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Journal articles on the topic 'Cryptic plumage'
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Tomiałojć, Ludwik, and Jens Bursell. "Why dark plumage of the European Blackbirds Turdus merula?" Lundiana: International Journal of Biodiversity 7, no. 2 (2007): 127–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.35699/2675-5327.2006.23129.
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Why does the European Blackbird’s dark coloration match the ground color of the less widespread of its breeding habitats, the riparian forest, although its main European population occurs in the pale-litter woodland? It is argued that crypsis of all the age stages was more necessary in riparian stands, as this habitat is more risky for the species owing to a high ground vegetation surrounding a foraging bird. Poorer crypsis of Blackbird plumage in pale-litter habitats may be a neutral feature, being compensated by easier scanning of the surroundings over the lower and sparcer herb vegetation and by a tendency to remain in dark sites. The black plumage of the Blackbird male, perhaps reinforced by sexual selection in pristine forest conditions may also retain its cryptic function.
 Keywords: Dark/black plumage, crypsis, primeval habitat, European Blackbird Turdus merula.
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Marques, Cristiana I. J., Helena R. Batalha, and Gonçalo C. Cardoso. "Signalling with a cryptic trait: the regularity of barred plumage in common waxbills." Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 5 (2016): 160195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160195.
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Sexual signals often compromise camouflage because of their conspicuousness. Pigmentation patterns, on the contrary, aid in camouflage. It was hypothesized that a particular type of pattern—barred plumage in birds, whereby pigmented bars extend across feathers—could simultaneously signal individual quality, because disruptions of these patterns should be perceptually salient at close range and help assess plumage condition. Here we show that common waxbills ( Estrilda astrild ), which have extensive barred plumage, have more regular patterns as adults than as juveniles, and that adult males have more regular patterns than females. Both these differences are indicative of sexual signalling in species with conventional sex roles. More regular barred plumage was related to better body condition in adult males. Colour ornamentation traits were also related to aspects of quality, either the same as barred plumage (body condition) or a different one (good feather development), supporting both the ‘redundant message’ and the ‘multiple message’ hypotheses for the coexistence of multiple sexual signals. Although receiver responses to the regularity of barred plumage were not studied here, research on other species has shown that barred plumage can mediate social interactions. We conclude that using barred plumage as a signal of quality helps circumvent the functional compromise between camouflage and communication.
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Hill, Geoffrey E. "The Function of Delayed Plumage Maturation in Male Black-Headed Grosbeaks." Auk 105, no. 1 (1988): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/105.1.1.
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Abstract I used data from two breeding populations of Black-headed Grosbeaks (Pheucticus melanocephalus) in central New Mexico to test alternative hypotheses regarding the function of delayed plumage maturation in male passerines. Yearling male grosbeaks displayed a wide range of subadult plumage types, but most individuals were intermediate in appearance between adult males and females. Subadult male grosbeaks arrived on the study sites about 2 weeks after adult males, with no tendency for individuals with brighter or duller plumage to arrive first. Only a few of the most brightly plumaged subadult males defended territories and attracted females; most were nonterritorial floaters. All territories of subadult males were positioned outside clusters of adult male territories with few total neighbors. When I removed adult males from their territories, the territories remained empty. These results are not consistent with predictions of the female-mimicry hypothesis, but they are in accord with those of the cryptic hypothesis.
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Bridge, Eli S., Jennifer Hylton, Muir D. Eaton, Louis Gamble, and Stephan J. Schoech. "Cryptic plumage signaling in Aphelocoma Scrub-Jays." Journal of Ornithology 149, no. 1 (2007): 123–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-007-0253-y.
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Tubaro, Pablo L., Dario A. Lijtmaer, and Stephen C. Lougheed. "Cryptic Dichromatism and Seasonal Color Variation in the Diademed Tanager." Condor 107, no. 3 (2005): 648–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/107.3.648.
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Abstract We studied the patterns of sexual dichromatism and seasonal variation in plumage color in the Diademed Tanager (Stephanophorus diadematus), a species previously considered devoid of variation in adult plumage. The general coloration of this species is dark blue-violet, with a white-blue and red crown. Plumage reflectance of seven body regions from 33 study skins belonging to adults of both sexes was measured. Reflectance values were used in a principal components analysis (PCA) and hue, short-wave chroma, and UV chroma were also measured directly on the spectra. Both PCA factor scores and these latter variables were subjected to two-way ANCOVAs with sex and season as main factors and the year of capture as a covariate. We found that crowns of males were significantly brighter than those of females. In addition, the nape, chest, and belly showed significant differences in spectral shape, with relatively greater short-wave reflectance and less long-wave reflectance in males than in females. Although sexes were alike in hue, they differed in chroma in almost all body regions. Brightness also differed between seasons, and contrary to our expectation nonbreeding birds were brighter than breeding ones. This result may be a consequence of the particular molt program of tanagers that includes only a complete post-reproductive molt. Despite finding seasonal differences in spectral shape in various body regions, no significant changes in hue, short-wave chroma, or UV chroma were evident. To our knowledge, this is the first report of variation in adult plumage color for the Diademed Tanager, and we suggest that dichromatism in tanagers may be even more pervasive than is currently recognized. Dicromatismo Críptico y Variación Estacional de Color en Stephanophorus diadematus Resumen. Estudiamos los patrones de dicromatismo sexual y variación estacional en la coloración del plumaje de Stephanophorus diadematus, una especie previamente considerada carente de variación en la coloración del plumaje adulto. La coloración general de esta especie es azul violáceo oscuro, con una corona blanca azulada y roja. Se midió la reflectancia de siete regiones corporales en 33 pieles de estudio pertenecientes a adultos de ambos sexos. Los valores de reflectancia se utilizaron en un análisis de componentes principales, y además se midieron el tono (hue), la intensidad del color de onda corta y la intensidad del color de UV directamente sobre los espectros. Tanto los factores del análisis de componentes principales como las variables mencionadas fueron sujetos a ANCOVAs de dos factores, considerando el sexo y la estación como factores principales, y el año de captura como covariable. Estos análisis mostraron que la corona de los machos es significativamente más brillante que la de las hembras. Además, la nuca, el pecho y el vientre mostraron diferencias significativas en la forma espectral, presentando los machos mayor reflectancia en la zona de onda corta y menor en la zona de onda larga que las hembras. Si bien el tono no difirió entre sexos, la intensidad del color difirió en la mayoría de las regiones corporales entre machos y hembras. El brillo también difirió entre temporadas y, contrariamente a nuestra expectativa, los individuos capturados en la temporada no reproductiva fueron más brillantes que aquellos capturados en la temporada reproductiva. Este resultado podría deberse al programa de muda particular presente en Thraupidae, que incluye una única muda post-reproductiva completa. Si bien encontramos diferencias entre estaciones en la forma espectral en varias regiones corporales, no se detectaron diferencias en el tono, la intensidad del color de onda corta ni la intensidad del color de UV. Este es, de acuerdo a nuestro conocimiento, el primer estudio que muestra variación en la coloración del plumaje adulto de S. diadematus. Sugerimos que el dicromatismo en Thraupidae podría ser más común de lo que actualmente se piensa.
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Simpson, Richard K., Allison F. Mistakidis, and Stéphanie M. Doucet. "Natural and sexual selection shape the evolution of colour and conspicuousness in North American wood-warblers (Parulidae)." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 130, no. 1 (2020): 89–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaa015.
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Abstract Natural and sexual selection drive colour evolution in animals. However, these different selective forces are often studied independently or without considering environmental variation. We evaluated the roles of natural and sexual selection together on colour evolution in 15 sympatric wood-warbler species, while considering the influence of variation in the light environment and visual background. We tested the influence of each selective pressure on male and female coloration and contrast against the background using avian visual models in phylogenetically controlled analyses. We found natural and sexual selection simultaneously driving cryptic and conspicuous plumage in males by acting on different body regions. For example, we found that ground-nesting species had males with conspicuous under-body plumage and cryptic upper-body plumage, showing how natural and sexual selection can drive colour evolution concordantly. We also found interesting relationships with female plumage, such as nest predation positively covarying with female contrast against the background, suggesting a cost to female conspicuousness. Our findings here showcase the complexity of selection on coloration and illustrate the importance of: (1) accounting for environmental variation when assessing how natural and sexual selection drive colour evolution; and (2) testing how multiple selection pressures are shaping colour diversity among species.
