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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Published on: May 21, 2019

Using Historical Biogeography Models to Study Color Pattern Evolution.

Chad M Eliason¹, Michael J Andersen², Shannon J Hackett¹

¹Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA.

Systematic Biology

|February 21, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Kingfisher plumage color patterns evolve holistically, not just patch by patch. Historical biogeography models reveal distinct evolutionary rates for pigment versus structural colors.

Keywords:

Evolutionary rates RevBayes feathers plumage spectrophotometry

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Ornithology
Bioacoustics

Background:

Organismal color variation is crucial for environmental and social interactions.
Previous studies analyzed plumage patches individually or used complexity scores, neglecting multivariate evolution and interpatch distances.
Kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae) exhibit diverse plumage color patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To apply historical biogeography tools to study kingfisher color pattern evolution.
To test hypotheses regarding the tempo and mode of avian color evolution.
To investigate the role of interpatch distances and color mechanisms in macroevolutionary trends.

Main Methods:

Utilized a historical biogeography toolkit to analyze kingfisher plumage color patterns.
Assessed the multivariate nature of plumage evolution, considering interpatch distances.
Modeled color evolution, differentiating between pigment-based and structural colors.

Main Results:

Interpatch distances are significant for understanding macroevolutionary color diversity.
Historical biogeography models effectively represent plumage color pattern evolution.
Structural colors evolve and spread across the body at higher net rates than pigment-based colors.

Conclusions:

Plumage color patterns evolve as integrated wholes, influenced by interpatch relationships.
Developmental and selective pressures drive the extraordinary color diversity in kingfishers.
The historical biogeography approach is valuable for studying complex phenotypes, including color patterns and parasite evolution.