1
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Wang D, Zhang W, Yang S, Richter XYL. Sex differences in avian parental care patterns vary across the breeding cycle. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6980. [PMID: 37914691 PMCID: PMC10620184 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Parental care in birds consists of elaborate forms across stages, including nest building, incubation, and offspring provision. Despite their evolutionary importance, knowledge gaps exist in the extent to which parents contribute disproportionately to these forms and factors that are associated with variations in care patterns between sexes. Here, we analyzed 1533 bird species and discovered remarkable variability in care patterns. We show that parental care should not be viewed as a unitary trait but rather as a set of integrated features that exhibit considerable temporal and sex-specific variation. Our analyses also reveal moderate consistency in care patterns between breeding stages, pointing towards shared intrinsic factors driving sex-specific care. Notably, we found that species experiencing strong sexual selection on males or species facing paternity uncertainty display a tendency towards female-biased care. This work advances our understanding of the temporal variations in sex-specific contributions to avian parental care and their potential evolutionary drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Wenyuan Zhang
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Biology, Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Shuai Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Yi Li Richter
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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2
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Ding P, Song Z, Liu Y, Székely T, Shi L, Turghan MA. Variations in the Reproductive Strategies of Different Charadrius alexandrinus Populations in Xinjiang, China. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2260. [PMID: 37508039 PMCID: PMC10376040 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the influence of bio-geographical and environmental factors, as well as anthropogenic landscape features, organisms show different reproductive strategies among different populations. There is a lack of detailed information on the reproductive biology of Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus in arid lands in Central Asia. In this study, we summarized the characteristics of the reproductive biology of three geographically distinct plover populations in Aibi Lake in northwestern Xinjiang, Taitema Lake in southern Xinjiang and artificial reservoirs around Urumqi City in northern Xinjiang, based on 440 eggs from 158 nests observed and analyzed from April to July of 2019 and 2020. We found that there was no significant difference in clutch size among the three populations. However, the egg size of the Taitema Lake population was significantly larger than those of the other two populations, whilst the egg volume and clutch volume of the artificial reservoirs' populations were significantly larger than that of Aibi Lake. With the postponement of laying dates, the northern and northwestern populations showed the characteristics of a small clutch size and a relatively small egg size, respectively, and a decrease in reproductive output. The heavier female plovers in Taitema Lake laid eggs earlier, and there was a significantly positive correlation between female body mass and clutch size and egg size. The tarsometatarsus length of the female plovers was significantly positively correlated with the reproductive output in all three populations. The model selection results show that female body size and ambient temperature restrict the egg size and reproductive output of Kentish plovers, which is consistent with the upper limit hypothesis of the maternal condition and maternal constraint. Our data support the hypothesis that Kentish plovers show distinct flexibility in their breeding strategies to cope with the harsh natural environment in the arid lands of Xinjiang, China. The results of a relatively high average clutch size and average egg size imply that the saline wetlands of Western China are important breeding habitats for Kentish plovers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ding
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
| | - Zitan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA1 7AY, UK
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Lei Shi
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
| | - Mardan Aghabey Turghan
- State Key Laboratory of Oasis and Desert Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
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3
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Hunt ESE, Felice RN, Tobias JA, Goswami A. Ecological and life-history drivers of avian skull evolution. Evolution 2023; 77:1720-1729. [PMID: 37105944 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
One of the most famous examples of adaptive radiation is that of the Galápagos finches, where skull morphology, particularly the beak, varies with feeding ecology. Yet increasingly studies are questioning the strength of this correlation between feeding ecology and morphology in relation to the entire neornithine radiation, suggesting that other factors also significantly affect skull evolution. Here, we broaden this debate to assess the influence of a range of ecological and life-history factors, specifically habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, in shaping avian skull evolution. Using 3D geometric morphometric data to robustly quantify skull shape for 354 extant species spanning avian diversity, we fitted flexible phylogenetic regressions and estimated evolutionary rates for each of these factors across the full data set. The results support a highly significant relationship between skull shape and both habitat density and migration, but not developmental mode. We further found heterogenous rates of evolution between different character states within habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, with rapid skull evolution in species that occupy dense habitats, are migratory, or are precocial. These patterns demonstrate that diverse factors affect the tempo and mode of avian phenotypic evolution and that skull evolution in birds is not simply a reflection of feeding ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise S E Hunt
