Paper: Red leaves, insects and coevolution: a red herring?

From: Robert Karl Stonjek (rstonjek_at_bigpond.net.au)
Date: 02/10/05

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    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 17:51:36 -0500 (EST)

    doi:10.1016/j.tree.2004.09.009
    Copyright © 2004 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
    Research Focus

    Red leaves, insects and coevolution: a red herring?

    H. Martin Schaefer (a), and David M. Wilkinson (b)

    (a) Institute for Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs-Universität, Hauptstr. 1, 79104
    Freiburg, Germany
    (b) School of Biological and Earth Sciences, Liverpool John Moores
    University,
    Byrom St, Liverpool, UK L3 3AF

    Available online 16 September 2004.

    W.D. (Bill) Hamilton proposed that coevolution between plants and
    herbivorous insects explains the bright autumnal colouration of leaves.
    Accordingly, plants invest in bright signals to reduce their herbivore load,
    whereas insects use these bright signals to identify less-defended hosts
    more efficiently. Archetti and Brown have recently revisited this theory by
    explaining its basic predictions and providing new research perspectives.
    Their work presents an important basis to our understanding of non-green
    leaf colouration, provided that alternative adaptive explanations on the
    photoprotective and antioxidant role of leaf pigments, or their possible
    function in crypsis to herbivores are incorporated into future research.

    Abstract at ScienceDirect
    chieCJ&tid=WbjaadaBD
    Posted by
    Robert Karl Stonjek

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