1
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Hewes AE, Cuban D, Groom DJE, Sargent AJ, Beltrán DF, Rico-Guevara A. Variable evidence for convergence in morphology and function across avian nectarivores. J Morphol 2022; 283:1483-1504. [PMID: 36062802 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nectar-feeding birds provide an excellent system in which to examine form-function relationships over evolutionary time. There are many independent origins of nectarivory in birds, and nectar feeding is a lifestyle with many inherent biophysical constraints. We review the morphology and function of the feeding apparatus, the locomotor apparatus, and the digestive and renal systems across avian nectarivores with the goals of synthesizing available information and identifying the extent to which different aspects of anatomy have morphologically and functionally converged. In doing so, we have systematically tabulated the occurrence of putative adaptations to nectarivory across birds and created what is, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive summary of adaptations to nectarivory across body systems and taxa. We also provide the first phylogenetically informed estimate of the number of times nectarivory has evolved within Aves. Based on this synthesis of existing knowledge, we identify current knowledge gaps and provide suggestions for future research questions and methods of data collection that will increase our understanding of the distribution of adaptations across bodily systems and taxa, and the relationship between those adaptations and ecological and evolutionary factors. We hope that this synthesis will serve as a landmark for the current state of the field, prompting investigators to begin collecting new data and addressing questions that have heretofore been impossible to answer about the ecology, evolution, and functional morphology of avian nectarivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Hewes
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - David Cuban
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Derrick J E Groom
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alyssa J Sargent
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Diego F Beltrán
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alejandro Rico-Guevara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, USA
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2
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Xiang WQ, Malabrigo PL, Tang L, Ren MX. Limited-Distance Pollen Dispersal and Low Paternal Diversity in a Bird-Pollinated Self-Incompatible Tree. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:806217. [PMID: 35283871 PMCID: PMC8914170 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.806217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bird pollination in Asia is regarded as an uncommon phenomenon and, therefore, only a few investigations on mating pattern and paternity in fruits of Asian bird-pollinated plants have been conducted. Here, we examined spatial genetic structure, pollen dispersal, and multiple paternity in a natural population of Bombax ceiba (B. ceiba) (Malvaceae) in Hainan Island, South China, using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A low genetic diversity (H e = 0.351 ± 0.0341 and 0.389 ± 0.043, respectively, for adults and offspring) and bottleneck effects were observed. Genetic kinship was significant within 400 m or in 1,800-3,800 m. Both the mating pattern and paternity analysis confirmed obligate xenogamy and a low multiple paternity in B. ceiba. There was a strongly negative relationship between the frequency of matings and the distance between mating pairs. The average pollen dispersal distance was 202.89 ± 41.01 m (mean ± SE) and the farthest distance of > 1 km was recorded. Realized mating events showed an extremely leptokurtic distribution within 1,200 m, suggesting that the pollen dispersal distance was consistent with the optimal foraging theory of generalist birds such as Zosterops spp. and Pycnonotus spp. Paternity per tree ranged from two to six and the average effective number of pollen donors per maternal plant was 3.773, suggesting a low level of paternity diversity as compared to other bird-pollinated plants. We concluded that optimal foraging behavior by generalist birds could explain the leptokurtic pollen dispersal distribution and predominantly near-neighbor matings in B. ceiba. The limited pollen dispersal distance and low multiple paternity were consistent with low fruit setting rate (3.27 ± 0.93%) in this self-incompatible tree, which was caused mainly by the restricted flight distance of birds and human disturbances. Low genetic diversity and significant spatial genetic structure might have largely resulted from logging and human collection of fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Qian Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Trees and Ornamental Plants, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Center for Terrestrial Biodiversity of the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Pastor L. Malabrigo
- Department of Forest Biological Sciences, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Liang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Trees and Ornamental Plants, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Center for Terrestrial Biodiversity of the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Ming-Xun Ren
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Trees and Ornamental Plants, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Center for Terrestrial Biodiversity of the South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China
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3