- Department of Life Sciences and Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan N Felice
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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4
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Marshall AF, Balloux F, Hemmings N, Brekke P. Systematic review of avian hatching failure and implications for conservation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:807-832. [PMID: 36635252 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Avian hatching failure is a widespread phenomenon, affecting around 10% of all eggs that are laid and not lost to predation, damage, or desertion. Our understanding of hatching failure is limited in terms of both its underpinning mechanisms and its occurrence across different populations. It is widely acknowledged that rates of hatching failure are higher in threatened species and in populations maintained in captivity compared to wild, non-threatened species, but these differences have rarely been quantified and any broader patterns remain unexplored. To examine the associations between threat status, management interventions, and hatching failure across populations we conducted a phylogenetically controlled multilevel meta-analysis across 231 studies and 241 species of birds. Our data set included both threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable) and non-threatened (Near Threatened and Least Concern) species across wild and captive populations, as well as 'wild managed' ('free-living') populations. We found the mean overall rate of hatching failure across all populations to be 16.79%, with the hatching failure rate of wild, non-threatened species being 12.40%. We found that populations of threatened species experienced significantly higher mean hatching failure than populations of non-threatened species. Different levels of management were also associated with different rates of hatching failure, with wild populations experiencing the lowest rate of hatching failure, followed by wild managed populations, and populations in captivity experiencing the highest rate. Similarly, populations that were subject to the specific management interventions of artificial incubation, supplementary feeding, and artificial nest provision displayed significantly higher rates of hatching failure than populations without these interventions. The driver of this correlation between hatching failure and management remains unclear, but could be an indirect result of threatened species being more likely to have lower hatching success and also being more likely to be subject to management, indicating that conservation efforts are fittingly being focused towards the species potentially most at risk from extinction. This is the most comprehensive comparative analysis of avian hatching failure that has been conducted to date, and the first to quantify explicitly how threat status and management are associated with the rate of hatching failure in a population. We discuss the implications of our results, focusing on their potential applications to conservation. Although we identified several factors clearly associated with variation in hatching failure, a significant amount of heterogeneity was not explained by our meta-analytical model, indicating that other factors influencing hatching failure were not included here. We discuss what these factors might be and suggest avenues for further research. Finally, we discuss the inconsistency in how hatching failure is defined and reported within the literature, and propose a standardised definition to be used in future studies which will enable better comparison across populations and ensure that the most accurate information is used to support management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh F Marshall
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - François Balloux
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicola Hemmings
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
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5
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Prondvai E, Butler RJ. Radial porosity profiles are a powerful tool for tracing locomotor maturation in developing limb bones. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21567. [PMID: 36748832 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Radial porosity profiles (RPP) are a new quantitative osteohistological parameter designed to capture the dynamic changes in the primary porosity of limb bones through ontogeny, providing insights into skeletal growth and functional development of extant and extinct vertebrates. Previous work hypothesized that RPP channelization-the intraskeletal alignment of RPPs across different bones resulting from similar cortical compaction patterns-indicates increasing locomotor performance of the developing limbs. By investigating RPPs in ontogenetic series of pheasants, pigeons and ducks representing distinct locomotor developmental strategies, we test this hypothesis here and show that RPPs are indeed powerful osteohistological correlates of locomotor ontogeny. Qualitative and quantitative analyses reveal strong association between RPP channelization and fledging, the most drastic locomotor transition in the life history of volant birds. The channelization signal is less clear in precocial leg function; however, when additional intraskeletal and intercohort RPP characteristics are considered, patterns related to leg precocity can also be identified. Thus, we demonstrate that RPPs can be used in future by palaeobiologists to generate breakthroughs in the study of the ontogeny and evolution of flight in fossil birds and pterosaurs. With further baseline data collection from modern terrestrial vertebrates, RPPs could also test hypotheses regarding ontogenetic postural shifts in dinosaurs and other terrestrial archosaurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edina Prondvai
