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Evolutionary pathways to convergence in plumage patterns.

Thanh-Lan Gluckman1,2,3, Nicholas I Mundy4

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK. thanhlan.gluckman@gmail.com.

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|September 2, 2016
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Feather patterns in birds like scales, bars, and spots evolve in a predictable order, with simpler patterns like scales and bars appearing more frequently than predicted from an unpatterned state. This suggests developmental constraints guide avian plumage evolution.

Keywords:
Comparative modellingEvo-devoModularityWithin-feather patterning

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Avian genetics

Background:

  • Avian plumage exhibits repeated evolution of within-feather patterns, making it ideal for studying phenotypic convergence.
  • Three major pattern types exist: scales, bars, and spots, with increasing complexity in their developmental mechanisms.
  • Existing models propose scales evolve first, followed by bars, and then spots due to developmental constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of plumage patterns in waterfowl (Anseriformes) and gamebirds (Galliformes).
  • To test the hypothesis that developmental stringency predicts the order of pattern evolution.
  • To compare evolutionary patterns between these two avian orders.

Main Methods:

  • Bayesian phylogenetic modeling was employed to reconstruct pattern evolution.
  • Analyses were conducted on seven distinct feather patches.
  • Evolutionary transitions were inferred across Galliformes and Anseriformes.

Main Results:

  • The ancestral plumage state is largely unpatterned, with some variability.
  • Spots evolve after bars and scales, but scales and bars frequently evolve from an unpatterned state, contrary to predictions.
  • Evolutionary constraints are conserved across feather patches, with spots requiring the most evolutionary steps.

Conclusions:

  • Inferred evolutionary trajectories for plumage patterns show remarkable similarity between Galliformes and Anseriformes.
  • Developmental constraints appear similar across these orders despite ecological differences.
  • Evolutionary transitions align with reaction-diffusion models, though bar evolution from unpatterned ancestors is more frequent than expected.