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Bradford M, Venz M, Bell KL, Hogan L, Smith GC, Eby P, Eyre TJ, McKeown A, Vanderduys E, MacDonald S, Westcott D. The diet of a specialist nectarivore in Australia: The little red flying‐fox (
Pteropus scapulatus
, Pteropodidae). AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Melanie Venz
- QLD Herbarium QLD Department of Environment and Science Toowong Queensland 4066 Australia
| | - Karen L. Bell
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity Floreat Western Australia Australia
- School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Luke Hogan
- QLD Herbarium QLD Department of Environment and Science Toowong Queensland 4066 Australia
| | - Geoffrey C. Smith
- QLD Herbarium QLD Department of Environment and Science Toowong Queensland 4066 Australia
| | - Peggy Eby
- Centre for Ecosystem Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Teresa J. Eyre
- QLD Herbarium QLD Department of Environment and Science Toowong Queensland 4066 Australia
| | - Adam McKeown
- CSIRO Land and Water Waite South Australia Australia
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4
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McWhorter TJ, Rader JA, Schondube JE, Nicolson SW, Pinshow B, Fleming PA, Gutiérrez-Guerrero YT, Martínez Del Rio C. Sucrose digestion capacity in birds shows convergent coevolution with nectar composition across continents. iScience 2021; 24:102717. [PMID: 34235412 PMCID: PMC8246590 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The major lineages of nectar-feeding birds (hummingbirds, sunbirds, honeyeaters, flowerpiercers, and lorikeets) are considered examples of convergent evolution. We compared sucrose digestion capacity and sucrase enzymatic activity per unit intestinal surface area among 50 avian species from the New World, Africa, and Australia, including 20 nectarivores. With some exceptions, nectarivores had smaller intestinal surfaces, higher sucrose hydrolysis capacity, and greater sucrase activity per unit intestinal area. Convergence analysis showed high values for sucrose hydrolysis and sucrase activity per unit intestinal surface area in specialist nectarivores, matching the high proportion of sucrose in the nectar of the plants they pollinate. Plants pollinated by generalist nectar-feeding birds in the Old and New Worlds secrete nectar in which glucose and fructose are the dominant sugars. Matching intestinal enzyme activity in birds and nectar composition in flowers appears to be an example of convergent coevolution between plants and pollinators on an intercontinental scale. Nectarivory has evolved independently in birds in the New and Old Worlds Nectarivorous birds have greater sucrose hydrolysis capacity than nonspecialists Nectarivorous birds have a smaller intestinal surface area than nonspecialists Capacity to digest sucrose and high nectar sucrose content coevolved independently
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd J McWhorter
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, SA 5371, Australia
| | - Jonathan A Rader
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Jorge E Schondube
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México campus Morelia, Morelia, Michoacán CP 58190, México
| | - Susan W Nicolson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Berry Pinshow
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Patricia A Fleming
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Yocelyn T Gutiérrez-Guerrero
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Mexico D.F., México
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5
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Janeček Š, Chmel K, Uceda Gómez G, Janečková P, Chmelová E, Sejfová Z, Luma Ewome F. Ecological fitting is a sufficient driver of tight interactions between sunbirds and ornithophilous plants. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1784-1793. [PMID: 32128116 PMCID: PMC7042734 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-bird pollination interactions evolved independently on different continents. Specific adaptations can lead to their restriction when potential partners from distant evolutionary trajectories come into contact. Alternatively, these interactions can be enabled by convergent evolution and subsequent ecological fitting.We studied the interactions between New World plants from the genus Heliconia, Asian plants of genus Etlingera and African sunbirds on a local farm in Cameroon. Heliconia spp. evolved together with hummingbirds and Etlingera spp. with spiderhunters -an oriental subgroup of the sunbird family.Sunbirds fed on all studied plants and individual plant species were visited by a different sunbird spectrum. We experimentally documented a higher number of germinated pollen grains in sunbird-visited flowers of Etlingera spp. For Heliconia spp., this experiment was not successful and pollen tubes were rarely observed, even in hand-pollinated flowers, where enough pollen was deposited. The analyses of contacts with plant reproductive organs nevertheless confirmed that sunbirds are good pollen vectors for both Heliconia and Etlingera species.Our study demonstrated a high ecological fit between actors of distinct evolutionary history and the general validity of bird-pollination syndrome. We moreover show that trait matching and niche differentiation are important ecological processes also in semi-artificial plant-pollinator systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Štěpán Janeček
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePrahaCzech Republic
| | - Kryštof Chmel
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePrahaCzech Republic
