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2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Intraspecific communication using polarization signal in cephalopod and its adaptive significance

Research Project

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Project/Area Number 21K19290
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Medium-sized Section 45:Biology at organismal to population levels and anthropology, and related fields
Research InstitutionThe University of Tokyo

Principal Investigator

Iwata Yoko  東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 准教授 (60431342)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 佐藤 成祥  東海大学, 海洋学部, 講師 (40723854)
Project Period (FY) 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
Keywords性選択 / 偏光 / コミュニケーション / 頭足類
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many invertebrate species use polarized light as a visual information, but it is still unverified how polarization information is used in sexual selection process, despite the fact that visual information representing mate quality and reproductive status is very important for sexual selection. This study revealed that males of cuttlefish Sepia andreana show a strong polarization pattern on their sexually dimorphic arms to females during courtship displays, and that the sexually dimorphic arms morphologically adapted to enhance the polarization signal by histological observations. These results firstly showed how sexual selection can lead to adaptations in the polarization patterns exhibited by animals.

Free Research Field

行動生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで生物における偏光情報の利用に関する研究は、環境中の偏光を利用した昆虫類における方角ナビゲーションや餌探索、また同種認識に関するものに限られていた。本研究は、体表の偏光特性を変えることができるという頭足類の稀有な特徴に着目したことで、生物がもつ偏光特性が種内コミュニケーションにおいて動的シグナルとして重要な役割を果たすことを示した初めての研究となった。求愛形質に捕食者となる多くの脊椎動物が認識できない偏光情報を、特定の方向からしか見えないように用いることで、捕食リスクを避けつつ求愛形質を目立たせることができる、という性選択の新たな適応様式を示すことができた。

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Published: 2025-01-30  

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