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Richard J Butler
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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6
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Rasband SA, Bolton PE, Fang Q, Johnson PLF, Braun MJ. Evolution of the Growth Hormone Gene Duplication in Passerine Birds. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:7059008. [PMID: 36848146 PMCID: PMC10016047 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds of the order Passeriformes represent the most speciose order of land vertebrates. Despite strong scientific interest in this super-radiation, genetic traits unique to passerines are not well characterized. A duplicate copy of growth hormone (GH) is the only gene known to be present in all major lineages of passerines, but not in other birds. GH genes plausibly influence extreme life history traits that passerines exhibit, including the shortest embryo-to-fledging developmental period of any avian order. To unravel the implications of this GH duplication, we investigated the molecular evolution of the ancestral avian GH gene (GH or GH1) and the novel passerine GH paralog (GH2), using 497 gene sequences extracted from 342 genomes. Passerine GH1 and GH2 are reciprocally monophyletic, consistent with a single duplication event from a microchromosome onto a macrochromosome in a common ancestor of extant passerines. Additional chromosomal rearrangements have changed the syntenic and potential regulatory context of these genes. Both passerine GH1 and GH2 display substantially higher rates of nonsynonymous codon change than non-passerine avian GH, suggesting positive selection following duplication. A site involved in signal peptide cleavage is under selection in both paralogs. Other sites under positive selection differ between the two paralogs, but many are clustered in one region of a 3D model of the protein. Both paralogs retain key functional features and are actively but differentially expressed in two major passerine suborders. These phenomena suggest that GH genes may be evolving novel adaptive roles in passerine birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shauna A Rasband
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
| | - Peri E Bolton
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.,Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
| | - Qi Fang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Michael J Braun
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
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7
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Abstract
Extra-pair paternity (EPP) benefits to improve the reproductive success via extra-pair fertilizations without the costs of parental care in males and through improved offspring quality with additional food and parental care in females among species of birds. Variations in the EPP appear to link to behavioral and ecological factors and sexual selection. According to the "relationship intelligence hypothesis", the cognitive abilities of the birds play an important role in maintaining long-term relationships. Here, we undertook the first comparative test of the relationships between extra-pair paternity and brain size, testis size, and life histories among 315 species of birds using phylogenetically controlled comparative analyses and path analysis. After controlling for the effects of shared ancestry and body mass, the frequency of EPP was negatively correlated with relative brain size, but positively with testis size across species of birds. However, the frequency of EPP was not linked to life-history traits (e.g. incubation period, fledging period, clutch size, egg mass, and longevity). Our findings suggest that large-brained birds associated with enhanced cognitive abilities are more inclined to maintain long-term stable relationships with their mates and to mutualism with them than to increase the frequency of EPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Zhengjun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Wenbo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
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8
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Minias P, Janiszewski T. Ground nesting in passerine birds: evolution, biogeography and life history correlates. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Dept of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Univ. of Łódź Łódź Poland
| | - Tomasz Janiszewski
- Dept of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Univ. of Łódź Łódź Poland
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9
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Pan SK, Wang DP, Zhang XH, Zhan XJ, Zhang XH, Zhan XJ. Smarter birds, smaller eggs, and less parental care time. Zool Res 2023; 44:98-100. [PMID: 36419376 PMCID: PMC9841185 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Kai Pan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Cardiff University - Institute of Zoology Joint Laboratory for Biocomplexity Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dai-Ping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Hang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiang-Jiang Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Cardiff University - Institute of Zoology Joint Laboratory for Biocomplexity Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China,E-mail:
