Climate change and maladaptive wing shortening in a long-distance migratory bird

The Auk ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Remacha ◽  
César Rodríguez ◽  
Javier de la Puente ◽  
Javier Pérez-Tris
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Phenotypic Change ◽  
Correlated Response ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Response To Selection ◽  
Long Distance

Abstract Contemporary phenotypic trends associated with global change are widely documented, but whether such trends always denote trait optimization under changed conditions remains obscure. Natural selection has shaped the wings of long-distance migratory birds to minimize the costs of transport, and new optimal wing shapes could be promoted by migration patterns altered due to global change. Alternatively, wing shape could vary as a correlated response to selection on other traits favored in a changing environment, eventually moving away from the optimal shape for migration and increasing transport costs. Data from 20 yr of monitoring 2 Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) populations breeding in central Spain, where environmental conditions for breeding have deteriorated during recent decades due to increased summer drought, show that birds have reduced wing length relative to body size over the period 1995–2014. However, long-winged nightingales survived their first round-trip migration better, and the shorter the average wing length of individuals, the stronger the survival-associated natural selection favoring longer wings. Maladaptive short wings may have arisen because the mortality costs of migration are outweighed by reproductive benefits accrued by short-winged nightingales in these populations. Assuming that the phenotypic integration of morphological and reproductive adaptations of migratory birds has a genetic basis, we hypothesize that the maladaptive trend towards shorter wings may be a correlated response to selection for moderate breeding investment in drying habitat. Our results provide evidence that contemporary phenotypic change may deviate average trait values from their optima, thereby increasing our understanding of the ecological constraints underpinning adaptation to rapid global change.

scholarly journals Constraint, natural selection, and the evolution of human body form

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (34) ◽  
pp. 9492-9497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen R. R. Savell ◽  
Benjamin M. Auerbach ◽  
Charles C. Roseman
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Directional Selection ◽  
Correlated Response ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Response To Selection ◽  
Body Form ◽  
Individual Trait ◽  
Mean Differences

Variation in body form among human groups is structured by a blend of natural selection driven by local climatic conditions and random genetic drift. However, attempts to test ecogeographic hypotheses have not distinguished between adaptive traits (i.e., those that evolved as a result of selection) and those that evolved as a correlated response to selection on other traits (i.e., nonadaptive traits), complicating our understanding of the relationship between climate and morphological distinctions among populations. Here, we use evolutionary quantitative methods to test if traits previously identified as supporting ecogeographic hypotheses were actually adaptive by estimating the force of selection on individual traits needed to drive among-group differentiation. Our results show that not all associations between trait means and latitude were caused by selection acting directly on each individual trait. Although radial and tibial length and biiliac and femoral head breadth show signs of responses to directional selection matching ecogeographic hypotheses, the femur was subject to little or no directional selection despite having shorter values by latitude. Additionally, in contradiction to ecogeographic hypotheses, the humerus was under directional selection for longer values by latitude. Responses to directional selection in the tibia and radius induced a nonadaptive correlated response in the humerus that overwhelmed its own trait-specific response to selection. This result emphasizes that mean differences between groups are not good indicators of which traits are adaptations in the absence of information about covariation among characteristics.

scholarly journals Seasonal changes in the altitudinal distribution of nocturnally migrating birds during autumn migration

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 150347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank A. La Sorte ◽  
Wesley M. Hochachka ◽  
Andrew Farnsworth ◽  
Daniel Sheldon ◽  
Benjamin M. Van Doren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Polar Front ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Altitudinal Distribution ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Intermediate Distance ◽  
Migrating Birds

Wind plays a significant role in the flight altitudes selected by nocturnally migrating birds. At mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, atmospheric conditions are dictated by the polar-front jet stream, whose amplitude increases in the autumn. One consequence for migratory birds is that the region’s prevailing westerly winds become progressively stronger at higher migration altitudes. We expect this seasonality in wind speed to result in migrants occupying progressively lower flight altitudes, which we test using density estimates of nocturnal migrants at 100 m altitudinal intervals from 12 weather surveillance radar stations located in the northeastern USA. Contrary to our expectations, median migration altitudes deviated little across the season, and the variance was lower during the middle of the season and higher during the beginning and especially the end of the season. Early-season migrants included small- to intermediate-sized long-distance migrants in the orders Charadriiformes and Passeriformes, and late-season migrants included large-bodied and intermediate-distance migrants in the order Anseriformes. Therefore, seasonality in the composition of migratory species, and related variation in migration strategies and behaviours, resulted in a convex–concave bounded distribution of migration altitudes. Our results provide a basis for assessing the implications for migratory bird populations of changes in mid-latitude atmospheric conditions probably occurring under global climate change.

