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Arango A, Pinto-Ledezma J, Rojas-Soto O, Lindsay AM, Mendenhall CD, Villalobos F. Hand-Wing Index as a surrogate for dispersal ability: the case of the Emberizoidea (Aves: Passeriformes) radiation. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Measuring the dispersal ability of birds is particularly challenging and thus researchers have relied on the extended use of morphological proxies as surrogates for such ability. However, few studies have tested the relationship between morphological proxies and other dispersal-related traits. In this study, we test the relationship of the most commonly used morphological proxy for dispersal—the Hand-Wing Index (HWI)—with traits highly associated with dispersal abilities, such as geographic range size, migratory behaviour and migratory distances. We used the Emberizoidea superfamily to evaluate these relationships and measured the HWI of 2520 individuals from 431 species (almost half of all the species in the superfamily). We first estimated the phylogenetic signal of HWI and searched for the best evolutionary model to explain its variation. We then performed PGLS analyses to assess the relationships between HWI and dispersal abilities. Our results showed that HWI has a strong phylogenetic signal and is positively related to dispersal abilities. Our findings support the use of HWI as a viable morphological proxy for dispersal in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Arango
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. - INECOL , Xalapa , Mexico
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. - INECOL , Xalapa , Mexico
| | - Jesús Pinto-Ledezma
- Departament of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis , MN 55455, USA
| | - Octavio Rojas-Soto
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. - INECOL , Xalapa , Mexico
| | - Andrea M Lindsay
- Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History , Rector , PA 15677, USA
| | - Chase D Mendenhall
- Section of Birds, Carnegie Museum of Natural History , Pittsburgh , PA 15213, USA
| | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. - INECOL , Xalapa , Mexico
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López-Iborra GM, Bañuls A, Castany J, Escandell R, Sallent Á, Suárez M. Drivers of migrant passerine composition at stopover islands in the western Mediterranean. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2943. [PMID: 35190639 PMCID: PMC8861067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06912-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Clues used by migrant birds to select sites for stopover are much less known than their reasons for leaving. Habitat characteristics and geographical location may affect the decision to use an island as a stopover site in different ways for different species. Thus, abundance and composition of migrants may be expected to differ between islands. Using standardized ringing from 9 western Mediterranean islands we evaluate drivers of abundance of trans-Saharan migrant passerines, specifically the role of species continental abundance, island characteristics and geographical location. Although continental abundance is a main driver of migrant composition on all islands migrant composition differs between them. Redundancy analysis and species response models revealed that the main drivers were distance to the nearest land toward the south, which has a positive effect on the number of migrants of most species, and island area, which appears as an important cue used for selecting a stopover island. Species whose abundance is positively related to island area have more pointed wings while species affected by distance to land toward the south have relatively more rounded wings. This suggests a hypothesis on the mechanism that may generate differences in passerine migrant composition between islands based on better efficiency of more pointed wings for long-distance flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán M López-Iborra
- Departamento de Ecología/IMEM Ramon Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
| | | | | | - Raül Escandell
- Societat Ornitològica de Menorca, Ap. de correus 83, 07720, Es Castell, Spain
| | - Ángel Sallent
- Asociación de Naturalistas del Sureste, Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Suárez
- Grup Balear d'Ornitologia i Defensa de La Naturalesa (GOB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Claramunt S. Flight efficiency explains differences in natal dispersal distances in birds. Ecology 2021; 102:e03442. [PMID: 34143422 PMCID: PMC8459243 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The factors responsible for variation in dispersal distances across species remain poorly understood. Previous comparative studies found differing results and equivocal support for theoretical predictions. Here I re-examine factors that influence natal dispersal distances in British birds while taking into account the cost of transport as estimated from proxies of long-distance flight efficiency. First, I show that flight efficiency, as estimated by the hand-wing index, the aspect ratio, or the lift-to-drag ratio, is a strong predictor of dispersal distances among resident species. Most migratory species showed a similar pattern, but a group of species with relatively low aerodynamic efficiency showed longer-than-expected dispersal distances, making the overall trend independent of flight efficiency. Ecological, behavioral, and life history factors had a small or nil influence on dispersal distances, with most of their influence likely mediated by adaptations for the use of space reflected in flight efficiency. This suggests that dispersal distances in birds are not determined by adaptive strategies for dispersal per se, but are predominantly influenced by the energetic cost of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Claramunt
- Department of Natural HistoryRoyal Ontario Museum100 Queen’s ParkTorontoOntarioM5S 2C6Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Toronto25 Willcocks StreetTorontoOntarioM5S 3B2Canada
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Cornelius JM, Hahn TP, Robart AR, Vernasco BJ, Zahor DL, Glynn KJ, Navis CJ, Watts HE. Seasonal Patterns of Fat Deposits in Relation to Migratory Strategy in Facultative Migrants. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.691808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiological preparations for migration generally reflect migratory strategy. Migrant birds fuel long-distance flight primarily with lipids, but carrying excess fuel is costly; thus, the amount of fat deposited prior to departure often reflects the anticipated flight duration or distance between refueling bouts. Seasonal pre-migratory deposition of fat is well documented in regular seasonal migrants, but is less described for more facultative species. We analyze fat deposits of free-living birds across several taxa of facultative migrants in the songbird subfamily Carduelinae, including house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), pine siskins (Spinus pinus) and four different North American ecotypes of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), to evaluate seasonal fat deposition during facultative migratory periods. Our data suggest that the extent of seasonal fat deposits corresponds with migratory tendency in these facultative taxa. Specifically, nomadic red crossbills with a seasonally predictable annual movement demonstrated relatively large seasonal fat deposits coincident with the migratory periods. In contrast, pine siskins, thought to be more variable in timing and initiation of nomadic movements, had smaller peaks in fat deposits during the migratory season, and the partial migrant American goldfinch and the resident house finch showed no peaks coincident with migratory periods. Within the red crossbills, those ecotypes that are closely associated with pine habitats showed larger peaks in fat deposits coincident with autumn migratory periods and had higher wing loading, whereas those ecotypes associated with spruces, Douglas-fir and hemlocks showed larger peaks coincident with spring migratory periods and lower wing loading. We conclude that population averages of fat deposits do reflect facultative migration strategies in these species, as well as the winter thermogenic challenges at the study locations. A difference in seasonal fattening and wing loading among red crossbill ecotypes is consistent with the possibility that they differ in their migratory biology, and we discuss these differences in light of crossbill reproductive schedules and phenologies of different conifer species.
