Complex plumages spur rapid color diversification in kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae)

Colorful signals in nature provide some of the most stunning examples of rapid phenotypic evolution. Yet, studying color pattern evolution has been historically difficult owing to differences in perceptual ability of humans and analytical challenges with studying how complex color patterns evolve. Island systems can provide a natural laboratory for testing hypotheses about the direction and magnitude (i.e., rate) of phenotypic change. A recent study of bird coloration found that the plumages of island species are darker and less complex than continental species. Whether such shifts in plumage complexity are associated with increased rates of color evolution on islands remains unknown. Here, we use geometric morphometric techniques to test the hypothesis that plumage complexity and island insularity interact to influence color diversity in a species-rich and cosmopolitan clade of colorful birds—kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae). In particular, we test three predictions: i) plumage complexi..., This data was collected with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer.,