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Science 30 October 1992:
Vol. 258. no. 5083, pp. 799 - 801
DOI: 10.1126/science.1439786
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Articles

Science, Vol 258, Issue 5083, 799-801
Copyright © 1992 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Homobatrachotoxin in the genus Pitohui: chemical defense in birds?

JP Dumbacher, BM Beehler, TF Spande, HM Garraffo, and JW Daly

Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, IL 60637.

Three passerine species in the genus Pitohui, endemic to the New Guinea subregion, contain the steroidal alkaloid homobatrachotoxin, apparently as a chemical defense. Toxin concentrations varied among species but were always highest in the skin and feathers. Homobatrachotoxin is a member of a class of compounds collectively called batrachotoxins that were previously considered to be restricted to neotropical poison-dart frogs of the genus Phyllobates. The occurrence of homobatrachotoxin in pitohuis suggests that birds and frogs independently evolved this class of alkaloids.


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