“…we propose that a dark reddish coloration could be related to female-specific behaviour. This is consistent with the observation that the motivation to feed siblings (measured in number of prey items consumed before sharing food with siblings) was not only related to phaeomelanin-based coloration but also higher in females than males. This raises the exciting possibility not only that females are more altruistic than males but also that feminine plumage traits are associated with the propensity to be generous”
Yeah! Roulin is the leader in that field. Here’s a good review on the topic he put together:
Pleiotropy in the melanocortin system, coloration and behavioural syndromes
Anne-Lyse Ducrest, Laurent Keller and Alexandre Roulin
In vertebrates, melanin-based coloration is often associated with variation in physiological and behavioural traits. We propose that this association stems from pleiotropic effects of the genes regulating the synthesis of brown to black eumelanin. The most important regulators are the melanocortin 1 receptor and its ligands, the melanocortin agonists and the agouti-signalling protein antagonist. On the basis of the physiological and behavioural functions of the melanocortins, we predict five categories of traits correlated with melanin-based coloration. A review of the literature indeed reveals that, as predicted, darker wild vertebrates are more aggressive, sexually active and resistant to stress than lighter individuals. Pleiotropic effects of the melanocortins might thus account for the widespread covariance between melanin-based coloration and other phenotypic traits in vertebrates.
September 18, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Awesome! Sorry I missed it. My lab meeting is getting moved until 4 pm so I should make it next week.
September 18, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Best quote from tonight’s meeting: “Mammals are done, but birds are still up in the air.” [Re: how well resolved is the bird phylogeny?]
September 19, 2012 at 10:23 am
Damn, I wish that were intentional!
September 19, 2012 at 10:24 am
Damn, my grammar are bad!
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September 26, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Here is an interesting article relating back to Sam’s point about melanin (or other pigments) being pleiotropic with other traits:
Dominant nestlings displaying female-like melanin coloration behave altruistically in the barn owl. Animal Behaviour http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347212003843
September 26, 2012 at 3:50 pm
In particular this part at the end:
“…we propose that a dark reddish coloration could be related to female-specific behaviour. This is consistent with the observation that the motivation to feed siblings (measured in number of prey items consumed before sharing food with siblings) was not only related to phaeomelanin-based coloration but also higher in females than males. This raises the exciting possibility not only that females are more altruistic than males but also that feminine plumage traits are associated with the propensity to be generous”
September 26, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Yeah! Roulin is the leader in that field. Here’s a good review on the topic he put together:
Pleiotropy in the melanocortin system, coloration and behavioural syndromes
Anne-Lyse Ducrest, Laurent Keller and Alexandre Roulin
In vertebrates, melanin-based coloration is often associated with variation in physiological and behavioural traits. We propose that this association stems from pleiotropic effects of the genes regulating the synthesis of brown to black eumelanin. The most important regulators are the melanocortin 1 receptor and its ligands, the melanocortin agonists and the agouti-signalling protein antagonist. On the basis of the physiological and behavioural functions of the melanocortins, we predict five categories of traits correlated with melanin-based coloration. A review of the literature indeed reveals that, as predicted, darker wild vertebrates are more aggressive, sexually active and resistant to stress than lighter individuals. Pleiotropic effects of the melanocortins might thus account for the widespread covariance between melanin-based coloration and other phenotypic traits in vertebrates.
http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/abstract/S0169-5347(08)00221-8
September 26, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Another related paper on the system:
Melanic color-dependent antipredator behavior strategies in barn owl nestlings. Behavioral Ecology http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/3/473.short?rss=1
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