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Bursell, Jens, and Jan Dyck. "Background matching and evolution of cryptic colours of selected passerines in deciduous woodlands." Lundiana: International Journal of Biodiversity 4, no. 1 (2003): 51–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.35699/2675-5327.2003.21835.
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Most drab plumage colours are probably cryptic. Crypsis (camouflage) occurs when the colour of a significant part of the plumage is similar to the colour of a significant part of the background against which the prey bird may be detected by a potential predator. In this study we compare back colours of tits and associated species with colour backgrounds in their habitat during a four-month period in winter. We test the hypothesis that in some of the species back colour is similar to one of the background colours. In addition to colour backgrounds, microhabitats and tree species were also recorded. Great Tit Parus major, Nuthatch Sitta europea and Treecreeper Certhia familiaris showed distinct preferences for different colour backgrounds, reflecting their choice of microhabitats and tree species. The data suggest that in the Great Tit the olive-moss green back colour has evolved as crypsis for foraging close to the base of tree trunks, where most of the moss is found. The bluish-grey back colour of the Nuthatch is suggested to have evolved as crypsis against greyish beech trunks and branches. Similarly the brown back colour of the Treecreeper is suggested to have evolved as crypsis against pale brown- greyish brown bark surfaces. The possibility that the grey back colour of the Marsh Tit Parus palustris has evolved as crypsis against greyish branches is discussed. For the Blue Tit Parus caeruleus it is suggested that the green back colour has evolved as crypsis against leaves during summer; thus no background matching of the back occurs in winter. For the black back colour of the Longtailed Tit Aegithalos caudatos no background matching can be suggested. The study demonstrates that it is possible to quantify background colours for fouraging birds in the wild as seen by a human observer on the ground. It is proposed that these observations are also representative for a hunting Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, even though differences in observing height and possible differences in spectral visual range may present difficulties.
 Key words:. Plumage colour, background colour, crypsis, Great Tit Parus major, Blue Tit Parus caeruleus, Marsh Tit Parus palustris, Nuthatch Sitta europaea, Treecreeper Certhia familiaris.
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ISLER, MORTON L., R. TERRY CHESSER, MARK B. ROBBINS, ANDRÉS M. CUERVO, CARLOS DANIEL CADENA, and PETER A. HOSNER. "Taxonomic evaluation of the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex (Aves: Passeriformes: Grallariidae) distinguishes sixteen species." Zootaxa 4817, no. 1 (2020): 1–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4817.1.1.
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Populations in the Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula) complex occupy humid montane forests of the Andes from northern Colombia and adjacent Venezuela to central Bolivia. Their tawny to cinnamon-colored plumages are generally uniform, featuring subtle variation in hue and saturation across this range. In contrast to their conservative plumage, substantial vocal differences occur among geographically isolated or parapatric populations. Working within the framework of a comprehensive molecular phylogeny, we reexamined species limits in the G. rufula complex, basing taxonomic recommendations on diagnostic differences in vocalizations and considering identifiable differences in plumage where pertinent. We identified 16 populations for species designation, including seven populations previously described as subspecies and, remarkably, six new species described herein. Within one of these species, we identified less robust vocal differences between populations that we designate as subspecies. Geographic variation exists within another species, but its critical evaluation requires additional material. Taxonomic revisions of groups consisting of cryptic species, like the Grallaria rufula complex, are imperative for their conservation. Rather than widespread species as currently defined, these complexes can comprise many range-restricted taxa at higher risk of extinction given the continuing human pressures on their habitats.
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Møller, Anders Pape, Wei Liang, and Diogo S. M. Samia. "Flight initiation distance, color and camouflage." Current Zoology 65, no. 5 (2019): 535–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoz005.
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Abstract Camouflage is widespread throughout the animal kingdom allowing individuals to avoid detection and hence save time and energy rather than escape from an approaching predator. Thus, camouflage is likely to have co-evolved with antipredator behavior. Here, we propose that camouflage results in dichotomous escape behavior within and among species with classes of individuals and species with cryptic coloration having shorter flight initiation distances (FIDs; the distance at which an individual takes flight when approached by a human). We report the results of 2 tests of this hypothesis. First, bird species with cryptically colored plumage have consistently shorter FID than closely related species without such color. Within species with sexually dimorphic plumage, brightly colored adult male common pheasants Phasianus colchicus and golden pheasants Chrysolophus pictus have long and variable FID, whereas cryptically colored juveniles and adult females have short and invariable FID. Second, FID in females was predicted by presence or absence of cryptic color, FID in males and their interaction. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that risk-taking behavior has been attuned to camouflage, and that species with different levels of camouflage differ consistently in their FID.
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Patrick, Patrick, Nigel Jackett, Ian Mason, Emily Rush, Nicholas Leseberg, and James Watson. "Nests and eggs of the Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus: Two new nests and a review of previous descriptions." Australian Field Ornithology 39 (2022): 12–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo39012018.
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The Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus is a small, cryptic, ground-dwelling species endemic to savanna ecosystems of northern Australia. Due to aspects of its ecology, cryptic plumage and behaviour, and the remoteness of most of its distribution, there are few published observations from the field documenting its breeding biology. The eggs were first described in 1856 and have subsequently been described by other authors. Two nests were detected in the Northern Territory in March 2021. We compare nesting events there with previous descriptions and museum collections. Our findings are mostly consistent with other literature on this species, but are inconsistent with two contemporary accounts, which we suggest are based on misidentification of Painted Button-quail T. varius.
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Mountjoy, D. James, and Raleigh J. Robertson. "Why Are Waxwings “Waxy”? Delayed Plumage Maturation in the Cedar Waxwing." Auk 105, no. 1 (1988): 61–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/105.1.61.
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Abstract Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) often have their secondaries tipped with red waxlike appendages, but a plausible hypothesis for the function of these tips has not been presented. Both males and females may have such tips, but second-year birds normally have none or only a few. This appears to be the first described instance of a passerine species to show distinctive delayed plumage maturation in both sexes. We found that waxwings mated assortatively with respect to the number of tips on the secondaries of the birds. Pairs of older birds (with high tip index scores) tended to nest earlier than younger (low tip index) birds. Older birds also had larger clutch/brood sizes and fledged more young. We suggest that the waxlike tips function as signals of age and status and that some combination of mate choice and competition for mates results in the observed assortative mating. Of the hypotheses proposed to explain the adaptive significance of delayed plumage maturation, two (the female-mimicry and cryptic hypotheses) are not confirmed in the case of the Cedar Waxwing, while the status-signaling hypothesis appears to offer the best explanation for the occurrence of delayed plumage maturation in this species.
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Opaev, Alexey, Yaroslav Red’Kin, Egor Kalinin, and Maria Golovina. "Species limits in Northern Eurasian taxa of the common stonechats, Saxicola torquatus complex (Aves: Passeriformes, Muscicapidae)." Vertebrate Zoology 68, no. 3 (2018): 199–211. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.68.e31606.
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The common stonechat Saxicola torquatus traditionally was considered as a polytypic species widely distributed in Africa, Europe and Asia. Recently, several authors have suggested that this formerly single species needs to be split into several distinct species composing the Saxicola torquatus complex based on mitochondrial markers. However, mitochondrial DNA alone is not sufficient for the evaluation of species status. In this paper, we reviewed the taxonomy of Northern Eurasian taxa from the complex based on morphometrics, plumage, song and alarm calls. The morphological and vocal data clearly matched the phylogroups reconstructed from mitochondrial DNA sequences, and separated Northern Eurasian taxa of the Saxicola torquatus complex into three groups: rubicola, maurus and stejnegeri. We proposed the species status for these three groups: European stonechat Saxicola rubicola, eastern stonechat Saxicola maurus and Japanese stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri. Among them, S. stejnegeri is a cryptic species as it cannot be distinguished by morphometrics and by worn spring plumage from S. maurus, but differs noticeably by male song.
