Mammal

Mammalian hair, also known as pelage, can vary in color between populations, organisms within a population, and even on the individual organism. Light-dark color variation is common in the mammalian taxa. Sometimes, this color variation is determined by age variation, however, in other cases, it is determined by other factors. Selective pressures, such as ecological interactions with other populations or environmental conditions, often lead to the variation in mammalian coloration. These selective pressures favor certain colors in order to increase survival. Camouflage is thought to be a major selection pressure shaping coloration in mammals, although there is also evidence that sexual selection, communication, and physiological processes may influence the evolution of coloration as well. Camouflage is the most predominant mechanism for color variation, as it aids in the concealment of the organisms from predators or from their prey. Coat color can also be for intraspecies communication such as warning members of their species about predators, indicating health for reproductive purposes, communicating between mother and young, and intimidating predators. Studies have shown that in some cases, differences in female and male coat color could indicate information nutrition and hormone levels, which are important in the mate selection process. One final mechanism for coat color variation is physiological response purposes, such as temperature regulation in tropical or arctic environments. Although much has been observed about color variation, much of the genetic that link coat color to genes is still unknown. The genetic sites where pigmentation genes are found are known to affect phenotype by: 1) altering the spatial distribution of pigmentation of the hairs, and 2) altering the density and distribution of the hairs. Quantitative trait mapping is being used to better understand the distribution of loci responsible for pigmentation variation. However, although the genetic sites are known, there is still much to learn about how these genes are expressed.

Question: What factors beyond a mammal blending in with its environment might affect hair color?
Answer: sexual selection, communication, and physiological processes

Question: Pelage appears in the mammalian what?
Answer: taxa

Question: What scientific process are scientists using unravel the link between genes and hair color?
Answer: Quantitative trait mapping

Question: In what ways might mammals of one species use their color to exchange information with one another?
Answer: warning members of their species about predators, indicating health for reproductive purposes, communicating between mother and young, and intimidating predators

Question: What can vary is color due to multiple factors?
Answer: pelage

Question: Color can go from what to what?
Answer: Light-dark

Question: What can lead to mammalian color variation?
Answer: Selective pressures, such as ecological interactions with other populations or environmental conditions, often lead to the variation in mammalian coloration

Question: What aspect of mammalian hair color variation may differ based on whether a mammal is young or old?
Answer: Light-dark

Question: For what natural behavior might mammals use hair color to determine the nutritive health of the opposite sex?
Answer: mate selection