- Biology CentreCzech Academy of SciencesČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Guillermo Uceda Gómez
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePrahaCzech Republic
| | - Petra Janečková
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePrahaCzech Republic
- University of South BohemiaČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Eliška Chmelová
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePrahaCzech Republic
- Biology CentreCzech Academy of SciencesČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Zuzana Sejfová
- Department of EcologyFaculty of ScienceCharles University in PraguePrahaCzech Republic
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6
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Bezemer N, Hopper SD, Krauss SL, Phillips RD, Roberts DG. Primary pollinator exclusion has divergent consequences for pollen dispersal and mating in different populations of a bird‐pollinated tree. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:4883-4898. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Bezemer
- Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management School of Agriculture and Environment The University of Western Australia Albany WA Australia
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Kings Park Science West Perth WA Australia
| | - Stephen D. Hopper
- Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management School of Agriculture and Environment The University of Western Australia Albany WA Australia
| | - Siegy L. Krauss
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Kings Park Science West Perth WA Australia
- Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Ryan D. Phillips
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Kings Park Science West Perth WA Australia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Melbourne Vic. Australia
| | - David G. Roberts
- Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management School of Agriculture and Environment The University of Western Australia Albany WA Australia
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Kings Park Science West Perth WA Australia
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7
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Abrahamczyk S. Comparison of the ecology and evolution of plants with a generalist bird pollination system between continents and islands worldwide. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1658-1671. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Abrahamczyk
- Nees‐Institute for Biodiversity of PlantsUniversity of Bonn 53115 Bonn Germany
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8
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Marki PZ, Kennedy JD, Cooney CR, Rahbek C, Fjeldså J. Adaptive radiation and the evolution of nectarivory in a large songbird clade. Evolution 2019; 73:1226-1240. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Petter Z. Marki
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of Copenhagen Copenhagen DK‐2100 Denmark
- Natural History MuseumUniversity of Oslo Oslo 0318 Norway
| | - Jonathan D. Kennedy
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of Copenhagen Copenhagen DK‐2100 Denmark
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN United Kingdom
| | - Christopher R. Cooney
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN United Kingdom
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of Copenhagen Copenhagen DK‐2100 Denmark
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College London Ascot SL5 7PY United Kingdom
| | - Jon Fjeldså
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of Copenhagen Copenhagen DK‐2100 Denmark
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9
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Miller ET, Wagner SK, Harmon LJ, Ricklefs RE. Radiating despite a Lack of Character: Ecological Divergence among Closely Related, Morphologically Similar Honeyeaters (Aves: Meliphagidae) Co-occurring in Arid Australian Environments. Am Nat 2016; 189:E14-E30. [PMID: 28107055 DOI: 10.1086/690008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying the relationship between form and function can inform use of morphology as a surrogate for ecology. How the strength of this relationship varies continentally can inform understanding of evolutionary radiations; for example, does the relationship break down when certain lineages invade and diversify in novel habitats? The 75 species of Australian honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) are morphologically and ecologically diverse, with species feeding on nectar, insects, fruit, and other resources. We investigated Meliphagidae ecomorphology and community structure by (1) quantifying the concordance between morphology and ecology (foraging behavior), (2) estimating rates of trait evolution in relation to the packing of ecological space, and (3) comparing phylogenetic and trait community structure across the broad environmental gradients of the continent. We found that morphology explained 37% of the variance in ecology (and 62% vice versa), and we uncovered well-known bivariate relationships among the multivariate ecomorphological data. Ecological trait diversity declined less rapidly than phylogenetic diversity along a gradient of decreasing precipitation. We employ a new method (trait fields) and extend another (phylogenetic fields) to show that while species in phylogenetically clustered, arid-environment assemblages are similar morphologically, they are as varied in foraging behavior as those from more diverse assemblages. Thus, although closely related and similar morphologically, these arid-adapted species have diverged in ecological space to a similar degree as their mesic counterparts.