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Opaev, Alexey, Yaroslav Red'Kin, Egor Kalinin, and Maria Golovina. "Species limits in Northern Eurasian taxa of the common stonechats, Saxicola torquatus complex (Aves: Passeriformes, Muscicapidae)." Vertebrate Zoology 68 (November 20, 2018): 199–211. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.68.e31606.
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The common stonechat Saxicola torquatus traditionally was considered as a polytypic species widely distributed in Africa, Europe and Asia. Recently, several authors have suggested that this formerly single species needs to be split into several distinct species composing the Saxicola torquatus complex based on mitochondrial markers. However, mitochondrial DNA alone is not sufficient for the evaluation of species status. In this paper, we reviewed the taxonomy of Northern Eurasian taxa from the complex based on morphometrics, plumage, song and alarm calls. The morphological and vocal data clearly matched the phylogroups reconstructed from mitochondrial DNA sequences, and separated Northern Eurasian taxa of the Saxicola torquatus complex into three groups: rubicola, maurus and stejnegeri. We proposed the species status for these three groups: European stonechat Saxicola rubicola, eastern stonechat Saxicola maurus and Japanese stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri. Among them, S. stejnegeri is a cryptic species as it cannot be distinguished by morphometrics and by worn spring plumage from S. maurus, but differs noticeably by male song.
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Facchinetti, Carolina, Bettina Mahler, Alejandro G. Di Giacomo, and Juan C. Reboreda. "Stages of Plumage Maturation of the Tawny-bellied Seedeater: Evidence of Delayed Plumage Maturation and Cryptic Differentiation between Juveniles and Females." Condor 113, no. 4 (2011): 907–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/cond.2011.110010.
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de, Godoy Fernando Igor, Arthur Macarrão, Raisa Rodarte, Braga Ribeiro Thalles Vassão, and Araujo Gabriel Vagner de. "First documented record of Chordeiles pusillus (Gould, 1861) (Caprimulgiformes, Caprimulgidae) in São Paulo state." Check List 16, no. (1) (2020): 111–14. https://doi.org/10.15560/16.1.111.
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This note presents the first documented record of Least Nighthawk, <em>Chordeiles pusillus</em> (Gould, 1861), in São Paulo state, Brazil. The species was observed on four occasions (January 31, April 25, and July 27, 2016; April 27, 2017) in a sandy-rocky habitat on the left bank of Grande river, Mira Estrela municipality. This record is at least 300 km from the previously known occurrences of the species.
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Ng, Elize Y. X., Arya Y. Yue, James A. Eaton, Chyi Yin Gwee, Bas Van Balen, and Frank E. Rheindt. "INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY REVEALS CRYPTIC ROBIN LINEAGE IN THE GREATER SUNDA ISLANDS." TREUBIA 47, no. 1 (2020): 39–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.14203/treubia.v47i1.3872.
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Southeast Asian avifauna is under threat from both habitat loss and illegal poaching, yet the region’s rich biodiversity remains understudied. Here, we uncover cryptic species-level diversity in the Sunda Blue Robin (Myiomela diana), a songbird complex endemic to Javan (subspecies diana) and Sumatran (subspecies sumatrana) mountains. Taxonomic inquiry into these populations has previously been hampered by a lack of DNA material and the birds’ general scarcity, especially sumatrana which is only known from few localities. We demonstrate fundamental bioacoustic differences in courtship song paired with important distinctions in plumage saturation and tail length that combine to suggest species-level treatment for the two taxa. Treated separately, both taxa are independently threatened by illegal poaching and habitat loss, and demand conservation action. Our study highlights a case of underestimated avifaunal diversity that is in urgent need of revision in the face of imminent threats to species survival.
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Delhey, Kaspar, Mark L. Roberts, and Anne Peters. "The carotenoid-continuum: carotenoid-based plumage ranges from conspicuous to cryptic and back again." BMC Ecology 10, no. 1 (2010): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6785-10-13.
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Krüger, O., N. B. Davies, and M. D. Sorenson. "The evolution of sexual dimorphism in parasitic cuckoos: sexual selection or coevolution?" Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 274, no. 1617 (2007): 1553–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2007.0281.
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Sexual dimorphism is ubiquitous in animals and can result from selection pressure on one or both sexes. Sexual selection has become the predominant explanation for the evolution of sexual dimorphism, with strong selection on size-related mating success in males being the most common situation. The cuckoos (family Cuculidae) provide an exceptional case in which both sexes of many species are freed from the burden of parental care but where coevolution between parasitic cuckoos and their hosts also results in intense selection. Here, we show that size and plumage differences between the sexes in parasitic cuckoos are more likely the result of coevolution than sexual selection. While both sexes changed in size as brood parasitism evolved, we find no evidence for selection on males to become larger. Rather, our analysis indicates stronger selection on parasitic females to become smaller, resulting in a shift from dimorphism with larger females in cuckoos with parental care to dimorphism with larger males in parasitic species. In addition, the evolution of brood parasitism was associated with more cryptic plumage in both sexes, but especially in females, a result that contrasts with the strong plumage dimorphism seen in some other parasitic birds. Examination of the three independent origins of brood parasitism suggests that different parasitic cuckoo lineages followed divergent evolutionary pathways to successful brood parasitism. These results argue for the powerful role of parasite–host coevolution in shaping cuckoo life histories in general and sexual dimorphism in particular.
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Morales-Betancourt, Juan Alejandro, and Gabriel J. Castaño-Villa. "Males in seemingly female-like plumage do not mimic females: UV reflectance reveals temporal cryptic dimorphism in a manakin species exhibiting delayed plumage maturation." Journal of Avian Biology 49, no. 1 (2017): jav—01467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.01467.
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HOFMANN, CHRISTOPHER, WEN-SUI LO, CHENG-TE YAO, and SHOU-HSIEN LI. "Cryptic sexual dichromatism occurs across multiple types of plumage in the Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus." Ibis 149, no. 2 (2006): 264–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919x.2006.00625.x.
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Koskenpato, Katja, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Carita Lindstedt, and Patrik Karell. "Gray plumage color is more cryptic than brown in snowy landscapes in a resident color polymorphic bird." Ecology and Evolution 10, no. 4 (2020): 1751–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5914.
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Rae, Stuart, and Duncan Rae. "Orientation of tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) nests and their position on branches optimises thermoregulation and cryptic concealment." Australian Journal of Zoology 61, no. 6 (2013): 469. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo13090.
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Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) nests were surveyed in grassy woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and suburbia in the Australian Capital Territory. In total, 253 tawny frogmouth nests were recorded in 145 nest sites. Nests were oriented to the north-east, which would expose them to morning sunshine and partially shelter them from the prevailing wind. Most nests were placed in rough or flaky-barked tree species, on open mid-branch sites with no foliage, where the birds’ plumage and posture resemble the colour and form of the branches. Although smooth-barked gum trees were the most abundant types in the dry sclerophyll forest they were seldom used. Nest sites in all habitats were similar; the mean nest height was 9.2 m, and most nests were set on forks in the lowest branches. By placing their nests in these positions tawny frogmouths likely maximise their potential thermoregulation, protection from wind, concealment from predators, and detection of approaching predators.
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DONIOL-VALCROZE, PAUL, PAUL COIFFARD, PER ALSTRÖM, MAGNUS ROBB, PAUL DUFOUR, and PIERRE-ANDRÉ CROCHET. "Molecular and acoustic evidence support the species status of Anthus rubescens rubescens and Anthus [rubescens] japonicus (Passeriformes: Motacillidae)." Zootaxa 5343, no. 2 (2023): 173–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5343.2.4.
