ArticleScientific reports2018
Widespread bone-based fluorescence in chameleons.
Article in Scientific reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 197 citations in OpenAlex.
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- The function and consequences of fluorescence in tetrapods.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Article
- Shining a light on UV-fluorescent floral nectar after 50 years.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Genetic and behavioural factors affecting interpopulation colour pattern variation in two congeneric chameleon species.Royal Society open science · 2024Article
- All-a-glow: spectral characteristics confirm widespread fluorescence for mammals.Royal Society open science · 2023Article
- Biofluorescent sexual dimorphism revealed in a southern Appalachian endemic salamander, Plethodon metcalfi.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Sex-specific movement ecology of the shortest-lived tetrapod during the mating season.Scientific reports · 2022Article
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- Bright green fluorescence of Asian paper wasp nests.Journal of the Royal Society, Interface · 2021Article
- Vivid biofluorescence discovered in the nocturnal Springhare (Pedetidae).Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Neon-green fluorescence in the desert gecko Pachydactylus rangei caused by iridophores.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Naturally occurring fluorescence protects the eutardigradeBiology letters · 2020Article
- Salamanders and other amphibians are aglow with biofluorescence.Scientific reports · 2020Article
- Sea as a color palette: the ecology and evolution of fluorescence.Zoological letters · 2020Review
- Intense bone fluorescence reveals hidden patterns in pumpkin toadlets.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Field observations of putative bone-based fluorescence in a gecko.Current zoology · 2018Article
- Colour for Behavioural Success.i-PerceptionArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Fluorescence is widespread in marine organisms but uncommon in terrestrial tetrapods. We here show that many chameleon species have bony tubercles protruding from the skull that are visible through their scales, and fluoresce under UV light. Tubercles arising from bones of the skull displace all dermal layers other than a thin, transparent layer of epidermis, creating a 'window' onto the bone. In the genus Calumma, the number of these tubercles is sexually dimorphic in most species, suggesting a signalling role, and also strongly reflects species groups, indicating systematic value of these features. Co-option of the known fluorescent properties of bone has never before been shown, yet it is widespread in the chameleons of Madagascar and some African chameleon genera, particularly in those genera living in forested, humid habitats known to have a higher relative component of ambient UV light. The fluorescence emits with a maximum at around 430 nm in blue colour which contrasts well to the green and brown background reflectance of forest habitats. This discovery opens new avenues in the study of signalling among chameleons and sexual selection factors driving ornamentation.
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