scholarly journals Ecophysiology of avian migration in the face of current global hazards

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1596) ◽  
pp. 1719-1732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Klaassen ◽  
Bethany J. Hoye ◽  
Bart A. Nolet ◽  
William A. Buttemer
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Physiological Limits ◽  
The Face ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽  
The Impact

Long-distance migratory birds are often considered extreme athletes, possessing a range of traits that approach the physiological limits of vertebrate design. In addition, their movements must be carefully timed to ensure that they obtain resources of sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy their high-energy needs. Migratory birds may therefore be particularly vulnerable to global change processes that are projected to alter the quality and quantity of resource availability. Because long-distance flight requires high and sustained aerobic capacity, even minor decreases in vitality can have large negative consequences for migrants. In the light of this, we assess how current global change processes may affect the ability of birds to meet the physiological demands of migration, and suggest areas where avian physiologists may help to identify potential hazards. Predicting the consequences of global change scenarios on migrant species requires (i) reconciliation of empirical and theoretical studies of avian flight physiology; (ii) an understanding of the effects of food quality, toxicants and disease on migrant performance; and (iii) mechanistic models that integrate abiotic and biotic factors to predict migratory behaviour. Critically, a multi-dimensional concept of vitality would greatly facilitate evaluation of the impact of various global change processes on the population dynamics of migratory birds.

scholarly journals Long-distance migratory birds threatened by multiple independent risks from global change

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 992-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damaris Zurell ◽  
Catherine H. Graham ◽  
Laure Gallien ◽  
Wilfried Thuiller ◽  
Niklaus E. Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Long Distance

scholarly journals Trace elements fingerprint of feathers differs between breeding and non-breeding areas in an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Parolini ◽  
Michela Sturini ◽  
Federica Maraschi ◽  
Antonella Profumo ◽  
Alessandra Costanzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Hirundo Rustica ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Barn Swallow ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
Breeding Grounds

AbstractTrace elements are widespread contaminants that can potentially threaten ecosystems and human health. Considering their distribution and toxicity, monitoring their presence in animals represents a priority in environmental risk assessment. Migratory birds have been suggested to be useful biomonitors for trace elements because they can provide information on contaminants even from remote areas that they may exploit during their life cycle. The aim of this study was to analyse the contamination fingerprint of trace elements of African non-breeding staging grounds and European breeding areas in a long-distance migratory passerine bird, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica). We collected feathers grown in the African non-breeding grounds and those grown in the breeding areas of Northern Italy and measured the levels of 12 trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) by DRC-ICP-MS. Multivariate analysis showed that elemental profiles of feathers grown in African non-breeding areas and in the Italian breeding ones clearly differed, with feathers grown in Africa showing higher concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni, but lower concentrations of As, Se and Zn, compared to those grown in Italy. In addition, levels of trace elements were age-dependent, with higher levels in older individuals than in younger ones. Our results add to the growing evidence that feathers of long-distance migratory birds are useful tools to monitor trace elements contamination profiles across continents.

scholarly journals Shared morphological consequences of global warming in North American migratory birds

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. Weeks ◽  
David E. Willard ◽  
Aspen A. Ellis ◽  
Max L. Witynski ◽  
Mary Hennen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Body Size ◽  
North American ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
General Response

ABSTRACTIncreasing temperatures associated with climate change are predicted to cause reductions in body size, a key determinant of animal physiology and ecology. Using a four-decade specimen series of 70,716 individuals of 52 North American migratory bird species, we demonstrate that increasing annual summer temperature over the 40-year period drove consistent reductions in body size across these diverse taxa. Concurrently, wing length – which impacts nearly all aspects of avian ecology and behavior – has consistently increased across taxa. Our findings suggest that warming-induced body size reduction is a general response to climate change, and reveal a similarly consistent shift in an ecologically-important dimension of body shape. We hypothesize that increasing wing length represents a compensatory adaptation to maintain migration as reductions in body size have increased the metabolic cost of flight. An improved understanding of warming-induced morphological changes, and their limits, are important for predicting biotic responses to global change.

