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Terrill RS, Shultz AJ. Feather function and the evolution of birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:540-566. [PMID: 36424880 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability of feathers to perform many functions either simultaneously or at different times throughout the year or life of a bird is integral to the evolutionary history of birds. Many studies focus on single functions of feathers, but any given feather performs many functions over its lifetime. These functions necessarily interact with each other throughout the evolution and development of birds, so our knowledge of avian evolution is incomplete without understanding the multifunctionality of feathers, and how different functions may act synergistically or antagonistically during natural selection. Here, we review how feather functions interact with avian evolution, with a focus on recent technological and discovery-based advances. By synthesising research into feather functions over hierarchical scales (pattern, arrangement, macrostructure, microstructure, nanostructure, molecules), we aim to provide a broad context for how the adaptability and multifunctionality of feathers have allowed birds to diversify into an astounding array of environments and life-history strategies. We suggest that future research into avian evolution involving feather function should consider multiple aspects of a feather, including multiple functions, seasonal wear and renewal, and ecological or mechanical interactions. With this more holistic view, processes such as the evolution of avian coloration and flight can be understood in a broader and more nuanced context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Terrill
- Moore Laboratory of Zoology, Occidental College, 1600 Campus rd., Los Angeles, CA, 90042, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA, 95382, USA
| | - Allison J Shultz
- Ornithology Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
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2
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Evidence for strain-specific virulence of Trichomonas gallinae in African columbiformes. Parasitology 2023; 150:206-211. [PMID: 36529856 PMCID: PMC10090629 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001652] [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: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Infection by parasites or pathogens can have marked physiological impacts on individuals. In birds, infection may affect moult and feather growth, which is an energetically demanding time in the annual cycle. Previous work has suggested a potential link between clinically visible Trichomonas gallinae infection and wing length in turtle doves Streptopelia turtur arriving on breeding grounds. First, T. gallinae infection was characterized in 149 columbids from 5 species, sampled on turtle dove wintering grounds in Senegal during the moulting period, testing whether infection by T. gallinae is linked to moult. Trichomonas gallinae prevalence was 100%, so rather than testing for differences between infected and uninfected birds, we tested for differences in moult progression between birds infected by different T. gallinae strains. Twelve strains of T. gallinae were characterized at the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1)/5.8S/ITS2 region, of which 6 were newly identified within this study. In turtle doves only, evidence for differences in wing length by strain was found, with birds infected by strain Tcl-1 having wings nearly 6 mm longer than those infected with strain GEO. No evidence was found for an effect of strain identity within species on moult progression, but comparisons between infected and uninfected birds should be further investigated in species where prevalence is lower.
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3
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Brown JM, Bouten W, Camphuysen KCJ, Nolet BA, Shamoun-Baranes J. Energetic and behavioral consequences of migration: an empirical evaluation in the context of the full annual cycle. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1210. [PMID: 36681726 PMCID: PMC9867707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Seasonal migrations are used by diverse animal taxa, yet the costs and benefits of migrating have rarely been empirically examined. The aim of this study was to determine how migration influences two ecological currencies, energy expenditure and time allocated towards different behaviors, in a full annual cycle context. We compare these currencies among lesser black-backed gulls that range from short- (< 250 km) to long-distance (> 4500 km) migrants. Daily time-activity budgets were reconstructed from tri-axial acceleration and GPS, which, in conjunction with a bioenergetics model to estimate thermoregulatory costs, enabled us to estimate daily energy expenditure throughout the year. We found that migration strategy had no effect on annual energy expenditure, however, energy expenditure through time deviated more from the annual average as migration distance increased. Patterns in time-activity budgets were similar across strategies, suggesting migration strategy does not limit behavioral adjustments required for other annual cycle stages (breeding, molt, wintering). Variation among individuals using the same strategy was high, suggesting that daily behavioral decisions (e.g. foraging strategy) contribute more towards energy expenditure than an individual's migration strategy. These findings provide unprecedented new understanding regarding the relative importance of fine versus broad-scale behavioral strategies towards annual energy expenditures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Morgan Brown
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kees C J Camphuysen
