Through an animal’s eye: the implications of diverse sensory systems in scientific experimentation

‘Accounting for the sensory abilities of animals is critical in experimental design.’ No researcher would disagree with this statement, yet it is often the case that we inadvertently fall for anthropocentric biases and use ourselves as the reference point. This paper discusses the risks of adopting an anthropocentric view when working with non-human animals, and the unintended consequences this has on our experimental designs and results. To this aim, we provide general examples of anthropocentric bias from different fields of animal research, with a particular focus on animal cognition and behaviour, and lay out the potential consequences of adopting a human-based perspective. Knowledge of the sensory abilities, both in terms of similarities to humans and peculiarities of the investigated species, is crucial to ensure solid conclusions. A more careful consideration of the diverse sensory systems of animals would improve many scientific fields and enhance animal welfare in the laboratory.</p

Eggshell data, including pigment concentrations and bacteria community composition

Eggshell data, including pigment concentrations and bacteria community compositio

Associated data

These are the field and colour data used in "Egg discrimination along a gradient of natural variation in eggshell coloration." Data were processed in R. For further details see Materials and Methods

Electronic supplementary material from Egg discrimination along a gradient of natural variation in eggshell coloration

Extended Materials and Method

Nature’s Palette: Characterization of Shared Pigments in Colorful Avian and Mollusk Shells

<div><p>Pigment-based coloration is a common trait found in a variety of organisms across the tree of life. For example, calcareous avian eggs are natural structures that vary greatly in color, yet just a handful of tetrapyrrole pigment compounds are responsible for generating this myriad of colors. To fully understand the diversity and constraints shaping nature’s palette, it is imperative to characterize the similarities and differences in the types of compounds involved in color production across diverse lineages. Pigment composition was investigated in eggshells of eleven paleognath bird taxa, covering several extinct and extant lineages, and shells of four extant species of mollusks. Birds and mollusks are two distantly related, calcareous shell-building groups, thus characterization of pigments in their calcareous structures would provide insights to whether similar compounds are found in different phyla (Chordata and Mollusca). An ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) extraction protocol was used to analyze the presence and concentration of biliverdin and protoporphyrin, two known and ubiquitous tetrapyrrole avian eggshell pigments, in all avian and molluscan samples. Biliverdin was solely detected in birds, including the colorful eggshells of four tinamou species. In contrast, protoporphyrin was detected in both the eggshells of several avian species and in the shells of all mollusks. These findings support previous hypotheses about the ubiquitous deposition of tetrapyrroles in the eggshells of various bird lineages and provide evidence for its presence also across distantly related animal taxa.</p></div

Relative concentration of biliverdin and protoporphyrin in avian eggshells in which pigment was detected.

<p>^aPaleognaths appear on the first half of the table and neognaths on the second half.</p><p>^bBiliverdin absorbance measured at 377 nm; protoporphyrin absorbance measured at 405 nm.</p><p>Relative concentration of biliverdin and protoporphyrin in avian eggshells in which pigment was detected.</p

Avian eggshell fragments and molluscan shells analyzed.

<p><b>(a)</b><i>Nothoprocta perdicaria</i><b>(b)</b><i>Eudromia elegans</i><b>(c)</b><i>Tinamus major</i><b>(d)</b><i>Nothura maculosa</i><b>(e)</b><i>Dromaius novaehollandiae</i><b>(f)</b><i>Casuarius casuarius</i><b>(g)</b><i>Struthio camelus</i><b>(h)</b><i>Rhea americana</i><b>(i)</b><i>Apteryx mantelli</i><b>(j)</b><i>Euryapteryx curtus</i><b>(k)</b><i>Aepyornis</i> sp. <b>(l)</b><i>Alligator mississippiensis</i><b>(m)</b><i>Hastula hectica</i><b>(n)</b><i>Conus purpurascens</i><b>(o)</b><i>Conus ebraeus</i><b>(p)</b><i>Argopecten</i> sp. Color sample card shown as color standard, sourced from Home Depot, Reno, NV (USA). Black scale bar 1 cm.</p

Abrahamczyk_et_al_JEB_DataS2

Nectar sugar composition and concentration and pollinator group for each species newly analyzed for this study; *Nectar samples collected in the wild are highlighted (*); Literature sources for published data analyzed in this stud

Hue vs Angle

Data used in general linear models to test if there were relationships between the hue of specular measurements and specular angle. Spreadsheet contains data for three untreated Tinamus major eggs, a Gallus gallus egg, and a T. major egg following treatment with EDTA to remove the cuticle. Location ID designates the location at which a set of specular measurements at different angles were collected

BluTin and Chicken specular angle spectra

Spreadsheet containing specular reflectance measurements at different angles for three Tinamous major eggshells, a Gallus gallus eggshell, and a single T. major eggshell following cuticle removal using EDTA