Dressed for the Weather : Tawny Owl Feather Adaptations Across a Climatic Gradient
(2025) In Ecology and Evolution 15(6).- Abstract
Populations are presumed to be adapted to local environmental conditions via natural selection, with gene flow breaking up local adaptations. In birds, various aspects of feathers may reflect local adaptation. For example, the insulation capacity of feathers could be greater in colder regions, while colour variation may also play a role in adapting to local environmental conditions since darker feathers are known to absorb more heat than lighter ones. We studied feather properties (plumulaceous part of the feather, density of barbs and barbules) of tawny owl, Strix aluco, across nine populations covering a large part of the species' European range (9–52 individuals per population) as well as their plumage colour, scored as dark (brown)... (More)
Populations are presumed to be adapted to local environmental conditions via natural selection, with gene flow breaking up local adaptations. In birds, various aspects of feathers may reflect local adaptation. For example, the insulation capacity of feathers could be greater in colder regions, while colour variation may also play a role in adapting to local environmental conditions since darker feathers are known to absorb more heat than lighter ones. We studied feather properties (plumulaceous part of the feather, density of barbs and barbules) of tawny owl, Strix aluco, across nine populations covering a large part of the species' European range (9–52 individuals per population) as well as their plumage colour, scored as dark (brown) versus light (grey) morphs. We compared these traits' phenotypic divergence (PST) with the divergence expected based on genetic drift (FST) inferred using eight microsatellites. The FST was low (0.022; 95% CI 0.005–0.039), and most feather structures' phenotypic divergence (PST) exceeded the FST. However, phenotypic divergence in plumage colour was low and not significant, implying a limited role of natural selection in shaping variation in plumage colouration at large spatial scales. Between-population differentiation in feather properties was more pronounced in ventral feathers than dorsal feathers. In colder populations, the plumulaceous part of the dorsal feathers, but not the ventral feathers, was larger (implying greater insulation). Although proper evaluation hinges on understanding how insulative properties confer a fitness advantage in a given environment, our findings imply that properties of avian feathers may reflect local adaptation, possibly related to climate.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-06
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Ecology and Evolution
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 6
- article number
- e71441
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:40557117
- scopus:105009290240
- ISSN
- 2045-7758
- DOI
- 10.1002/ece3.71441
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- id
- bee6ae4c-916e-4709-9386-d4708406cbe7
- date added to LUP
- 2025-12-16 11:25:22
- date last changed
- 2026-01-13 14:32:18
@article{bee6ae4c-916e-4709-9386-d4708406cbe7,
abstract = {{<p>Populations are presumed to be adapted to local environmental conditions via natural selection, with gene flow breaking up local adaptations. In birds, various aspects of feathers may reflect local adaptation. For example, the insulation capacity of feathers could be greater in colder regions, while colour variation may also play a role in adapting to local environmental conditions since darker feathers are known to absorb more heat than lighter ones. We studied feather properties (plumulaceous part of the feather, density of barbs and barbules) of tawny owl, Strix aluco, across nine populations covering a large part of the species' European range (9–52 individuals per population) as well as their plumage colour, scored as dark (brown) versus light (grey) morphs. We compared these traits' phenotypic divergence (P<sub>ST</sub>) with the divergence expected based on genetic drift (F<sub>ST</sub>) inferred using eight microsatellites. The F<sub>ST</sub> was low (0.022; 95% CI 0.005–0.039), and most feather structures' phenotypic divergence (P<sub>ST</sub>) exceeded the F<sub>ST</sub>. However, phenotypic divergence in plumage colour was low and not significant, implying a limited role of natural selection in shaping variation in plumage colouration at large spatial scales. Between-population differentiation in feather properties was more pronounced in ventral feathers than dorsal feathers. In colder populations, the plumulaceous part of the dorsal feathers, but not the ventral feathers, was larger (implying greater insulation). Although proper evaluation hinges on understanding how insulative properties confer a fitness advantage in a given environment, our findings imply that properties of avian feathers may reflect local adaptation, possibly related to climate.</p>}},
author = {{Perrault, Charlotte and Baltazar-Soares, Miguel and Morosinotto, Chiara and Karell, Patrik and Poprach, Karel and Nilsson, Lars Ove and Eriksson, Daniel and Ericsson, Peter and Grašytė, Gintarė and Rumbutis, Saulius and Baroni, Daniele and Anderson, Katy and Øien, Ingar and Casero, Maria and Brommer, Jon E.}},
issn = {{2045-7758}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Ecology and Evolution}},
title = {{Dressed for the Weather : Tawny Owl Feather Adaptations Across a Climatic Gradient}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71441}},
doi = {{10.1002/ece3.71441}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2025}},
}