Domestic chicks primarily attend to colour, not pattern, when learning an aposematic coloration

Aronsson, Marianne; Gamberale‐Stille, Gabriella

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.05.006

Cited by 119 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Further, research has shown that avian predators focus primarily on colors and not patterns (Aronsson and Gamberale-Stille 2008;Exernová et al 2006;Exernová et al 2008). As a result, predators may cue in on specific colors, or the combination of colors, in the learning phase.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidence for predator learning and Müllerian mimicry in Peruvian poison frogs (Ranitomeya, Dendrobatidae)

2013

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Abstract:Poison frogs are characterized by bright coloration, striking patterns, and toxicity; they have thus become a classic example of aposematism. Ranitomeya imitator mimics three congeneric model species (R. fantastica, R. summersi, and two morphs of R. variabilis), creating geographically distinct populations of the species, including four allopatric mimetic morphs (a "mimetic radiation"). These complexes are thought to represent a case of Müllerian mimicry, but no empirical data exist on predator-learned avoidance to support this claim. In this study we used young chickens (Gallus domesticus) as naïve predators to determine if spotted mimetic morphs of R. imitator and R. variabilis contribute to learned avoidance by predators-a key component of Müllerian mimicry. Chickens exposed to either stimulus species demonstrated learned avoidance of both species; thus our results indicate that this complex functions as a Müllerian mimicry system. Furthermore, our study shows no difference between learned avoidance in stimuli frogs and a 'novel' morph of R. imitator which differed in both color and pattern-indicating that predator learned avoidance may be generalized in this system. Experimental evidence for predator learning and Müllerian mimicry in Peruvian poison frogs (Ranitomeya, Dendrobatidae)

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidence for predator learning and Müllerian mimicry in Peruvian poison frogs (Ranitomeya, Dendrobatidae)

2013

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“…Sparsely spotted individuals and individuals with very small spots, though, do exist naturally and should limit any effect of not including spots on our models (13/66 individuals observed in 2008). While black contrasting patterns may be important in the displays of some aposematic organisms, mainly through increased recognition by predators (Aoki et al 2000), recent work suggests that contrasting patterns are less important than color (Aronsson and Gamberale-Stille 2008;Hegna et al 2011). Furthermore, Hegna et al (2011) found the spot pattern of O. pumilio from northeastern Costa Rica, characteristic of most mainland frogs, did not affect attack rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not all colors are equal: predation and color polytypism in the aposematic poison frog Oophaga pumilio

2012

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Aposematic organisms are not predicted to show high levels of warning signal diversity because they are expected to be under stabilizing selection to decrease costs of 'educating' predators about their unpalatability. However, systematic changes in warning signals (polytypism) can be expected if they represent adaptations to local predators. The aposematic strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) is red throughout its mainland distribution in Costa Rica and Panamá, but displays high levels of warning signal diversity in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Panamá. Both coloration and spot pattern vary in a polytypic sense. Sexual selection contributes to maintaining the polytypism, but little work has investigated the potential influence of predation. We used unspotted models of O. pumilio to determine if predation might help explain the color polytypism on Isla Colón in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Panamá. We tested whether attack rates differed among the red mainland morph, green/yellow Isla Colón morph, and the brown control. We found that frog color significantly predicted being attacked. The local green Isla Colón models were attacked more than foreign red or brown models. No difference in attack rate existed between red and brown control models. Our results suggest that the red mainland morph possesses a more effective warning signal, even when it is not the local morph. Honest signaling of unpalatability, neophobia, and the use of search images by local predators are potential explanations. Similarity of the brown model to other local poison frogs might explain the lower attack rate compared to previous work. The attack rate was lower on Isla Colón compared to mainland Costa Rica, which supports the hypothesis that less overall 123Evol Ecol DOI 10.1007/s10682-012-9605-z predation in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago may contribute to the overall warning signal diversity in O. pumilio there by relaxing selection for aposematic traits.

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“…For instance, several secondary plant compounds have a bitter taste and are toxic to herbivores (Garcia and Hankins, 1975;Rogosic et al, 2008), and a young green plant is generally more nutritious than a mature plant (Kü hnle and Mü ller, 2011). Further, other species use food sensory characteristics as indicators of their potential toxic or nutritive values, as shown with birds avoiding invertebrates' aposematic colouring (Aronsson and Gamberale-Stille, 2008;Skelhorn et al, 2008). Edwards et al (1997) demonstrated that sheep could use visual and smelling cues (in turves of perennial ryegrass or white clover) to find rewards (highly preferred pelleted food).…”

Section: Sensory Characteristics: a Way To Get Pleasurementioning

confidence: 99%

Food sensory characteristics: their unconsidered roles in the feeding behaviour of domestic ruminants

Favreau-Peigné

Baumont

Ginane

2013

Animal

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When domestic ruminants are faced with food diversity, they can use pre-ingestive information (i.e. food sensory characteristics perceived by the animal before swallowing the food) and post-ingestive information (i.e. digestive and metabolic consequences, experienced by the animal after swallowing the food) to evaluate the food and make decisions to select a suitable diet. The concept of palatability is essential to understand how pre-and post-ingestive information are interrelated. It refers to the hedonic value of the food without any immediate effect of post-ingestive consequences and environmental factors, but with the influence of individual characteristics, such as animal's genetic background, internal state and previous experiences. In the literature, the post-ingestive consequences are commonly considered as the main force that influences feeding behaviour whereas food sensory characteristics are only used as discriminatory agents. This discriminatory role is indeed important for animals to be aware of their feeding environment, and ruminants are able to use their different senses either singly or in combination to discriminate between different foods. However, numerous studies on ruminants' feeding behaviour demonstrate that the role of food sensory characteristics has been underestimated or simplified; they could play at least two other roles. First, some sensory characteristics also possess a hedonic value which influences ruminants' intake, preferences and food learning independently of any immediate post-ingestive consequences. Further, diversity of food sensory characteristics has a hedonic value, as animals prefer an absence of monotony in food sensory characteristics at similar post-ingestive consequences. Second, some of these food sensory characteristics become an indicator of post-ingestive consequences after their initial hedonic value has acquired a positive or a negative value via previous individual food learning or evolutionary processes. These food sensory characteristics thus represent cues that could help ruminants to anticipate the post-ingestive consequences of a food and to improve their learning efficiency, especially in complex environments. This review then suggests that food sensory characteristics could be of importance to provide pleasure to animals, to increase palatability of a food and to help them learn in complex feeding situations which could improve animal welfare and productivity.

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Domestic chicks primarily attend to colour, not pattern, when learning an aposematic coloration

Cited by 119 publications

References 30 publications

Experimental evidence for predator learning and Müllerian mimicry in Peruvian poison frogs (Ranitomeya, Dendrobatidae)

Experimental evidence for predator learning and Müllerian mimicry in Peruvian poison frogs (Ranitomeya, Dendrobatidae)

Not all colors are equal: predation and color polytypism in the aposematic poison frog Oophaga pumilio

Food sensory characteristics: their unconsidered roles in the feeding behaviour of domestic ruminants

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