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10
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Abrahamczyk S, Kessler M, Hanley D, Karger DN, Müller MPJ, Knauer AC, Keller F, Schwerdtfeger M, Humphreys AM. Pollinator adaptation and the evolution of floral nectar sugar composition. J Evol Biol 2016; 30:112-127. [PMID: 27747987 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A long-standing debate concerns whether nectar sugar composition evolves as an adaptation to pollinator dietary requirements or whether it is 'phylogenetically constrained'. Here, we use a modelling approach to evaluate the hypothesis that nectar sucrose proportion (NSP) is an adaptation to pollinators. We analyse ~ 2100 species of asterids, spanning several plant families and pollinator groups (PGs), and show that the hypothesis of adaptation cannot be rejected: NSP evolves towards two optimal values, high NSP for specialist-pollinated and low NSP for generalist-pollinated plants. However, the inferred adaptive process is weak, suggesting that adaptation to PG only provides a partial explanation for how nectar evolves. Additional factors are therefore needed to fully explain nectar evolution, and we suggest that future studies might incorporate floral shape and size and the abiotic environment into the analytical framework. Further, we show that NSP and PG evolution are correlated - in a manner dictated by pollinator behaviour. This contrasts with the view that a plant necessarily has to adapt its nectar composition to ensure pollination but rather suggests that pollinators adapt their foraging behaviour or dietary requirements to the nectar sugar composition presented by the plants. Finally, we document unexpectedly sucrose-poor nectar in some specialized nectarivorous bird-pollinated plants from the Old World, which might represent an overlooked form of pollinator deception. Thus, our broad study provides several new insights into how nectar evolves and we conclude by discussing why maintaining the conceptual dichotomy between adaptation and constraint might be unhelpful for advancing this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Abrahamczyk
- Nees Institute for Plant Biodiversity, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - M Kessler
- Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - D Hanley
- Department of Biology, Long Island University - Post, Brookville, NY, USA
| | - D N Karger
- Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M P J Müller
- Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A C Knauer
- Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F Keller
- Institute of Plant Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Schwerdtfeger
- Albrecht-v.-Haller Institute of Plant Science, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - A M Humphreys
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Berkshire, UK.,Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Padyšáková E, Janeček Š. Sunbird hovering behavior is determined by both the forager and resource plant. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eliška Padyšáková
- Biology Centre; Institute of Entomology; The Czech Academy of Sciences; Branišovská 31 CZ- 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31 CZ-370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Viničná 7 CZ-128 44 Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Department of Ecology; Faculty of Science; Charles University; Viničná 7 CZ-128 44 Praha 2 Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany; The Czech Academy of Sciences; Dukelská 135 CZ-379 82 Třeboň Czech Republic
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12
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Sulikowski D, Burke D. Noisy miners plan ahead: cryptic signalling of reward location impairs search for nectar, but not for invertebrates. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Markman S. Parental self-feeding effects on parental care levels and time allocation in Palestine sunbirds. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113890. [PMID: 25474620 PMCID: PMC4256214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between parents feeding themselves and their young is an important life history problem that can be considered in terms of optimal behavioral strategies. Recent studies on birds have tested how parents allocate the food between themselves and their young. Until now the effect of food consumption by parent birds on their food delivery to their young as well as other parental activities has rarely been studied. I have previously shown that parent Palestine sunbirds (Nectarinia osea) will consume nectar and liquidized arthropods from artificial feeders. However, they will only feed their young with whole arthropods. This provided a unique opportunity to experimentally manipulate the food eaten by parents independent of that fed to their offspring. Here, I hypothesized that parents invest in their current young according to the quality of food that they themselves consume. Breeding pairs with two or three nestlings were provided with feeders containing water (control), sucrose solution (0.75 mol) or liquidized mealworms mixed with sucrose solution (0.75 mol). As food quality in feeders increased (from water up to liquidized mealworms mixed with sucrose solution): 1) Parents (especially females) increased their food delivery of whole arthropod prey to their young. 2) Only males increased their nest guarding effort. Nestling food intake and growth rate increased with increasing food quality of parents and decreasing brood size. These results imply that increasing the nutrient content of foods consumed by parent sunbirds allow them to increase the rate at which other foods are delivered to their young and to increase the time spent on other parental care activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Markman
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa - Oranim, Tivon, Israel
- * E-mail:
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14
