Preferences for ultraviolet partners in the blue tit

Hunt, Sarah; Cuthill, Innes C.; Bennett, Andrew T. D.; Griffiths, Richard

doi:10.1006/anbe.1999.1214

Cited by 202 publications

(168 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

153

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Likewise, if assortative mating is a consequence of competition (either for territory or resources), trait similarity could result because the same signal conveys information about competitive status in both males and females. Previous results obtained in the blue tit have suggested that female coloration on the blue crown plays a role in male mate choice and competition (Alonso‐Alvarez et al., 2004; Hunt, Cuthill, Bennett, & Griffiths, 1999; Midamegbe et al., 2011; Remy et al., 2010). It has also been shown experimentally that female coloration on the yellow breast patch is condition‐dependent and related to reproductive success and maternal reproductive investment (Doutrelant et al., 2008; Midamegbe et al., 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter

Fargevieille

Grégoire

Charmantier

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Assortative mating is a potential outcome of sexual selection, and estimating its level is important to better understand local adaptation and underlying trait evolution. However, assortative mating studies frequently base their conclusions on small numbers of individuals sampled over short periods of time and limited spatial scales even though spatiotemporal variation is common. Here, we characterized assortative mating patterns over 10 years in four populations of the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), a passerine bird. We focused on two plumage ornaments—the blue crown and the yellow breast patch. Based on data for 1,657 pairs of birds, we found large interannual variation: assortative mating varied from positive to negative. To determine whether there was nonetheless a general trend in the data, we ran a within‐study meta‐analysis. It revealed that assortative mating was moderately positive for both ornaments. It also showed that mating patterns differed among populations and especially between two neighboring populations that displayed phenotypic divergence. Our results therefore underscore that long‐term studies are needed to draw broad conclusions about mating patterns in natural populations. They also call for studying the potential role of assortative mating in local adaptation and evolution of ornaments in both sexes.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter

Fargevieille

Grégoire

Charmantier

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies examining the significance of UV reflectance in avian communication have commonly measured inter-individual variation in plumage reflectance in relation to, for example, mate choice (pied flycatchers: Lehtonen et al, 2009a;Sirkiä and Laaksonen, 2009; other avian species: (Bennett et al, 1997;Hunt et al, 1999). Evidently, the effectiveness of the signal in mate choice is dependent on the ability of members of the species to perceive the signal (for example, Cuthill et al, 2000), and thus it is conceivable that both the signal and the receptor are affected by selection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Candidate genes for colour and vision exhibit signals of selection across the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) breeding range

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The role of natural selection in shaping adaptive trait differentiation in natural populations has long been recognized. Determining its molecular basis, however, remains a challenge. Here, we search for signals of selection in candidate genes for colour and its perception in a passerine bird. Pied flycatcher plumage varies geographically in both its structural and pigment-based properties. Both characteristics appear to be shaped by selection. A single-locus outlier test revealed 2 of 14 loci to show significantly elevated signals of divergence. The first of these, the follistatin gene, is expressed in the developing feather bud and is found in pathways with genes that determine the structure of feathers and may thus be important in generating variation in structural colouration. The second is a gene potentially underlying the ability to detect this variation: SWS1 opsin. These two loci were most differentiated in two Spanish pied flycatcher populations, which are also among the populations that have the highest UV reflectance. The follistatin and SWS1 opsin genes thus provide strong candidates for future investigations on the molecular basis of adaptively significant traits and their co-evolution.

show abstract

“…Avian behavioural research has repeatedly shown that variation in the UV component of coloration can function as a signal to conspecifics (Bennett et al 1997;Hunt et al 1999;Pearn et al 2001). Spectral-sensitivity curves for a passerine, the red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea), revealed that retinal sensitivity to UV wavelengths was 10-fold greater than sensitivity to human-visible wavelengths (Maier 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Andersson et al 1998;Hunt et al 1998). Several species have been shown to use UV plumage information during mate choice (Andersson & Amundsen 1997;Bennett et al 1997;Hunt et al 1999;Pearn et al 2001). Females can assess small differences in the reflectance curves between males, suggesting that even small contributions of the UV to the colour content of a feather patch can influence the biological significance of that region of the plumage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ubiquity of avian ultraviolet plumage reflectance

Eaton

Lanyon

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

131

117

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although several bird species have been shown to reflect ultraviolet (UV) light from their plumages, the incidence of UV reflectance, and therefore the potential for UV or UV-enhanced signals, across the avian tree of life is not known. In this study, we collected reflectance data from the plumages of 312 bird species representing 142 families. Our results demonstrate that all avian families possess plumages that reflect significant amounts of UV light. The ubiquity of UV reflectance indicates that all studies of avian behaviour, ecology and evolution involving plumage coloration would benefit from consideration of plumage reflectance in the UV portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, we demonstrate the existence of cryptic UV plumage patches and cryptic dimorphism among birds.

show abstract

Preferences for ultraviolet partners in the blue tit

Cited by 202 publications

References 47 publications

Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter

Assortative mating by colored ornaments in blue tits: space and time matter

Candidate genes for colour and vision exhibit signals of selection across the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) breeding range

The ubiquity of avian ultraviolet plumage reflectance

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About