Melanin‐based sexual dichromatism in the Western Palearctic avifauna implies darker males and lighter females

Negro, Juan J.; Figueroa-Luque, Enrique; Galván, Ismael

doi:10.1111/jav.01657

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…As shown in other studies using reflectance spectrometry (Delhey ) or book plates (Negro et al . ), males are usually darker than females (mean differences within species [female lightness – male lightness] = 8.3, 95% CI = 7.7–8.8, paired t = 28.5, d.f. = 5808, P < 0.001).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconciling ecogeographical rules: rainfall and temperature predict global colour variation in the largest bird radiation

et al. 2019

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Ecogeographical rules that associate climate with organismal form and function can reveal patterns of climatic adaptation. Two rules link animal coloration with climate: Gloger's rule (darker coloration where wet and warm), and Bogert's rule (darker coloration where cold). Whereas Gloger's rule was proposed for endotherms, and Bogert's rule for ectotherms, both rules may apply more broadly, despite their seemingly opposing effects. Here, we test this contradiction on a global scale across passerine birds. Consistent with Gloger's rule, birds were darker in wetter areas and, following Bogert's rule, lighter where warm, although birds became lighter again at very low temperatures. Rainfall and temperature had antagonistic or additive effects depending on their pattern of covariation, and this predicted whether birds followed the rules. We integrate both rules into a general framework to explain heterogeneity in climatic effects on coloration, which has implications to understand patterns of diversification, climatic adaptation and climate change impacts.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconciling ecogeographical rules: rainfall and temperature predict global colour variation in the largest bird radiation

et al. 2019

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“…Potential differences in costs (linked to physiology or conspicuousness) for the different types of colorations may explain why the color gamut available for females is less extended than for males (Delhey, 2015). Too high contrast (which may decrease crypsis) has also been put forward to explain why females of Western Palearctic species use more pheomelanin (which is lighter brown) than eumelanin in their signals (Negro, Figueroa-Luque, & Galván, 2018). Based on the assumption that coloration types have different costs, researchers have also hypothesized that carotenoid-based colors should be more widespread than other types of colors in sexually dichromatic species.…”

Section: Macroevolution Of Female Coloration-insights From Comparativmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the beginning, coloration traits were scored using the human eye, reference specimens, and reference color plates; studies made distinctions between "drab" and "bright" colorations (Badyaev, 1997;Hamilton & Zuk, 1982) and similar versus different colorations (Irwin, 1994). Such methods are still common today (Dale, et al, 2015;McQueen et al, 2019;Negro, et al, 2018;Juan José Soler, et al, 2019;Webb, et al, 2016). However, the use of far more precise tools, namely spectrophotometry, has revealed something that is invisible to the human eye: in many species, there is variation in the ultraviolet (UV) part of the signal emitted by coloration traits.…”

Section: General Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of female coloration: What have we learned from birds in general and blue tits in particular

Doutrelant

Fargevieille

Grégoire

2020

Advances in the Study of Behavior

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“…To determine the mechanism of colour expression we used a mixed approach based on the results of pigment analyses, reflectance measurements and visual properties of colours (compare Gray 1996, Owens & Hartley 2018, Olson & Owens 2005). In particular, the classification to carotenoid red and yellow or to pheomelanin rusty, which produce similar colours according to human vision, was supported by analyses of pigment composition (summarized by McGraw 2006b, Toral et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grey plumage patches could evolve as a sexually selected trait analogously to eumelanin black patches. Many passerine females use such characteristics in mate choice (Galv an & Solano 2016, Jawor & Breitwisch 2003, which generates an overall male-biased eumelanin dichromatism (Negro et al 2018). The evolution of this pattern is related to condition signalling potential of eumelanin colours.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence and function of melanin‐based grey coloration in Western Palaearctic songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes)

Surmacki¹,

Minias²,

Kudelska³

2020

Ibis

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Melanin is the most common pigment in avian plumage and has various functions, including signalling individual condition, social status, aiding in camouflage and strengthening feathers. To date, most research focusing on melanin‐based colours has focused on eumelanin black and pheomelanin rusty traits. The occurrence and function of grey melanin‐based coloration, however, remains largely unstudied. Using colour plates from a bird identification guide and a comparative phylogenetic approach, we analysed the occurrence and relative patch size of grey plumage regions in 239 passerine species belonging to 36 families occurring in the Western Palaearctic. We proposed four hypotheses to explain the evolution of grey plumage: (1) protection from visually oriented predators, (2) badges of social information, (3) sexually selected ornaments, and (4) visual enhancement of badges and ornamental colour patches via high between‐colour contrast. We tested these hypotheses by analysing the occurrence and relative size of grey patches in relation to ecological and life‐history traits and the occurrence of other colours. Moreover, we surveyed the distribution of grey over avian body regions and its adjacency to other plumage colours. Grey coloration was present in 97 species from 25 families (40.5% of all species and 69.4% of all families sampled, respectively). Our results support the idea that grey plumage evolved to provide cryptic coloration and/or as a sexual signal used in female mate choice. Grey colour occurrence was associated with less concealed nest structure and open habitats, and this effect was especially pronounced in species in which males incubate. In both sexes, grey was more abundant on the head and back regions, which are the most visible body parts during incubation. The occurrence of grey was related to a greater dichromatism and was slightly higher in males than in females, which suggests that it could have evolved in response to female mate choice. No evidence suggests that grey plumage enhances ornamental colours or acts as a competitive signal. The study provides the first insight into potential functions of grey plumage in birds. Further studies at the species level are needed to test our findings.

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Melanin‐based sexual dichromatism in the Western Palearctic avifauna implies darker males and lighter females

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

Reconciling ecogeographical rules: rainfall and temperature predict global colour variation in the largest bird radiation

Reconciling ecogeographical rules: rainfall and temperature predict global colour variation in the largest bird radiation

Evolution of female coloration: What have we learned from birds in general and blue tits in particular

Occurrence and function of melanin‐based grey coloration in Western Palaearctic songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes)

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