scholarly journals The Isolation and Identification of Bacteria on Feathers of Migratory Bird Species

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Antonella Giorgio ◽  
Salvatore De Bonis ◽  
Rosario Balestrieri ◽  
Giovanni Rossi ◽  
Marco Guida
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Wild Birds ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Isolation And Identification ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Secondary Sexual Traits ◽  
Plumage Bacteria

Worldwide, bacteria are the most ubiquitous microorganisms, and it has been extensively demonstrated that migratory wild birds can increase bacterial global scale dispersion through long-distance migration and dispersal. The microbial community hosted by wild birds can be highly diverse, including pathogenic strains that can contribute to infections and disease spread. This study focused on feather and plumage bacteria within bird microbial communities. Samples were collected during ornithological activities in a bird ringing station. Bacterial identification was carried out via DNA barcoding of the partial 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-seven isolates of bacteria were identified on the chest feathers of 60 migratory birds belonging to three trans-Saharan species: Muscicapa striata, Hippolais icterina, and Sylvia borin. Our results demonstrate the possibility of bacterial transfer, including pathogens, through bird migration between very distant countries. The data from the analysis of plumage bacteria can aid in the explanation of phenomena such as migratory birds’ fitness or the development of secondary sexual traits. Moreover, these results have deep hygienic–sanitary implications, since many bird species have synanthropic behaviors during their migration that increase the probability of disease spread.

scholarly journals Migratory connectivity then and now: a northward shift in breeding origins of a long-distance migratory bird wintering in the tropics

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1948) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Gómez ◽  
Keith A. Hobson ◽  
Nicholas J. Bayly ◽  
Kenneth V. Rosenberg ◽  
Andrea Morales-Rozo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Warming Climate ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Migratory Patterns ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Isotope Analyses

Temporal variation in the connectivity of populations of migratory animals has not been widely documented, despite having important repercussions for population ecology and conservation. Because the long-distance movements of migratory animals link ecologically distinct and geographically distant areas of the world, changes in the abundance and migratory patterns of species may reflect differential drivers of demographic trends acting over various spatial scales. Using stable hydrogen isotope analyses ( δ 2 H) of feathers from historical museum specimens and contemporary samples obtained in the field, we provide evidence for an approximately 600 km northward shift over 45 years in the breeding origin of a species of songbird of major conservation concern (blackpoll warbler, Setophaga striata ) wintering in the foothills of the eastern Andes of Colombia. Our finding mirrors predictions of range shifts for boreal-breeding species under warming climate scenarios and habitat loss in the temperate zone, and underscores likely drivers of widespread declines in populations of migratory birds. Our work also highlights the value of natural history collections to document the effects of global change on biodiversity.

Correlated response to selection for litter size in pigs: II. Carcass, meat, and fat quality traits

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (10) ◽  
pp. 2566 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Estany ◽  
D. Villalba ◽  
M. Tor ◽  
D. Cubiló ◽  
J. L. Noguera
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
Correlated Response ◽  
Quality Traits ◽  
Response To Selection ◽  
Fat Quality ◽  
Selection For

scholarly journals Temporal changes in reproductive success and optimal breeding decisions in a long-distance migratory bird

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Reséndiz-Infante ◽  
Gilles Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Breeding Phenology ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Seasonal Decline

AbstractMany avian migrants have not adjusted breeding phenology to climate warming resulting in negative consequences for their offspring. We studied seasonal changes in reproductive success of the greater snow goose (Anser caerulescens atlantica), a long-distance migrant. As the climate warms and plant phenology advances, the mismatch between the timing of gosling hatch and peak nutritive quality of plants will increase. We predicted that optimal laying date yielding highest reproductive success occurred earlier over time and that the seasonal decline in reproductive success increased. Over 25 years, reproductive success of early breeders increased by 42%, producing a steeper seasonal decline in reproductive success. The difference between the laying date producing highest reproductive success and the median laying date of the population increased, which suggests an increase in the selection pressure for that trait. Observed clutch size was lower than clutch size yielding the highest reproductive success for most laying dates. However, at the individual level, clutch size could still be optimal if the additional time required to acquire nutrients to lay extra eggs is compensated by a reduction in reproductive success due to a delayed laying date. Nonetheless, breeding phenology may not respond sufficiently to meet future environmental changes induced by warming temperatures.

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