Social selection and the perception of colours

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Birds, like humans, respond to both colours and patterns when making decisions during social interactions when they have to make decisions about mating, cooperating, and fighting. Research over the past two decades has contributed immensely to our understanding of those colour and pattern signals, and we now have good evidence that variation in colours signals displayed by birds has fitness consequences because those signals can reveal the health, condition, motivation, and experience of the signaller. Researchers have also developed sophisticated ways of measuring those signals, thanks in part due to the development of relatively inexpensive reflectance spectrometry, image analysis and computer programs for analysis. What is less well known are the limits of perceptual abilities that influence exactly what birds can perceive and respond to. We know, for example what birds can see but we know little about their abilities to discriminate between colours, and the intrinsic effects of those colours on their behaviour. This research proposal addresses both of those problems with lab and field studies on a carefully selected group of species that display different colours, live in different environments, have a variety if mating systems, and are taxonomically diverse. The results of this research will help redefine both the limits and the trajectory of sexual and social selection on the evolution of bird plumage colours and patterns. Thus our findings will have direct impact on our understanding of how and why plumage colours and patterns evolve, and will contribute to the general knowledge of evolutionary principles. Bird colours and patterns are also a form of advertisement, and our research has indirect implications for the design of both human centred spaces and product advertisement by visual media, as well as in the design of animal-holding facilities in both agricultural and research settings. Thus if our research shows that the colours of human and animal spaces influence their behaviour, we can address scientifically the best environmental colours for animal welfare and agricultural productivity.