Journal
JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY
Volume 284, Issue 12, Pages -Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21652
Keywords
black grouse; carotenoids; histology; Raman spectroscopy; sexual signalling
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study reveals the histology basis and importance of the skin coloration in avian bare-skin signals, using the Black Grouse as a model. It also highlights the visual structural differences between signals of different sizes.
Colourful signals have long been implicated as indicators of individual quality in animals. Bare-skin signals are an understudied aspect of avian colouration compared with plumage studies, despite displaying rapid changes in size and colour in response to different environmental or physiological stressors. Even fewer studies have focused on the underlying histology of these structures and the importance this plays in the resulting skin colour. Using the Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), we identified the underlying structure of individual dermal spikes, which make up the red supra-orbital comb (a known integumentary signal of male quality), and highlight visual structural differences between combs of different sizes. In addition, we used Raman spectroscopy to indicate the presence of carotenoids within the tissue, something that had previously only been inferred through characteristic reflectance patterns. An increased understanding of the structural basis of colour of featherless parts of the skin opens up exciting new avenues for interpreting the information content of integumentary signals.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available