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10
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Street SE, Jaques R, De Silva TN. Convergent evolution of elaborate nests as structural defences in birds. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221734. [PMID: 36541171 PMCID: PMC9768638 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pendent nests of some weaverbird and icterid species are among the most complex structures built by any animal, but why they have evolved remains to be explained. The precarious attachments and extended entrance tunnels characteristic of these nests are widely speculated to act as structural defences against invasion by nest predators, particularly tree-climbing snakes, but this hypothesis has yet to be systematically tested. We use phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate the relationship between nest structure and developmental period length, a proxy for offspring mortality, in weaverbirds (Ploceidae) and icterids (Icteridae), two bird families in which highly elaborate pendent nests have independently evolved. We find that more elaborate nests, particularly those with entrance tunnels, are associated with longer developmental periods in both families. This finding is robust to potentially confounding effects of body mass, phylogenetic relationships, nest location and latitude. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that elaborate nest structures in birds can function as structural defences, resulting in lower offspring mortality and slower development. More generally, our findings suggest that constructing complex, protective structures may buffer against environmental hazards, reducing extrinsic mortality and contributing to the evolution of slower life histories in diverse animal lineages, even humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally E. Street
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Rd, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Robert Jaques
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford IP24 2LP, UK
| | - Thilina N. De Silva
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Ln, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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11
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Cordero GA, Werneburg I. Domestication and the comparative embryology of birds. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:447-459. [PMID: 35604321 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Studies of domesticated animals have greatly contributed to our understanding of avian embryology. Foundational questions in developmental biology were motivated by Aristotle's observations of chicken embryos. By the 19th century, the chicken embryo was at the center stage of developmental biology, but how closely does this model species mirror the ample taxonomic diversity that characterizes the avian tree of life? Here, we provide a brief overview of the taxonomic breadth of comparative embryological studies in birds. We particularly focused on staging tables and papers that attempted to document the timing of developmental transformations. We show that most of the current knowledge of avian embryology is based on Galliformes (chicken and quail) and Anseriformes (duck and goose). Nonetheless, data are available for some ecologically diverse avian subclades, including Struthioniformes (e.g., ostrich, emu) and Sphenisciformes (penguins). Thus far, there has only been a handful of descriptive embryological studies in the most speciose subclade of Aves, that is, the songbirds (Passeriniformes). Furthermore, we found that temporal variances for developmental events are generally uniform across a consensus chronological sequence for birds. Based on the available data, developmental trajectories for chicken and other model species appear to be highly similar. We discuss future avenues of research in comparative avian embryology in light of the currently available wealth of data on domesticated species and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo A Cordero
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Animal Biology, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ingmar Werneburg
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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12
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Neuron numbers link innovativeness with both absolute and relative brain size in birds. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1381-1389. [PMID: 35817825 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01815-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A longstanding issue in biology is whether the intelligence of animals can be predicted by absolute or relative brain size. However, progress has been hampered by an insufficient understanding of how neuron numbers shape internal brain organization and cognitive performance. On the basis of estimations of neuron numbers for 111 bird species, we show here that the number of neurons in the pallial telencephalon is positively associated with a major expression of intelligence: innovation propensity. The number of pallial neurons, in turn, is greater in brains that are larger in both absolute and relative terms and positively covaries with longer post-hatching development periods. Thus, our analyses show that neuron numbers link cognitive performance to both absolute and relative brain size through developmental adjustments. These findings help unify neuro-anatomical measures at multiple levels, reconciling contradictory views over the biological significance of brain expansion. The results also highlight the value of a life history perspective to advance our understanding of the evolutionary bases of the connections between brain and cognition.
