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Journal Article•DOI•

Habitat light, colour variation, and ultraviolet reflectance in the Grand Cayman anole, Anolis conspersus

Joseph M. Macedonia1•
Indiana University1
01 Jul 2001-Biological Journal of The Linnean Society (No longer published by Elsevier)-Vol. 73, Iss: 3, pp 299-320
TL;DR: Evidence is presented to show how geological, ecological, and physiological factors could have interacted to select for a short wavelength-reflective dewlap from a long wavelength- reflective precursor following the colonization of Grand Cayman from Jamaica by A. grahami between 2 and 3 Mya.
Abstract: Data from a diversity of sources are consistent with the hypothesis that the Grand Cayman anole, Anolis conspersus, is descended directly from Anolis grahami of Jamaica. Although the two species have remained morphologically similar, coloration in A. conspersus has changed considerably from that of its ancestor. The most dramatic difference is seen in dewlap colour, where A. conspersus has evolved a blue and highly UV-reflective dewlap from the ancestral orange-and-yellow colour state. In addition, variation in normal (non-metachrosis) dorsum coloration in A. grahami populations is limited to shades of green (olive, emerald, teal), whereas in A. conspersus dorsum coloration varies from green to blue and to brown. This increased colour variation occurs despite Grand Cayman being a small, relatively featureless island only 35 km in length. Results of this study suggest that ambient light differences associated with precipitation-related vegetation structure may have played an important role in the evolution of A. conspersus body colour variation. Evidence is presented to show how geological, ecological, and physiological factors could have interacted to select for a short wavelength-reflective dewlap from a long wavelength-reflective precursor following the colonization of Grand Cayman from Jamaica by A. grahami between 2 and 3 Mya.
Citations
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Journal Article•DOI•
Illumination geometry, detector position and the objective determination of animal signal colours in natural light

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Leo J. Fleishman1, Manuel Leal2, John Sheehan1•
Union College1, Vanderbilt University2
28 Feb 2006-Animal Behaviour
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of illumination and detection geometry on the spectrum and intensity of natural surfaces were quantified using the body and dewlap (coloured throat fan) of the lizard Anolis cristatellus.

35 citations

Cites background from "Habitat light, colour variation, an..."

  • ...…laboratory conditions, measure the light typically striking the surface in the field (habitat irradiance) and multiply the two values together to produce an estimate of the intensity and/or spectral quality (e.g. Andersson 2000; Macedonia 2001; Cummings et al. 2003; Stuart-Fox et al. 2003)....

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  • ...The most common solution is to measure the spectral reflectance of the coloured surface under controlled laboratory conditions, measure the light typically striking the surface in the field (habitat irradiance) and multiply the two values together to produce an estimate of the intensity and/or spectral quality (e.g. Andersson 2000; Macedonia 2001; Cummings et al. 2003; Stuart-Fox et al. 2003)....

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Journal Article•DOI•
Modality-specific experience with female feedback increases the efficacy of courtship signalling in male wolf spiders

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Laura Sullivan-Beckers1, Eileen A. Hebets1•
University of Nebraska–Lincoln1
01 Nov 2011-Animal Behaviour
TL;DR: This work proposes that males can optimize signal transmission by attending to female feedback cues and adjusting their signalling position accordingly, and demonstrates a behavioural mechanism for how males effectively position themselves in the signalling environment: experience with female feedback.

33 citations

Cites background from "Habitat light, colour variation, an..."

  • ...For example, visual signal traits that are most effective in particular light environments (e.g. Endler & Thery 1996; Macedonia 2001) and the frequency of a vibrational signal that transmits most effectively is dictated by a particular host plant’s transmission properties (McNett & Cocroft 2008)....

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Journal Article•DOI•
Spectral reflectance and communication in the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz): simultaneous crypsis and background contrast in visual signals

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David L. Clark1, J. Andrew Roberts2, Meghan A. Rector2, George W. Uetz3•
Alma College1, Ohio State University2, University of Cincinnati3
29 Jan 2011-Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used spectral analysis to examine male and female Schizocosa ocreata wolf spiders for matching and contrasting coloration against leaf litter, showing that male secondary characters used in visual signaling (tibia brushes) show the highest level of background contrast.
Abstract: Animal color patterns often reflect a compromise between natural selection for crypsis or inconspicuousness to predators and sexual selection for conspicuousness to potential mates. In leaf litter-dwelling wolf spider species like Schizocosa ocreata, body coloration often closely matches the background coloration of a generally brown environment. However, body parts used in communication should exhibit high contrast against background coloration. We used spectral analysis to examine male and female S. ocreata for matching and contrasting coloration against leaf litter. Values were plotted in multivariate color space, based on reflectivity in different frequency ranges. When viewed from above, colors of both males and females overlap with values for dead brown leaf litter and soil, suggesting cryptic coloration when viewed by potential predators. However, when viewed from a lateral perspective, both males and females show color values that are polar opposites of litter backgrounds, suggesting higher contrast when viewed by other spiders. Moreover, male secondary characters used in visual signaling by S. ocreata (tibia brushes) show the highest level of background contrast. These findings suggest that S. ocreata wolf spiders have color patterns that provide both crypsis and background contrast at the same time, depending on receiver viewing perspective.

