Abstract
While an array of taxa are capable of producing fluorescent pigments, fluorescence in mammals is a novel and poorly understood phenomenon. A first step towards understanding the potential adaptive functions of fluorescence in mammals is to develop an understanding of fluorescent compounds, or fluorophores, that are present in fluorescent tissue. Here we use Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) of flying squirrel fur known to fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light to identify potentially fluorescent compounds in squirrel fur. All of the potentially fluorescent compounds we identified were either present in non-fluorescent fur or were not present in all species of fluorescent flying squirrel. Therefore, we suggest that the compounds responsible for fluorescence in flying squirrels may also be present in non-fluorescent mammal fur. Some currently unexplained factor likely leads to excitation of fluorophores in flying squirrel fur. A recently suggested hypothesis that fluorescence in mammals is widely caused by porphyrins is consistent with our findings.
Highlights
Ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence is a physicochemical phenomenon present in an array of biological taxa and geographical landscapes [1]
We did not identify any compounds present in both flying squirrel species that were absent in the three non-fluorescing species, which may have been indicative of the compound responsible for the fluorescence in flying squirrels
Before we can understand the potential for any function of fluorescence in mammals, we believe it is helpful to understand the identity and function of mammalian fluorophores
Summary
Ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence is a physicochemical phenomenon present in an array of biological taxa and geographical landscapes [1]. There is increasing evidence to suggest that many vertebrates have fluorescent pigments, including birds [5,6,7], amphibians [8], reptiles [9,10], fish [11] and mammals [1,12,13,14,15]. Several hypotheses aim to explain an ecological role of fluorescence in vertebrates. It has been suggested that fluorescence may function as an anti-predator defence mechanism, such as camouflage [11], aposematism [16] or mimicry [1]. The role of fluorescence is either not fully understood [19,20], the result of an artefact, or lacks sufficient evidence to suggest a specific function [21]. Further investigation into the chemical mechanisms resulting in fluorescence may provide insight into the potential ecological role of fluorescence in vertebrates
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