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The Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens comprises two allopatric subspecies groups: A. r. rubescens and A. r. alticola in North America and A. [r.] japonicus in north-east Asia. Despite their great morphological resemblance in breeding plumage, most individuals can be assigned to one or the other subspecies group in non-breeding plumage. Allopatric distributions, morphological differentiation and previously reported molecular divergence suggested the need for additional taxonomic study to assess the rank of these two populations. To resolve the taxonomy of the Buff-bellied Pipit species complex we analysed i) two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) loci and ii) nine bioacoustic parameters across 69 sound recordings (338 flight calls) recovered from public databases using principal component analysis and Euclidean distance measures. By comparing our mtDNA and call divergence measures with similar values measured between long-recognised species pairs of the genus, we show that the level of mitochondrial and acoustic divergence between the two Buff-bellied Pipit subspecies groups is typical of species-level divergence in the genus Anthus. Therefore, we recommend splitting the Buff-bellied Pipit species complex into two species: Anthus rubescens (American Pipit) and Anthus japonicus (Siberian Pipit). Our results also suggest that the Water Pipit A. spinoletta deserves taxonomic reassessment as its lineages are highly divergent in acoustics and mtDNA, while mtDNA relationships suggest paraphyly relative to the Rock Pipit A. petrosus. Our work highlights the crucial importance of integrative approaches in taxonomy and the usefulness of bioacoustics in studying cryptic diversity.
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Price-Waldman, Rosalyn, and Mary Caswell Stoddard. "Avian Coloration Genetics: Recent Advances and Emerging Questions." Journal of Heredity 112, no. 5 (2021): 395–416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esab015.
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Abstract The colorful phenotypes of birds have long provided rich source material for evolutionary biologists. Avian plumage, beaks, skin, and eggs—which exhibit a stunning range of cryptic and conspicuous forms—inspired early work on adaptive coloration. More recently, avian color has fueled discoveries on the physiological, developmental, and—increasingly—genetic mechanisms responsible for phenotypic variation. The relative ease with which avian color traits can be quantified has made birds an attractive system for uncovering links between phenotype and genotype. Accordingly, the field of avian coloration genetics is burgeoning. In this review, we highlight recent advances and emerging questions associated with the genetic underpinnings of bird color. We start by describing breakthroughs related to 2 pigment classes: carotenoids that produce red, yellow, and orange in most birds and psittacofulvins that produce similar colors in parrots. We then discuss structural colors, which are produced by the interaction of light with nanoscale materials and greatly extend the plumage palette. Structural color genetics remain understudied—but this paradigm is changing. We next explore how colors that arise from interactions among pigmentary and structural mechanisms may be controlled by genes that are co-expressed or co-regulated. We also identify opportunities to investigate genes mediating within-feather micropatterning and the coloration of bare parts and eggs. We conclude by spotlighting 2 research areas—mechanistic links between color vision and color production, and speciation—that have been invigorated by genetic insights, a trend likely to continue as new genomic approaches are applied to non-model species.
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Herzog, Sebastian K., and Juan Mazar Barnett. "On the Validity and Confused Identity of Serpophaga Griseiceps Berlioz 1959 (Tyrannidae)." Auk 121, no. 2 (2004): 415–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/121.2.415.
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Abstract Berlioz (1959) described Serpophaga griseiceps on the basis of four specimens from Cochabamba, Bolivia, housed at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France). Traylor (1979) subsumed the taxon, without justification, in S. munda after examining other specimens from Cochabamba at the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH; Chicago, Illinois). Remsen and Traylor (1989) added that S. griseiceps represents the juvenal plumage of S. munda. Straneck (1993) presented new data from central Argentina to revalidate S. griseiceps, and although that account has methodological problems, numerous authors have endorsed its taxonomic conclusions. We re-evaluated the validity of S. griseiceps by examining the type series and specimens deposited at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and our own field data from Cochabamba, and by critiquing Straneck's taxonomic conclusions. The type specimens of S. griseiceps clearly resemble juvenile S. munda. Photographs of those specimens were compared by T. S. Schulenberg with the FMNH specimens examined by Traylor, confirming that the former are referable to S. munda. Both “forms” differ consistently in plumage coloration from Argentine specimens considered by Straneck to be referable to S. griseiceps. The type series of S. griseiceps coincides with S. munda in wing chord, tail, and tarsus length, and both “forms” have significantly longer wings and tails than Straneck's birds from Argentina. Intensive field surveys in the Cochabamba basin documented the occurrence of only one species of Serpophaga tyrannulet, S. munda. Serpophaga griseiceps should therefore be considered a junior synonym of S. munda, whereas Straneck's S. griseiceps is apparently referable to an undescribed cryptic species of Serpophaga tyrannulet.
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Repenning, Márcio, and Carla Suertegaray Fontana. "Distinguishing females of capuchino seedeaters: call repertoires provide evidence for species-level diagnosis." Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 27, no. 2 (2019): 70–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf03544451.
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AbstractReliable identification of cryptic Neotropical capuchino seedeater females remains as a recurrent and non-trivial issue in field ornithology. Even in the hand, capuchino females cannot be accurately diagnosed to the species level based solely on visual plumage examination, which may present a problem for future research on this group. During 10 years of field research on this group, we observed subtle vocal differences. We studied females of two parapatric species that may breed in syntopic upland grassland areas in southern Brazil: Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha and Black-bellied Seedeater Sporophila melanogaster. Our main aim was to measure dissimilarities between inter-specific and intersexual repertory calls. We found unequivocal inter-specific divergences in call type repertoires revealed by cluster analysis, and no intersexual differences in the co-specific repertoire calls. These combined results enhance the understanding about the role of repertoire calls on species-specific recognition and interbreeding isolation processes (assortative mating), and provide a way to overcome the problem of field identification of female capuchinos at the species level.
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Espíndola-Hernández, Pamela, Jakob C. Mueller, Martina Carrete, Stefan Boerno, and Bart Kempenaers. "Genomic Evidence for Sensorial Adaptations to a Nocturnal Predatory Lifestyle in Owls." Genome Biology and Evolution 12, no. 10 (2020): 1895–908. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaa166.
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Abstract Owls (Strigiformes) evolved specific adaptations to their nocturnal predatory lifestyle, such as asymmetrical ears, a facial disk, and a feather structure allowing silent flight. Owls also share some traits with diurnal raptors and other nocturnal birds, such as cryptic plumage patterns, reversed sexual size dimorphism, and acute vision and hearing. The genetic basis of some of these adaptations to a nocturnal predatory lifestyle has been studied by candidate gene approaches but rarely with genome-wide scans. Here, we used a genome-wide comparative analysis to test for selection in the early history of the owls. We estimated the substitution rates in the coding regions of 20 bird genomes, including 11 owls of which five were newly sequenced. Then, we tested for functional overrepresentation across the genes that showed signals of selection. In the ancestral branch of the owls, we found traces of positive selection in the evolution of genes functionally related to visual perception, especially to phototransduction, and to chromosome packaging. Several genes that have been previously linked to acoustic perception, circadian rhythm, and feather structure also showed signals of an accelerated evolution in the origin of the owls. We discuss the functions of the genes under positive selection and their putative association with the adaptation to the nocturnal predatory lifestyle of the owls.
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Burns, Kevin J., and Allison J. Shultz. "Widespread cryptic dichromatism and ultraviolet reflectance in the largest radiation of Neotropical songbirds: Implications of accounting for avian vision in the study of plumage evolution." Auk 129, no. 2 (2012): 211–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/auk.2012.11182.
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Chaves, Jaime A., Pedro J. Martinez-Torres, Emiliano A. Depino, et al. "Evolutionary History of the Galápagos Rail Revealed by Ancient Mitogenomes and Modern Samples." Diversity 12, no. 11 (2020): 425. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12110425.
