Studiesy on potential UV cue for sex discrimination in tetrachromatic birds

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23658232
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Basic veterinary science/Basic zootechnical science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: HABARA Yoshiaki 北海道大学, (連合)獣医学研究科, 教授 (30142813)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SAKAMOTO Kentaro 北海道大学, 大学院獣医学研究科, 講師 (80374627)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 四色視 / 紫外線 / ハシブトガラス / ハシボソガラス / モモイロペリカン / ハイイロペリカン / キングペンギン / コウテイペンギン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Low UV reflection regions were found in thorax of white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) and in auris, cervix and upper thorax of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) and Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forstern), which were detect with a UV camera and by spectrophotometry. The region in pelicans were concordant with yellow plumage zone and the regions in penguins were corresponded with orange plumage zones. In white pelicans, the low UV reflective region appeared with age, indicating that these specific regions would function as signs to show the degree of maturation and/or reproductive ability but are unlikey to be recognized as visual cues to show sex, at least, in the four species examined in this year but, in crows, there is still a possibility to function as signs of sex difference.

Free Research Field

生理学