棕背伯劳羽色多态现象探讨

羽色多态现象的研究对了解物种的遗传、变异和进化有着重要意义。棕背伯劳（Lanius schach）具有典型的羽色多态现象。结合华南濒危动物研究所馆藏标本和2005年4月—2007年1月间的野外调查,分析棕背伯劳棕色型和黑色型在形态和地理分布上的差异性后,得到的结果如下：1) 广东可能存在与棕色型、黑色型相区别的一种新色型——黑色白边型,该色型全身以黑色为主,但具多枚白色飞羽;2) 棕色型与黑色型各身体量度均无显著性差异(P> 0.05);3) 野外种群中棕色型为优势色型,黑色型多集中于沿海地区而山区未有发现,黑色白边型仅在沿海的海丰县被发现。据此认为新色型的出现说明沿海可能是黑色型分化的重要地区,且色型的分化仍在进行中。     

不同色型棕背伯劳(Lanius schach)的巢址选择比较

2008 年2-6 月, 在广东海丰鸟类自然保护区对棕背伯劳棕色型(normal morph)、黑色型(dark morph)及其不同杂交型的巢址选择及巢的生态测量值进行了比较。结果如下: 1)野外观察发现棕背伯劳不同色型间未有生殖隔离; 2)对59巢15 个巢址因子进行主成分分析表明, 巢址选择均主要受5 个主成分的影响(5 个主成分中, 相对系数绝对值最高的变量依次是: 巢位高、水源距离、巢下方郁闭度、巢枝分叉级数和巢树隐蔽度), 累计贡献率达70.18%。三种交配型(黑色型-黑色型, 黑色型-棕色型和棕色型-棕色型)巢址选择的主要影响因子皆无显著性差异(P > 0.05)。3)不同交配型在巢材选择上取材均较为广泛, 但差异不显著, 巢的生态测量值亦无显著差异(P > 0.05)。结论认为, 棕背伯劳不同色型在巢址生态位尺度上未出现明显分化。     

不同色型棕背伯劳的冬季家域对比研究

棕背伯劳Lanius schach具有典型的羽色多态现象.于2008年11月14日至12月24日,采用野外直接观察法,利用GPS存取地理坐标点信息,对广东海丰鸟类自然保护区公平保护站黑、棕两种色型棕背伯劳家域进行对比研究,所得数据利用Arcview3.2和SPSS13.0软件技术分析,以探讨不同色型间在家域行为的差异.结果表明:(1)黑、棕两种色型棕背伯劳家域的平均面积分别为11270.96 m2±1807.72 m2、13425.83 m2±3038.82 m2,两者之间无显著差异(P>0.05);(2)被调查个体的家域形状均不规则,相邻家域间的重叠幅度均<1%;(3)不同色型棕背伯劳日平均活动时间区间和时间长度无显著差异(P>0.05).据此认为,棕背伯劳两种色型在家域行为上未表现出明显的分化.     

棕背伯劳羽色多态现象探讨

羽色多态现象的研究对了解物种的遗传、变异和进化有着重要意义。棕背伯劳(Lanius schach)具有典型的羽色多态现象。结合华南濒危动物研究所馆藏标本和2005年4月—2007年1月间的野外调查,分析棕背伯劳棕色型和黑色型在形态和地理分布上的差异性后,得到的结果如下:1)广东可能存在与棕色型、黑色型相区别的一种新色型——黑色白边型,该色型全身以黑色为主,但具多枚白色飞羽;2)棕色型与黑色型各身体量度均无显著性差异(P>0.05);3)野外种群中棕色型为优势色型,黑色型多集中于沿海地区而山区未有发现,黑色白边型仅在沿海的海丰县被发现。据此认为新色型的出现说明沿海可能是黑色型分化的重要地区,且色型的分化仍在进行中。     

