DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Evolution of Hummingbird Coloration and Courtship Displays

论文研究：蜂鸟颜色和求偶显示的演变

基本信息

批准号：
1702016
负责人：
Kevin McGraw
金额：
$ 2.01万
依托单位：
Arizona State University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-04-01 至 2019-03-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1702016&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
DISSERTATION RESEARCH Evolution Hummingbird Coloration

项目摘要

Non-technical paragraphAnimals possess an incredible diversity of exaggerated traits that they use for communication, and often animals communicate using multiple traits. How this signal diversity came about and why animals use more than one trait to communicate has long interested scientists. To understand why and how this diversity in multiple signaling traits evolved, we are studying hummingbird iridescent plumage and exaggerated courtship displays. Iridescent coloration is angle-dependent and hummingbirds can easily manipulate the color observed as they behaviorally display. The PIs are exploring how the surface and internal structures of iridescent feathers co-evolved with courtship displays (shuttles) across hummingbird species. The PIs work combines measurements of micro- and nano-scale structural morphology with behavioral ecology and evolutionary theory, allowing the PIs to understand hummingbird communication from the behavior down to feather architecture. Additionally, the PIs will collect data on hummingbird mating and courtship biology, especially in terms of how hummingbirds use their environment while courting, which could prove useful to future conservation efforts. Additionally, recent work on the structure of iridescent butterfly wing scales has helped the development of more efficient solar panels. The PIs work on the angle-dependent nanostructures of hummingbird feathers could further help improve solar panel efficiency through a better understanding of how biological materials directionally reflect specific wavelengths of light.Technical paragraphAnimals exhibit a great diversity of ornamental traits and display behaviors, and many animals possess multiple such traits that they use to communicate. Previous work has explained the diversity in these traits by examining how they evolved in relation to the environment; however these traits can also interact with each other as they are displayed, which will further shape their evolutionary history. The PIs are testing how interactions between ornamental traits, display behaviors, and environment influence the diversity of these traits through a comparative study on several species in the bee hummingbird tribe. Bee hummingbirds are ideal for this type of study because they possess two types of conspicuous visual traits - iridescent plumage coloration and stereotyped courtship displays (shuttles) - that vary across species. Iridescent coloration is angle-dependent, such that the observed color changes depending upon the feather structure and viewing/lighting angles. Thus, perceived coloration is the result of interactions between behavioral displays, the environment, and the micro- and nanostructures of iridescent feathers. The PIs are currently studying the complex interactions between these factors in several hummingbird species to understand how each species produces a specific color that is perceived by a receiver, and how this varies interspecifically. The PIs are expanding this work by evaluating how variation in iridescent micro- and nanostructure of feathers helped shaped the evolutionary relationships between bee hummingbird plumage, display, and environment. This work allows the PIs to study how hummingbird communication evolved at multiple levels, from behaviors to nanostructure of their ornaments.

非技术性段落具有令人难以置信的夸张特征的多样性，它们用于交流，并且经常使用多种特征进行动物进行交流。这种信号多样性是如何产生的以及为什么动物使用多个特征进行交流的原因长期以来感兴趣的科学家。为了理解为什么以及如何发展多种信号性状的多样性，我们正在研究蜂鸟虹彩羽毛和夸张的求爱展示。虹彩的着色是角度依赖的，蜂鸟很容易在行为上显示出观察到的颜色。 PI正在探索虹彩羽毛的表面和内部结构如何与蜂鸟物种的求爱展示（穿梭）共同进化。 PIS的工作结合了微观和纳米级结构形态的测量与行为生态学和进化论，使PI可以理解从行为向下到羽毛结构的蜂鸟的交流。此外，PI将收集有关蜂鸟交配和求爱生物学的数据，尤其是在蜂鸟如何在求爱时使用环境的数据，这可能对未来的保护工作有用。此外，关于虹彩蝴蝶翼尺寸结构的最新工作有助于开发更有效的太阳能电池板。 PI在蜂鸟羽毛的角度依赖性纳米结构上的工作可以进一步帮助提高太阳能电池板的效率，从而更好地理解生物学材料如何在方向上反映光的特定波长。技术段落表现出大量的观赏性状和表现性能，许多动物以及许多此类动物具有多种类型的特征，这些特征具有它们的用途。以前的工作通过研究它们与环境的发展方式来解释了这些特征的多样性。但是，这些特征在显示时也可以相互作用，这将进一步塑造其进化史。 PI正在测试观赏性状，表现行为和环境之间的相互作用如何通过对Bee Hummingbird部落中几种物种的比较研究来影响这些特征的多样性。蜂蜂鸟是此类研究的理想选择，因为它们具有两种显着的视觉特征 - 虹彩羽毛色素和陈规定型求爱的展示（Shuttles） - 各种物种各不相同。虹彩的着色是依赖角度的，因此观察到的颜色根据羽毛结构和观察/照明角度而变化。因此，感知的着色是虹膜羽毛的行为显示，环境以及微观和纳米结构之间相互作用的结果。 PI当前正在研究几种蜂鸟物种中这些因素之间的复杂相互作用，以了解每个物种如何产生接收器所感知的特定颜色，以及该物种如何跨分规变化。 PI通过评估羽毛的虹彩微型和纳米结构的变化有助于塑造蜂蜂鸟羽毛，展示和环境之间的进化关系，从而扩展了这项工作。这项工作使PI可以研究蜂鸟的交流如何在多个层面上演变，从行为到其装饰的纳米结构。