Disentangling ecological drivers of interspecific achromatic plumage variation in birds

IF 6.3 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY Global Ecology and Biogeography Pub Date : 2024-07-14 DOI:10.1111/geb.13892

Su Wu, Kai Zhang, Bin Wang, Pinjia Que, Biao Yang, Yu Xu

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Abstract

Aim

Understanding the ecological determinants of interspecific achromatic (light-to-dark) plumage variation in birds is crucial yet challenging due to the complex interplay of climatic, habitat-related, and morphological influences. This study aimed to disentangle the effects of temperature, precipitation, habitat openness, body mass and hand-wing index (HWI, a widely used single-parameter proxy for the extent to which a species relies on flight) on shaping achromatic plumage variation among bird species.

Location

Global.

Time Period

Contemporary.

Major Taxa Studied

Birds.

Methods

Based on data from over 8000 sessile bird species globally, we employed phylogenetic linear regressions to account for achromatic plumage colour in relation to temperature, precipitation, habitat openness, body mass and HWI, while correcting for phylogenetic non-independence between species. Furthermore, we conducted phylogenetic path analyses to decompose direct from indirect effects.

Results

We found that temperature, precipitation, habitat openness and body mass exerted separate but interactive effects on the variation in achromatic colour across species. Species inhabiting cold, wet or densely vegetated environments were darker coloured, while smaller species were lighter. Darker plumage was more strongly related to higher precipitation in colder regions for nocturnal species. For diurnal species, darker plumage was more closely associated with higher precipitation in more open habitats, whereas lighter plumage was more linked to lower mass in denser habitats. Noteworthy was the identification of a substantial correlation between achromatic colour and HWI. Diurnal species that are more aerial were lighter. Conversely, nocturnal flyers, especially females, tended to be darker.

Main Conclusions

The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of plumage coloration evolution, with adaptations for thermal efficiency, crypsis, signalling, waterproofing or protection against bacteria. However, the variable relative importance of these factors among groups emphasizes the significance of each factor in different contexts.

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厘清鸟类种间消色差羽色变异的生态驱动因素

目的：由于气候、栖息地和形态等因素的复杂影响，了解鸟类种间消色（明暗）羽色变化的生态决定因素至关重要，但也极具挑战性。本研究旨在厘清气温、降水、栖息地开阔度、体重和手翅指数（HWI，一种被广泛使用的代表物种依赖飞行程度的单一参数）对形成鸟类物种间消色差羽色差异的影响。研究的主要类群鸟类。方法基于全球 8000 多种无梗鸟类的数据，我们采用系统发育线性回归的方法来解释消色羽色与温度、降水、栖息地开放度、体重和 HWI 的关系，同时纠正物种间系统发育的非独立性。结果我们发现，温度、降水、栖息地开阔度和体重对不同物种的消色差产生了单独但交互的影响。栖息在寒冷、潮湿或植被茂密环境中的物种羽色较深，而体型较小的物种羽色较浅。对于夜行性物种来说，羽色较深与寒冷地区降水量较高的关系更为密切。对于昼伏夜出的物种来说，在较为开阔的栖息地，深色羽色与较高的降水量关系更为密切，而在较为密集的栖息地，浅色羽色与较低的质量关系更为密切。值得注意的是，消色差与 HWI 之间存在很大的相关性。昼伏夜出的物种中，空中活动较多的个体羽色较浅。主要结论这些发现突出了羽色进化的多面性，包括对热效率、隐身、信号、防水或抵御细菌的适应。然而，这些因素在不同群体中的相对重要性各不相同，这强调了每个因素在不同情况下的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Global Ecology and Biogeography 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

170

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Global Ecology and Biogeography (GEB) welcomes papers that investigate broad-scale (in space, time and/or taxonomy), general patterns in the organization of ecological systems and assemblages, and the processes that underlie them. In particular, GEB welcomes studies that use macroecological methods, comparative analyses, meta-analyses, reviews, spatial analyses and modelling to arrive at general, conceptual conclusions. Studies in GEB need not be global in spatial extent, but the conclusions and implications of the study must be relevant to ecologists and biogeographers globally, rather than being limited to local areas, or specific taxa. Similarly, GEB is not limited to spatial studies; we are equally interested in the general patterns of nature through time, among taxa (e.g., body sizes, dispersal abilities), through the course of evolution, etc. Further, GEB welcomes papers that investigate general impacts of human activities on ecological systems in accordance with the above criteria.