Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns
Abstract Background Trait variation is shaped by functional roles of traits and the strength and direction of selection acting on the traits. We hypothesized that in butterflies, sexually selected colouration is more variable owing to condition-dependent nature and directional selection on sexual or...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02346-8 |
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| author | Bhavya Dharmaraaj Krushnamegh Kunte |
| author_facet | Bhavya Dharmaraaj Krushnamegh Kunte |
| author_sort | Bhavya Dharmaraaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Trait variation is shaped by functional roles of traits and the strength and direction of selection acting on the traits. We hypothesized that in butterflies, sexually selected colouration is more variable owing to condition-dependent nature and directional selection on sexual ornaments, whereas naturally selected colouration may be less variable because of stabilising selection. We measured reflectance spectra, and extracted colour parameters, to compare the amount of variation in sexually versus naturally selected colour patches across wing surfaces and sexes of 20 butterfly species across 4 families (Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae). Results We found that: (a) males had more conspicuous, i.e., brighter and more saturated colour patches compared with females (as expected of sexually selected traits but not necessarily of naturally selected traits), and (b) dorsal surfaces in both sexes had more conspicuous sexual ornaments as well as protective (aposematic/mimetic) colour patches on darker wing backgrounds, compared with ventral surfaces. However, colour patches did not differ in the amount of variation either in selection (ecological/sexual functions), sex or wing surface-specific manner. Conclusions These findings show that functional roles and selection influence colour parameters but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5044db37e49e45ba955c0726cc301599 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2730-7182 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-5044db37e49e45ba955c0726cc3015992025-01-19T12:04:54ZengBMCBMC Ecology and Evolution2730-71822025-01-0125111210.1186/s12862-024-02346-8Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patternsBhavya Dharmaraaj0Krushnamegh Kunte1National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchNational Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchAbstract Background Trait variation is shaped by functional roles of traits and the strength and direction of selection acting on the traits. We hypothesized that in butterflies, sexually selected colouration is more variable owing to condition-dependent nature and directional selection on sexual ornaments, whereas naturally selected colouration may be less variable because of stabilising selection. We measured reflectance spectra, and extracted colour parameters, to compare the amount of variation in sexually versus naturally selected colour patches across wing surfaces and sexes of 20 butterfly species across 4 families (Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae). Results We found that: (a) males had more conspicuous, i.e., brighter and more saturated colour patches compared with females (as expected of sexually selected traits but not necessarily of naturally selected traits), and (b) dorsal surfaces in both sexes had more conspicuous sexual ornaments as well as protective (aposematic/mimetic) colour patches on darker wing backgrounds, compared with ventral surfaces. However, colour patches did not differ in the amount of variation either in selection (ecological/sexual functions), sex or wing surface-specific manner. Conclusions These findings show that functional roles and selection influence colour parameters but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02346-8Phenotypic variationSexual dimorphismSpectral propertiesStrength of selectionTrait variance |
| spellingShingle | Bhavya Dharmaraaj Krushnamegh Kunte Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns BMC Ecology and Evolution Phenotypic variation Sexual dimorphism Spectral properties Strength of selection Trait variance |
| title | Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns |
| title_full | Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns |
| title_fullStr | Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns |
| title_short | Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns |
| title_sort | natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns |
| topic | Phenotypic variation Sexual dimorphism Spectral properties Strength of selection Trait variance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02346-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bhavyadharmaraaj naturalandsexualselectionandfunctionalrolesinfluencecolourationbutnottheamountofvariationinbutterflywingcolourpatterns AT krushnameghkunte naturalandsexualselectionandfunctionalrolesinfluencecolourationbutnottheamountofvariationinbutterflywingcolourpatterns |