Award details

Avian UV vision and sexual selection

Reference	S05042
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Innes Cuthill
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Julian Partridge
Institution	University of Bristol
Department	Biological Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	148,788
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/01/1996
End date	30/09/1999
Duration	45 months

Abstract

Numerous evolutionary hypotheses predict colour trends in the natural world. Yet most are tested on birds, using humans to assess colours. This assumes humans see colours as birds, an assumption which is seriously in error; many birds see UV, to which humans are blind, and probably are at least tetrachromatic. If birds generally use UV in mate choice, fundamental changes in the methods used in evolutionary biology will be required. Using experiments, we will determine if UV is generally used in avian mate choice, and whether UV is a special waveband for avian mate choice. Using technologies we have perfected for use on birds (multispectral imaging, microspectrophotometry and reflectance spectrophotometry) we will determine if there is sexual dimorphism which is invisible to humans. Our study brings together evolutionary biology, avian visual physiology and functional approaches to studying behaviour.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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