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Back in black : melanin-rich skin colour associated with increased net diversification rates in birds

Michaël Nicolaï (UGent) , Raf Vanisterbecq, Matthew Shawkey (UGent) and Liliana D'Alba Altamirano (UGent)
(2023) BIOLOGY LETTERS. 19(12).
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Abstract
Evolutionary biologists have long been interested in understanding the factors that promote diversification in organisms, often focussing on distinct and/or conspicuous phenotypes with direct effects on natural or sexual selection such as body size and plumage coloration. However, multiple traits that potentially influence net diversification are not conspicuous and/or might be concealed. One such trait, the dark, melanin-rich skin concealed beneath the feathers, evolved more than 100 times during avian evolution, frequently in association with white feathers on the crown and UV-rich environments, suggesting that it is a UV-photoprotective adaptation. Furthermore, multiple species are polymorphic, having both light and dark skin potentially aiding occupation in different UV radiation environments. As such these polymorphisms are predicted to occur in species with large latitudinal variation in their distribution. Furthermore, by alleviating evolutionary constraints on feather colour, the evolution of dark skin may promote net diversification. Here, using an expanded dataset on bird skin coloration of 3033 species we found that more than 19% of species had dark skin. In contrast to our prediction, dark skinned birds have smaller distribution ranges. Furthermore, both dark skin and polymorphism in skin coloration promote net diversification. These results suggest that even concealed traits can influence large scale evolutionary events such as diversification in birds.
Keywords
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous), evolution, coloration, integument, SSE models, SPECIATION, EVOLUTION, POLYMORPHISM

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MLA
Nicolaï, Michaël, et al. “Back in Black : Melanin-Rich Skin Colour Associated with Increased Net Diversification Rates in Birds.” BIOLOGY LETTERS, vol. 19, no. 12, 2023, doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0304.
APA
Nicolaï, M., Vanisterbecq, R., Shawkey, M., & D’Alba Altamirano, L. (2023). Back in black : melanin-rich skin colour associated with increased net diversification rates in birds. BIOLOGY LETTERS, 19(12). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0304
Chicago author-date
Nicolaï, Michaël, Raf Vanisterbecq, Matthew Shawkey, and Liliana D’Alba Altamirano. 2023. “Back in Black : Melanin-Rich Skin Colour Associated with Increased Net Diversification Rates in Birds.” BIOLOGY LETTERS 19 (12). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0304.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Nicolaï, Michaël, Raf Vanisterbecq, Matthew Shawkey, and Liliana D’Alba Altamirano. 2023. “Back in Black : Melanin-Rich Skin Colour Associated with Increased Net Diversification Rates in Birds.” BIOLOGY LETTERS 19 (12). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0304.
Vancouver
1.
Nicolaï M, Vanisterbecq R, Shawkey M, D’Alba Altamirano L. Back in black : melanin-rich skin colour associated with increased net diversification rates in birds. BIOLOGY LETTERS. 2023;19(12).
IEEE
[1]
M. Nicolaï, R. Vanisterbecq, M. Shawkey, and L. D’Alba Altamirano, “Back in black : melanin-rich skin colour associated with increased net diversification rates in birds,” BIOLOGY LETTERS, vol. 19, no. 12, 2023.
@article{01HMXJDHT1FT9AHM8NCX2SHCXX,
  abstract     = {{Evolutionary biologists have long been interested in understanding the factors that promote diversification in organisms, often focussing on distinct and/or conspicuous phenotypes with direct effects on natural or sexual selection such as body size and plumage coloration. However, multiple traits that potentially influence net diversification are not conspicuous and/or might be concealed. One such trait, the dark, melanin-rich skin concealed beneath the feathers, evolved more than 100 times during avian evolution, frequently in association with white feathers on the crown and UV-rich environments, suggesting that it is a UV-photoprotective adaptation. Furthermore, multiple species are polymorphic, having both light and dark skin potentially aiding occupation in different UV radiation environments. As such these polymorphisms are predicted to occur in species with large latitudinal variation in their distribution. Furthermore, by alleviating evolutionary constraints on feather colour, the evolution of dark skin may promote net diversification. Here, using an expanded dataset on bird skin coloration of 3033 species we found that more than 19% of species had dark skin. In contrast to our prediction, dark skinned birds have smaller distribution ranges. Furthermore, both dark skin and polymorphism in skin coloration promote net diversification. These results suggest that even concealed traits can influence large scale evolutionary events such as diversification in birds.}},
  articleno    = {{20230304}},
  author       = {{Nicolaï, Michaël and Vanisterbecq, Raf and Shawkey, Matthew and D'Alba Altamirano, Liliana}},
  issn         = {{1744-9561}},
  journal      = {{BIOLOGY LETTERS}},
  keywords     = {{General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous),evolution,coloration,integument,SSE models,SPECIATION,EVOLUTION,POLYMORPHISM}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{6}},
  title        = {{Back in black : melanin-rich skin colour associated with increased net diversification rates in birds}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0304}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}
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