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Thermal adaptation best explains Bergmann’s and Allen’s Rules across ecologically diverse shorebirds
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posted on 2022-11-25, 01:38 authored by Alexandra McQueenAlexandra McQueen, Marcel KlaassenMarcel Klaassen, GJ Tattersall, R Atkinson, R Jessop, CJ Hassell, M Christie, Matthew SymondsMatthew SymondsAbstractBergmann’s and Allen’s rules state that endotherms should be larger and have shorter appendages in cooler climates. However, the drivers of these rules are not clear. Both rules could be explained by adaptation for improved thermoregulation, including plastic responses to temperature in early life. Non-thermal explanations are also plausible as climate impacts other factors that influence size and shape, including starvation risk, predation risk, and foraging ecology. We assess the potential drivers of Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules in 30 shorebird species using extensive field data (>200,000 observations). We show birds in hot, tropical northern Australia have longer bills and smaller bodies than conspecifics in temperate, southern Australia, conforming with both ecogeographical rules. This pattern is consistent across ecologically diverse species, including migratory birds that spend early life in the Arctic. Our findings best support the hypothesis that thermoregulatory adaptation to warm climates drives latitudinal patterns in shorebird size and shape.
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Journal
Nature CommunicationsVolume
13Article number
4727Pagination
1-12Location
London, Eng.Publisher DOI
ISSN
2041-1723eISSN
2041-1723Language
EnglishPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalIssue
1Publisher
Nature Publishing GroupUsage metrics
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BILL SIZEBIRDSBODY-SIZEDIFFERENTIAL MIGRATIONGEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONLATITUDINAL CLINESMultidisciplinary SciencesPREDATION RISKScience & TechnologyScience & Technology - Other TopicsSEX-RATIOTEMPERATURETRADE-OFFAcclimatizationAnimalsBirdsBody SizeClimateTemperatureVictorian Wader Study GroupAustralasian Wader Studies Group13 Climate ActionSchool of Life and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Science Engineering and Built Environment
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