The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye
Information on the exact nature of sexual dichromatism might be incomplete, often leading to the treatment of dichromatic species as monochromatic. This error is evident when the two sexes of a species look identical to the human eye, as in the great tit (Parus major). We measured reflectance in thr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1263974/full |
| _version_ | 1827798836147388416 |
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| author | Miklós Laczi Miklós Laczi Miklós Laczi Gábor Herczeg Gábor Herczeg Gyula Szabó Gyula Szabó Helga Gyarmathy Helga Gyarmathy Fanni Sarkadi Fanni Sarkadi János Török János Török Gergely Hegyi Gergely Hegyi |
| author_facet | Miklós Laczi Miklós Laczi Miklós Laczi Gábor Herczeg Gábor Herczeg Gyula Szabó Gyula Szabó Helga Gyarmathy Helga Gyarmathy Fanni Sarkadi Fanni Sarkadi János Török János Török Gergely Hegyi Gergely Hegyi |
| author_sort | Miklós Laczi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Information on the exact nature of sexual dichromatism might be incomplete, often leading to the treatment of dichromatic species as monochromatic. This error is evident when the two sexes of a species look identical to the human eye, as in the great tit (Parus major). We measured reflectance in three sections (throat, breast, belly) of the abdominal black stripe of great tits during the pairing and nestling feeding periods and assessed differences between patch sections, sexes, and seasons using visual models. We found that the stripe, which had previously been considered a single, contiguous patch, consists of multiple patches. In males, the breast section differed markedly from the throat and belly sections in having higher total brightness and ultraviolet chroma, while the female’s breast seemed to be less bright than the two other regions, resulting in strong sexual dichromatism hidden from the human eye. Colouration was more pronounced in winter, but dichromatism was present in both periods. The hidden breast ultraviolet patch we discovered in males may act as a sexual ornament or a signal amplifier. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:41:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a756c3c2438c48ebbcbf83545e9df9de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:41:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-a756c3c2438c48ebbcbf83545e9df9de2023-10-06T09:57:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2023-10-011110.3389/fevo.2023.12639741263974The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eyeMiklós Laczi0Miklós Laczi1Miklós Laczi2Gábor Herczeg3Gábor Herczeg4Gyula Szabó5Gyula Szabó6Helga Gyarmathy7Helga Gyarmathy8Fanni Sarkadi9Fanni Sarkadi10János Török11János Török12Gergely Hegyi13Gergely Hegyi14Hungarian Research Network • HUN-REN–ELTE–MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Budapest, HungaryBehavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryThe Barn Owl Foundation, Orosztony, HungaryHungarian Research Network • HUN-REN–ELTE–MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryBehavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryDoctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryBehavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryDoctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryBehavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryDoctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryHungarian Research Network • HUN-REN–ELTE–MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Budapest, HungaryBehavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryHungarian Research Network • HUN-REN–ELTE–MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Budapest, HungaryBehavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryInformation on the exact nature of sexual dichromatism might be incomplete, often leading to the treatment of dichromatic species as monochromatic. This error is evident when the two sexes of a species look identical to the human eye, as in the great tit (Parus major). We measured reflectance in three sections (throat, breast, belly) of the abdominal black stripe of great tits during the pairing and nestling feeding periods and assessed differences between patch sections, sexes, and seasons using visual models. We found that the stripe, which had previously been considered a single, contiguous patch, consists of multiple patches. In males, the breast section differed markedly from the throat and belly sections in having higher total brightness and ultraviolet chroma, while the female’s breast seemed to be less bright than the two other regions, resulting in strong sexual dichromatism hidden from the human eye. Colouration was more pronounced in winter, but dichromatism was present in both periods. The hidden breast ultraviolet patch we discovered in males may act as a sexual ornament or a signal amplifier.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1263974/fullcolourationcryptic dichromatismgreat titmelaninParus major |
| spellingShingle | Miklós Laczi Miklós Laczi Miklós Laczi Gábor Herczeg Gábor Herczeg Gyula Szabó Gyula Szabó Helga Gyarmathy Helga Gyarmathy Fanni Sarkadi Fanni Sarkadi János Török János Török Gergely Hegyi Gergely Hegyi The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution colouration cryptic dichromatism great tit melanin Parus major |
| title | The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye |
| title_full | The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye |
| title_fullStr | The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye |
| title_full_unstemmed | The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye |
| title_short | The great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye |
| title_sort | great tit abdominal stripe contains a sexually dichromatic colour patch hidden from the human eye |
| topic | colouration cryptic dichromatism great tit melanin Parus major |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1263974/full |
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