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The biotas of the Galápagos Islands are one of the best studied island systems and have provided a broad model for insular species’ origins and evolution. Nevertheless, some locally endemic taxa, such as the Galápagos Rail Laterallus spilonota, remain poorly characterized. Owing to its elusive behavior, cryptic plumage, and restricted distribution, the Galápagos Rail is one of the least studied endemic vertebrates of the Galapagos Islands. To date, there is no genetic data for this species, leaving its origins, relationships to other taxa, and levels of genetic diversity uncharacterized. This lack of information is critical given the adverse fate of island rail species around the world in the recent past. Here, we examine the genetics of Galápagos Rails using a combination of mitogenome de novo assembly with multilocus nuclear and mitochondrial sequencing from both modern and historical samples. We show that the Galápagos Rail is part of the “American black rail clade”, sister to the Black Rail L. jamaicensis, with a colonization of Galápagos dated to 1.2 million years ago. A separate analysis of one nuclear and two mitochondrial markers in the larger population samples demonstrates a shallow population structure across the islands, possibly due to elevated island connectivity. Additionally, birds from the island Pinta possessed the lowest levels of genetic diversity, possibly reflecting past population bottlenecks associated with overgrazing of their habitat by invasive goats. The modern and historical data presented here highlight the low genetic diversity in this endemic rail species and provide useful information to guide conservation efforts.
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Shapiro, Leo H., Ronald A. Canterbury, Dollie M. Stover, and Robert C. Fleischer. "Reciprocal Introgression Between Golden-Winged Warblers (Vermivora Chrysoptera) and Blue-Winged Warblers (V. Pinus) in Eastern North America." Auk 121, no. 4 (2004): 1019–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/121.4.1019.
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Abstract Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) and Blue-winged Warblers (V. pinus) are small, brightly colored Neotropical migrant birds that breed in eastern North America. Wherever the two species occur together, they hybridize to a limited degree, producing distinctive hybrid phenotypes. In recent decades, chrysoptera has experienced dramatic population declines across much of its range. Those declines have often been correlated with establishment and increase of pinus in the same areas, but it remains uncertain what, if any, role pinus has played in driving the decline of chrysoptera. In a first attempt at molecular genetic analysis of chrysoptera-pinus population dynamics, Gill (1997) reported cryptic, completely asymmetric, and possibly very rapid introgression of pinus mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into chrysoptera, causing what he termed “local cytonuclear extinction” of chrysoptera. As Gill (1997) noted, however, those results were based on relatively small samples from a single area in Pennsylvania. To begin to investigate the generality of Gill’s findings and to establish a baseline for long-term genetic and ecological studies, we intensively sampled one new study area (in southern West Virginia) and also sampled more broadly across two other areas (in Michigan and Ohio) that have experienced pinus invasions and chrysoptera declines. In southern West Virginia, introgression of mtDNA appeared to be roughly symmetrical: 15% (11 of 72) of pinus phenotypes possessed chrysoptera mtDNA, and 12% (17 of 137) of chrysoptera phenotypes possessed pinus mtDNA. Results from much smaller samples from Michigan and Ohio also failed to show any evidence of asymmetric mitochondrial introgression. The results we report here, based on mtDNA and plumage phenotype information for 337 birds representing much of the range of the two species, indicate that previous genetic results and inferences from Pennsylvania may not be broadly applicable to the many areas of contact between chrysoptera and pinus in eastern North America.
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N., S. Vannur, and C. Hiragond N. "Sighting of Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla (Linnaeus, 1758) from Belagavi: North Karnataka, Southern India." Biolife 4, no. 4 (2022): 693–94. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7350449.
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<strong>ABSTRACT</strong> <strong>E</strong>urasian Wryneck <em>Jynx torquilla</em> is a peculiar, medium sized cryptic grey, buff and brown colored bird with nightjar plumage resembles woodpeckers. It is a winter visitor mainly winters in Eastern Pakistan to Himachal Pradesh, Assam and in south India up to northern part of Maharashtra and Andra Pradesh. Eurasian Wryneck also winters in Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. It breeds during May-July in Northwest Himalayas, from East Pakistan to Himachal Pradesh at 1500-3300 m (Grimmett <em>et al,. </em>1998 & 2011; Kazmierczak, 2000; Ali S., 2002; Rasmussen & Anderton, 2012). It is a least concerned bird having larger distribution range from Africa, Europe and in Asian subcontinent (IUCN, 2015; Birdlife, 2015). In India it is distributed almost throughout the Indian union. It is inhabited the orchids, cultivation edges, semi desert, mixed deciduous and open scrub forest area. In this note we report new sighting record of Eurasian Wryneck from Belagavi, north Karnataka in southern India. <strong>REFERENCES </strong> Ali, S. 2002. <em>The book of Indian Birds</em>, 13th revised edition. Bombay Natural History Society / Oxford University Press, Mumbai, 326pp. Arlott N. 2014. <em>Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka</em>, William Collins, An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, London. BirdLife International 2015. Species factsheet:<em> Jynx torquilla</em>. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/12/2015 Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp T. 1998. <em>Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.</em> Oxford University Press, New Delhi. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp T. 2011. <em>Birds of the Indian Subcontinent</em> 2<sup>nd</sup> Edition. Christopher Helm, Oxford University Press, India. IUCN 2015. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015-4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on <strong>16 December 2015</strong>. Porika Raju and Estari Mamidala (2015). Anti-diabetic activity of compound isolated from Physalis angulata fruit extracts in alloxan induced diabetic rats. The Ame J Sci & Med Res, 2015,1(1); Pages 1 -6. doi:10.17812/ajsmr2015.11.1. Kazmierczak, K. 2000. <em>Birds of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives </em>1<sup>st</sup> Edition. Christopher Helm, London. Rasmussen P. C. and Anderton J. C. 2012. <em>Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. 1 and 2</em>. Second edition. National Museum of Natural History – Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx Edicions, Washington, DC., Michigan and Barcelona.
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White, Noor D., George F. Barrowclough, Jeff G. Groth, and Michael J. Braun. "A MULTI‐GENE ESTIMATE OF HIGHER‐LEVEL PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NIGHTJARS (AVES: CAPRIMULGIDAE)." Ornitología Neotropical 27 (November 30, 2016): 223–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.58843/ornneo.v27i0.88.
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ABSTRACT ∙ The higher‐level phylogenetic relationships of the nightjars and nighthawks (Caprimulgidae) have been challenging for traditional systematics due to their cryptic plumage and conservative morphology. We explored these relationships by combining two previously published molecular datasets with new data to generate a complete matrix (7,104 bp) of evolutionarily disparate sequence elements from four genes for 36 taxa. We analyzed each of the genes separately for base composition heterogeneity and heterozygosity. We analyzed the concatenated matrix in a likelihood framework using seven different partitioning schemes. As the number of subsets in a given partitioning scheme increased, tree length and likelihood score also increased; however, the branching topology was little affected by increasingly complex partitioning schemes. Our best maximum likelihood tree has increased bootstrap support at 13 of 30 ingroup nodes compared with previous analyses, a result likely due to doubling the length of the sequence data. Coalescent‐based species tree inference produced a tree congruent with all strongly supported nodes in the maximum likelihood tree. This topology agrees with previous molecular studies in identifying three small, early branching Old World genera (Eurostopodus, Lyncornis, and Gactornis) and four more speciose terminal clades, representing the New World nighthawks (genus Chordeiles) and three nightjar radiations centered in South America, Central America and the Old World, respectively. Increased node support across the tree reinforces a historical scenario with origins in the region surrounding the Indian Ocean, followed by diversification in the New World and subsequent recolonization and radiation in the Old World. Future work on this group should incorporate additional members of the genera Lyncornis and Eurostopodus, to determine which is the basal lineage of Caprimulgidae.RESUMEN ∙ Relaciones filogenéticas de más alto nivel de los atajacaminos (Aves: Caprimulgidae) en base a un análisis multigénico Las relaciones filogenéticas de más alto nivel de los atajacaminos y añaperos (Caprimulgidae) son un reto para la sistemática tradicional, debido a que el grupo posee morfología poco variable y plumajes crípticos. Exploramos relaciones filogenéticas en el grupo combinando dos conjuntos de datos moleculares ya publicados con nuevos datos. La matriz completa (7,104 bp) se generó con cuatro genes y 36 taxones, incluyendo marcadores con distintos modelos de evolución. Se examinó cada uno de los genes por separado para determinar heterocigosidad y heterogeneidad de la composición de bases. Se analizó la matriz concatenada en un marco de máxima verosimilitud utilizando siete particiones diferentes. La longitud de los árboles filogenéticos y su verosimilitud aumentaron a la par del número de subconjuntos en una partición particular; sin embargo, la topología del árbol varió poco entre particiones. En comparación con topologías publicadas, nuestro árbol de máxima verosimilitud tuvo mejor soporte para 13 de los 30 nodos internos, resultado que podría deberse al uso del doble de los datos de secuencias. El método de árboles de especies basado en coalescencia produjo una topología congruente con la obtenida por máxima verosimilitud. Esta topología concuerda con previos estudios moleculares, identificando tres pequeños géneros del Viejo Mundo como basales en la filogenia (Eurostopodus, Lyncornis y Gactornis), y cuatro clados terminales con más especies. Estos clados terminales representan los atajacaminos del Nuevo Mundo del género Chordeiles, y otras tres radiaciones de América del Sur, Central y del Viejo Mundo. Nuestros resultados sugieren un escenario histórico con orígenes del grupo en la región circundante al Océano Indico, seguido por la diversificación en las Américas y la posterior recolonización y radiación en el Viejo Mundo. Futuros estudios en este grupo deben incorporar miembros adicionales de los géneros Lyncornis y Eurostopodus, lo que permitirá estudiar cuál es el linaje basal de Caprimulgidae.
