Cassowary gloss and a novel form of structural color in birds

Eliason, Chad M.; Clarke, Julia A.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aba0187

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(66 reference statements)

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“…(C) At the sub-micrometer scale (< 1 µm), nanostructures 116 such as filled melanosomes 33 , hollow melanosomes 34 , and spongy keratin matrices 35 produce iridescent colors and blue colors. (D) Between 1 µm and 1 mm, microstructures of the barb and barbules affect pigment saturation, gloss, and brightness [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] . All illustrations in this figure are by A. Kimber.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microstructures amplify carotenoid plumage signals in tanagers

McCoy

Shultz

Vidoudez

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Brilliantly-colored birds are a model system for research into evolution and sexual selection. Red, orange, and yellow carotenoid-colored plumages have been considered honest signals of condition; however, sex differences in feather pigments and microstructures are not well understood. Here, we show that microstructures, rather than carotenoid pigments, seem to be a major driver of male–female color differences in the social, sexually-dimorphic tanager genus Ramphocelus. We comprehensively quantified feather (i) color (using spectrophotometry), (ii) pigments (using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)), and (iii) microstructures (using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical modeling). Males have significantly more saturated color patches than females. However, our exploratory analysis of pigments suggested that males and females have concordant carotenoid pigment profiles across all species (MCMCglmm model, female:male ratio = 0.95). Male, but not female, feathers have elaborate microstructures which amplify color appearance. Oblong, expanded feather barbs in males enhance color saturation (for the same amount of pigment) by increasing the transmission of optical power through the feather. Dihedral barbules (vertically-angled, strap-shaped barbules) in males reduce total reflectance to generate “super black” and “velvet red” plumage. Melanin in females explains some, but not all, of the male–female plumage differences. Our results suggest that a widely cited index of honesty, carotenoid pigments, cannot fully explain male appearance. We propose that males are selected to evolve amplifiers—in this case, microstructures that enhance appearance—that are not necessarily themselves linked to quality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microstructures amplify carotenoid plumage signals in tanagers

McCoy

Shultz

Vidoudez

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…Avian pigmentbased colors are most often produced by two sources: melanins and carotenoids (Stoddard & Prum, 2011). Melanins have been proposed as an ancestral color mechanism for the group (Stoddard & Prum, 2011;, which is supported by preservation of melanosomes in the fossils of numerous avian and nonavian dinosaurs (e.g., Zhang et al, 2010;Clarke et al, 2010, Li et al, 2010, 2012Hu et al, 2018;Eliason & Clarke 2020) and its presence in extant outgroups. The evolutionary history of carotenoid use in color production remains much less clear.…”

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confidence: 99%

Estimating the distribution of carotenoid coloration in skin and integumentary structures of birds and extinct dinosaurs

Davis

Clarke

2021

Evolution

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Carotenoids are pigments responsible for most bright yellow, red, and orange hues in birds. Their distribution has been investigated in avian plumage, but the evolution of their expression in skin and other integumentary structures has not been approached in detail. Here, we investigate the expression of carotenoid-consistent coloration across tissue types in all extant, nonpasserine species (n = 4022) and archelosaur outgroups in a phylogenetic framework. We collect dietary data for a subset of birds and investigate how dietary carotenoid intake may relate to carotenoid expression in various tissues. We find that carotenoid-consistent expression in skin or nonplumage keratin has a 50% probability of being present in the most recent common ancestor of Archosauria. Skin expression has a similar probability at the base of the avian crown clade, but plumage expression is unambiguously absentin that ancestor and shows hundreds of independent gains within nonpasserine neognaths, consistent with previous studies. Although our data do not support a strict sequence of tissue expression in nonpasserine birds, we find support that expression of carotenoid-consistent color in nonplumage integument structures might evolve in a correlated manner and feathers are rarely the only region of expression. Taxa with diets high in carotenoid content also show expression in more body regions and tissue types. Our results may inform targeted assays for carotenoids in tissues other than feathers, and expectations of these pigments in nonavian dinosaurs. In extinct groups, bare-skin regions and the rhamphotheca, especially in species with diets rich in plants, may express these pigments, which are not expected in feathers or feather homologues.

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“…Given the urgent need to mitigate coral reef declines and the limitations of classic conservation and restoration measures, Van Oppen and colleagues [ 39 ] proposed using assisted evolution methods, inspired by more than 10,000 years of selection of resistant strains and environmental hardening approaches followed in agriculture and aquaculture. Briefly, the authors propose to promote resilience/resistance of coral colonies by (1) inducing laboratory stress and selecting the coral colonies that survive, (2) actively modifying the coral-associated microbiota, (3) applying environmental stress hardening to generate more resistant phenotypes, and (4) by genetically enhancing coral host-associated microalgae (Symbiodiniaceae, [ 40 ]) by means of mutation and selection using artificial evolution (see also [ 41 – 43 ]). Subsequently, methods for active modification of the coral genome through approaches such as CRISPR and synthetic biology [ 14 ] were suggested.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The World Coral Conservatory (WCC): A Noah's ark for corals to support survival of reef ecosystems

et al. 2020

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Global change causes widespread decline of coral reefs. In order to counter the anticipated disappearance of coral reefs by the end of this century, many initiatives are emerging, including creation of marine protected areas (MPAs), reef restoration projects, and assisted evolution initiatives. Such efforts, although critically important, are locally constrained. We propose to build a "Noah's Ark" biological repository for corals that taps into the network of the world's public aquaria and coral reef scientists. Public aquaria will serve not only as a reservoir for the purpose of conservation, restoration, and research of reef-building corals but also as a laboratory for the implementation of operations for the selection of stress-resilient and resistant genotypes. The proposed project will provide a global dimension to coral reef education and protection as a result of the involvement of a network of public and private aquaria.

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Cassowary gloss and a novel form of structural color in birds

Cited by 14 publications

References 34 publications

Microstructures amplify carotenoid plumage signals in tanagers

Microstructures amplify carotenoid plumage signals in tanagers

Estimating the distribution of carotenoid coloration in skin and integumentary structures of birds and extinct dinosaurs

The World Coral Conservatory (WCC): A Noah's ark for corals to support survival of reef ecosystems

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