Solar and terrestrial radiations explain continental-scale variation in bird pigmentation
| Autor: | Christian Itty, Alberto Jorge, Gunnar Sein, Duncan J. Halley, Carlos Pacheco, Jan Tøttrup Nielsen, Juan J. Negro, Jan Kornan, Ismael Galván, Marian Stój, Derek Spencer, Tuomo Ollila |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
Scale (anatomy) Eagles Zoology Color Biology UV radiation Melanin 03 medical and health sciences Animals Humans Animal coloration Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Natural radioactivity Melanins Pigmentation Feathers Europe 030104 developmental biology Plumage Feather visual_art Scale variation visual_art.visual_art_medium Integument |
| Zdroj: | Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC instname |
| ISSN: | 1432-1939 |
| Popis: | Animals living on the earth’s surface are protected from the damaging effects of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation by melanin pigments that color their integument. UV levels that reach the earth’s surface vary spatially, but the role of UV exposure in shaping clinal variations in animal pigmentation has never been tested. Here, we show at a continental scale in Europe that golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos reared in territories with a high solar UV-B radiation exposure deposit lower amounts of the sulphurated form of melanin (pheomelanin) in feathers and consequently develop darker plumage phenotypes than eagles from territories with lower radiation exposure. This clinal variation in pigmentation is also explained by terrestrial γ radiation levels in the rearing territories by a similar effect on the pheomelanin content of feathers, unveiling natural radioactivity as a previously unsuspected factor shaping animal pigmentation. These findings show for the first time the potential of solar and terrestrial radiations to explain pigmentation phenotype diversity in animals, including humans, at large spatial scales. IG is supported by a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC-2012-10237) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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