Deakin University
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

Ultraviolet plumage colors predict mate preferences in starlings

journal contribution
posted on 1997-08-05, 00:00 authored by Andy Bennett, I Cuthill, J Partridge, K Lunau
Avian plumage has long been used to test theories of sexual selection, with humans assessing the colors, However, many birds see in the ultraviolet (<400 nm), to which humans are blind, Consequently, it is important to know whether natural variation in UV reflectance from plumage functions in sexual signaling, We show that female starlings rank males differently when UV wavelengths are present or absent, Principal component analysis of approximate to 1300 reflectance spectra (300-700 nm) taken from sexually dimorphic plumage regions of males predicted preference under the UV+ treatment. Under UV- conditions, females ranked males in a different and nonrandom order, but plumage reflectance in the human visible spectrum did not predict choice, Natural variation in UV reflectance is thus important in avian mate assessment, and the prevailing light environment can have profound effects on observed mating preferences.

History

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume

94

Issue

16

Pagination

8618 - 8621

Publisher

National Academy of Sciences

Location

Washington, D.C.

ISSN

0027-8424

eISSN

1091-6490

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

1997, The National Academy of Sciences

Usage metrics

    Research Publications

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC