10.6084/m9.figshare.9162179.v1
Alexandra McQueen
Alexandra
McQueen
Bart Kempenaers
Bart
Kempenaers
James Dale
James
Dale
Mihai Valcu
Mihai
Valcu
Zachary Taylor Emery
Zachary Taylor
Emery
Cody James Dey
Cody James
Dey
Anne Peters
Anne
Peters
Kaspar Delhey
Kaspar
Delhey
Dataset for: Evolutionary drivers of seasonal plumage colours: colour change by biannual moult correlates with sexual selection, predation risk and seasonality across passerines
Wiley
2019
biannual moult
breeding plumage
colour change
crypsis
predation risk
seasonal breeding
seasonal phenotype
sexual selection
eclipse
pre-alternate
Evolutionary Biology
Ecology
2019-08-23 07:20:20
Dataset
https://wiley.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Dataset_for_Evolutionary_drivers_of_seasonal_plumage_colours_colour_change_by_biannual_moult_correlates_with_sexual_selection_predation_risk_and_seasonality_across_passerines/9162179
Some birds undergo seasonal colour change by moulting twice each year, typically alternating between a cryptic, non-breeding plumage and a conspicuous, breeding plumage (‘seasonal plumage colours’). We test for potential drivers of the evolution of seasonal plumage colours in all passerines (N = 5,901 species, ~60% of all birds). Seasonal plumage colours are uncommon, having appeared on multiple occasions but more frequently lost during evolution. The trait is more common in small, ground-foraging species with polygynous mating systems, no paternal care and strong sexual dichromatism, suggesting it evolved under strong sexual selection and high predation risk. Seasonal plumage colours are also more common in species predicted to have seasonal breeding schedules, such as migratory birds and those living in seasonal climates. We propose that seasonal plumage colours have evolved to resolve a trade-off between the effects of natural and sexual selection on colouration, especially in seasonal environments.