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Bottini CLJ, Whiley RE, Branfireun BA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Effects of methylmercury and food stress on migratory activity in song sparrows, Melospiza melodia. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105261. [PMID: 36126358 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Avian migration is a challenging life stage susceptible to the adverse effects of stressors, including contaminants like methylmercury (MeHg). Although birds often experience stressors and contaminants concurrently in the wild, no study to date has investigated how simultaneous exposure to MeHg and food stress affects migratory behavior. Our objectives were to determine if MeHg or food stress exposure during summer, alone or combined, has carry-over effects on autumn migratory activity, and if hormone levels (corticosterone, thyroxine) and body condition were related to these effects. We tested how exposure to dietary MeHg and/or food stress (unpredictable temporary food removal) affected migratory behavior in captive song sparrows, Melospiza melodia. Nocturnal activity was influenced by a 3-way interaction between MeHg × stress × nights of the study, indicating that activity changed over time in different ways depending on prior treatments. Thyroxine was not affected by treatment or sampling date. During the migratory season, fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations increased in birds co-exposed to MeHg and food stress compared to controls, suggesting an additive carry-over effect. As well, during the period of behavioral recording, body condition increased with time in unstressed birds, but not in stressed birds. Fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations were positively correlated to duration of nocturnal activity, but thyroxine levels and body condition were not. The differences in nocturnal activity between groups suggest that food stress and MeHg exposure on breeding grounds could have direct and indirect carry-over effects that have the potential to affect the fall migration journey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L J Bottini
- University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Rebecca E Whiley
- University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian A Branfireun
- University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; University of Western Ontario, Department of Psychology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada
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5
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Cuervo JJ, Morales J, Soler JJ, Moreno J. Sexual selection, feather wear, and time constraints on the pre-basic molt explain the acquisition of the pre-alternate molt in European passerines. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9260. [PMID: 36091343 PMCID: PMC9448967 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian feathers need to be replaced periodically to fulfill their functions, with natural, social, and sexual selection presumably driving the evolution of molting strategies. In temperate birds, a common pattern is to molt feathers immediately after the breeding season, the pre-basic molt. However, some species undergo another molt in winter-spring, the pre-alternate molt. Using a sample of 188 European passerine species, Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models, and correlated evolution analyses, we tested whether the occurrence of the pre-alternate molt was positively associated with proxies for sexual selection (sexual selection hypothesis) and nonsexual social selection (social selection hypothesis), and with factors related to feather wear (feather wear hypothesis) and time constraints on the pre-basic molt (time constraints hypothesis). We found that the pre-alternate molt was more frequent in migratory and less gregarious species inhabiting open/xeric habitats and feeding on the wing, and marginally more frequent in species with strong sexual selection and those showing a winter territorial behavior. Moreover, an increase in migratory behavior and sexual selection intensity preceded the acquisition of the pre-alternate molt. These results provide support for the feather wear hypothesis, partial support for the sexual selection and time constraints hypotheses, and no support for the social selection hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- José J Cuervo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | - Juan J Soler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC) Almería Spain
| | - Juan Moreno
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) Madrid Spain
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Matyjasiak P, López-Calderón C, Ambrosini R, Balbontín J, Costanzo A, Kiat Y, Romano A, Rubolini D. Wing morphology covaries with migration distance in a highly aerial insectivorous songbird. Curr Zool 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
According to classical prediction of aerodynamic theory, birds and other powered fliers that migrate over long distances should have longer and more pointed wings than those that migrate less. However, the association between wing morphology and migratory behavior can be masked by contrasting selective pressures related to foraging behavior, habitat selection and predator avoidance, possibly at the cost of lower flight energetic efficiency. We studied the handwing morphology of Eurasian barn swallows Hirundo rustica from four populations representing a migration distance gradient. This species is an aerial insectivore, so it flies extensively while foraging, and may migrate during the day using a ‘fly-and-forage’ migration strategy. Prolonged foraging flights may reinforce the effects of migration distance on flight morphology. We found that two wings’ aerodynamic properties – isometric handwing length and pointedness, both favoring energetically efficient flight, were more pronounced in barn swallows from populations undertaking longer seasonal migrations compared to less migratory populations. Our result contrast with two recent interspecific comparative studies that either reported no relationship or reported a negative relationship between pointedness and the degree of migratory behavior in hirundines. Our results may thus contribute to confirming the universality of the rule that longer migrations are associated with more pointed wings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Matyjasiak
- Museum and Institute of Zoology Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64 , PL-00-679 Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Wóycickiego 1/3 , PL-01-815 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Cosme López-Calderón
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Edificio Verde , Avda. de Reina Mercedes s/n, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Americo Vespucio s/n , E-41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26 , I-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Javier Balbontín
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Edificio Verde , Avda. de Reina Mercedes s/n, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26 , I-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Yosef Kiat
- Israeli Bird Ringing Center (IBRC), Israel Ornithological Center, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel , Hanegev 2, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26 , I-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26 , I-20133 Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque, IRSA-CNR, Via del Mulino 19 , I-20861 Brugherio (MB), Italy
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Lombardo G, Migliore NR, Colombo G, Capodiferro MR, Formenti G, Caprioli M, Moroni E, Caporali L, Lancioni H, Secomandi S, Gallo GR, Costanzo A, Romano A, Garofalo M, Cereda C, Carelli V, Gillespie L, Liu Y, Kiat Y, Marzal A, López-Calderón C, Balbontín J, Mousseau TA, Matyjasiak P, Møller AP, Semino O, Ambrosini R, Alquati AB, Rubolini D, Ferretti L, Achilli A, Gianfranceschi L, Olivieri A, Torroni A. The Mitogenome Relationships and Phylogeography of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica). Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6591937. [PMID: 35617136 PMCID: PMC9174979 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) poses a number of fascinating scientific questions, including the taxonomic status of postulated subspecies. Here we obtained and assessed the sequence variation of 411 complete mitogenomes, mainly from the European H. r. rustica, but other subspecies as well. In almost every case, we observed subspecies-specific haplogroups, which we employed together with estimated radiation times to postulate a model for the geographical and temporal worldwide spread of the species. The female barn swallow carrying the Hirundo rustica ancestral mitogenome left Africa (or its vicinity) around 280 thousand years ago (kya), and her descendants expanded first into Eurasia and then, at least 51 kya, into the Americas, from where a relatively recent (< 20 kya) back migration to Asia took place. The exception to the haplogroup subspecies specificity is represented by the sedentary Levantine H. r. transitiva that extensively shares haplogroup A with the migratory European H. r. rustica and, to a lesser extent, haplogroup B with the Egyptian H. r. savignii. Our data indicate that rustica and transitiva most likely derive from a sedentary Levantine population source that split at the end of the Younger Dryas (11.7 kya). Since then, however, transitiva received genetic inputs from and admixed with both the closely related rustica and the adjacent savignii. Demographic analyses confirm this species' strong link with climate fluctuations and human activities making it an excellent indicator for monitoring and assessing the impact of current global changes on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Lombardo
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Rambaldi Migliore
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Colombo
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Rosario Capodiferro
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulio Formenti
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Moroni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Leonardo Caporali
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Simona Secomandi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Roberto Gallo
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Garofalo
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Cereda
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, 40139 Bologna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Lauren Gillespie
- Department of Academic Education, Central Community College, Columbus, NE 68601, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yosef Kiat
- Israeli Bird Ringing Center (IBRC), Israel Ornithological Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Department of Zoology, University of Extremadura, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Cosme López-Calderón
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Balbontín
- Department of Zoology, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Timothy A Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Piotr Matyjasiak
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Ornella Semino
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonisoli Alquati
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, Pomona, CA 91767, USA
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Ferretti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Achilli
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Torroni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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Kiat Y, Sapir N. Evolutionary trade-off between male colouration and feather moult extent also indirectly determines female moult. J Evol Biol 2021; 35:278-287. [PMID: 34935231 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13977] [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: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Males and females are often influenced by different selective forces, frequently resulting in diverging phenotypes, for example in colouration. Since an animal's colouration may strongly influence its fitness, causes and consequences of sexual dichromatism in birds could aid in understanding important factors affecting sexual and natural selection. Variation in plumage ornamentation may affect mate attraction or intraspecific antagonistic behaviour. In most passerines, body plumage colouration of juveniles is obtained through the process of feather moult. The number of moulted wing and tail feathers, which also influences the bird's appearance, may affect its fitness. Here, we show that body plumage colouration of male, but not female, passerines is correlated with the number of moulted wing and tail feathers in the early stage of the bird's life for both sexes. Thus, the extent of wing and tail moult in females is not modulated by the female's colouration and can prevent females from reaching their sex-specific optima. This result could be explained by high intersexual genetic correlations, which might make it impossible for the sexes to reach their own trait fitness optima. Our findings may indicate that species-specific, rather than sex-specific, internal correlations shaped bird moult strategy, an important avian life-history trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Kiat
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Nir Sapir
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
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9
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Kiat Y, Slavenko A, Sapir N. Body mass and geographic distribution determined the evolution of the wing flight-feather molt strategy in the Neornithes lineage. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21573. [PMID: 34732791 PMCID: PMC8566465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00964-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary history of many organisms is characterized by major changes in morphology and distribution. Specifically, alterations of body mass and geographic distribution may profoundly influence organismal life-history traits. Here, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of flight-feather molt strategy using data from 1,808 Neornithes species. Our analysis suggests that the ancestral molt strategy of first-year birds was partial or entirely absent, and that complete wing flight-feather molt in first-year birds first evolved in the late Eocene and Oligocene (25-40 Ma), at least 30 Myr after birds first evolved. Complete flight-feather molt occurred mainly at equatorial latitudes and in relatively low body mass species, following a diversification of body mass within the lineage. We conclude that both body mass and geographic distribution shaped the evolution of molt strategies and propose that the evolutionary transition towards complete juvenile molt in the Neornithes is a novel, relatively late adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Kiat
- grid.18098.380000 0004 1937 0562Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology & Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Alex Slavenko
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Nir Sapir
- grid.18098.380000 0004 1937 0562Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology & Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
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10
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Pageau C, Sonnleitner J, Tonra CM, Shaikh M, Reudink MW. Evolution of winter molting strategies in European and North American migratory passerines. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13247-13258. [PMID: 34646466 PMCID: PMC8495808 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Molt is critical for birds as it replaces damaged feathers and worn plumage, enhancing flight performance, thermoregulation, and communication. In passerines, molt generally occurs on the breeding grounds during the postbreeding period once a year. However, some species of migrant passerines that breed in the Nearctic and Western Palearctic regions have evolved different molting strategies that involve molting on the overwintering grounds. Some species forego molt on the breeding grounds and instead complete their prebasic molt on the overwintering grounds. Other species molt some or all feathers a second time (prealternate molt) during the overwintering period. Using phylogenetic analyses, we explored the potential drivers of the evolution of winter molts in Nearctic and Western Palearctic breeding passerines. Our results indicate an association between longer photoperiods and the presence of prebasic and prealternate molts on the overwintering grounds for both Nearctic and Western Palearctic species. We also found a relationship between prealternate molt and generalist and water habitats for Western Palearctic species. Finally, the complete prealternate molt in Western Palearctic passerines was linked to longer days on the overwintering grounds and longer migration distance. Longer days may favor the evolution of winter prebasic molt by increasing the time window when birds can absorb essential nutrients for molt. Alternatively, for birds undertaking a prealternate molt at the end of the overwintering period, longer days may increase exposure to feather-degrading ultra-violet radiation, necessitating the replacement of feathers. Our study underlines the importance of the overwintering grounds in the critical process of molt for many passerines that breed in the Nearctic and Western Palearctic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudie Pageau
- Department of Biological SciencesThompson Rivers UniversityKamloopsBCCanada
| | - Jared Sonnleitner
- Department of Biological SciencesThompson Rivers UniversityKamloopsBCCanada
| | - Christopher M. Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Mateen Shaikh
- Department of Mathematics & StatisticsThompson Rivers UniversityKamloopsBCCanada
| | - Matthew W. Reudink
- Department of Biological SciencesThompson Rivers UniversityKamloopsBCCanada
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11
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Bottini CLJ, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, Branfireun BA, Hobson KA. Feathers accurately reflect blood mercury at time of feather growth in a songbird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 775:145739. [PMID: 33621875 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally distributed pollutant that can negatively affect wildlife. Bird feathers are often used as a monitoring tool of contaminant exposure, but variability in total mercury (THg) content in flight feathers has raised concerns over their utility. The objective of this study was to quantify blood and feather THg depuration through the progression of primary feather molt in order to clarify the relationship between blood and feather mercury concentration, and test the reliability of feather THg measurements as a monitoring tool in wild songbirds. Song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) were experimentally exposed to dietary MeHg and their blood and primary feather THg concentrations were measured during exposure and post-exposure periods of three months each. A rapid decrease in feather and blood THg concentration through molt progression was observed. Primary feather THg content was higher in feathers grown during the MeHg exposure period compared to those grown during the post-exposure period. Primary feather THg concentration was highly correlated with blood THg measured at the time of feather growth (R = 0.98), indicating that, although THg concentration is variable among flight feathers, this reflects temporally sequential molting patterns and declining blood concentration during depuration. Primary flight feathers thus provide an accurate and useful tool for estimating the mercury burden of birds at the time a chosen feather was grown, and have the potential to be an effective and reliable biomonitoring tool for species with well-characterized molt patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L J Bottini
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; The University of Western Ontario, Department of Psychology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Brian A Branfireun
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Keith A Hobson
- The University of Western Ontario, Department of Biology, 1151 Richmond St., London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Sex-dependent elevational effects on bird feather moult. Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10123-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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13
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Sex, age, molt strategy, and migration distance explain the phenology of songbirds at a stopover along the East Asian flyway. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02957-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Sex- and age-specific differences in the timing of migration are widespread among animals. In birds, common patterns are protandry, the earlier arrival of males in spring, and age-differential migration during autumn. However, knowledge of these differences stems mainly from the Palearctic-African and Nearctic-Neotropical flyways, while detailed information about the phenology of migrant birds from the East Asian flyway is far scarcer. To help fill parts of this gap, we analyzed how migration distance, sex, age, and molt strategy affect the spring and autumn phenologies of 36 migrant songbirds (altogether 18,427 individuals) at a stopover site in the Russian Far East. Sex-differential migration was more pronounced in spring than in autumn, with half of the studied species (6 out of 12) showing a protandrous migration pattern. Age-differences in migration were rare in spring but found in nearly half of the studied species (11 out of 25) in autumn. These age effects were associated with the birds’ molt strategy and the mean latitudinal distances from the assumed breeding area to the study site. Adults performing a complete molt before the onset of autumn migration passed the study site later than first-year birds undergoing only a partial molt. This pattern, however, reversed with increasing migration distance to the study site. These sex-, age-, and molt-specific migration patterns agree with those found along other flyways and seem to be common features of land bird migration strategies.
Significance statement
The timing of animal migration is shaped by the availability of resources and the organization of annual cycles. In migrant birds, sex- and age-differential migration is a common phenomenon. For the rarely studied East Asian flyway, we show for the first time and based on a large set of migrant songbirds that earlier migration of males is a common pattern there in spring. Further, the timing and extent of molt explained age-differential migration during autumn. Adults molting their complete plumage at the breeding area before migration showed delayed phenology in comparison to first-year birds, which perform only a partial molt. This pattern, however, reversed with increasing migration distance to the study site. Since our results agree with the general patterns from the other migration flyways, similar drivers for differential migration may act across different flyway systems, provoking a similar evolutionary response.
