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Ernest HB, Tell LA, Bishop CA, González AM, Lumsdaine ER. Illuminating the Mysteries of the Smallest Birds: Hummingbird Population Health, Disease Ecology, and Genomics. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2024; 12:161-185. [PMID: 38358836 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-021022-044308] [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] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Hummingbirds share biologically distinctive traits: sustained hovering flight, the smallest bird body size, and high metabolic rates fueled partially by nectar feeding that provides pollination to plant species. Being insectivorous and sometimes serving as prey to larger birds, they fulfill additional important ecological roles. Hummingbird species evolved and radiated into nearly every habitat in the Americas, with a core of species diversity in South America. Population declines of some of their species are increasing their risk of extinction. Threats to population health and genetic diversity are just beginning to be identified, including diseases and hazards caused by humans. We review the disciplines of population health, disease ecology, and genomics as they relate to hummingbirds. We appraise knowledge gaps, causes of morbidity and mortality including disease, and threats to population viability. Finally, we highlight areas of research need and provide ideas for future studies aimed at facilitating hummingbird conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly B Ernest
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA;
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA; ,
| | - Lisa A Tell
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA; ,
| | - Christine A Bishop
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada; ,
| | - Ana M González
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada; ,
| | - Emily R Lumsdaine
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA; ,
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Bels V, Le Floch G, Kirchhoff F, Gastebois G, Davenport J, Baguette M. Food transport in Reptilia: a comparative viewpoint. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220542. [PMID: 37839442 PMCID: PMC10577028 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0542] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Reptilia exploit a large diversity of food resources from plant materials to living mobile prey. They are among the first tetrapods that needed to drink to maintain their water homeostasis. Here were compare the feeding and drinking mechanisms in Reptilia through an empirical approach based on the available data to open perspectives in our understanding of the evolution of the various mechanisms determined in these Tetrapoda for exploiting solid and liquid food resources. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bels
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Glenn Le Floch
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Florence Kirchhoff
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - John Davenport
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Distillery Fields, North Mall, University College Cork, Ireland T23 N73K
| | - Michel Baguette
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 75005 Paris, France
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS UAR 2029, Route du CNRS, F-09200 Moulis, France
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El-Mansi AA, Al-Kahtani MA, Alshahrani H, Ibrahim EH, Al-Doaiss A, Abd-Elhafeez HH, Soliman SA, Taha R, ElBealy E. Histo-morphological Characterization of the Tongue and Oropharyngeal Cavity of the Shining Sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus). MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:1791-1808. [PMID: 37738364 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Sunbirds, as specialized nectarivores, have developed multiple lingual and oropharyngeal peculiarities imposed by this dietary specialization that particularly extract floral nectar. We have described the functional morphology of the tongues and palates of the shining sunbird, Cinnyris habessinicus, using gross anatomical, histological, and scanning electron microscopic methods. The tongue was bifurcated with fringed lamella and extended posteriorly, forming a broad trough at the lingual body and terminating in two fleshy, alae linguae. The lingual apex and body are nonpapillate and nonglandular, and its root had a muscular pad followed by a conspicuous laryngeal mound bordered by three prominent rows of conical papillae. The lingual root had clusters of mucoid glands with rich acidic mucins, and the laryngeal region had complex papillary distribution at the back margins. Both the lingual body and root had well-developed skeletal elements, musculature, and connective tissues. Furthermore, the palate was membranous and made up of four main ridges with a central choanal slit guarded by choanal papillae. Overall, the presented results showed structural and anatomical features that are the results of the nectarivory dietary niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A El-Mansi
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed A Al-Kahtani
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hend Alshahrani
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Esam H Ibrahim
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amin Al-Doaiss
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hanan H Abd-Elhafeez
- Cell and tissues Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
| | - Soha A Soliman
- Histology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Ramadan Taha
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eman ElBealy
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
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Hewes AE, Baldwin MW, Buttemer WA, Rico-Guevara A. How do honeyeaters drink nectar? Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:48-58. [PMID: 37279913 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the kinematics and biomechanics of nectar feeding in five species of honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Acanthagenys rufogularis, Ptilotula penicillata, Certhionyx variegatus, Manorina flavigula). There is abundant information on honeyeater foraging behaviors and ecological relationships with plants, but there has never been an examination of their nectar-feeding from kinematic and biomechanical perspectives. We analyzed high-speed video of feeding in captive individuals to describe the kinematics of their nectar feeding, with specific focus on describing tongue movements and bill-tongue coordination, and to characterize the mechanism of nectar uptake in the tongue. We found clear interspecific variation in kinematics and tongue filling mechanics. Species varied in lick frequency, tongue velocity, and protrusion and retraction duration, which, in some cases, are relevant for differences in tongue filling mechanisms. We found support for the use of capillary filling in Certhionyx variegatus only. By contrast, Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Acanthagenys rufogularis, Ptilotula penicillata, and Manorina flavigula employed a modified version of the expansive filling mechanism seen in hummingbirds, as there was dorsoventral expansion of the tongue body, even the portions that remain outside the nectar, once the tongue tip entered the nectar. All species use fluid trapping in the distal fimbriated portion of the tongue, which supports previous hypotheses describing the honeyeater tongue as a "paintbrush."
