Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?

The Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis is a sexually dichromatic species, in which males have blackish-blue iridescence and females are dull brown. However, in some subtropical parts of its distribution, females show a plumage polymorphism that ranges from dull brown to dark brown and even black. P...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Mahler, B., Lopez, N.I., Di Giacomo, A.G., Reboreda, J.C.
Formato:	JOUR
Materias:	Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria Feather degradation Melanization Molothrus bonariensis adaptation bacterium biodegradation color morph melanin microbial activity passerine physiological response plumage polymorphism selection sexual dimorphism subtropical region Argentina Bacteria (microorganisms)
Acceso en línea:	http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00191019_v152_n4_p775_Mahler
Aporte de:	Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA) de Universidad de Buenos Aires

id	todo:paper_00191019_v152_n4_p775_Mahler
record_format	dspace
spelling	todo:paper_00191019_v152_n4_p775_Mahler2023-10-03T14:16:26Z Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation? Mahler, B. Lopez, N.I. Di Giacomo, A.G. Reboreda, J.C. Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria Feather degradation Melanization Molothrus bonariensis adaptation bacterium biodegradation color morph melanin microbial activity passerine physiological response plumage polymorphism selection sexual dimorphism subtropical region Argentina Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria (microorganisms) Molothrus bonariensis The Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis is a sexually dichromatic species, in which males have blackish-blue iridescence and females are dull brown. However, in some subtropical parts of its distribution, females show a plumage polymorphism that ranges from dull brown to dark brown and even black. Plumage melanization has been shown to protect feathers from bacterial degradation, decreasing the effects of harmful bacterial activity and thus plumage damage. In this study, we assessed whether bacterial feather-degrading activity is acting as the selective force to increase darkness in the plumage of the female Shiny Cowbirds in Argentina. We compared the degradation of female Shiny Cowbird feathers belonging to different colour morphs when exposed to bacterial strains isolated from subtropical and temperate zones of its distribution, as well as to Bacillus licheniformis. We did not find differences in susceptibility to bacterial degradation between brown feathers and darker feathers. These results suggest that female plumage polymorphism in Shiny Cowbirds has not arisen as a defence against bacterial feather-degrading activity. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 British Ornithologists' Union. Fil:Mahler, B. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Reboreda, J.C. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. JOUR info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00191019_v152_n4_p775_Mahler
institution	Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str	I-28
repository_str	R-134
collection	Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic	Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria Feather degradation Melanization Molothrus bonariensis adaptation bacterium biodegradation color morph melanin microbial activity passerine physiological response plumage polymorphism selection sexual dimorphism subtropical region Argentina Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria (microorganisms) Molothrus bonariensis
spellingShingle	Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria Feather degradation Melanization Molothrus bonariensis adaptation bacterium biodegradation color morph melanin microbial activity passerine physiological response plumage polymorphism selection sexual dimorphism subtropical region Argentina Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria (microorganisms) Molothrus bonariensis Mahler, B. Lopez, N.I. Di Giacomo, A.G. Reboreda, J.C. Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?
topic_facet	Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria Feather degradation Melanization Molothrus bonariensis adaptation bacterium biodegradation color morph melanin microbial activity passerine physiological response plumage polymorphism selection sexual dimorphism subtropical region Argentina Bacillus licheniformis Bacteria (microorganisms) Molothrus bonariensis
description	The Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis is a sexually dichromatic species, in which males have blackish-blue iridescence and females are dull brown. However, in some subtropical parts of its distribution, females show a plumage polymorphism that ranges from dull brown to dark brown and even black. Plumage melanization has been shown to protect feathers from bacterial degradation, decreasing the effects of harmful bacterial activity and thus plumage damage. In this study, we assessed whether bacterial feather-degrading activity is acting as the selective force to increase darkness in the plumage of the female Shiny Cowbirds in Argentina. We compared the degradation of female Shiny Cowbird feathers belonging to different colour morphs when exposed to bacterial strains isolated from subtropical and temperate zones of its distribution, as well as to Bacillus licheniformis. We did not find differences in susceptibility to bacterial degradation between brown feathers and darker feathers. These results suggest that female plumage polymorphism in Shiny Cowbirds has not arisen as a defence against bacterial feather-degrading activity. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 British Ornithologists' Union.
format	JOUR
author	Mahler, B. Lopez, N.I. Di Giacomo, A.G. Reboreda, J.C.
author_facet	Mahler, B. Lopez, N.I. Di Giacomo, A.G. Reboreda, J.C.
author_sort	Mahler, B.
title	Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?
title_short	Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?
title_full	Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?
title_fullStr	Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?
title_full_unstemmed	Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?
title_sort	increased plumage darkness of female shiny cowbirds molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: an adaptation to bacterial degradation?
url	http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00191019_v152_n4_p775_Mahler
work_keys_str_mv	AT mahlerb increasedplumagedarknessoffemaleshinycowbirdsmolothrusbonariensisinthesubtropicsanadaptationtobacterialdegradation AT lopezni increasedplumagedarknessoffemaleshinycowbirdsmolothrusbonariensisinthesubtropicsanadaptationtobacterialdegradation AT digiacomoag increasedplumagedarknessoffemaleshinycowbirdsmolothrusbonariensisinthesubtropicsanadaptationtobacterialdegradation AT reboredajc increasedplumagedarknessoffemaleshinycowbirdsmolothrusbonariensisinthesubtropicsanadaptationtobacterialdegradation
_version_	1782025628497739776

Increased plumage darkness of female Shiny Cowbirds Molothrus bonariensis in the subtropics: An adaptation to bacterial degradation?

Ejemplares similares