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Research Article
Differential effects of early growth conditions on colour-producing nanostructures revealed through small angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopy
Katarzyna Janas, Anna Łatkiewicz, Andrew Parnell, Dorota Lutyk, Julia Barczyk, Matthew D. Shawkey, Lars Gustafsson, Mariusz Cichoń, Szymon M. Drobniak
Journal of Experimental Biology 2020 223: jeb228387 doi: 10.1242/jeb.228387 Published 28 September 2020
Katarzyna Janas
1Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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  • ORCID record for Katarzyna Janas
  • For correspondence: k.janas@doctoral.uj.edu.pl
Anna Łatkiewicz
2Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Andrew Parnell
3Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Sheffield, The Hicks Building, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
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Dorota Lutyk
1Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Julia Barczyk
1Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Matthew D. Shawkey
4Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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Lars Gustafsson
5Department of Animal Ecology/Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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Mariusz Cichoń
1Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Szymon M. Drobniak
1Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
6School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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ABSTRACT

The costs associated with the production and maintenance of colour patches is thought to maintain their honesty. Although considerable research on sexual selection has focused on structurally coloured plumage ornaments, the proximate mechanisms of their potential condition dependence, and thus their honesty, is rarely addressed, particularly in an experimental context. Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nestlings have ultraviolet (UV)–blue structurally coloured tail feathers, providing a unique opportunity for investigation of the causes of variation in their colour. Here, we examined the influence of early growing conditions on the reflectance and structural properties of UV–blue-coloured tail feathers of blue tit nestlings. We applied a two-stage brood size manipulation to determine which stage of development more strongly impacts the quality of tail feather colouration and microstructure. We used small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron microscopy to characterise the nanoscale and microscale structure of tail feather barbs. Nestlings from the broods enlarged at a later stage of growth showed a sex-specific rectrix development delay, with males being more sensitive to this manipulation. Contrary to predictions, treatment affected neither the quality of the barbs’ nanostructures nor the brightness and UV chroma of feathers. However, at the microscale, barbs’ keratin characteristics were impaired in late-enlarged broods. Our results suggest that nanostructure quality, which determines the UV–blue colour in tail feathers, is not sensitive to early rearing conditions. Furthermore, availability of resources during feather growth seems to impact the quality of feather microstructure more than body condition, which is likely to be determined at an earlier stage of nestling growth.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests

    The authors declare no competing or financial interests.

  • Author contributions

    Conceptualization: K.J., M.D.S., M.C., S.M.D.; Methodology: K.J., A.P., M.D.S., S.M.D.; Software: K.J.; Validation: S.M.D.; Formal analysis: K.J., S.M.D.; Investigation: K.J., A.Ł., A.P., D.L., J.B., S.M.D.; Resources: K.J., A.Ł., A.P., L.G., S.M.D.; Data curation: K.J., A.P., S.M.D.; Writing - original draft: K.J.; Writing - review & editing: A.Ł., A.P., D.L., J.B., M.D.S., L.G., M.C., S.M.D.; Visualization: K.J., A.P.; Supervision: M.C., S.M.D.; Project administration: K.J.; Funding acquisition: K.J., M.D.S., S.M.D.

  • Funding

    This study was financed by Narodowe Centrum Nauki [UMO-2015/19/N/NZ8/00404 to K.J.; UMO-2015/18/E/NZ8/00505 to S.M.D.] and by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [G007117N to M.D.S.].

  • Data availability

    Data sets used in quantitative analyses are available from the figshare data repository: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12732971.v1

  • Supplementary information

    Supplementary information available online at https://jeb.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jeb.228387.supplemental

  • Received May 6, 2020.
  • Accepted July 28, 2020.
  • © 2020. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
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Keywords

  • Blue tit
  • Early-rearing conditions
  • Microstructure
  • Rectrices
  • Small angle X-ray scattering
  • Structural colouration

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Research Article
Differential effects of early growth conditions on colour-producing nanostructures revealed through small angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopy
Katarzyna Janas, Anna Łatkiewicz, Andrew Parnell, Dorota Lutyk, Julia Barczyk, Matthew D. Shawkey, Lars Gustafsson, Mariusz Cichoń, Szymon M. Drobniak
Journal of Experimental Biology 2020 223: jeb228387 doi: 10.1242/jeb.228387 Published 28 September 2020
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Research Article
Differential effects of early growth conditions on colour-producing nanostructures revealed through small angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopy
Katarzyna Janas, Anna Łatkiewicz, Andrew Parnell, Dorota Lutyk, Julia Barczyk, Matthew D. Shawkey, Lars Gustafsson, Mariusz Cichoń, Szymon M. Drobniak
Journal of Experimental Biology 2020 223: jeb228387 doi: 10.1242/jeb.228387 Published 28 September 2020

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