Agonistic carotenoid signalling in male red-collared widowbirds: aggression related to the colour signal of both the territory owner and model intruder

2001 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 695-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Pryke ◽  
Michael J. Lawes ◽  
Staffan Andersson
2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
JONAS ORNBORG ◽  
STAFFAN ANDERSSON ◽  
SIMON C. GRIFFITH ◽  
BEN C. SHELDON

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 835
Author(s):  
Selina Kiefer ◽  
Julia Huber ◽  
Hannah Füllgraf ◽  
Kristin Sörensen ◽  
Agnes Csanadi ◽  
...  

Pathological biopsy protocols require tissue marking dye (TMD) for orientation. In some cases (e.g., close margin), additional immunohistochemical analyses can be necessary. Therefore, the correlation between the applied TMD during macroscopy and the examined TMD during microscopy is crucial for the correct orientation, the residual tumour status and the subsequent therapeutic regime. In this context, our group observed colour changes during routine immunohistochemistry. Tissue specimens were marked with various TMD and processed by two different methods. TMD (blue, red, black, yellow and green) obtained from three different providers (A, B and C, and Whiteout/Tipp-Ex®) were used. Immunohistochemistry was performed manually via stepwise omission of reagents to identify the colour changing mechanism. Blue colour from provider A changed during immunohistochemistry into black, when 3,3′-Diaminobenzidine-tetrahydrochloride-dihydrate (DAB) and H2O2 was applied as an immunoperoxidase-based terminal colour signal. No other applied reagents, nor tissue texture or processing showed any influence on the colour. The remaining colours from provider A and the other colours did not show any changes during immunohistochemistry. Our results demonstrate an interesting and important pitfall in routine immunohistochemistry-based diagnostics that pathologists should be aware of. Furthermore, the chemical rationale behind the observed misleading colour change is discussed.


Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Hyman ◽  
Melissa Hughes ◽  
Stephen Nowicki ◽  
William Searcy

AbstractIn many species, the ability to defend a territory is essential for a male to obtain any reproductive success at all, and even among territorial individuals, variation in the strength of territory defense could have a significant impact on how much reproductive success is obtained. Previous studies have documented consistent individual differences in the vigor with which male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) defend their territories, as measured by the strength of their reactions to territorial intrusions simulated through song playback. Variation in the strength of defense could reflect intrinsic differences among individuals in their resource holding potential (RHP), or variation in extrinsic factors. In this study, we examined whether variation in the strength of territory defense corresponds to differences in intrinsic factors such as the age or experience of the territory owner, the extrinsic factor of the level of aggression shown by neighbours, or both. Results indicate that males that previously held territories on the study site, regardless of whether they were holding the same territory as the previous year, show higher levels of territory defense than males that are new to the study site, and, assuming that returning males are older males, suggest that age is more important than experience on a specific territory in determining strength of territory defense. In addition, we found evidence that males with high levels of territorial aggression tend to be spatially clustered. The pattern observed suggests that a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to the expression of individual differences in territorial aggression.


2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
JONAS ÖRNBORG ◽  
STAFFAN ANDERSSON ◽  
SIMON C. GRIFFITH ◽  
BEN C. SHELDON

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1839) ◽  
pp. 20160861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma L. Cole ◽  
John A. Endler

The appearance of animal colour signals depends jointly upon the ambient light spectrum and the signal's reflectance spectra. Light environment heterogeneity might, therefore, allow individuals to enhance their signal by signalling in an environment that increases signal efficacy. We tested this hypothesis by providing male guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ), a choice of three light environments in which to display their colour signal to females: green, lilac, and clear. We paired males with both receptive and non-receptive females to test whether female response might affect male behavioural decisions. Males preferred the clear environment in all trials and this environment also resulted in males having the highest average visual contrast. Sexual behaviour was influenced by complex interactions between female receptivity, light environment, and male colour pattern contrast. Males spent significantly more time in the environment in which their colour signal had the highest contrast, but only when paired with receptive females. Significant interactions between light environment and individual male colour components were also seen only in receptive trials. Our results suggest that males use light environment to enhance their colour pattern, but only in the presence of receptive females.