棕背伯劳羽色多态与MC1R基因的相关性

黑素皮质素受体1 (melanocortin-1 receptor, MC1R)基因是控制动物黑色素合成的重要基因, 鸟类羽色的变异与MC1R基因的变异有密切关系。棕背伯劳(Lanius schach)在我国东部沿海多地存在羽色多态现象, 有棕色型、黑色型和黑色白边型的分化。为了探究MC1R基因与棕背伯劳色型分化的关系, 本研究对分布于广东省的3种色型共计11只棕背伯劳的MC1R基因编码区进行单核苷酸多态性(SNPs)分析和氨基酸多态性分析。结果表明: (1) 11个实验个体的MC1R基因序列共有4种单倍型, 其中黑色型和黑色白边型共享单倍型H3。(2) 3种色型棕背伯劳MC1R基因编码区的第34-931位的899个碱基中共有47个碱基变异位点, 相对应的氨基酸序列共有18个变异位点, 这些变异位点与黑色表型无对应关系。(3)黑色型与黑色白边型个体基因型在第268-303位编码区出现了36个碱基的缺失, 对应着12个氨基酸的缺失, 该缺失与黑色表型相对应。因此推测棕背伯劳的黑化与MC1R基因碱基片段的缺失密切相关。     

大杜鹃在荒漠伯劳巢中寄生繁殖

2010年5～7月在安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区发现3巢荒漠伯劳被大杜鹃寄生,寄生率10.34%.荒漠伯劳产白色和粉红色两种颜色的卵,大杜鹃产白色寄生卵于卵色为白色的宿主巢中.寄生卵均产于6月,当月寄生率达42.86%.大杜鹃雏鸟19日龄离巢,离巢时体重66.24 g.     

棕背伯劳的雏鸟生长和出飞后行为发育的初步观察

2005年3-5月对南充地区棕背伯劳（Lanius schach）雏鸟的生长进行了观察和测量,并对出飞之后的行为发育进行了初步研究。结果表明,棕背伯劳育雏期12～13d,观察21雏成活18只,成活率为85．7％。体重、体长和其他形态特征的生长都适用于Logistic方程拟合。出飞后笼养雏鸟的“理翅羽”和“一侧翅下展,同时同侧脚下伸”行为频率最高,分别为18．81％和11．88％。     

刺参的趋光性以及对附着基颜色的感应行为

为了探讨刺参的趋光特性和附着基颜色对其行为反应的影响,分别用平均趋光率(mean phototactic rate, MPR)和平均聚集率(mean attractive rate, MAR)统计分析了刺参在100、50、10、5和1 lx共5档强度的光照和7种颜色的附着基(红色、灰色、黄色、蓝色、白色、黑色和绿色)下的行为反应差异。结果表明:在水平光场内,光源照度为100、50和10 lx时,光照度较强区与光照度较低区之间的MPR均存在显著差异(P﹤0.05),而光源照度为5和1 lx时,各区域之间的MPR无显著差异;不同颜色附着基实验时,刺参在黑暗和自然光照条件下,同种颜色附着基的MAR无显著差异(P>0.05);在相同光照条件下,黑色和灰色附着基的MAR明显优于其他颜色的附着基,与蓝色、黄色及不放置附着基的MAR差异极显著(P<0.01),不同颜色附着基的MAR由大到小排列为黑色>灰色>红色>绿色>白色>蓝色>黄色。表明刺参的趋光性随着光照强度的增加而减小,呈负趋光性;平均聚集率较高的3种颜色的附着基是黑色、灰色和红色。     

两种色型黄粉虫的生长发育、存活与饲料利用效率比较研究（英文）

黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor L.是一种重要的资源昆虫, 根据60日龄幼虫的体壁颜色, 通过连续12代的自然选育, 获得了黄、 黑2种色型黄粉虫。为进一步给黄粉虫优良品种培育提供科学的理论依据, 本实验首先对选育出的2种色型黄粉虫的生长发育、 存活及饲料利用效率进行了比较研究。结果表明： 2种色型黄粉虫的孵化率和化蛹率均约为83%和97%, 无显著差异; 但黄色型成虫的羽化率（♀：95%, ♂：91%）却明显高于黑色型成虫的羽化率（♀： 82%, ♂： 83%）。2种色型黄粉虫的卵和蛹历期均约为7 d和10 d, 亦无显著差异; 但黑色型幼虫较黄色型幼虫发育更快、 更整齐。黑色型幼虫共历经12~15龄, 黄色型幼虫历经12~17龄, 并且2种色型黄粉虫幼虫均以历经14龄居多, 历经14龄的黄、 黑2色型黄粉虫幼虫的比例分别为27%和53%。以14龄计, 黄、 黑2色型黄粉虫从卵至成虫的总历期分别为171 d和151 d。此外, 黄色型幼虫对饲料的平均利用效率明显高于同日龄黑色型幼虫, 黄色型幼虫的平均饲料消化率（AD）、 转化率（ECD）和利用率（ECI）分别为66.5%, 50.6%和33.6%, 而黑色型幼虫的平均饲料消化率（AD）、 转化率（ECD）和利用率（ECI）分别为62.1%, 46.8%和29.1%; 但2种色型黄粉虫同日龄幼虫的生长率和存活率差异不显著。综合上述结果可知, 黑色型黄粉虫较黄色型黄粉虫发育更快、 更整齐, 而黄色型黄粉虫对饲料的平均利用效率明显高于黑色型黄粉虫。这为进一步培育黄粉虫优良品种提供了有益参考。     

