Publications by authors named "Edmund Rodseth"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the causes of plumage color variations in black sparrowhawks, focusing on the role of specific genes related to melanin production.
- It finds that adult color differences are linked to how eumelanin is distributed in their feathers, with no significant mutations in key genes (MC1R, ASIP) discovered for adult color morphs.
- For juvenile plumage, variations are attributed to levels of eumelanin and pheomelanin, showcasing a complex relationship with ASIP expression that challenges existing theories on how melanin types are produced.
There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk () in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no physiological effects of this are apparent. Here, we investigate the possible effects of haemoparasite infection on telomere length in this species and explore whether relative telomere length is associated with either plumage morph or sex.
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