Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study
Abstract In dense breeding colonies, and despite having no nest structure, common murres (or guillemots: Uria aalge) are still able to identify their own eggs. Each female murre's egg is thought to be recognized individually by the shell's avian‐perceivable traits. This is because the eggs...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7264 |
| _version_ | 1818410918044762112 |
|---|---|
| author | Rebecca L. Ducay Alec B. Luro Erpur S. Hansen Mark E. Hauber |
| author_facet | Rebecca L. Ducay Alec B. Luro Erpur S. Hansen Mark E. Hauber |
| author_sort | Rebecca L. Ducay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In dense breeding colonies, and despite having no nest structure, common murres (or guillemots: Uria aalge) are still able to identify their own eggs. Each female murre's egg is thought to be recognized individually by the shell's avian‐perceivable traits. This is because the eggshells’ visible traits conform to expectations of the identity‐signaling hypothesis in that they show both high intraindividual repeatability and high interindividual variability. Identity signaling also predicts a lack of correlation between each of the putative multicomponent recognition traits, yielding no significant relationships between those eggshell traits that are generated by mutually exclusive physiological factors. Using a multivariate analysis across eggshell size and shape, avian‐perceivable background coloration, spot (maculation) shape, and spot density, we detected no unexpected statistical correlations between Icelandic common murre egg traits lacking known physiological or mathematical relationships with one another. These results biologically replicate the conclusions of a recent eggshell trait study of Canadian common murres using similar methodology. We also demonstrate the use of static correlations to infer identity signaling function without direct behavioral observations, which in turn may also be applied to rare or extinct species and provide valuable insight into otherwise unknown communicative and behavioral functions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T10:23:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-620a4a575ce34676ab09b29895fd79ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T10:23:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-620a4a575ce34676ab09b29895fd79ac2022-12-21T23:06:31ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-03-011152402240910.1002/ece3.7264Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication studyRebecca L. Ducay0Alec B. Luro1Erpur S. Hansen2Mark E. Hauber3Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USADepartment of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USASouth Iceland Nature Research Centre Vestmannaeyjar IcelandDepartment of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USAAbstract In dense breeding colonies, and despite having no nest structure, common murres (or guillemots: Uria aalge) are still able to identify their own eggs. Each female murre's egg is thought to be recognized individually by the shell's avian‐perceivable traits. This is because the eggshells’ visible traits conform to expectations of the identity‐signaling hypothesis in that they show both high intraindividual repeatability and high interindividual variability. Identity signaling also predicts a lack of correlation between each of the putative multicomponent recognition traits, yielding no significant relationships between those eggshell traits that are generated by mutually exclusive physiological factors. Using a multivariate analysis across eggshell size and shape, avian‐perceivable background coloration, spot (maculation) shape, and spot density, we detected no unexpected statistical correlations between Icelandic common murre egg traits lacking known physiological or mathematical relationships with one another. These results biologically replicate the conclusions of a recent eggshell trait study of Canadian common murres using similar methodology. We also demonstrate the use of static correlations to infer identity signaling function without direct behavioral observations, which in turn may also be applied to rare or extinct species and provide valuable insight into otherwise unknown communicative and behavioral functions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7264alcidperceptual modelingrecognition systemsvision |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca L. Ducay Alec B. Luro Erpur S. Hansen Mark E. Hauber Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study Ecology and Evolution alcid perceptual modeling recognition systems vision |
| title | Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study |
| title_full | Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study |
| title_fullStr | Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study |
| title_short | Multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre (Uria aalge) eggs: A biological replication study |
| title_sort | multicomponent shell traits are consistent with an individual recognition function of the appearance of common murre uria aalge eggs a biological replication study |
| topic | alcid perceptual modeling recognition systems vision |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7264 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rebeccalducay multicomponentshelltraitsareconsistentwithanindividualrecognitionfunctionoftheappearanceofcommonmurreuriaaalgeeggsabiologicalreplicationstudy AT alecbluro multicomponentshelltraitsareconsistentwithanindividualrecognitionfunctionoftheappearanceofcommonmurreuriaaalgeeggsabiologicalreplicationstudy AT erpurshansen multicomponentshelltraitsareconsistentwithanindividualrecognitionfunctionoftheappearanceofcommonmurreuriaaalgeeggsabiologicalreplicationstudy AT markehauber multicomponentshelltraitsareconsistentwithanindividualrecognitionfunctionoftheappearanceofcommonmurreuriaaalgeeggsabiologicalreplicationstudy |