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13
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Does ecology and life history predict parental cooperation in birds? A comparative analysis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03195-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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14
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Guo Y, Lu X. Tibetan birds lay larger but fewer eggs in a clutch. Oecologia 2022; 198:1011-1018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05159-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Scanes CG, Witt J, Ebeling M, Schaller S, Baier V, Bone AJ, Preuss TG, Heckmann D. Quantitative Comparison of Avian and Mammalian Physiologies for Parameterization of Physiologically Based Kinetic Models. Front Physiol 2022; 13:858386. [PMID: 35450159 PMCID: PMC9016154 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.858386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiologically based kinetic (PBK) models facilitate chemical risk assessment by predicting in vivo exposure while reducing the need for animal testing. PBK models for mammals have seen significant progress, which has yet to be achieved for avian systems. Here, we quantitatively compare physiological, metabolic and anatomical characteristics between birds and mammals, with the aim of facilitating bird PBK model development. For some characteristics, there is considerable complementarity between avian and mammalian species with identical values for the following: blood hemoglobin and hemoglobin concentrations per unit erythrocyte volume together with relative weights of the liver, heart, and lungs. There are also systematic differences for some major characteristics between avian and mammalian species including erythrocyte volume, plasma concentrations of albumin, total protein and triglyceride together with liver cell size and relative weights of the kidney, spleen, and ovary. There are also major differences between characteristics between sexually mature and sexually immature female birds. For example, the relative weights of the ovary and oviduct are greater in sexually mature females compared to immature birds as are the plasma concentrations of triglyceride and vitellogenin. Both these sets of differences reflect the genetic "blue print" inherited from ancestral archosaurs such as the production of large eggs with yolk filled oocytes surrounded by egg white proteins, membranes and a calciferous shell together with adaptions for flight in birds or ancestrally in flightless birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin G. Scanes
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
- Department of Biological Science, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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16
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de Framond L, Brumm H, Thompson WI, Drabing SM, Francis CD. The broken-wing display across birds and the conditions for its evolution. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220058. [PMID: 35350855 PMCID: PMC8965389 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The broken-wing display is a well-known and conspicuous deceptive signal used to protect birds' broods against diurnal terrestrial predators. Although commonly associated with shorebirds, it remains unknown how common the behaviour is across birds and what forces are associated with the evolution of the display. Here, we use the broken-wing display as a paradigmatic example to study the evolution of a behaviour across Aves. We show that the display is widespread: it has been described in 52 families spread throughout the phylogeny, suggesting that it independently evolved multiple times. Further, we evaluated the association with 16 ecological and life-history variables hypothesized to be related to the evolution of the broken-wing display. Eight variables were associated with the display. We found that species breeding farther from the equator, in more dense environments, with shorter incubation periods, and relatively little nest cover were more likely to perform the display, as were those in which only one parent incubates eggs, species that mob nest predators and species that are altricial or multi-brooded. Collectively, our comprehensive approach identified forces associated with the repeated evolution of this conspicuous display, thereby providing new insights into how deceptive behaviours evolve in the context of predator-prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léna de Framond
- Communication and Social Behavior Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behavior Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wren I. Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Shane M. Drabing
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Clinton D. Francis
- Communication and Social Behavior Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
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17
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Shiomi K. Possible link between brain size and flight mode in birds: Does soaring ease the energetic limitation of the brain? Evolution 2022; 76:649-657. [PMID: 34989401 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating determinants of interspecies variation in brain size has been a long-standing challenge in cognitive and evolutionary ecology. As the brain is an energetically expensive organ, energetic tradeoffs among organs are considered to play a key role in brain size evolution. This study examined the tradeoff between the brain and locomotion in birds by testing the relationship between brain size, flight modes with different energetic costs (flapping and soaring), and migratory behavior, using published data on the whole-brain mass of 2242 species. According to comparative analyses considering phylogeny and body mass, soarers, who can gain kinetic energy from wind shear or thermals and consequently save flight costs, have larger brains than flappers among migratory birds. Meanwhile, the brain size difference was not consistent in residents, and the size variation appeared much larger than that in migrants. In addition, the brain size of migratory birds was smaller than that of resident birds among flappers, whereas this property was not significant in soarers. Although further research is needed to draw a definitive conclusion, these findings provide further support for the energetic tradeoff of the brain with flight and migratory movements in birds and advance the idea that a locomotion mode with lower energetic cost could be a driver of encephalization during the evolution of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kozue Shiomi
