An official website of the United States government
Abstract Animal coloration serves a variety of visually related functions in nature (e.g. mate choice, aposematism and camouflage) but the pigments in integumentary tissues such as skin, scales and feathers may also serve functions unrelated to the visual environment (e.g. temperature regulation, detoxification and pollutant protection). Our understanding of the significance of the non‐visual functions of animal integumentary pigments, as well as how they interact with the visually related functions to shape animal visual systems, remains limited.Furthermore, due to their important roles in shaping species interactions and mediating interactions in the environment, animal colour traits are likely to be impacted by global change (e.g. increased temperatures, altered habitat quality and quantity, increased environmental stochasticity, pollutants and novel species assemblages).Considering the effects of global change on both visual and non‐visual functions is important for understanding whether the selection is acting directly on the pigment or on coloration. Since changing the trait distributions can then lead to changes in visual systems, we advocate for studies to consider all potential functions of integumentary pigments, both visual and non‐visual functions and their interaction.Towards this goal, we first highlight common functions of pigments with a focus on non‐visual functions across animal systems. Then we synthesize our current understanding of how global change can impact pigmentation and discuss factors that can modify the interactions between climate change and pigment function. Lastly, we discuss how changes in colour traits can impact visual systems and provide an example using amphibians and their responses to climate change as a model. Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog.
more »
« less
Hunter-Gatherers Harvested and Heated Microbial Biogenic Iron Oxides to Produce Rock Art Pigment
Abstract Red mineral pigment use is recognized as a fundamental component of a series of traits associated with human evolutionary development, social interaction, and behavioral complexity. Iron-enriched mineral deposits have been collected and prepared as pigment for use in rock art, personal adornment, and mortuary practices for millennia, yet little is known about early developments in mineral processing techniques in North America. Microanalysis of rock art pigments from the North American Pacific Northwest reveals a sophisticated use of iron oxide produced by the biomineralizing bacteriumLeptothrix ochracea;a keystone species of chemolithotroph recognized in recent advances in the development of thermostable, colorfast biomaterial pigments. Here we show evidence for human engagement with this bacterium, including nanostructural and magnetic properties evident of thermal enhancement, indicating that controlled use of pyrotechnology was a key feature of how biogenic iron oxides were prepared into paint. Our results demonstrate that hunter-gatherers in this area of study prepared pigments by harvesting aquatic microbial iron mats dominated by iron-oxidizing bacteria, which were subsequently heated in large open hearths at a controlled range of 750 °C to 850 °C. This technical gesture was performed to enhance color properties, and increase colorfastness and resistance to degradation. This skilled production of highly thermostable and long-lasting rock art paint represents a specialized technological innovation. Our results contribute to a growing body of knowledge on historical-ecological resource use practices in the Pacific Northwest during the Late Holocene. Figshare link to figures:https://figshare.com/s/9392a0081632c20e9484.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1651538
- PAR ID:
- 10154035
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 9
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract We address in situ serpentinization and mineral carbonation processes in oceanic lithosphere using integrated field magnetic measurements, rock magnetic analyses, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy, microtextural observations, and energy dispersive spectroscopy phase mapping. A representative suite of ultramafic rock samples were collected, within the Atlin ophiolite, along a 100‐m long transect across a continuous outcrop of mantle harzburgite with several alteration fronts: serpentinite, soapstone (magnesite + talc), and listvenite (magnesite + quartz). Strong correlations between changes in magnetic signal strengths and amount of alteration are shown with distinctive contrasts between serpentinite, transitional soapstone, and listvenite that are linked to the formation and breakdown of magnetite. While previous observations of the Linnajavri ultramafic complex indicated that the breakdown of magnetite occurred during listvenite formation from the precursor soapstone (Tominaga et al., 