jocque
- Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation (BINCO) npo, Glabbeek, Belgium; e-mail: ,
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Rogalla S, Nicolaï MPJ, Porchetta S, Glabeke G, Battistella C, D'Alba L, Gianneschi NC, van Beeck J, Shawkey MD. The evolution of darker wings in seabirds in relation to temperature-dependent flight efficiency. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210236. [PMID: 34229457 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds have evolved numerous adaptations that allow them to thrive under hostile conditions. Many seabirds share similar colour patterns, often with dark wings, suggesting that their coloration might be adaptive. Interestingly, these darker wings become hotter when birds fly under high solar irradiance, and previous studies on aerofoils have provided evidence that aerofoil surface heating can affect the ratio between lift and drag, i.e. flight efficiency. However, whether this effect benefits birds remains unknown. Here, we first used phylogenetic analyses to show that strictly oceanic seabirds with a higher glide performance (optimized by reduced sink rates, i.e. the altitude lost over time) have evolved darker wings, potentially as an additional adaptation to improve flight. Using wind tunnel experiments, we then showed that radiative heating of bird wings indeed improves their flight efficiency. These results illustrate that seabirds may have evolved wing pigmentation in part through selection for flight performance under extreme ocean conditions. We suggest that other bird clades, particularly long-distance migrants, might also benefit from this effect and therefore might show similar evolutionary trajectories. These findings may also serve as a guide for bioinspired innovations in aerospace and aviation, especially in low-speed regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svana Rogalla
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michaël P J Nicolaï
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Recent Vertebrates, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara Porchetta
- Department Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium
| | - Gertjan Glabeke
- von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium
| | - Claudia Battistella
- Departments of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Simpson-Querrey Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathan C Gianneschi
- Departments of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, International Institute for Nanotechnology, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Simpson-Querrey Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Jeroen van Beeck
- von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Nicolaï MPJ, Shawkey MD, Porchetta S, Claus R, D'Alba L. Exposure to UV radiance predicts repeated evolution of concealed black skin in birds. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2414. [PMID: 32415098 PMCID: PMC7229023 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15894-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plumage is among the most well-studied components of integumentary colouration. However, plumage conceals most skin in birds, and as a result the presence, evolution and function of skin colour remains unexplored. Here we show, using a database of 2259 species encompassing >99% of bird genera, that melanin-rich, black skin is found in a small but sizeable percentage (~5%) of birds, and that it evolved over 100 times. The spatial distribution of black skin follows Gloger’s rule, which states that pigmentation of endothermic animals increases towards the equator. Furthermore, most black-skinned birds inhabit high irradiation regions, and tend to be bald and/or have white feathers. Thus, taken together, our results suggest that melanin-rich, black skin helps to protect birds against ultraviolet irradiation. More generally, our results illustrate that feathered skin colour varies taxonomically, ontogenetically and temporally, providing an additional dimension for avian colour research. In contrast to bird plumage, little is known about the evolution of bird skin color. Here, Nicolaï et al. find that black skin has evolved over 100 times in birds and is associated with baldness and/or white feathers as well as with high irradiation habitats, suggesting a role in UV protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël P J Nicolaï
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Recent Vertebrates, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sara Porchetta
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium.,von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium
| | - Ruben Claus
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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