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Malo JE, Mata C. Web databases of feather photographs are useful tools for avian morphometry studies. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7677-7684. [PMID: 34188843 PMCID: PMC8216968 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Wing area, wing loading, and aspect ratio are key variables for studies of avian comparative ecology, despite the complexity of measuring wing characteristics in living and museum specimens. The systematic databases of feather photographs available on the Internet may offer an alternative way of obtaining such morphometric data. Here, we evaluate whether measurements of scanned feathers from web photograph databases may offer reliable estimates of avian morphometry.Published data on wing area were obtained for 317 bird species and feather measurements from web photograph databases for 225 of them. A variable termed "lift generation area," a proxy for wing area, was calculated for each species on the basis of the mean length of the five distal secondary feathers and wingspan data from literature. The fit between this proposed variable and data extracted from the literature was examined by correlation, employing linear regression to explore the lack of fit among species."Lift generation area" proved to be highly informative as a proxy for wing area for the study species as a whole (R 2 > .98). Discrepancies observed between species were strongly negatively associated with the size of the original sample used to calculate wing area (p = .001) and, to a lesser extent, with bird size (p = .023), but not with aspect ratio. It was also found that the mean value of the mismatch between "lift generation area" and wing area (13.1%) among the study species as a whole was of similar magnitude to that found between sources of bibliographic wing area data for the 64 species for which two published estimates of this variable were available (15.3%).We conclude that measurements made from feather photograph databases are reliable for use in studies of avian comparative ecology, enabling the inclusion of biomechanical parameters of many more species than featured at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan E. Malo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG‐UAM)Departamento de EcologíaFacultad de CienciasUniversidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM)Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Cristina Mata
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG‐UAM)Departamento de EcologíaFacultad de CienciasUniversidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC‐UAM)Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
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Zenzal TJ, Ward MP, Diehl RH, Buler JJ, Smolinsky J, Deppe JL, Bolus RT, Celis‐Murillo A, Moore FR. Retreat, detour or advance? Understanding the movements of birds confronting the Gulf of Mexico. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Theodore J. Zenzal
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center Lafayette LA USA
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, Univ. of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg MS USA
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Illinois Urbana IL USA
| | - Robert H. Diehl
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Bozeman MT USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Buler
- Dept of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, Univ. of Delaware Newark DE USA
| | - Jaclyn Smolinsky
- Dept of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, Univ. of Delaware Newark DE USA
- Cherokee Nation System Solutions, contracted to the US Geol. Surv., Wetland and Aguatic Res. Center Lafayette LA USA
| | | | | | | | - Frank R. Moore
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, Univ. of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg MS USA
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Montejo‐Kovacevich G, Smith JE, Meier JI, Bacquet CN, Whiltshire‐Romero E, Nadeau NJ, Jiggins CD. Altitude and life-history shape the evolution of Heliconius wings. Evolution 2019; 73:2436-2450. [PMID: 31631338 PMCID: PMC6916360 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic divergence between closely related species has long interested biologists. Taxa that inhabit a range of environments and have diverse natural histories can help understand how selection drives phenotypic divergence. In butterflies, wing color patterns have been extensively studied but diversity in wing shape and size is less well understood. Here, we assess the relative importance of phylogenetic relatedness, natural history, and habitat on shaping wing morphology in a large dataset of over 3500 individuals, representing 13 Heliconius species from across the Neotropics. We find that both larval and adult behavioral ecology correlate with patterns of wing sexual dimorphism and adult size. Species with solitary larvae have larger adult males, in contrast to gregarious Heliconius species, and indeed most Lepidoptera, where females are larger. Species in the pupal-mating clade are smaller than those in the adult-mating clade. Interestingly, we find that high-altitude species tend to have rounder wings and, in one of the two major Heliconius clades, are also bigger than their lowland relatives. Furthermore, within two widespread species, we find that high-altitude populations also have rounder wings. Thus, we reveal novel adaptive wing morphological divergence among Heliconius species beyond that imposed by natural selection on aposematic wing coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joana I. Meier
- St John's CollegeUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1TP
| | | | | | - Nicola J. Nadeau
- Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUK
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Drivers of wing shape in a widespread Neotropical bird: a dual role of sex-specific and migration-related functions. Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9945-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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