32 citations

Cites methods from "Habitat light, colour variation, an..."

  • ...PCA is a valuable additional technique, as it is an objective means of accounting for much of the variation (typically >95...

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  • ...This PCA created 20 total eigenvalues, two factors of which were >1 accounting for 95.7% and 95.8% of the total variation for males and females, respectively....

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  • ...Methods for analyzing reflectance spectra included both color segment classification analyses (Endler 1990) and principal component analysis (PCA) (e.g., Grill and Rush 2000; Macedonia 2001)....

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  • ...PCA was performed using raw spectral values sampled at 20-nm increments from spider body parts and forest floor habitat substrates....

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  • ...Reflectance spectrophotometry data subjected to both color segment analysis and PCA reveal that (a) body parts of the spider most exposed to potential predators (i.e., dorsal surfaces) resemble dry leaf litter in color and intensity, and (b) laterally oriented body parts, used in conspecific visual communication, contrast more and are thus more likely to be discernable against the same leaf litter background....

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Journal Article•DOI•
Ultraviolet reflectance of male nuptial colouration in sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) from the Pyrenees

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Enrique Font1, Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza1•
University of Valencia1
01 Jan 2007-Amphibia-reptilia
TL;DR: A secondary reflectance peak in the UV in male green colouration is revealed that increases sexual dichromatism and male conspicuousness and could have a social signalling function as do similar UV reflecting patches in other lizard species.
Abstract: The evolutionary significance of lacertid colourations is relatively unexplored However, several studies have demonstrated signalling by means of bright green colouration in Swedish Lacerta agilis males during the breeding season Unfortunately, most of these studies have been based on human colour perception that differs in several ways from that of lizard An important difference between human and lizard colour vision is the presence of an ultraviolet (UV) sensitive cone in lizards The available evidence suggests that male sand lizards colorations do not reflect UV wavelengths, at least in Swedish populations However, this study, based on objective (spectrophotometric) measures of Pyrenean L agilis , revealed a secondary reflectance peak in the UV in male green colouration This secondary peak increases sexual dichromatism and male conspicuousness Moreover, it could have a social signalling function as do similar UV reflecting patches in other lizard species

30 citations

Cites background from "Habitat light, colour variation, an..."

  • ...Geographic variation in colour pattern is widespread in lizards (e.g. Baird et al., 1997; Kwiatkowski and Sullivan, 2002; Macedonia, 2001; Carretero, 2002; Thorpe, 2002; Thorpe and Stenson, 2003; Macedonia et al., 2003, 2004; Stuart-Fox et al., 2004; Rosenblum, 2005)....

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  • ...Colour patches with multiple reflectance peaks, including a secondary UV peak that is confined to or extends into the UV region have also been reported in the dewlaps of Anolis lizards (Macedonia, 1999, 2001; Fleishman and Persons, 2001; Leal and Fleishman, 2002; Stoehr and McGraw, 2001)....

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  • ...Geographic variation in colour pattern is widespread in lizards (e.g. Baird et al., 1997; Kwiatkowski and Sullivan, 2002; Macedonia, 2001; Carretero, 2002; Thorpe, 2002; Thorpe and Stenson, 2003; Macedonia et al., 2003, 2004; Stuart-Fox et al., 2004; Rosenblum, 2005)....

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  • ...…signalling (Fleishman et al., 1993; LeBas and Marshall, 2000; Macedonia et al., 2000, 2003; Blomberg et al., 2001; Fleishman and Persons, 2001; Macedonia, 2001; Stoehr and McGraw, 2001; Thorpe and Richard, 2001; Thorpe, 2002; Thorpe and Stenson, 2003; Font and Molina-Borja, 2004; Molina-Borja…...