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Hewes
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Life Sciences Building, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4300 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Maude W Baldwin
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - William A Buttemer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Alejandro Rico-Guevara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Life Sciences Building, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4300 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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Wei J, Rico-Guevara A, Nicolson SW, Brau F, Damman P, Gorb SN, Wu Z, Wu J. Honey bees switch mechanisms to drink deep nectar efficiently. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305436120. [PMID: 37459520 PMCID: PMC10372696 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305436120] [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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The feeding mechanisms of animals constrain the spectrum of resources that they can exploit profitably. For floral nectar eaters, both corolla depth and nectar properties have marked influence on foraging choices. We report the multiple strategies used by honey bees to efficiently extract nectar at the range of sugar concentrations and corolla depths they face in nature. Honey bees can collect nectar by dipping their hairy tongues or capillary loading when lapping it, or they can attach the tongue to the wall of long corollas and directly suck the nectar along the tongue sides. The honey bee feeding apparatus is unveiled as a multifunctional tool that can switch between lapping and sucking nectar according to the instantaneous ingesting efficiency, which is determined by the interplay of nectar-mouth distance and sugar concentration. These versatile feeding mechanisms allow honey bees to extract nectar efficiently from a wider range of floral resources than previously appreciated and endow them with remarkable adaptability to diverse foraging environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangkun Wei
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen518107, People’s Republic of China
| | - Alejandro Rico-Guevara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98105
| | - Susan W. Nicolson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield0028, South Africa
| | - Fabian Brau
- Université libre de Bruxelles, Nonlinear Physical Chemistry Unit, CP231, Brussels1050, Belgium
| | - Pascal Damman
- Université de Mons, Laboratoire InFlux, Mons7000, Belgium
| | - Stanislav N. Gorb
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Department of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel24118, Germany
| | - Zhigang Wu
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen518107, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianing Wu
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen518107, People’s Republic of China
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen518107, People’s Republic of China
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Krishnan A. Biomechanics illuminates form-function relationships in bird bills. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:297128. [PMID: 36912385 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The field of comparative biomechanics examines how form, mechanical properties and environmental interactions shape the function of biological structures. Biomechanics has advanced by leaps and bounds as rapid technological progress opens up new research horizons. In this Review, I describe how our understanding of the avian bill, a morphologically diverse multifunctional appendage, has been transformed by employing a biomechanical perspective. Across functions from feeding to excavating hollows in trees and as a vocal apparatus, the study of the bill spans both solid and fluid biomechanics, rendering it useful to understand general principles across disciplines. The different shapes of the bill across bird species result in functional and mechanical trade-offs, thus representing a microcosm of many broader form-function questions. Using examples from diverse studies, I discuss how research into bird bills has been shaped over recent decades, and its influence on our understanding of avian ecology and evolution. Next, I examine how bill material properties and geometry influence performance in dietary and non-dietary contexts, simultaneously imposing trade-offs on other functions. Following an examination of the interactions of bills with fluids and their role as part of the vocal apparatus, I end with a discussion of the sensory biomechanics of the bill, focusing specifically on the bill-tip mechanosensory organ. With these case studies, I highlight how this burgeoning and consequential field represents a roadmap for our understanding of the function and evolution of biological structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand Krishnan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhauri 462066, Madhya Pradesh, India
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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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Bird pollination. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1059-R1060. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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