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Green, M. Clay, and Paul L. Leberg. "Influence of plumage colour on prey response: does habitat alter heron crypsis to prey?" Animal Behaviour 70, no. 5 (2005): 1203–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.03.003.
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HAZZI, NICOLAS A., and DIANA SILVA DAVILA. "A new species of Caloctenus (Araneae: Ctenidae) from Colombia." Zootaxa 3315, no. 1 (2012): 65. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3315.1.3.
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The genus Caloctenus Keyserling, 1877 comprises four species of small (3–7 mm) ground-dwelling spiders found in cloud forests and adjacent habitats of the northern Andes of South America, at elevations between 1800 to 2600 m (Silva 2004). All species apparently have a restricted geographic range and most are only known from the type locality. These spiders exhibit a cryptic coloration having a dark brown body with iridescent scales, sparse white plumose hairs and club-shaped red hairs, an ornamentation pattern that makes them indistinguishable from the leaf litter and hard to find. Recent attempts to find more caloctenine spiders in a Peruvian type locality were unsuccessful and it appears their populations, in general, are declining as fast as are their mossy and humid microhabitats.
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Kennett, B. L. N., and D. R. Davies. "Intra-plate volcanism in North Queensland and eastern new Guinea: A cryptic mantle plume?" Gondwana Research 79 (March 2020): 209–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2019.10.003.
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Peres, Pedro A., Heather Bracken-Grissom, Laura E. Timm, and Fernando L. Mantelatto. "Genomic Analyses Implicate the Amazon–Orinoco Plume as the Driver of Cryptic Speciation in a Swimming Crab." Genes 13, no. 12 (2022): 2263. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes13122263.
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The Amazon–Orinoco plume (AOP) is the world’s largest freshwater and sediment discharge into the ocean. Previous studies limited to mtDNA suggest that the swimming crab Callinectes ornatus Ordway, 1863 exists as two distinct genetic clusters separated by the AOP. However, questions concerning migration, diversification time, and species delimitation are unresolved. Densely sampling markers across the genome (SNPs) could elucidate the evolutionary processes within this species. Here, we combined mtDNA data and ddRAD-seq to explore the diversification patterns and processes within the swimming crab C. ornatus. We show great genetic differentiation between groups on the north and south sides of the plume but also signs of hybridization. Demographic modeling indicates the divergence between groups starting around 8 Mya following the AOP’s formation. After a period of isolation, we detect two incidences of secondary contact with stronger migration in concordance with the North Brazil Current flow. Our results suggest speciation with gene flow explained by the interplay among the AOP, oceanographic currents, and long larval dispersal. This work represents the first investigation employing ddRAD-seq in a marine invertebrate species with distribution encompassing the north and south Atlantic and sheds light on the role of the AOP in the diversification of a marine species.
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Andrade, Luiz Felipe, Jesser Fidelis Souza-Filho, and André Resende Senna. "A new species of Leptophoxoides Barnard, 1962 (Amphipoda, Phoxocephalidae) from the Brazilian northeastern continental slope." Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 62 (February 8, 2022): e202262006. http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2022.62.006.
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A new species of Leptophoxoides Barnard, 1962 is described with material from the continental slope of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil at three different depths: 150, 400 and 2,500 meters. Leptophoxoides longisetae sp. nov. can be diagnosed and distinguished from the other two species of the genus, L. molaris Barnard, 1962 and L. marina Senna, 2010, by the following characters: antenna 1 peduncular article 1 ventral apex weakly ensiform; maxilla 1 inner plate longer than outer; maxilliped palp article 3 with blunt and extremely protuberant apex; gnathopods 1-2 carpus almost cryptic; gnathopod 2 palm defined by a large and sharply produced palmar hump; pereopod 6 basis posterodistal corner produced as a blunt lobe; and telson with two dorsal long plumose setae on each side. This is the first record of the genus for northeastern Brazilian waters, uncovering a higher biodiversity in deep waters.
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SBRUZZI, HÉLLEN, MARLISE LADVOCAT BARTHOLOMEI-SANTOS, and SANDRO SANTOS. "Setal morphology of oral apparatus of Aegla longirostri Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994 (Decapoda: Aeglidae)." Zootaxa 5403, no. 1 (2024): 51–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5403.1.3.
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The seta, a type of projection of the cuticle in crustaceans, has essential mechanical and sensory functions. Due to the diversity of their morphology and distribution patterns on the articles of different appendages, setae can be helpful as taxonomic characters. To assist future studies on the potential use of setae as a diagnostic character in aeglids, we used scanning electron microscopy to analyze the morphology of setae from the oral apparatus of Aegla longirostri Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994, and compared our data to the literature. We identified nine setal types (simple, serrate, stout serrate, sword, plumose, pappose, comb, serrulate, and cuspidate), of which the last two had not been previously described in adult aeglids. Our results are a first step towards future comparisons of setal morphology in the genus Aegla, which includes cryptic species complexes, to ascertain the usefulness of setae as a character to aid in the description of species of this group, which has a conserved general morphology.
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ESPINOZA-DONOSO, SEBASTIÁN, LUIS E. PARRA, CRISTÓBAL GONZÁLEZ-ESPINOZA, MARCELO VARGAS-ORTIZ, and HÉCTOR A. VARGAS. "Morphology of the immature stages and notes on the natural history of the little-known plume moth Stenoptilodes juanfernandicus Gielis (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae)." Zootaxa 4462, no. 3 (2018): 415. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4462.3.7.
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Stenoptilodes juanfernandicus Gielis, 1991 (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) was described from the Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile; it was subsequently recorded from the Galápagos Islands and mainland Ecuador. Its larva and pupa are described and illustrated for the first time with the aid of light and scanning electron microscopy. Descriptions are based on specimens collected as larvae displaying cryptic coloration feeding on inflorescences of Verbena hispida Ruiz & Pav. (Verbenaceae) in the Andes of northern Chile. Several differences were found with the larva and pupa of congeneric representatives, suggesting that immature morphology should be further explored to assess its value in the taxonomy and systematics of Stenoptilodes Zimmerman, 1958. Verbena hispida is the first host plant recorded for S. juanfernandicus, a finding that will be helpful to further explore different Neotropical environments to better characterize the geographic range of this plume moth.