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Gardner JL, Amano T, Mackey BG, Sutherland WJ, Clayton M, Peters A. Dynamic size responses to climate change: prevailing effects of rising temperature drive long-term body size increases in a semi-arid passerine. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:2062-2075. [PMID: 25602089 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Changes in animal body size have been widely reported as a correlate of contemporary climate change. Body size affects metabolism and fitness, so changing size has implications for resilience, yet the climatic factors that drive size variation remain poorly understood. We test the role of mean and extreme temperature, rainfall, and remotely sensed primary productivity (NDVI) as drivers of body size in a sedentary, semi-arid Australian passerine, Ptilotula (Lichenostomus)penicillatus, over 23 years. To distinguish effects due to differential growth from changes in population composition, we analysed first-year birds and adults separately and considered climatic variation at three temporal scales (current, previous, and preceding 5 years). The strongest effects related to temperature: in both age classes, larger size was associated with warmer mean temperatures in the previous year, contrary to Bergmann's Rule. Moreover, adults were larger in warmer breeding seasons, while first years was larger after heat waves; these effects are more likely to be mediated through size-dependent mortality, highlighting the role of body size in determining vulnerability to extinction. In addition to temperature, larger adult size was associated with lower primary productivity, which may reflect a trade-off between vegetative growth and nectar production, on which adults rely. Finally, lower rainfall was associated with decreasing size in first year and adults, most likely related to decreased food availability. Overall,body size increased over 23 years, strongly in first-year birds (2.7%) compared with adults (1%), with size outcomes a balance between competing drivers. As rainfall declined over time and productivity remained fairly stable, the temporal increase in body size appears largely driven by rising mean temperature and temperature extremes. Body size responses to environmental change are thus complex and dynamic, driven by effects on growth as well as mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet L Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic. 3168, Australia
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15
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Toon A, Cook LG, Crisp MD. Evolutionary consequences of shifts to bird-pollination in the Australian pea-flowered legumes (Mirbelieae and Bossiaeeae). BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:43. [PMID: 24602227 PMCID: PMC4015313 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interactions with pollinators are proposed to be one of the major drivers of diversity in angiosperms. Specialised interactions with pollinators can lead to specialised floral traits, which collectively are known as a pollination syndrome. While it is thought that specialisation to a pollinator can lead to either an increase in diversity or in some cases a dead end, it is not well understood how transitions among specialised pollinators contribute to changes in diversity. Here, we use evolutionary trait reconstruction of bee-pollination and bird-pollination syndromes in Australian egg-and-bacon peas (Mirbelieae and Bossiaeeae) to test whether transitions between pollination syndromes is correlated with changes in species diversity. We also test for directionality in transitions that might be caused by selection by pollinators or by an evolutionary ratchet in which reversals to the original pollination syndrome are not possible. RESULTS Trait reconstructions of Australian egg-and-bacon peas suggest that bee-pollination syndrome is the ancestral form and that there has been replicated evolution of bird-pollination syndromes. Reconstructions indicate potential reversals from bird- to bee-pollination syndromes but this is not consistent with morphology. Species diversity of bird-pollination syndrome clades is lower than that of their bee-pollination syndrome sisters.We estimated the earliest transitions from bee- to bird-pollination syndrome occurred between 30.8 Ma and 10.4 Ma. Geographical structuring of pollination syndromes was found; there were fewer bird-pollination species in the Australian southeast temperate region compared to other regions of Australia. CONCLUSIONS A consistent decrease in diversification rate coincident with switches to bird pollination might be explained if greater dispersal by bird pollinators results in higher levels of connectivity among populations and reduced chances of allopatric speciation.The earliest transitions overlap with the early diversification of Australian honeyeaters - the major lineage of pollinating birds in Australia. Our findings are consistent with the idea that environment and availability of pollinators are important in the evolution of pollination syndromes. Changes in flower traits as a result of transitions to bird-pollination syndrome might also limit reversals to a bee-pollination syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Toon
- The University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Lyn G Cook
- The University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Michael D Crisp
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
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Hackett TD, Korine C, Holderied M. A whispering bat that screams: bimodal switch of foraging guild from gleaning to aerial-hawking in the desert long-eared bat. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:3028-32. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.100362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Echolocating bats have historically been classified as either loud aerial-hawkers or whispering gleaners. Some bat species can forage in multiple ways and others have demonstrated limited flexibility in the amplitude of their echolocation calls. The desert long-eared bat, Otonycteris hemprichii, has been said to be a passive gleaning whispering bat preying on terrestrial arthropods such as scorpions. Using an acoustic tracking system we recorded individuals flying at foraging and drinking sites and compared their flight height, flight speed, call duration, pulse interval and source levels to gleaning individuals previously recorded using the same setup. We found differences in all variables with the strongest difference in source levels where bats called at a mean of 119 dBpeSPL (compared to 75 dBpeSPL when gleaning). Bat faecal analysis indicated that their diet differed from previous studies and that prey species were capable of flight. We conclude that the bats switched from passive gleaning to capturing airborne insects (aerial-hawking). While whispering bats have been known to opportunistically catch insects on the wing, in the present study we show a full bimodal switch between foraging guilds with the respective changes in source level to those typical of a true aerial-hawker.
