YELLOW COLORATION IN THE EUROPEAN SERIN

The work on the European serins carried out by the CIBIO-InBIO team - Sandra Trigo and Paulo Gama Mota – published last month by the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology has been highlighted by the Portuguese newspaper SOL. By conditioning the availability of β-carotene in the diet of cardueline finches with yellow coloration during moulting season, it was observed that males supplemented with β-Carotene: i) had higher plasma carotenoid concentration and higher response to a cellular immunity challenge than their counterparts in the control group, ii)  exhibited more saturated plumage colouration; and iii) were preferred by females in a mate choice test. This study gathers key elements associated with the evolution of signals through a process of sexual selection.

Porque é que a milheirinha é amarela? | SOL | Jan 29, 2015

To access the original article, please click here.

To access the Press Release for this paper, please click here.