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Seniczak, Stanisław, Anna Seniczak, and SŁAWOMIR KACZMAREK. "Ceratozetes behani sp. nov. (Acari: Oribatida: Ceratozetidae), a new cryptic species from Mongolia, its morphological ontogeny and comments on some congeners." Systematic and Applied Acarology 22, no. 10 (2017): 1763. http://dx.doi.org/10.11158/saa.22.10.15.
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Ceratozetes behani sp. nov. from Mongolia and its morphological ontogeny is described and illustrated. It is a cryptic species as adult, similar to C. helenae (Pavlichenko, 1993), but differs distinctly from it by the morphology of juveniles. The adult of C. behani has a similar pattern of the lamellar complex and notogastral setae, and shape of porose areas as C. helenae, but differs from it mainly by having longer setae bv'' and v" on femur II and slimmer femora III and IV. In contrast, the juveniles of C. behani have most prodorsal and gastronotal setae with long spines, whereas in C. helenae these setae are plumose. Moreover, the larva C. behani has a pygidial shield, whereas that of C. helenae has not. The nymphs of both species have the gastronotal shield, but in C. behani it is uniform, with setal pairs dm, dp and h1, whereas in C. helenae it is divided in two parts, with one pair (da) and five pairs of setae (dm, dp, and h-series), respectively.
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Laska, Alicja, Agnieszka Majer, Wiktoria Szydło, et al. "Cryptic diversity within grass-associated Abacarus species complex (Acariformes: Eriophyidae), with the description of a new species, Abacarus plumiger n. sp." Experimental and Applied Acarology 76, no. 1 (2018): 1–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0291-6.
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Ador, Kimberly, Januarius Gobilik, and Suzan Benedick. "Phylogenetic and Morphological Characteristics Reveal Cryptic Speciation in Stingless Bee, Tetragonula laeviceps s.l. Smith 1857 (Hymenoptera; Meliponinae)." Insects 14, no. 5 (2023): 438. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects14050438.
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Tetragonula laeviceps sensu lato (s.l.) Smith 1857 has the most complicated nomenclatural history among the Tetragonula genera. The objective of this study was to investigate whether T. laeviceps s.l. individuals with worker bees are grouped in the same or nearly the same morphological characteristics and have similar COI haplotype cluster groups. A total of 147 worker bees of T. laeviceps s.l. were collected from six sampling sites in Sabah (RDC, Tuaran, Kota Marudu, Putatan, Kinarut and Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture (FSA)), but only 36 were selected for further studies. These specimens were first classified according to the most obvious morphological characteristics, i.e., hind tibia color, hind basitarsus color and body size. Group identification was based on morphological characteristics important for distinguishing the four groups within T. laeviceps s.l. The four groups of T. laeviceps s.l. had significantly different body trait measurements for the TL (total length), HW (head width), HL (head length), CEL (compound eye length), CEW (compound eye width), FWLT (forewing length, including tegula), FWW (forewing width), FWL (forewing length), ML (mesoscutum length), MW (mesoscutum width), SW (mesoscutellum width), SL (mesoscutellum length), HTL = (hind tibia length), HTW (hind tibia width), HBL (hind basitarsus length) and HBW (hind basitarsus width) (p < 0.001). Body color included HC (head color), CC (clypeus color), ASC (antennae scape color), CFPP (Clypeus and frons plumose pubescence), HTC (hind tibia color), BSC (basitarsus color), SP (leg setae pubescence), SP (Thorax mesoscutellum pubescence), SPL (thorax mesoscutellum pubescence length) and TC (thorax color) (p < 0.05). The most distinctive features of the morphological and morphometric characteristics measured by PCA and LDA biplot that distinguish Group 1 (TL6-1, TL6-2 and TL6-3) from the other groups were the yellowish-brown ASC and the dark brown TC. Group 2 (haplotypes TL2-1, TL2-2 and TL2-3 and TL4-1, TL4-2 and TL4-3) had a dark brown ASC and a black TC, while Group 3 (haplotypes TL11-1, TL11-2 and TL11-3) had a blackish-brown ASC, a black TC and the largest TL, FWW and FWL. As for phylogenetic relationships, 12 out of 36 haplotypes showed clear separation with good bootstrap values (97–100%). The rest of the haplotypes did not show clear differentiation between subclades that belonged together, regardless of their morphology and morphometric characteristics. This suggests that the combination of DNA barcoding for species identification and phylogenetic analysis, as well as traditional methods based on morphological grouping by body size and body color, can be reliably used to determine intraspecific variations within T. laeviceps s.l.
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Nebel, Carina, Petra Sumasgutner, Adrien Pajot, and Arjun Amar. "Response time of an avian prey to a simulated hawk attack is slower in darker conditions, but is independent of hawk colour morph." Royal Society Open Science 6, no. 8 (2019): 190677. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190677.
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To avoid predation, many species rely on vision to detect predators and initiate an escape response. The ability to detect predators may be lower in darker light conditions or with darker backgrounds. For birds, however, this has never been experimentally tested. We test the hypothesis that the response time of avian prey (feral pigeon Columbia livia f. domestica ) to a simulated hawk attack (taxidermy mounted colour-polymorphic black sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus ) will differ depending on light levels or background colour. We predict that response will be slower under darker conditions, which would translate into higher predation risk. The speed of response of prey in relation to light level or background colour may also interact with the colour of the predator, and this idea underpins a key hypothesis proposed for the maintenance of different colour morphs in polymorphic raptors. We therefore test whether the speed of reaction is influenced by the morph of the hawk (dark/light) in combination with light conditions (dull/bright), or background colours (black/white). We predict slowest responses to morphs under conditions that less contrast with the plumage of the hawk (e.g. light morph under bright light or white background). In support of our first hypothesis, pigeons reacted slower under duller light and with a black background. However, we found no support for the second hypothesis, with response times observed between the hawk-morphs being irrespective of light levels or background colour. Our findings experimentally confirm that birds detect avian predators less efficiently under darker conditions. These conditions, for example, might occur during early mornings or in dense forests, which could lead to changes in anti-predator behaviours. However, our results provide no support that different morphs may be maintained in a population due to differential selective advantages linked to improved hunting efficiencies in different conditions due to crypsis.
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Volkmer, Tamara, Krisztina Kupán, Veronika A. Rohr-Bender, et al. "Hidden in plain sight: camouflage and hiding behaviour of wild precocial chicks in an open landscape." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 78, no. 6 (2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03482-3.
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Abstract Camouflage represents an important component of self-protection when animals cannot easily evade predators and is often altered by behavioural responses to a predation threat. The cryptic plumage of many precocial chicks inspired early theoretical work on camouflage mechanisms, but so far, limited efforts have gone towards empirically testing the crypsis of chick plumage properties in their natural environment. We studied background matching and hiding behaviour in precocial snowy plovers Charadrius nivosus in Bahia de Ceuta, Northwest Mexico. This ground-nesting wader breeds in sparsely vegetated open habitats such as salt flats and sandy beaches. The open habitats provide a challenge for young chicks to evade predator detection. Examining background matching of wild chicks for luminance, pattern and colouration at their hiding spots, we found that chicks matched the luminance of their chosen spot better than at unchosen nearby spots. Pattern and colouration matching were age-related, with the plumage of older chicks matching their hiding spots better than those of recently hatched chicks. This suggests that with increasing mobility, chicks may be better able to find hiding places that optimise camouflage. Finally, we found that chicks were more likely to hide in soil cracks than expected by chance, suggesting that chicks chose these soil features in a barren landscape as preferred hideouts. We conclude that the cryptic plumage is an understudied but essential part of the anti-predator repertoire of precocial chicks. The plumage most likely works hand-in-hand with the anti-predator behaviours of chicks and their parents to increase survival chances of precocial young. Significance statement Many chicks rely on effective camouflage to evade predators and survive until fledging. We studied how plumage characteristics and behavioural choices enable snowy plover chicks to hide effectively from approaching predators in an open landscape. These chicks leave their nest scrapes shortly after hatching, relying on their cryptic plumage for several weeks to evade predator detection. We found that chicks chose hiding spots where their plumage had a higher match in luminance and, for older chicks, a higher match in pattern and colouration than at adjacent spots. When available, chicks chose to hide in small cracks that appeared in the soil from the evaporation of moisture. This study represents the first quantitative characterisation of cryptic chick plumage features in a natural population. Our results demonstrate that plumage and behavioural responses jointly contribute to the effective camouflage of small chicks.