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14
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Eilts H, Feuerbach N, Round PD, Bourski O, Allcock J, Leader P, Davaasuren B, Erdenechimeg T, Park J, Heim W. Complex postbreeding molt strategies in a songbird migrating along the East Asian Flyway, the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11-21. [PMID: 33437411 PMCID: PMC7790613 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Molt strategies have received relatively little attention in current ornithology, and knowledge concerning the evolution, variability and extent of molt is sparse in many bird species. This is especially true for East Asian Locustella species where assumptions on molt patterns are based on incomplete information. We provide evidence indicating a complex postbreeding molt strategy and variable molt extent among the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola, based on data from six ringing sites situated along its flyway from the breeding grounds to the wintering areas. Detailed study revealed for the first time that in most individuals wing feather molt proceeds from the center both toward the body and the wing-tip, a molt pattern known as divergent molt (which is rare among Palearctic passerines). In the Russian Far East, where both breeding birds and passage migrants occur, a third of the adult birds were molting in late summer. In Central Siberia, at the northwestern limit of its distribution, adult individuals commenced their primary molt partly divergently and partly with unknown sequence. During migration in Mongolia, only descendantly (i.e., from the body toward the wing-tip) molting birds were observed, while further south in Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand the proportion of potential eccentric and divergent feather renewal was not identifiable since the renewed feathers were already fully grown as expected. We found an increase in the mean number of molted primaries during the progress of the autumn migration. Moderate body mass levels and low-fat and muscle scores were observed in molting adult birds, without any remarkable increase in the later season. According to optimality models, we suggest that an extremely short season of high food abundance in tall grass habitats and a largely overland route allow autumn migration with low fuel loads combined with molt migration in at least a part of the population. This study highlights the importance of further studying molt strategy as well as stopover behavior decisions and the trade-offs among migratory birds that are now facing a panoply of anthropogenic threats along their flyways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Philip D. Round
- Department of BiologyFaculty of ScienceMahidol UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Oleg Bourski
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussia
| | - John Allcock
- School of Biological SciencesKadoorie Biological Sciences Building, The University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | | | | | | | - Jong‐Gil Park
- Bird Research CenterKorea National Park Research InstituteKorea National Park ServiceSinan‐gunKorea
| | - Wieland Heim
- Institute of Landscape EcologyMünster UniversityMünsterGermany
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15
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Terrill RS, Seeholzer GF, Wolfe JD. Evolution of breeding plumages in birds: A multiple-step pathway to seasonal dichromatism in New World warblers (Aves: Parulidae). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9223-9239. [PMID: 32953057 PMCID: PMC7487240 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species of birds show distinctive seasonal breeding and nonbreeding plumages. A number of hypotheses have been proposed for the evolution of this seasonal dichromatism, specifically related to the idea that birds may experience variable levels of sexual selection relative to natural selection throughout the year. However, these hypotheses have not addressed the selective forces that have shaped molt, the underlying mechanism of plumage change. Here, we examined relationships between life-history variation, the evolution of a seasonal molt, and seasonal plumage dichromatism in the New World warblers (Aves: Parulidae), a family with a remarkable diversity of plumage, molt, and life-history strategies. We used phylogenetic comparative methods and path analysis to understand how and why distinctive breeding and nonbreeding plumages evolve in this family. We found that color change alone poorly explains the evolution of patterns of biannual molt evolution in warblers. Instead, molt evolution is better explained by a combination of other life-history factors, especially migration distance and foraging stratum. We found that the evolution of biannual molt and seasonal dichromatism is decoupled, with a biannual molt appearing earlier on the tree, more dispersed across taxa and body regions, and correlating with separate life-history factors than seasonal dichromatism. This result helps explain the apparent paradox of birds that molt biannually but show breeding plumages that are identical to the nonbreeding plumage. We find support for a two-step process for the evolution of distinctive breeding and nonbreeding plumages: That prealternate molt evolves primarily under selection for feather renewal, with seasonal color change sometimes following later. These results reveal how life-history strategies and a birds' environment act upon multiple and separate feather functions to drive the evolution of feather replacement patterns and bird coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S. Terrill
- Museum of Natural ScienceLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
- Moore Lab of ZoologyOccidental CollegeLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Glenn F. Seeholzer
- Museum of Natural ScienceLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
- Department of OrnithologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Jared D. Wolfe
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental ScienceMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonMichiganUSA