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.,Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
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18
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Effects of exposure to predator models on fledging behaviour in blue tits. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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19
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Merrill L, Jones TM, Brawn JD, Ward MP. Early-life patterns of growth are linked to levels of phenotypic trait covariance and postfledging mortality across avian species. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15695-15707. [PMID: 34824783 PMCID: PMC8601885 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Life history studies have established that trade-offs between growth and survival are common both within and among species. Identifying the factor(s) that mediate this trade-off has proven difficult, however, especially at the among-species level. In this study, we examined a series of potentially interrelated traits in a community of temperate-zone passerine birds to help understand the putative causes and consequences of variation in early-life growth among species. First, we examined whether nest predation risk (a proven driver of interspecific variation in growth and development rates) was correlated with species-level patterns of incubation duration and nestling period length. We then assessed whether proxies for growth rate covaried with mean trait covariance strength (i.e., phenotypic correlations ( rp), which can be a marker of early-life stress) among body mass, tarsus length, and wing length at fledging. Finally, we examined whether trait covariance strength at fledging was related to postfledging survival. We found that higher nest predation risk was correlated with faster skeletal growth and that our proxies for growth corresponded with increased trait covariance strength ( rp), which subsequently, correlated with higher mortality in the next life stage (postfledging period). These results provide an indication that extrinsic pressures (nest predation) impact rates of growth, and that there are costs of rapid growth across species, expressed as higher mean rp and elevated postfledging mortality. The link between higher levels of trait covariance at fledging and increased mortality is unclear, but increased trait covariance strength may reflect reduced phenotypic flexibility (i.e., phenotypic canalization), which may limit an organism's capacity for coping with environmental or ecological variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren Merrill
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Illinois Natural History SurveyPrairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Todd M. Jones
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Illinois Natural History SurveyPrairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Jeffrey D. Brawn
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Illinois Natural History SurveyPrairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA
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20
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Ducatez S, Field DJ. Disentangling the avian altricial-precocial spectrum: Quantitative assessment of developmental mode, phylogenetic signal, and dimensionality. Evolution 2021; 75:2717-2735. [PMID: 34608994 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The altricial-precocial spectrum describes patterns of variation in avian developmental mode that greatly influence avian life histories. Appraising a given species' position on this spectrum is therefore fundamental to understanding patterns of avian life history evolution. However, evaluating avian developmental mode remains a relatively subjective task reliant on untested assumptions, including the notion that developmental strategies are distributed along a single dimension of statistical variation. Here, we present a quantitative multivariate framework that objectively discriminates among meaningfully different modes of avian development. We gathered information on seven hatchling and post-hatching traits for up to 4000 extant bird species, and find that most traits related to developmental mode show high phylogenetic signal and little intraclade variation, allowing unknown values to be reliably interpolated. Principal component analyses (PCAs) of these traits illustrate that most variation in hatchling state can be quantified along one dimension of trait space. However, our PCAs also reveal an important second dimension explaining variation in post-hatching behavior, enabling factors related to hatchling state and post-hatching behavior to be disentangled. In order to facilitate future macroevolutionary studies of variation in avian developmental strategies, as well as explorations of covariation between developmental mode and other aspects of avian biology, we present PC scores for 9993 extant avian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Ducatez
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 241 EIO (Ecosystèmes Insulaires Océaniens), Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
| | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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21
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Experimental evidence that nestlings adjust their fledging time to each other in a multiparous bird. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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22