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Ogunkoya YO, Cook RD. Histomorphology of the Proventriculus of three Species of Australian Passerines:Lichmera indistincta,Zosterops lateralisandPoephila guttata. Anat Histol Embryol 2009; 38:246-53. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2009.00930.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Cooper CE, Cruz-Neto AP. Metabolic, hygric and ventilatory physiology of a hypermetabolic marsupial, the honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). J Comp Physiol B 2009; 179:773-81. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-009-0358-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2009] [Revised: 03/23/2009] [Accepted: 03/25/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Napier KR, McWhorter TJ, Fleming PA. Mechanism and rate of glucose absorption differ between an Australian honeyeater (Meliphagidae) and a lorikeet (Loriidae). J Exp Biol 2008; 211:3544-53. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.020644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Efficient mechanisms of glucose absorption are necessary for volant animals as a means of reducing mass during flight: they speed up gut transit time and require smaller volume and mass of gut tissue. One mechanism that may be important is absorption via paracellular (non-mediated) pathways. This may be particularly true for nectarivorous species which encounter large quantities of sugar in their natural diet. We investigated the extent of mediated and non-mediated glucose absorption in red wattlebirds Anthochaera carunculata (Meliphagidae) and rainbow lorikeets Trichoglossus haematodus (Loriidae) to test the hypothesis that paracellular uptake accounts for a significant proportion of total glucose uptake in these species. We found that routes of glucose absorption are highly dynamic in both species. In lorikeets, absorption of l-glucose(non-mediated uptake) is slower than that of d-glucose (mediated and non-mediated uptake), with as little as 10% of total glucose absorbed by the paracellular pathway initially (contrasting previous indirect estimates of∼0%). Over time, however, more glucose may be absorbed via the paracellular route. Glucose absorption by both mediated and non-mediated mechanisms in wattlebirds occurred at a faster rate than in lorikeets, and wattlebirds also rely substantially on paracellular uptake. In wattlebirds, we recorded higher bioavailability of l-glucose (96±3%)compared with d-glucose (57±2%), suggesting problems with the in vivo use of radiolabeled d-glucose. Further trials with 3-O-methyl-d-glucose revealed high bioavailability in wattlebirds (90±5%). This non-metabolisable glucose analogue remains the probe of choice for measuring uptake rates in vivo, especially in birds in which absorption and metabolism occur extremely rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. Napier
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University,Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Todd J. McWhorter
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University,Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Patricia A. Fleming
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University,Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
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Krauss SL, He T, Barrett LG, Lamont BB, Enright NJ, Miller BP, Hanley ME. Contrasting impacts of pollen and seed dispersal on spatial genetic structure in the bird-pollinated Banksia hookeriana. Heredity (Edinb) 2008; 102:274-85. [PMID: 19002205 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2008.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In plants, pollen- and seed-dispersal distributions are characteristically leptokurtic, with significant consequences for spatial genetic structure and nearest-neighbour mating. However, most studies to date have been on wind- or insect-pollinated species. Here, we assigned paternity to quantify effective pollen dispersal over 9 years of mating, contrasted this to seed dispersal and examined their effects on fine-scale spatial genetic structure, within the bird-pollinated shrub Banksia hookeriana (Proteaceae). We used 163 polymorphic amplified fragment length polymorphism markers to assess genetic structure and pollen dispersal in a spatially discrete population of 112 plants covering 0.56 ha. Spatial autocorrelation analysis detected spatial genetic structure in the smallest distance class of 0-5 m (r=0.025), with no significant structure beyond 8 m. Experimentally quantified seed-dispersal distances for 337 seedlings showed a leptokurtic distribution around a median of 5 m, reaching a distance of 36 m. In marked contrast, patterns of pollen dispersal for 274 seeds departed strikingly from typical near-neighbour pollination, with a distribution largely corresponding to the spatial distribution of plants. We found very high multiple paternity, very low correlated paternity and an equal probability of siring for the 50 closest potential mates. Extensive pollen carryover was demonstrated by multiple siring in 83 of 86 (96.5%) two-seeded fruits. Highly mobile nectar-feeding birds facilitate this promiscuity through observed movements that were effectively random. As the incidence of bird-pollination is markedly greater in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region than elsewhere, our results have broad and novel significance for the evolution and conservation for many species in Gondwanan lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Krauss
- Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fraser Avenue, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
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Fleming PA, Xie S, Napier K, McWhorter TJ, Nicolson SW. Nectar concentration affects sugar preferences in two Australian honeyeaters and a lorikeet. Funct Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01401.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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WOOLLER RD, RICHARDSON KC. Morphological relationships of passerine birds from Australia and New Guinea in relation to their diets. Zool J Linn Soc 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1988.tb00106.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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WOOLLER RD, SAUNDERS DA, BRADLEY JS, REBEIRA CP. Geographical variation in size of an Australian honeyeater (Aves: Meliphagidae): an example of Bergmann's rule. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1985.tb00401.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Welch KC, Bakken BH, Martinez del Rio C, Suarez RK. Hummingbirds Fuel Hovering Flight with Newly Ingested Sugar. Physiol Biochem Zool 2006; 79:1082-7. [PMID: 17041873 DOI: 10.1086/507665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We sought to characterize the ability of hummingbirds to fuel their energetically expensive hovering flight using dietary sugar by a combination of respirometry and stable carbon isotope techniques. Broadtailed hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus) were maintained on a diet containing beet sugar with an isotopic composition characteristic of C3 plants. Hummingbirds were fasted and then offered a solution containing cane sugar with an isotopic composition characteristic of C4 plants. By monitoring the rates of CO2 production and O2 consumption, as well as the stable carbon isotope composition of expired CO2, we were able to estimate the relative contributions of carbohydrate and fat, as well as the absolute rate at which dietary sucrose was oxidized during hovering. The combination of respirometry and carbon isotope analysis revealed that hummingbirds initially oxidized endogenous fat following a fast and then progressively oxidized proportionately more carbohydrates. The contribution from dietary sources increased with each feeding bout, and by 20 min after the first meal, dietary sugar supported approximately 74% of hovering metabolism. The ability of hummingbirds to satisfy the energetic requirements of hovering flight mainly with recently ingested sugar is unique among vertebrates. Our finding provides an example of evolutionary convergence in physiological and biochemical traits among unrelated nectar-feeding animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth C Welch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106-9610, USA.
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Hartman Bakken B, Sabat P. Gastrointestinal and renal responses to water intake in the green-backed firecrown (Sephanoides sephanoides), a South American hummingbird. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2006; 291:R830-6. [PMID: 16614056 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00137.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
To maintain water balance, nectar-feeding vertebrates oscillate between meeting the challenges of avoiding overhydration and preventing dehydration. To understand how green-backed firecrowns ( Sephanoides sephanoides) accomplish this, we examined the response of water-handling processes in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and kidney to different rates of water intake during the evening, night, and morning. Fractional water absorption in the GIT was independent of water intake rate (evening: 0.91 ± 0.08; morning: 0.88 ± 0.04). Consistent with this nonregulated water absorption, we found linear increases in water flux, fractional turnover of body water, and the rate of renal water loading as water intake rate increased during both the evening and morning. Despite these relationships, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was insensitive to water loading (evening: 2.08 ± 0.56 ml/h; morning: 1.84 ± 0.68 ml/h) and less than the allometric expectation (2.92 ml/h). During the evening, fractional renal water reabsorption decreased linearly as the rate of water intake increased. At night, a period of natural fasting for hummingbirds, mean GFR was not different from zero (0.00 ± 0.05 ml/h). These findings indicate that green-backed firecrowns eliminate excess ingested water by decreasing water reabsorption in the kidney; to conserve water, it appears that hummingbirds arrest whole kidney GFR, effectively preventing urinary water losses. After discounting evaporative water losses, our results show that hummingbirds rely principally on their renal system to resolve the osmoregulatory quandary posed by nectarivory.
