Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush
Abstract Recent studies have found that avian bill and tarsus morphology may have evolved in response to climatic conditions, and these organs play important roles in thermoregulation and water retention in extreme environments. Here, we examined whether bill surface area and tarsus length were asso...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10535 |
| _version_ | 1797542904408834048 |
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| author | Pengfei Liu Yingqiang Lou Jingxiao Yao Linghui Wang Anders Pape Møller Yuehua Sun |
| author_facet | Pengfei Liu Yingqiang Lou Jingxiao Yao Linghui Wang Anders Pape Møller Yuehua Sun |
| author_sort | Pengfei Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recent studies have found that avian bill and tarsus morphology may have evolved in response to climatic conditions, and these organs play important roles in thermoregulation and water retention in extreme environments. Here, we examined whether bill surface area and tarsus length were associated with climatic conditions in the plain laughingthrush, Garrulax davidi, which mainly occurs in north China and occupies several climatic zones from east to west. We measured bill surface area and tarsus length in 321 adults from 11 populations, almost encompassing all habitat types of the species. We analyzed the relationships among these morphological traits and local climatic factors. Bill surface area was positively correlated with maximum temperature, indicating that bill surface area tended to be larger in hotter environments. Furthermore, we found a negative relationship among bill surface area and winter precipitation, indicating that bill surface area tended to be larger in arid areas. However, we did not find any relationships between tarsus length and climatic factors. These results suggest that local climates may shape the evolution of bill morphology divergence, and summer seems to be the critical season for thermoregulation in this temperate zone passerine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:37:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cd1f43fdc5c547b19eb126501355268c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:37:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd1f43fdc5c547b19eb126501355268c2023-11-21T07:26:25ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-09-01139n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10535Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrushPengfei Liu0Yingqiang Lou1Jingxiao Yao2Linghui Wang3Anders Pape Møller4Yuehua Sun5School of Life Science and Technology Longdong University Qingyang ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science Beijing ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology Longdong University Qingyang ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology Longdong University Qingyang ChinaEcologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris–Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech Université Paris–Saclay Orsay Cedex FranceKey Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science Beijing ChinaAbstract Recent studies have found that avian bill and tarsus morphology may have evolved in response to climatic conditions, and these organs play important roles in thermoregulation and water retention in extreme environments. Here, we examined whether bill surface area and tarsus length were associated with climatic conditions in the plain laughingthrush, Garrulax davidi, which mainly occurs in north China and occupies several climatic zones from east to west. We measured bill surface area and tarsus length in 321 adults from 11 populations, almost encompassing all habitat types of the species. We analyzed the relationships among these morphological traits and local climatic factors. Bill surface area was positively correlated with maximum temperature, indicating that bill surface area tended to be larger in hotter environments. Furthermore, we found a negative relationship among bill surface area and winter precipitation, indicating that bill surface area tended to be larger in arid areas. However, we did not find any relationships between tarsus length and climatic factors. These results suggest that local climates may shape the evolution of bill morphology divergence, and summer seems to be the critical season for thermoregulation in this temperate zone passerine.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10535Allen's rulebill morphologyGarrulax davidiheat dissipationtarsus length |
| spellingShingle | Pengfei Liu Yingqiang Lou Jingxiao Yao Linghui Wang Anders Pape Møller Yuehua Sun Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush Ecology and Evolution Allen's rule bill morphology Garrulax davidi heat dissipation tarsus length |
| title | Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush |
| title_full | Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush |
| title_fullStr | Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush |
| title_short | Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush |
| title_sort | variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush |
| topic | Allen's rule bill morphology Garrulax davidi heat dissipation tarsus length |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10535 |
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