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16
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Pageau C, Tonra CM, Shaikh M, Flood NJ, Reudink MW. Evolution of moult-migration is directly linked to aridity of the breeding grounds in North American passerines. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200155. [PMID: 32516565 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To avoid energy allocation conflicts, birds generally separate breeding, migration and moult during the annual cycle. North American passerines typically moult on the breeding grounds prior to autumn migration. However, some have evolved a moult-migration strategy in which they delay moult until stopping over during autumn migration. Rohwer et al. (2005) proposed the 'push-pull hypothesis' as an explanation for the evolution of this moult strategy, but it has not been empirically tested. Poor conditions on the breeding grounds at the end of the summer would push birds to depart prior to moult, while productive stopover locations would pull them. We tested for a relationship between moult-migration and breeding grounds aridity as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index. Our results strongly support the 'push' aspect of the push-pull hypothesis and indicate that arid breeding grounds, primarily in western North America, would drive species to evolve stopover moult-migration, although this relationship may depend upon migration distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudie Pageau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Christopher M Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Mateen Shaikh
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Nancy J Flood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Matthew W Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops BC V2C 0C8, Canada
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17
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de la Hera I, Hernández-Téllez I, Pérez-Rigueiro J, Pérez-Tris J, Rojo FJ, Tellería JL. Mechanical and structural adaptations to migration in the flight feathers of a Palaearctic passerine. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:979-989. [PMID: 32282960 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Current avian migration patterns in temperate regions have been developed during the glacial retreat and subsequent colonization of the ice-free areas during the Holocene. This process resulted in a geographic gradient of greater seasonality as latitude increased that favoured migration-related morphological and physiological (co)adaptations. Most evidence of avian morphological adaptations to migration comes from the analysis of variation in the length and shape of the wings, but the existence of intra-feather structural adjustments has been greatly overlooked despite their potential to be under natural selection. To shed some light on this question, we used data from European robins Erithacus rubecula overwintering in Campo de Gibraltar (Southern Iberia), where sedentary robins coexist during winter with conspecifics showing a broad range of breeding origins and, hence, migration distances. We explicitly explored how wing length and shape, as well as several functional (bending stiffness), developmental (feather growth rate) and structural (size and complexity of feather components) characteristics of flight feathers, varied in relation to migration distance, which was estimated from the hydrogen stable isotope ratios of the summer-produced tail feathers. Our results revealed that migration distance not only favoured longer and more concave wings, but also promoted primaries with a thicker dorsoventral rachis and shorter barb lengths, which, in turn, conferred more bending stiffness to these feathers. We suggest that these intra-feather structural adjustments could be an additional, largely unnoticed, adaptation within the avian migratory syndrome that might have the potential to evolve relatively quickly to facilitate the occupation of seasonal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván de la Hera
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Irene Hernández-Téllez
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Rigueiro
- Department of Materials Science, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Pérez-Tris
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José Luis Tellería
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Kiat Y, Vortman Y, Sapir N. Feather moult and bird appearance are correlated with global warming over the last 200 years. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2540. [PMID: 31182713 PMCID: PMC6557852 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10452-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming alters various avian phenological processes, including advanced reproduction and migration schedules. In birds, individual appearance is largely determined by plumage, influencing, for example, bird attractiveness, social status and camouflage. Juveniles of most passerine species replace their nest-grown plumage during the first months of life, a process that is called post-juvenile feather moult. Using data from ten natural history collections, we show that the extent of the post-juvenile moult has increased significantly over the last 212 years (1805-2016), a trend that is positively correlated with the temperature of the environment. Therefore, it seems that birds replaced more feathers under warmer conditions, causing juveniles to appear more similar to adult birds. Moreover, in several species, we describe a male-female switch in the extent of moult, with females currently replacing more feathers than males compared to the past. These results demonstrate different biological responses to climate warming by different phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Kiat
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Y Vortman
- Hula Research Centre, Department of Animal Sciences, Tel-Hai College, 1220800, Upper Galilee, Israel.
| | - N Sapir
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
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