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Lundblad CG, Conway CJ. Intraspecific variation in incubation behaviours along a latitudinal gradient is driven by nest microclimate and selection on neonate quality. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carl G. Lundblad
- Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Courtney J. Conway
- U.S. Geological Survey Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
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23
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Castro KMSA, Amado TF, Olalla-Tárraga MÁ, Gouveia SF, Navas CA, Martinez PA. Water constraints drive allometric patterns in the body shape of tree frogs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1218. [PMID: 33441858 PMCID: PMC7806824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80456-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of morphological diversity is a critical question in evolutionary biology. Interactions between the environment and developmental processes have determining roles in morphological diversity, creating patterns through space and over time. Also, the shape of organisms tends to vary with increasing size as a result of those developmental processes, known as allometry. Several studies have demonstrated that the body sizes of anurans are associated with hydric conditions in their environments and that localities with high water stress tend to select for larger individuals. However, how environmental conditions alter those patterns of covariance between size and shape is still elusive. We used 3D geometric morphometric analyses, associated with phylogenetic comparative methods, to determine if the morphological variations and allometric patterns found in Arboranae (Anura) is linked to water conservation mechanisms. We found effects of the hydric stress on the shape of Arboranae species, favouring globular shapes. Also, the allometric patterns varied in intensity according to the water stress gradient, being particularly relevant for smaller frogs, and more intense in environments with higher water deficits. Our study provides empirical evidence that more spherical body shapes, especially among smaller species, reflect an important adaptation of anurans to water conservation in water-constrained environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M S A Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49.000-100, Brazil.
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil.
| | - Talita F Amado
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Madrid, Spain
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sidney F Gouveia
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Navas
- Departamento de Fisiologia Geral, Instituto de Biociência, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pablo A Martinez
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
- PIBi Lab - Laboratório de Pesquisas Integrativas em Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, 49100-000, Brazil
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24
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Delhey K, Guallar S, Rueda-Hernández R, Valcu M, Wang D, Kempenaers B. Partial or complete? The evolution of post-juvenile moult strategies in passerine birds. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2896-2908. [PMID: 32979275 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Moulting strategies in birds have evolved to avoid overlap with, or prepare for, other demanding parts of the annual cycle, such as reproduction or migration. When moulting for the first time after leaving the nest, young birds replace their typically poor-quality plumage during the post-juvenile moult. The extent of this moult varies between species from partial to complete. Earlier studies, restricted to Western Palearctic birds, suggest that in most species a complete post-juvenile moult may not be possible simply because young birds are constrained by not having the same access to resources as adults, unless environmental conditions are favourable. These studies also show that complete post-juvenile moult is more common in species with poor-quality nest-grown plumage. We expanded the spatial and taxonomic scope of previous studies to 1,315 species of passerines from across the world and considered both the role of constraints, plumage quality and other selective pressures favouring a complete post-juvenile moult. Thus, we test whether complete moult is more prevalent in species where nest-grown feathers are presumably of poor quality (shorter nestling period), that live in environments that foster quick plumage degradation (open habitats, high insolation and humidity), and where males are under strong sexual selection. Our data reveal that 24% of species carry out a complete post-juvenile moult, and that this trait has a strong phylogenetic signal. Complete moult is more common in species that inhabit warmer regions and open habitats, show no delayed plumage maturation and have higher levels of sexual dichromatism (indicative of strong sexual selection). Neither the presumed quality of the nest-grown plumage nor living in regions with high insolation correlates with complete moult. In conclusion, the evolution of complete post-juvenile moult not only depends on whether birds can perform a complete moult (i.e. suitable environmental conditions) but also on the strength of selection associated with the need of a complete moult. In particular, the necessity to keep the plumage in good condition in challenging environments and the benefits associated with producing adult-like plumage colours to attract mates or deter rivals seem to play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Santiago Guallar
- Department de Vertebrats, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Rueda-Hernández
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Daiping Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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