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Dejtaradol, Ariya, Martin Päckert, and Swen C. Renner. "Intraspecific variation of three plumage-cryptic bulbul species." Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, March 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2024.01.004.
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Chesser, R. Terry, Morton L. Isler, Andrés M. Cuervo, et al. "Conservative plumage masks extraordinary phylogenetic diversity in the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex of the humid Andes." Auk 137, no. 3 (2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/ukaa009.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract The Grallaria rufula complex is currently considered to consist of 2 species, G. rufula (Rufous Antpitta) and G. blakei (Chestnut Antpitta). However, it has been suggested that the complex, populations of which occur in humid montane forests from Venezuela to Bolivia, comprises a suite of vocally distinct yet morphologically cryptic species. We sequenced nuclear and mitochondrial DNA for 80 individuals from across the distribution of the complex to determine the extent of genetic variation between and within described taxa. Our results revealed 18 geographically coherent clades separated by substantial genetic divergence: 14 within rufula, 3 within blakei, and 1 corresponding to G. rufocinerea (Bicolored Antpitta), a species with distinctive plumage found to be nested within the complex. Neither G. rufula nor G. blakei as presently defined was monophyletic. Although 6 of the 7 recognized subspecies of G. rufula were monophyletic, several subspecies contained substantial genetic differentiation. Genetic variation was largely partitioned across recognized geographic barriers, especially across deep river valleys in Peru and Colombia. Coalescent modeling identified 17 of the 18 clades as significantly differentiated lineages, whereas analyses of vocalizations delineated 16 biological species within the complex. The G. rufula complex seems unusually diverse even among birds of the humid Andes, a prime location for cryptic speciation; however, the extent to which other dispersal-limited Andean species groups exhibit similar degrees of cryptic differentiation awaits further study.
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Camacho, Carlos, Pedro Sáez-Gómez, Paula Hidalgo-Rodríguez, Julio Rabadán-González, Carlos Molina, and Juan José Negro. "Leucistic plumage as a result of progressive greying in a cryptic nocturnal bird." Scientific Reports 12, no. 1 (2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07360-8.
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AbstractLeucism, broadly defined as the lack of melanin pigmentation, occurs in many animal species. Most studies on leucism and other colour aberrations are based on opportunistic observations or small cross-sectional samples, thus limiting our ability to produce reliable results and test theoretical predictions. This study combines cross-sectional and longitudinal data collected in 2016–2020 from a population of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis). The goals of the study are (i) to investigate sex and age effects on partial leucism, (ii) to separate within-subject effects (progressive greying) from between-subject effects (selective disappearance), and (iii) to examine differences in body mass, structural size, and life span between leucistic and non-leucistic individuals. The probability of leucism in nightjars increased from juveniles to adults at similar rates in males and females. Our longitudinal analysis and life-span comparisons indicated a minor contribution of selective disappearance to age-related changes in leucism, but rather suggested that the loss of melanin from feathers can be attributed to progressive greying in ageing adults. Body mass and size were consistently smaller (5% and 1.5%, respectively) in leucistic than in non-leucistic nightjars, although the reason for this difference remains unclear. Our study sheds light on the sources and mechanisms of variation in leucism in natural populations and its relationship with important life-history traits, such as life span.
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Lovell, Scott F., M. Ross Lein, and Sean M. Rogers. "Cryptic speciation in the Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)." Auk, January 20, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukaa071.
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AbstractEastern (Vireo gilvus gilvus) and western (V. g. swainsoni) forms of the Warbling Vireo have essentially allopatric breeding ranges across north-central North America, but come into contact in central Alberta, Canada. In 1986, Jon Barlow presented preliminary morphological and song evidence suggesting that the Warbling Vireo complex might comprise more than one valid species. However, to date, Barlow’s suggestion is supported by only limited DNA evidence, demonstration of molt and migration differences between the taxa, and anecdotal accounts of differences in song, morphology, plumage, and ecology. We analyzed variation in both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in birds from Alberta and surrounding areas to determine the levels of genetic differentiation and hybridization occurring in the contact zone, and whether the two taxa warrant recognition as separate biological species. Our analyses reveal that Warbling Vireos in Alberta and the surrounding areas are separated into two well-defined, genetically differentiated, and monophyletic clades corresponding to previously recognized taxonomic groups. The two taxa come into contact in a narrow (~85 km) zone in Barrhead County, northwest of Edmonton, Alberta. They show evidence of limited hybridization. The distinct genetic differences are maintained in the contact zone, where individuals of the two taxa may occupy neighboring territories. Differences in spring arrival dates, molt schedules, and migration routes indicate that a migratory divide may play an important role in reproductive isolation. We suggest that the two taxa are distinct cryptic species: an eastern form, Vireo gilvus, and a western form, Vireo swainsoni.
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Lima, Rafael Dantas, and Ruan Vieira Vaz. "Divergence in vocalizations indicates cryptic speciation in Camptostoma tyrannulets." Ornithology, November 22, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukae058.
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Abstract The tyrant flycatcher genus Camptostoma currently comprises two visually similar species: C. imberbe (Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet), ranging from the southern United States to Costa Rica, and C. obsoletum (Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet), found from Costa Rica to Uruguay. Vocal and genetic differences suggest that the Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet may include multiple species, but no analysis of acoustic trait variation has been conducted within the genus. We analyzed a geographically comprehensive sample of sound recordings to measure geographic variation in vocalizations across the genus, testing the hypothesis that the C. obsoletum includes multiple species. We find that Camptostoma comprises 8 vocally distinct populations, 2 within the Northern and 6 within C. obsoletum. These populations exhibit diagnostic differences in multiple different vocalizations, including vocalization types that are typically species-specific in the Tyrannidae. Their range limits and contact zones largely corresponded with known dispersal barriers, ecotones, and suture zones, with little evidence of gene flow between adjacent populations. Our results strongly suggest that Camptostoma comprises as many as 8 vocally distinct biological species, underscoring the underestimated diversity of species in birds with conservative plumage evolution.
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Krabbe, Niels K., Thomas S. Schulenberg, Peter A. Hosner, et al. "Untangling cryptic diversity in the High Andes: Revision of the Scytalopus [magellanicus] complex (Rhinocryptidae) in Peru reveals three new species." Auk 137, no. 2 (2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/ukaa003.
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Abstract Tropical mountains feature marked species turnover along elevational gradients and across complex topography, resulting in great concentrations of avian biodiversity. In these landscapes, particularly among morphologically conserved and difficult to observe avian groups, species limits still require clarification. One such lineage is Scytalopus tapaculos, which are among the morphologically most conserved birds. Attention to their distinctive vocal repertoires and phylogenetic relationships has resulted in a proliferation of newly identified species, many of which are restricted range endemics. Here, we present a revised taxonomy and identify species limits among high-elevation populations of Scytalopus tapaculos inhabiting the Peruvian Andes. We employ an integrated framework using a combination of vocal information, mitochondrial DNA sequences, and appearance, gathered from our own fieldwork over the past 40 yr and supplemented with community-shared birdsong archives and museum specimens. We describe 3 new species endemic to Peru. Within all 3 of these species there is genetic differentiation, which in 2 species is mirrored by subtle geographic plumage and vocal variation. In a fourth species, Scytalopus schulenbergi, we document deep genetic divergence and plumage differences despite overall vocal similarity. We further propose that an extralimital taxon, Scytalopus opacus androstictus, be elevated to species rank, based on a diagnostic vocal character. Our results demonstrate that basic exploration and descriptive work using diverse data sources continues to identify new species of birds, particularly in tropical environs.