A private ultraviolet channel in visual communication
A private ultraviolet channel in visual communication
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2003.2334
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发表时间：
2003-05-07
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Ryan, MJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cummings, ME;Rosenthal, GG;Ryan, MJ
尽管私人交流被认为是进化中一种重要的多样化力量，但几乎没有直接的行为证据支持这一概念。在这里，我们展示了北部剑尾(剑尾鱼)的紫外线(UV)信号提供了一种交流的渠道，而他们的主要捕食者墨西哥拟步甲鱼是无法到达的。实验室和野外对剑尾(X.nigrensis)和捕食者(A.micianus)的行为实验表明，雄性紫外线装饰显著增加了它们对雌性的吸引力，但对这种对紫外线不那么敏感的捕食者没有吸引力。剑尾物种的紫外线反射率与栖息地的四环素密度呈正相关，视觉对比度估计表明，在自然环境中，紫外线信号对剑尾非常明显。跨物种的比较也支持这样的假设，即自然选择推动了紫外线通讯的使用。我们比较了两个物种，一个具有高密度(X.nigrensis)，另一个具有低(X.Malinche)墨西哥河豚密度。黑剑鱼雄鱼对紫外线的反射明显高于马林氏剑尾鱼，表现出明显的紫外线两性二型性，紫外线是有性交流系统的重要组成部分。然而，在X Malinche，雄性在UV中的反射最少，没有UV性二型性，UV在其通讯系统中也不起作用。
Although private communication is considered an important diversifying force in evolution, there is little direct behavioural evidence to support this notion. Here, we show that ultraviolet (UV) signalling in northern swordtails (Xiphophorus) affords a channel for communication that is not accessible to their major predator, Astyanax mexicanus, the Mexican tetra. Laboratory and field behavioural experiments with swordtails (X. nigrensis) and predators (A. mexicanus) demonstrate that male UV ornamentation significantly increases their attractiveness to females but not to this predator, which is less sensitive to UV. UV reflectance among swordtail species correlates positively with tetra densities across habitats, and visual contrast estimates suggest that UV signals are highly conspicuous to swordtails in their natural environment. Cross-species comparisons also support the hypothesis that natural selection drives the use of UV communication. We compared two species, one with high (X. nigrensis) and one with low (X. malinche) Mexican tetra densities. Xiphophorus nigrensis males reflect significantly more UV than X. malinche, exhibit significant UV sexual dimorphism, and UV is a salient component of the sexual communication system. In X malinche, however, males reflect minimally in the UV, there is no UV sexual dimorphism, and UV does not play a part in its communication system.