荒漠伯劳的递食位置与同胞竞争

亲鸟递食位置可以调控雏鸟之间的竞争,而异步孵化会使不同孵出顺序雏鸟的体况产生等级差异。雏鸟可以通过竞争巢中有利位置来获得更多的食物资源,从而提高自身生长发育速度和存活率。本研究于2013和2014年两年的4至8月对甘肃安西荒漠保护区桥子片区22巢荒漠伯劳（Lanius isabellinus）的递食行为进行研究。结果发现,荒漠伯劳亲鸟递食的位置主要集中在1个（n = 13,比例超过50%）或2个（n = 9,合并比例超过60%）位置上,具有一定的可预测性;处于亲鸟递食位置直线方向上的雏鸟获食次数显著高于两侧位置（n = 22,P < 0.001）。但异步孵化雏鸟的孵出顺序与其在巢内占据直线（df = 4,F = 0.211,P > 0.05）和两侧位置（df = 4,F = 0.068,P > 0.05）的次数都不具相关性;并且不同孵出顺序雏鸟间平均获食次数无明显差异（df = 4,F = 0.090,P > 0.05）;拟合不同孵出顺序的雏鸟生长曲线发现,不同孵出顺序雏鸟的体重生长率也没有表现出明显差异（df = 4,F = 0.637,P > 0.05）。研究结果表明,荒漠伯劳亲鸟趋于固定递食位置并向直线方向递食;但雏鸟间具有较小的同胞竞争,出飞等级差异不显著,这可能与繁殖地短暂的食物丰富度和雏鸟本身对于乞食与获食之间的利弊权衡有关。     

Pair complementarity influences reproductive output in the polymorphic black sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus

How multiple morphs are maintained within populations of colour polymorphic bird species remains a challenging question in evolutionary ecology. In some systems, differential productivity or survival between morphs are thought to play a role. Here we examine key demographic parameters between the two discrete adult morphs that characterise the polymorphic black sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus. Using long‐term breeding and survival data from a population on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, we test for differences in reproductive performance between light and dark morphs, both in isolation and in combination with their partner morph and adult survival between morphs. We found that neither morph had a specific advantage in terms of productivity or survival. Despite this lack of difference between the individual morphs, we did however find that morph combination of adult pairs influenced productivity significantly, with mixed‐pairs producing more offspring per year than pairs consisting of the same morph. The body condition of the offspring showed the opposite relationship, with nestlings of mixed‐pairs having lower body condition than nestlings of like‐pairs. While our results suggest an advantage of mating with the opposite morph, there was no evidence for disassortative mating; instead breeding pair morph combinations were random with respect to the background frequencies of the two morphs. Higher productivity of mixed‐pairs may be the result of the complementary nature of care provided by the different morphs. We propose that differential foraging success between black sparrowhawk morphs under varying light conditions allows mixed‐pairs to expand their foraging niche. We conclude that emergent pair‐level properties may play an important role in promoting and maintaining polymorphism and may be important for other bird species which display bi‐parental care.     

Histomorphology and proteolytic activity in the gastric apparatus of frugivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous species of birds.

