Camouflage accuracy in Sahara-Sahel desert rodents
Nokelainen, O., Brito, J. C., Scott-Samuel, N. E., Valkonen, J., & Boratyński, Z. (2020). Camouflage accuracy in Sahara-Sahel desert rodents. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89(7), 1658-1669. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13225
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Journal of Animal EcologyAuthors
Date
2020Discipline
Ekologia ja evoluutiobiologiaEvoluutiotutkimus (huippuyksikkö)Biologisten vuorovaikutusten huippututkimusyksikköEcology and Evolutionary BiologyCentre of Excellence in Evolutionary ResearchCentre of Excellence in Biological Interactions ResearchCopyright
© 2020 Wiley-Blackwell
1.Camouflage helps animals to hide from predators and is therefore key to survival. Although widespread convergence of animal phenotypes to their natural environment is well established, there is a lack of knowledge about how species compromise camouflage accuracy across different background types in their habitat.
2.Here we tested how background matching has responded to top‐down selection by avian and mammalian predators using Sahara‐Sahel desert rodents in North Africa.
3.We show that the fur coloration of several species has become an accurate match to different types of desert habitats. This is supported by a correlation analysis of colour and pattern metrics, investigation of animal‐to‐background similarities at different spatial scales, and is confirmed by modelling of two predator vision systems.
4.The background match was closest across large (or global) spatial scales, suggesting a generalist camouflage tactic for many background types. Some species, may have a better match to the background over small (or focal) spatial scales, which could be the result of habitat choices or differential predation. Nevertheless, predicted discrimination distances of fur coloration were virtually indistinguishable for mammalian and low for avian vision model, which implies effective camouflage.
5.Our study provides one of the best documented cases of multilevel camouflage accuracy in geographically widespread taxa. We conclude that background matching has become an effective and common adaptation against predatory threat in Sahara‐Sahelian desert rodents.
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Wiley-BlackwellISSN Search the Publication Forum
0021-8790Keywords
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https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/35104880
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Academy of FinlandFunding program(s)
Postdoctoral Researcher, AoF
Additional information about funding
ON was funded by the Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Research Fellow grant (#21000038821). ZB was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/BIAECO/28158/2017, SFRH/BPD/84822/2012) and National Geographic society (GEFNE53-12).License
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