Domestic chicks primarily attend to colour, not pattern, when learning an aposematic coloration

2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Aronsson ◽  
Gabriella Gamberale-Stille
Keyword(s):  
Aposematic Coloration ◽  
Domestic Chicks

scholarly journals Frequency-dependent taste-rejection by avian predation may select for defence chemical polymorphisms in aposematic prey

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Skelhorn ◽  
Candy Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Avian Predation ◽  
Chemical Defences ◽  
Aposematic Coloration ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Chemical Polymorphism ◽  
Domestic Chicks ◽  
Colour Signal ◽  
Individual Prey

Chemically defended insects advertise their unpalatability to avian predators using conspicuous aposematic coloration that predators learn to avoid. Insects utilize a wide variety of different compounds in their defences, and intraspecific variation in defence chemistry is common. We propose that polymorphisms in insect defence chemicals may be beneficial to insects by increasing survival from avian predators. Birds learn to avoid a colour signal faster when individual prey possesses one of two unpalatable chemicals rather than all prey having the same defence chemical. However, for chemical polymorphisms to evolve within a species, there must be benefits that allow rare chemical morphs to increase in frequency. Using domestic chicks as predators and coloured crumbs for prey, we provide evidence that birds taste and reject proportionally more of the individuals with rare defence chemicals than those with common defence chemicals. This indicates that the way in which birds attack and reject prey could enhance the survival of rare chemical morphs and select for chemical polymorphism in aposematic species. This is the first experiment to demonstrate that predators can directly influence the form taken by prey's chemical defences.

scholarly journals Avian predators attack aposematic prey more forcefully when they are part of an aggregation

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Skelhorn ◽  
Graeme D Ruxton
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Aposematic Coloration ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Domestic Chicks ◽  
Fitness Benefits

Defended insects often advertise their unprofitability to potential predators using conspicuous aposematic coloration. Many aposematic insects are also gregarious, and it has been suggested that the aggregation of defended prey may have facilitated the evolution of aposematic coloration. Empirical studies have demonstrated that birds are more wary of aggregated aposematic prey, and learn to avoid them more quickly than solitary prey. However, many aposematic insects survive being attacked by birds, and the effect of aggregation on post-attack survival has not previously been investigated. Using domestic chicks as predators and artificially manipulated mealworms as prey, we provide empirical evidence that predators attack aggregated aposematic prey more forcefully than solitary prey, reducing the likelihood of prey surviving an attack. Hence, we suggest that previous works concluding that aggregation was an important pre-requisite for the evolution of aposematism may have overestimated the fitness benefits of aggregation, since aggregated prey may be attacked less but are also less likely to survive an attack.

Naïve 3-day-old domestic chicks (Gallus gallus) are attracted to discrete acoustic patterns characterizing natural vocalizations.

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo De Tommaso ◽  
Gisela Kaplan ◽  
Cinzia Chiandetti ◽  
Giorgio Vallortigara
Keyword(s):  
Gallus Gallus ◽  
Domestic Chicks

Trypanosoma ontarioensis n.sp. and T. paddae from Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos in Ontario, Canada, with notes on the biology of T. ontarioensis n.sp.

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 2107-2115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick T. K. Woo ◽  
Cheryl M. Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Agar Medium ◽  
Gallus Domesticus ◽  
Blood Agar ◽  
Melopsittacus Undulatus ◽  
Ruffed Grouse ◽  
Bonasa Umbellus ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Corvus Brachyrhynchos ◽  
Domestic Chicks ◽  
Serinus Canarius

Two morphologically distinct trypanosomes (Trypanosoma ontarioensis n.sp. and Trypanosoma paddae) were found by the haematocrit centrifuge technique in the blood of 53% (64 of 121) of Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos wintering in southern Ontario. Trypanosoma ontarioensis n.sp. is a small trypanosome with subterminal kinetoplast. It is monomorphic and not host specific. It was readily cultured in diphasic blood-agar medium. Two-week cultures were infective and contained dividing sphaeromastigotes, epimastigotes, and trypomastigotes. Blood trypomastigotes were detected in low numbers in the blood of inoculated birds (Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos, Bonasa umbellus, Gallus domesticus, Melopsittacus undulatus, and Serinus canarius) at 28 and 48 days postinfection. The crows, ruffed grouse, and domestic chicks were laboratory raised while the budgerigars and canaries were from pet stores. One canary that was further examined at 180, 360, 540, 730, and 910 days postinfection still had detectable numbers of trypanosomes in its blood.

Spontaneous generalization of abstract multimodal patterns in young domestic chicks

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Versace ◽  
Michelle J. Spierings ◽  
Matteo Caffini ◽  
Carel ten Cate ◽  
Giorgio Vallortigara
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Chicks

The Effects of Prior Exposure To Light On the Imprinting Process in Domestic Chicks

Behaviour ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 42 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 279-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.P.G. Bateson ◽  
Averell A.P. Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
White Light ◽  
Visual Pathways ◽  
Prior Exposure ◽  
Constant Light ◽  
Dark Control ◽  
Clear Preference ◽  
Domestic Chicks ◽  
New Apparatus ◽  
Flashing Light ◽  
First Time

AbstractDomestic chicks were placed in isolation under a constant white light for 30 minutes. Afterwards these birds and a group previously kept in the dark were trained with a Red or a Yellow flashing light for 45 minutes. Subsequently all chicks were given a choice between familiar and unfamiliar flashing lights in some new apparatus which is described in detail for the first time. The chicks exposed to constant light showed a clear preference for the flashing light with which they had been trained whereas the Dark control chicks did not. It is suggested that the constant light activated their visual pathways enabling the Light-exposed chicks to learn more than the Dark control chicks during the imprinting procedure.

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