The histomorphology of the gastric apparatus, the pepsin level and the optimum pH for pepsin were investigated in Psittacula krameri (frugivore), Lanius schach (carnivore) and Acridotheres tristis (omnivore) species of birds. The proventricular glands were found to be made up of oxynticopeptic cells. The lobules of the oxynticopeptic cells are polyhedral; they are the largest in P. krameri, and the smallest in A. tristis. However, their greater number in A. tristis enables a higher secretion of hydrochloric acid and pepsin. The villi are more developed in A. tristis than in L. schach and P. krameri. The gizzard is larger in A. tristis than in P. krameri and A. tritis than in the carnivore L. schach. Koilin lining is beset with horny cones, which were well developed in A. tristis, moderately developed in P. krameri and absent in L. schach. The pepsin activity is higher in the proventriculus of the carnivorous L. schach and the omnivorous A. tristis than in the frugivorous P. krameri. Slight pepsin activity was also observed in gizzard tissue extracts in all the three species. The optimum pH for pepsin was found to be 1.5 for P. krameri and 1.8 for both L. schach and A. tristis.     

Incipient reproductive isolation between two morphs of Drosophila elegans (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Drosophila elegans is a flower-breeding species occurring in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. Two morphs, brown and black, are known in this species. The brown morph is recorded from southern China, Philippines, Indonesia and New Guinea, while the black morph is from the Okinawa islands and Taiwan. The present crossing experiment suggests that the difference of body colour between them was due to alleles on a single locus or closely linked loci on an autosome; F₁ hybrids exhibited intermediate body colour. Female choice tests revealed asymmetrical premating isolation between the brown and black morphs; isolation indices ranged from 0.55 to 0.83 in the tests using females of the black morph (deviation from random mating was significant), but from — 0.03 to 0.50 in the tests using females of the brown morph (deviation from random mating was insignificant). However, body colour was not used as a criterion of mate choice by females. A weak and asymmetrical postmating isolation was also observed between the brown and black morphs; viability was lowered in F₂ progenies of crosses between females of the brown morph and males of the black morph. No premating or postmating isolation was observed between geographic strains of each morph. Under irradiation, body temperature was higher in the black morph than in the brown morph. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed in tolerance to cold, heat and desiccation between the brown and black morphs.     

Ignoring the challenge? Male black redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros) do not increase testosterone levels during territorial conflicts but they do so in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone

Competition elevates plasma testosterone in a wide variety of vertebrates, including humans. The ‘challenge hypothesis’ proposes that seasonal peaks in testosterone during breeding are caused by social challenges from other males. However, during experimentally induced male–male conflicts, testosterone increases only in a minority of songbird species tested so far. Why is this so? Comparative evidence suggests that species with a short breeding season may not elevate testosterone levels during territory defence. These species may even be limited in their physiological capability to increase testosterone levels, which can be tested by injecting birds with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). We studied two populations of black redstarts that differ in breeding altitude, morphology and the length of their breeding season. Unexpectedly, males of neither population increased testosterone in response to a simulated territorial intrusion, but injections with GnRH resulted in a major elevation of testosterone. Thus, black redstarts would have been capable of mounting a testosterone response during the male–male challenge. Our data show, for the first time, that the absence of an androgen response to male–male challenges is not owing to physiological limitations to increase testosterone. Furthermore, in contrast to comparative evidence between species, populations of black redstarts with a long breeding season do not show the expected elevation in testosterone during male–male challenges.     

Morph‐dependent fitness and directional change of morph frequencies over time in a Dutch population of Common buzzards Buteo buteo

How genetic polymorphisms are maintained in a population is a key question in evolutionary ecology. Previous work on a plumage colour polymorphism in the common buzzard Buteo buteo suggested heterozygote advantage as the mechanism maintaining the co‐existence of three morphs (light, intermediate and dark). We took advantage of 20 years of life‐history data collected in a Dutch population to replicate earlier studies on the relationship between colour morph and fitness in this species. We examined differences between morphs in adult apparent survival, breeding success, annual number of fledglings produced and cumulative reproductive success. We found that cumulative reproductive success differed among morphs, with the intermediate morph having highest fitness. We also found assortative mating for colour morph, whereby assortative pairs were more likely to produce offspring and had longer‐lasting pair bonds than disassortative pairs. Over the 20‐year study period, the proportion of individuals with an intermediate morph increased. This apparent evolutionary change did not just arise from selection on individual phenotypes, but also from fitness benefits of assortative mating. The increased frequency of intermediates might also be due to immigration or drift. We hypothesize that genetic variation is maintained through spatial variation in selection pressures. Further studies should investigate morph‐dependent dispersal behaviour and habitat choice.     