2012 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 783-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Kelley ◽  
Bree Phillips ◽  
Gabrielle H. Cummins ◽  
Julia Shand

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Siracusa ◽  
Marina Morandini ◽  
Stan Boutin ◽  
Murray M. Humphries ◽  
Ben Dantzer ◽  
...  

AbstractIn many species, territory defense is thought to be one of the primary functions of acoustic communication. North American red squirrels are a territorial species in which ‘rattles’ have long been thought to be the principal signal communicating territory ownership. These vocalizations have been assumed to deter intruders, thus reducing energy costs and the risk of injury associated with direct aggressive interactions. However, this hypothesis has not been directly tested. Here we used a speaker occupation experiment to test whether red squirrel rattles function to deter conspecific rivals. We studied 29 male squirrels and removed each individual from his territory twice in a paired design. During the experimental treatment we simulated the owner’s presence after its removal by broadcasting the owner’s rattle from a loudspeaker at the center of the territory once every seven minutes. During the control treatment the territory was left in silence after the temporary removal of the owner. We found that the presence of a speaker replacement reduced the probability of intrusion by 34% and increased the latency to first intrusion by 7%, providing support for the hypothesis that rattles play an active role in reducing intrusion risk. However, intrusions were not completely averted by the speaker replacement, indicating that vocalizations alone are not sufficient without other cues of the territory owner.


2006 ◽  
Vol 274 (1608) ◽  
pp. 359-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan I Morehouse ◽  
Peter Vukusic ◽  
Ron Rutowski

A small but growing literature indicates that many animal colours are produced by combinations of structural and pigmentary mechanisms. We investigated one such complex colour phenotype: the highly chromatic wing colours of pierid butterflies including oranges, yellows and patterns which appear white to the human eye, but strongly absorb the ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths visible to butterflies. Pierids produce these bright colours using wing scales that contain collections of minute granules. However, to date, no work has directly characterized the molecular composition or optical properties of these granules. We present results that indicate these granules contain pterin pigments. We also find that pterin granules increase light reflection from single wing scales, such that wing scales containing denser granule arrays reflect more light than those with less dense granule collections. As male wing scales contain more pterin granules than those of females, the sexual dichromatism found in many pierid species can be explained by differences in wing scale pterin deposition. Additionally, the colour pattern elements produced by these pterins are known to be important during mating interactions in a number of pierid species. Therefore, we discuss the potential relevance of our results within the framework of sexual selection and colour signal evolution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-343
Author(s):  
Yuki Yamazaki ◽  
Emilio Pagani-Núñez ◽  
Teiji Sota ◽  
Craig R A Barnett

Abstract Aposematic organisms are often unprofitable to predators (e.g. because of defensive chemicals) which they advertise with a conspicuous signal (e.g. bright and conspicuous colour signals). Aposematism is thought to reduce predation of prey because the colour signal increases the ability of predators to learn, recognize and remember the prey’s defensive properties. The efficacy of aposematism has been extensively documented in laboratory studies, although its benefits seem to be harder to demonstrate in the field. In this study, we compared the levels of partial and overall predation among four prey types (undefended and cryptic, undefended and warning coloured, defended and cryptic, and aposematic prey). Overall, predation of warning coloured and defended (aposematic) prey was lower than the predation for cryptic and undefended prey; however, it was the same as predation of cryptic and defended prey. Moreover, aposematic prey had higher levels of partial predation (where prey was not wholly consumed by the predator) and lower attack intensities. This suggests that prey were being taste sampled, but also might be better able to survive attacks. Therefore, the benefits of aposematism may lie not only in reducing outright predation, but also in altering a predator’s post-attack behaviour, thus leading to greater escape opportunities and post-attack survival of prey. These results reinforce the importance of examining predation in more detail rather than simply examining attack rates.


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