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Solar and terrestrial radiations explain continental-scale variation in bird pigmentation
Ismael Galván1, Alberto Jorge2, Carlos Pacheco3
1Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Seville, Spain. galvan@ebd.csic.es.
Oecologia
|August 11, 2018
Summary
High solar ultraviolet (UV) and terrestrial gamma radiation levels correlate with darker plumage in golden eagles. This suggests radiation exposure influences animal pigmentation, impacting feather melanin content and overall phenotype.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Zoology
Background:
- Animals use melanin pigments for protection against solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- Spatial variations in UV radiation exist, but their role in animal pigmentation clines is unexplored.
- Pigmentation diversity in animals is crucial for survival and adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of solar UV radiation on clinal variations in animal pigmentation.
- To test the hypothesis that UV exposure shapes pigmentation phenotypes at a continental scale.
- To identify potential environmental factors driving pigmentation diversity in animals.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations across Europe.
- Measurement of solar UV-B and terrestrial gamma radiation levels in eagle territories.
- Assessment of feather pheomelanin content and plumage coloration phenotypes.
Main Results:
- Golden eagles in high UV-B radiation areas exhibited lower pheomelanin deposition and darker plumage.
- Terrestrial gamma radiation levels also correlated with reduced pheomelanin and darker feathers.
- A clinal variation in pigmentation was observed, linked to both solar and terrestrial radiation exposure.
Conclusions:
- Solar UV radiation and natural radioactivity are significant factors shaping animal pigmentation.
- Radiation exposure influences pheomelanin content, leading to observable phenotypic differences.
- This study reveals radiation as a novel driver of pigmentation diversity in vertebrates, with implications for humans.
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