Differential foraging success across a light level spectrum explains the maintenance and spatial structure of colour morphs in a polymorphic bird

Detectability of different colour morphs under varying light conditions has been proposed as an important driver in the maintenance of colour polymorphism via disruptive selection. To date, no studies have tested whether different morphs have selective advantages under differing light conditions. We tested this hypothesis in the black sparrowhawk, a polymorphic raptor exhibiting a discrete white and dark morph, and found that prey provisioning rates differ between the morphs depending on light condition. Dark morphs delivered more prey in lower light conditions, while white morphs provided more prey in brighter conditions. We found support for the role of breeding season light level in explaining the clinal pattern of variation in morph ratio across the species range throughout South Africa. Our results provide the first empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that polymorphism in a species, and the spatial structuring of morphs across its distribution, may be driven by differential selective advantage via improved crypsis, under varying light conditions.     

All-year reproduction and possible thermal melanism in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amblystogenium pacificum</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on the sub-Antarctic Ile de la Possession (Iles Crozet)

In the fell-field habitat at 140–270 m altitude on the sub-Antarctic Ile de la Possession, Iles Crozet, the dimorphic beetle Amblystogenium pacificum Putzeys (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was studied monthly throughout the southern year 1993–1994 by timed hand collections involving turning stones on the rocky fell-field. There were many mating couples and females containing well-developed eggs in every month and the species reproduced throughout the year, with no evidence of a winter cessation of egg production. However, the frequency of mating couples was about twice as great in the summer half-year (October–March) as in the winter half (April–September). Relatively small differences in monthly mean temperatures between the summer and winter at Iles Crozet render all-year reproduction not unexpected when comparisons are made with the temperatures and phenology of Carabidae in cool habitats in other parts of the world. Mating pairs were collected at unusually high frequencies for carabids. The frequency of such pairs, taken per unit effort by hand collecting, was highest in October–December, lower from January to May and intermediate from June to September. Comparison of beetles taken as solitary, non-mating individuals with those taken as mating couples showed that in summer, females of the black morph of this dimorphic species were more frequently involved in mating than expected, but no differences were detected in winter. Female beetles were divided into younger individuals (putative age 1–2 years) and older females (putative age 3–5 years or more) by the amount of claw-wear on individuals of this species. This division indicated that about 40% of the older females showed no egg development when captured, but only about 20% of the younger females were non-breeding. However, of the reproducing beetles, young and old females matured similar numbers of eggs. An altitude transect showed that the proportion of the black morph increased significantly with altitude. Studies at 140–270 m showed that a significantly smaller proportion of the older females of the brown morph were breeding than in the younger brown individuals, and this effect was particularly evident in the colder winter period. No such age differences existed amongst the black morph.     

Frequency distribution and environmental correlates of plumage polymorphism in the grey fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa

Abstract

The grey fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) in New Zealand displays a striking plumage polymorphism. Some individuals are coloured almost entirely black (the “black morph"), while other individuals sport a contrasting brown and white plumage (the “pied morph"). The adaptive significance of plumage polymorphism in this species is unknown. We mapped the relative distribution and frequency of each morph across the entire South Island range of the fantail, and correlated the frequency of the morphs with a variety of ecological variables. The black morph comprised <5% of individuals across the South Island and, contrary to previous observations, was least frequent at the southern extremes of its range. From historical records, the frequency of the black morph also appears to have declined, although we cannot rule out a bias in reporting rates of the black morph in the literature. The relative frequency of the two morphs was not related to vegetation type, annual rainfall, altitude, or mean annual temperature. Although we could not identify an environmental variable that might explain the distribution of the two morphs over the South Island, changes in the relative abundance of each morph suggest a dynamic process that warrants further long‐term study.     

Structure of colonies in the northern mole vole, Ellobius talpinus (Rodentia, Cricetidae)

The structure of two northern mole vole colonies from northern Chelyabinsk oblast (the Kunashak colony, 1981–1983) and southern Kurgan oblast (the Kurtamysh colony, 1985–1999) has been analyzed with respect to the number and composition of families, seasonal and annual population dynamics, age and sex composition and sex ratio, individual life span, migrations, breeding, and reproductive potential. The Kunashak colony is at the northwestern boundary of the species range, and its population is monomorphic (all animals are of the black color morph). The Kurtamysh colony is located in an optimal habitat, and its population is polymorphic, consisting of animals of three color morphs (black, brown, and transitional). Consideration is given to certain specific features of northern mole voles belonging to different color morphs.