The functional significance of colouration in cetaceans
The functional significance of colouration in cetaceans
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DOI：
10.1007/s10682-011-9479-5
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发表时间：
2011-11-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Whitehead, Hal
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Caro, Tim;Beeman, Karrie;Whitehead, Hal
鲸类动物在一个相对较小的分类单元中表现出许多经典的哺乳动物的颜色模式，如均匀的颜色、反阴影和突出的色块。我们整理了所有在文献中提出的关于鲸类动物着色的功能假设，并使用比较系统发育分析对它们进行了系统测试。我们发现反遮蔽是一种机制，通过这种机制，较小的鲸类物种可以避免被猎物看到。我们发现，突出的标记与群体生活、快速游泳和在水面上的炫耀行为有关，这表明它们在种内交流中起作用。在身体的几个部位有白色的斑纹，似乎与捕获鱼、鱿鱼和磷虾有关。因此，几种不同的选择压力塑造了现存鲸类动物皮肤颜色的多样性，尽管背景匹配、破坏性颜色和种间交流似乎没有参与其中。
Cetaceans show many of the classic mammalian colouration patterns, such as uniform colouration, countershading, and prominent patches of colour, all within one relatively small taxon. We collated all the functional hypotheses for cetacean colouration that have been put forward in the literature and systematically tested them using comparative phylogenetic analyses. We found that countershading is a mechanism by which smaller cetacean species may avoid being seen by their prey. We discovered that prominent markings are associated with group living, fast swimming, and ostentatious behaviour at the surface, suggesting that they function in intraspecific communication. White markings on several parts of the body seem to be involved in the capture of fish, squid, and krill. Therefore, several different selection pressures have shaped the great diversity of skin colouration seen in extant cetaceans, although background matching, disruptive colouration and interspecific communication do not appear to be involved.