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Journal Article•DOI•
Macroecological patterns in flower colour are shaped by both biotic and abiotic factors

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Rhiannon L. Dalrymple1, Darrell J. Kemp2, Habacuc Flores-Moreno3, Habacuc Flores-Moreno1, Shawn W. Laffan1, Thomas E. White4, Frank A. Hemmings1, Angela T. Moles1 •
University of New South Wales1, Macquarie University2, University of Minnesota3, University of Sydney4
01 Dec 2020-New Phytologist
TL;DR: On average, flower colours are more chromatic where there are fewer pollinators, solar radiation is high, precipitation and net primary production is low, and growing seasons are short, providing support for the hypothesis that higher chromatic contrast of flower colours may be related to stressful conditions.
Abstract: There is a wealth of research on the way interactions with pollinators shape flower traits. However, we have much more to learn about influences of the abiotic environment on flower colour. We combine quantitative flower colour data for 339 species from a broad spatial range covering tropical, temperate, arid, montane and coastal environments from 9.25o S to 43.75o S with 11 environmental variables to test hypotheses about how macro-ecological patterns in flower colouration relate to biotic and abiotic conditions. Both biotic community and abiotic conditions are important in explaining variation of flower colour traits on a broad scale. The diversity of pollinating insects and the plant community have the highest predictive power for flower colouration, followed by mean annual precipitation and solar radiation. On average, flower colours are more chromatic where there are fewer pollinators, solar radiation is high, precipitation and net primary production is low, and growing seasons are short, providing support for the hypothesis that higher chromatic contrast of flower colours may be related to stressful conditions. To fully understand the ecology and evolution of flower colour, we should incorporate the broad selective context that plants experience into research, rather than focussing primarily on effects of plant-pollinator interactions.

29 citations

Cites background from "Habitat light, colour variation, an..."

  • ...While ambient light environment has been a major focus of research for animal colouration (Marchetti, 1993; Macedonia, 2001; McNaught & Owens, 2002; Gomez & Th ery, 2004; Dalrymple et al., 2018), there has been far less interest in the impact of light environment on floral signal design (but see…...

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References
More filters
Journal Article•DOI•
Signals, signal conditions, and the direction of evolution

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John A. Endler
01 Jan 1992-The American Naturalist
TL;DR: Sensory systems, signals, signaling behavior, and habitat choice are evolutionarily coupled and should coevolve in predictable directions, determined by environmental biophysics, neurobiology, and the genetics of the suites of traits.
Abstract: There is a bewildering diversity of signals, sensory systems, and signaling behavior. A consideration of how these traits affect each other's evolution explains some of this diversity. Natural selection favors signals, receptors, and signaling behavior that maximize the received signals relative to background noise and minimize signal degradation. Properties of sensory systems bias the direction of evolution of the signals that they receive. For example, females may prefer males whose signals they can perceive more easily, and this will lead to the spread of more easily perceived male traits. Environmental conditions during signal transmission and detection also affect signal perception. Specific environmental conditions will bias the evolutionary direction of behavior, which affects the time and place of signaling as well as microhabitat preferences. Increased specialization of microhabitats and signaling behavior may lead to biased evolution of the sensory systems to work more efficiently. Thus, sensory...

1,717 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Nonsynchronous Spatial Overlap of Lizards in Patchy Habitats

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Thomas W. Schoener1•
Harvard University1
01 May 1970-Ecology
TL;DR: The first observation may be related to the first in the following way: nonsynchronous spatial overlap could dictate relatively great resource overlap for species coinhabiting patchy or edge areas, requiring great differences between the species in prey size in addition to those in climatic habitat.
Abstract: Sympatric native Anolis species with similar structural habitats but contrasting climatic habitats are closer in head and body size on species—rich than on depauperate islands. In two localities, sympatric Anolis species with differential occurrences in sun or shade sought lower, more shaded perches during midday, resulting in partly nonsynchronous utilization of the vegetation by the two species. The second observation may be related to the first in the following way: nonsynchronous spatial overlap could dictate relatively great resource overlap for species coinhabiting patchy or edge areas, requiring great differences between the species in prey size in addition to those in climatic habitat. The extent of such overlap on small depauperate islands could be greater if these contained a greater proportion of patchy or edge habitats (with respect to insolation), or if climatic preferences were broader and more overlapping than on large, species—rich islands. In each locality, the relatively more shade—inhab...

1,562 citations

Additional excerpts

  • ...Schoener TW. 1970....

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Journal Article•DOI•
Natural selection on color patterns in poecilia reticulata.

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John A. Endler1•
Princeton University1
01 Jan 1980-Evolution
TL;DR: Until the authors know more about how and why natural selection occurs, attempts to measure it are quixotic, and discussions of its importance are theandric.
Abstract: All too often in evolutionary biology we are led to speculate or infer the mode of action of natural selection; we usually do not know why some individuals are more adaptive than others. Very often attempts to measure natural selection are unsuccessful, leading to heated arguments about' the relative importance of selection, genetic drift, and epistasis in evolution (Lewontin, 1974). Until we know more about how and why natural selection occurs, attempts to measure it are quixotic, and discussions of its importance are theandric. It is no coincidence that most of the successful studies of natural selection have dealt with animal color patterns; it should be obvious which color patterns are more adaptive in the presence of visually hunting predators. The adaptive significance of warning coloration and mimicry of distasteful species has been worked out (Cott, 1940; Wickler, 1968; Edmunds, 1974; Rothschild, 1975; Turner, 1977). But most species are neither distasteful nor mimetic; most have inconspicuous or cryptic color patterns in their natural habitats (Poulton, 1890; Thayer, 1909; Cott, 1940; Endler, 1978). Most field and experimental studies have shown that the overall color or tone of inconspicuous species matches or approximates the background (DiCesnola, 1904; Sumner, 1934, 1935; Isley, 1938; Popham, 1942; Dice, 1947; Kettlewell, 1956, 1973; Turner, 1961; Kaufman, 1974; Wicklund, 1975; Curio, 1976), but they treated species with solid colors or

1,290 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
On the measurement and classification of colour in studies of animal colour patterns

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John A. Endler1•
University of California, Santa Barbara1
01 Dec 1990-Biological Journal of The Linnean Society
TL;DR: New methods make it practical to measure the colour spectrum of pattern elements (patches) of animals and their visual backgrounds for the conditions under which patch spectra reach the conspecific's, predator's or prey's eyes.
Abstract: In studies of animal colouration it is no longer necessary to rely on subjective assessments of colour and conspicuousness, nor on methods which rely upon human vision. This is important because animals vary greatly in colour vision and colour is context-dependent. New methods make it practical to measure the colour spectrum of pattern elements (patches) of animals and their visual backgrounds for the conditions under which patch spectra reach the conspecific's, predator's or prey's eyes. These methods can be used in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. A patch's colour is dependent not only upon its reflectance spectrum, but also upon the ambient light spectrum, the transmission properties of air or water, and the veiling light spectrum. These factors change with time of day, weather, season and microhabitat, so colours must be measured under the conditions prevalent when colour patterns are normally used. Methods of measuring, classifying and comparing colours are presented, as well as techniques for assessing the conspicuousness of colour patterns as a whole. Some implications of the effect of environmental light and vision are also discussed.

1,140 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
The Color of Light in Forests and Its Implications

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John A. Endler
01 Feb 1993-Ecological Monographs
TL;DR: The structure of forests leads to four major light habitats when the sun is not blocked by clouds: forest shade, woodland shade, small gaps, and large gaps, respectively, characterized by yellow—green, blue—gray, reddish, and "white" ambient light spectra, respectively.
Abstract: Forests exhibit much variation in light environments, and this can affect communication among animals, communication between animals and plants, photosynthesis, and plant morphogenesis. Light environments are caused by, and can be predicted from, the geometry of the light paths, the weather conditions, and the time of day. The structure of forests leads to four major light habitats when the sun is not blocked by clouds: forest shade, woodland shade, small gaps, and large gaps. These are characterized by yellow—green, blue—gray, reddish, and "white" ambient light spectra, respectively. When the sun is blocked by clouds, the spectra of these four habitats converge on that of large gaps and open areas, so the single light environment during cloudy weather will be called open/cloudy. An additional light environment (early/late) is associated with low sun angles (near dawn or dusk); it is purplish. Each light environment is well defined and was found in forests of Trinidad, Panama, Costa Rica, Australia, California, and Florida. Scattered literature references suggest similar patterns elsewhere in North America, Europe, and Java. Perceived colors of animals, flowers, and fruits depend upon the interaction between ambient light color and the reflectance color of the animal or plant parts. As a result, an animal or plant may have a different appearance in each environment, i.e., a color pattern may be relatively cryptic in some light environments while relatively conspicuous in others. This has strong implications for the joint evolution of visual signals and vision, as well as microhabitat choice. Plant growth and form may also be affected by variation in the color of forest light.

1,108 citations

"Habitat light, colour variation, an..." refers background in this paper

  • ...For visual signals, FOR ANIMAL COLOUR SIGNALS relevant ecological variables include the ambient light Endler (1992, 1993) has shown that, under sunnyspectrum in which a signal is viewed and features of skies, four types of structural light habitats occur inthe visual background from which the…...

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  • ...…because their reflectance spectra will mented, anoles that inhabit dark forest environmentschange with changing light conditions, making them exhibit dewlaps that may be white or yellow, butharder to recognize and track (Endler, 1993). which are never orange or red (Fleishman, 1992)....

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  • ...Legend as in Table 1. different forest light environments (e.g. Endler, 1992, 1993)....

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  • ...…& Leal, 1993; Macedonia et al., 2000; Stoehr & McGraw, 2001).most reflective colour patch would be yellow-green because it most closely resembles the ambient spec- Traditionally, the function ascribed to dewlap colour has been one of species recognition and reproductivetrum (e.g. Endler, 1993)....

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Related Papers (5)
On the measurement and classification of colour in studies of animal colour patterns

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01 Dec 1990-Biological Journal of The Linnean Society
John A. Endler
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The Color of Light in Forests and Its Implications

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01 Feb 1993-Ecological Monographs
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01 Sep 1996-The American Naturalist
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