2017,https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01610-4), results from our study suggest that magnetite destabilization already occurred during the replacement of serpentinite by soapstone (i.e., at lower fluid CO2concentrations). This difference is attributed to fracture‐controlled flow of sulfur‐bearing alteration fluid at Atlin, causing reductive magnetite dissolution in thin soapstone zones separating serpentinite from sulfide‐mineralized listvenite. We argue that magnetite growth or breakdown in soapstone provides insight into the mode of fluid flow and the composition, which control the scale and extent of carbonation. This conclusion enables us to use magnetometry as a viable tool for monitoring the reaction progress from serpentinite to carbonate‐bearing assemblages in space and time with a caution that the three‐dimensionality of magnetic sources impacts the scalability of measurements.more » « less
-
Abstract Journal editors have a large amount of power to advance open science in their respective fields by incentivising and mandating open policies and practices at their journals. The Data PASS Journal Editors Discussion Interface (JEDI, an online community for social science journal editors:www.dpjedi.org) has collated several resources on embedding open science in journal editing (www.dpjedi.org/resources). However, it can be overwhelming as an editor new to open science practices to know where to start. For this reason, we created a guide for journal editors on how to get started with open science. The guide outlines steps that editors can take to implement open policies and practices within their journal, and goes through the what, why, how, and worries of each policy and practice. This manuscript introduces and summarizes the guide (full guide:https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/hstcx).more » « less
-
Abstract To quantitatively convert upper mantle seismic wave speeds measured into temperature, density, composition, and corresponding and uncertainty, we introduce theWhole‐rockInterpretativeSeismicToolboxForUltramaficLithologies (WISTFUL). WISTFUL is underpinned by a database of 4,485 ultramafic whole‐rock compositions, their calculated mineral modes, elastic moduli, and seismic wave speeds over a range of pressure (P) and temperature (T) (P = 0.5–6 GPa,T = 200–1,600°C) using the Gibbs free energy minimization routine Perple_X. These data are interpreted with a toolbox of MATLAB® functions, scripts, and three general user interfaces:WISTFUL_relations, which plots relationships between calculated parameters and/or composition;WISTFUL_geotherms, which calculates seismic wave speeds along geotherms; andWISTFUL_inversion, which inverts seismic wave speeds for best‐fit temperature, composition, and density. To evaluate our methodology and quantify the forward calculation error, we estimate two dominant sources of uncertainty: (a) the predicted mineral modes and compositions, and (b) the elastic properties and mixing equations. To constrain the first source of uncertainty, we compiled 122 well‐studied ultramafic xenoliths with known whole‐rock compositions, mineral modes, and estimatedP‐Tconditions. We compared the observed mineral modes with modes predicted using five different thermodynamic solid solution models. The Holland et al. (2018,https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egy048) solution models best reproduce phase assemblages (∼12 vol. % phase root‐mean‐square error [RMSE]) and estimated wave speeds. To assess the second source of uncertainty, we compared wave speed measurements of 40 ultramafic rocks with calculated wave speeds, finding excellent agreement (VpRMSE = 0.11 km/s). WISTFUL easily analyzes seismic datasets, integrates into modeling, and acts as an educational tool.more » « less
-
Abstract Geothermal heat plays a vital role in Antarctic ice sheet stability. The continental geothermal heat flow distribution depends on lithospheric composition and ongoing tectonism. Heat‐producing elements are unevenly enriched in the crust over deep time by various geological processes. The contribution of crustal heat production to geothermal heat flow is widely recognized; however, in Antarctica, crustal geology is largely hidden, and its complexity has frequently been excluded in thermal studies due to limited observations and oversimplified assumptions. Li and Aitken (2024),https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106201take a significant step forward, focusing on Antarctic crustal radiogenic heat. Utilizing gravity inversion and rock composition data, they show that the crustal heterogeneity introduces considerable variability to heat flow. However, modeling crustal heat production proves challenging because it lacks distinct associations with geophysical observables and has a narrow spatial association. Robust quantification of geothermal heat production and heat flow must incorporate explicit aspects of geology.more » « less
