The role of bare parts in avian signaling

Iverson, Erik N. K.; Karubian, Jordan

doi:10.1642/auk-16-136.1

Cited by 46 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 304 publications

(396 reference statements)

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“…The carotenoid-cleaving activity of BCO2 presents a mechanism by which carotenoid-based bare-part coloration might be readily gained, modified, or lost through simple regulatory switches controlling tissue-specific expression of BCO2 or changes in its enzymatic activity. This relatively simple mechanism is consistent with the apparent evolutionarily rapid loss and gain of bare-part coloration in many groups of birds (32) and raises the possibility that these colorful traits might be particularly labile through the course of evolution.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Genetic Basis ofDe NovoAppearance of Carotenoid Ornamentation in Bare-Parts of Canaries

Gazda

Toomey

Araújo

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Unlike wild and domestic canaries (Serinus canaria), or any of the three dozen species of finches in genus Serinus, the domestic urucum breed of canaries exhibits bright red bills and legs. This novel bare-part coloration offers a unique opportunity to understand how leg and bill coloration evolve in birds. To identify the causative locus, we resequenced the genome of urucum canaries and performed a range of analyses to search for genotype-to-phenotype associations across the genome. We identified a nonsynonymous mutation in the gene BCO2 (beta-carotene oxygenase 2, also known as BCDO2), an enzyme involved in the cleavage and breakdown of full-length carotenoids into short apocarotenoids. Protein structural models and in vitro functional assays indicate that the urucum mutation abrogates the carotenoid cleavage activity of BCO2. Consistent with the predicted loss of carotenoid cleavage activity, urucum canaries had increased levels of full-length carotenoid pigments in bill tissue and a significant reduction in levels of carotenoid cleavage products (apocarotenoids) in retinal tissue compared to other breeds of canaries. We hypothesize that carotenoid-based bare-part coloration might be readily gained, modified, or lost through simple switches in the enzymatic activity or regulation of BCO2 and this gene may be an important mediator in the evolution of bare-part coloration among bird species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Genetic Basis ofDe NovoAppearance of Carotenoid Ornamentation in Bare-Parts of Canaries

Gazda

Toomey

Araújo

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Feathers are not the only structures that are colored by carotenoids. Many bird, reptile, and fish taxa exhibit bare-part carotenoid color signals 53 – 56 . Future work could focus on understanding the differences in signal honesty from bare-part carotenoid coloration among different taxa to test alternative predictions of our hypothesis that carotenoid metabolism strengthens the link between coloration and individual quality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is important to note that carotenoid coloration is not limited to feathers; indeed, carotenoid coloration from bare-parts, including beaks, legs, and combs of birds has been the focus of excellent research on the evolution of honest signaling 53 , 59 – 61 . However, to best address how carotenoid metabolism affects honest signaling, we focused our study on a single trait, feather coloration, to avoid confounding biological factors such as blood flow 62 , carotenoid esterification 61 , and differences in requisite enzymes 27 , 63 that are relevant to bare-part coloration, but not feather coloration.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carotenoid metabolism strengthens the link between feather coloration and individual quality

et al. 2018

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Thirty years of research has made carotenoid coloration a textbook example of an honest signal of individual quality, but tests of this idea are surprisingly inconsistent. Here, to investigate sources of this heterogeneity, we perform meta-analyses of published studies on the relationship between carotenoid-based feather coloration and measures of individual quality. To create color displays, animals use either carotenoids unchanged from dietary components or carotenoids that they biochemically convert before deposition. We hypothesize that converted carotenoids better reflect individual quality because of the physiological links between cellular function and carotenoid metabolism. We show that feather coloration is an honest signal of some, but not all, measures of quality. Where these relationships exist, we show that converted, but not dietary, carotenoid coloration drives the relationship. Our results have broad implications for understanding the evolutionary role of carotenoid coloration and the physiological mechanisms that maintain signal honesty of animal ornamental traits.

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“…1 and Supplementary Figs. 1-4) has previously been documented, but mostly anecdotally and out of an evolutionary context, in a handful of bird species [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to UV radiance predicts repeated evolution of concealed black skin in birds

et al. 2020

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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.

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The role of bare parts in avian signaling

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 46 publications

References 304 publications

Genetic Basis ofDe NovoAppearance of Carotenoid Ornamentation in Bare-Parts of Canaries

Genetic Basis ofDe NovoAppearance of Carotenoid Ornamentation in Bare-Parts of Canaries

Carotenoid metabolism strengthens the link between feather coloration and individual quality

Exposure to UV radiance predicts repeated evolution of concealed black skin in birds

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