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RAMSAY MW. The seasonal abundance and foraging behaviour of honeyeaters and their potential role in the pollination of Banksia menziesii. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1989.tb01006.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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PYKE GRAHAMH. Seasonal pattern of abundance of honeyeaters and their resources in heathland areas near Sydney. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1983.tb01320.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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ROBERTSON ALASTAIRW, LADLEY JENNYJ, KELLY DAVE. Effectiveness of short-tongued bees as pollinators of apparently ornithophilous New Zealand mistletoes. AUSTRAL ECOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2005.01474.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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TIMEWELL CAR, MAC NALLY R. Diurnal foraging-mode shifts and food availability in nectarivore assemblages during winter. AUSTRAL ECOL 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2004.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Nicolson SW. Pollination by passerine birds: why are the nectars so dilute? Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2002; 131:645-52. [PMID: 11923080 DOI: 10.1016/s1096-4959(02)00014-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bird-pollinated flowers are known to secrete relatively dilute nectars (with concentrations averaging 20-25% w/w). Many southern African plants that are pollinated by passerine birds produce nectars with little or no sucrose. Moreover, these hexose nectars are extremely dilute (10-15%). This suggests a link between sugar composition and nectar concentration. Nectar originates from sucrose-rich phloem sap, and the proportion of monosaccharides depends on the presence and activity of invertase in the nectary. Hydrolysis of sucrose increases nectar osmolality and the resulting water influx can potentially convert a 30% sucrose nectar into a 20% hexose nectar, with a 1.56 times increase in volume. Hydrolysis may also increase the gradient for sucrose transport and thus the rate of sugar secretion. When sucrose content and refractometer data were compared, some significant correlations were seen, but the occurrence of sucrose-rich or hexose-rich nectars can also be explained on phylogenetic grounds (e.g. Erythrina and Protea). Hexose nectars may be abundant enough to drip from open flowers, but evaporation leads to much variability in nectar concentration and increases the choices available to pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan W Nicolson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, 0002, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Clarke RH, Clarke MF. The social organization of a sexually dimorphic honeyeater: the Crescent HoneyeaterPhylidonyris pyrrhoptera, at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria. AUSTRAL ECOL 1999. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1442-9993.1999.00990.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Brown ED, Hopkins MJG. A test of pollinator specificity and morphological convergence between nectarivorous birds and rainforest tree flowers in New Guinea. Oecologia 1995; 103:89-100. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00328429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/1994] [Accepted: 02/07/1995] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Miller MA. Provisioning by captive yellow-tufted honeyeaters (Lichenostomus melanops gippslandicus) acting as foster parents for helmeted honeyeater chicks (L. m. cassidix). Zoo Biol 1994. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.1430130303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Casotti G, Richardson KC, Bradley JS. Ecomorphological constraints imposed by the kidney component measurements in honeyeater birds inhabiting different environments. J Zool (1987) 1993. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb01942.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Aggressiveness of breeding territorial honeyeaters corresponds to seasonal changes in nectar availability. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 1991. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00166484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Mitchell RJ, Paton DC. Effects of nectar volume and concentration on sugar intake rates of Australian honeyeaters (Meliphagidae). Oecologia 1990; 83:238-46. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00317758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/1989] [Accepted: 12/23/1989] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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REID NICK. Mutualistic interdependence between mistletoes (Amyema quandang), and spiny-cheeked honeyeaters and mistletoebirds in an arid woodland. AUSTRAL ECOL 1990. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1990.tb01526.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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COLLINS BRIANG, PATON DAVIDC. Consequences of differences in body mass, wing length and leg morphology for nectar-feeding birds. AUSTRAL ECOL 1989. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1989.tb01437.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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The relationship between ecology and the incidence of cooperative breeding in Australian birds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 1988. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00299838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Tamm S, Gass CL. Energy intake rates and nectar concentration preferences by hummingbirds. Oecologia 1986; 70:20-23. [PMID: 28311283 DOI: 10.1007/bf00377107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/1986] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In a series of daul choice tests with large volume feeders, rufous hummingbirds preferred sucrose concentrations near those that maximized their instantaneous rates of energy intake. As predicted on theoretical grounds, energy intake rates increased with increasing sucrose concentration to a maximum then decreased above this maximum. Earlier experimental studies suggested that hummingbirds always prefer the highest available concentration. Our results are consistent with the data of these studies, but by using a wider range of concentrations than previous workers, we found that the hummingbirds discriminated against very concentrated solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staffan Tamm
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, V6T 1W5, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
| | - Clifton Lee Gass
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, V6T 1W5, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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COLLINS BRIANG, NEWLAND CHARLES. Honeyeater population changes in relation to food availability in the Jarrah forest of Western Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 1986. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1986.tb00918.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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RECHER HF, HOLMES RT, SCHULZ M, SHIELDS J, KAVANAGH R. Foraging patterns of breeding birds in eucalypt forest and woodland of southeastern Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 1985. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1985.tb00902.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Keast A. An introductory ecological biogeography of the Australo-Pacific Meliphagidae. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 1985. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.1985.10428310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Stewart AM, Craig JL. Movements, status, access to nectar, and spatial organisation of the tui. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 1985. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.1985.10428315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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