Comparisons of thermogenic features in four coexisting songbirds: Is the northward colonized White-browed Laughingthrush different?

Liu, Pengfei; Jin, Rongrong; Jiang, Miaomiao; Zhang, Saiyue; Sun, Yipeng

doi:10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100070

Cited by 1 publication

(4 citation statements)

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…The ambient temperature the species experienced is lower than its body temperature even in the hottest month, and most occupied habitats of the species were aridity and fresh water was restricted (Liu et al, 2023), with a larger bill being advantageous in excess heat dissipation and water retention. Therefore, larger bills may evolve to adapt the high temperature in summer, especially in species which occupying arid habitats Luther & Greenberg, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Populations with higher summer temperatures have larger bills in the plain laughingthrush, a result consistent with Allen's rule (Allen, 1877 ; Greenberg, Cadena, et al, 2012 ; Greenberg, Danner, et al, 2012 ; McQueen et al, 2022 ). The plain laughingthrush is widely distributed in north China and adapts to temperate climates, optimal temperatures of this species are broad, it is not good at resisting high temperatures, but it deals well with low temperatures (Liu et al, 2023 ). The ambient temperature the species experienced is lower than its body temperature even in the hottest month, and most occupied habitats of the species were aridity and fresh water was restricted (Liu et al, 2023 ), with a larger bill being advantageous in excess heat dissipation and water retention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The plain laughingthrush is widely distributed in north China and adapts to temperate climates, optimal temperatures of this species are broad, it is not good at resisting high temperatures, but it deals well with low temperatures (Liu et al, 2023 ). The ambient temperature the species experienced is lower than its body temperature even in the hottest month, and most occupied habitats of the species were aridity and fresh water was restricted (Liu et al, 2023 ), with a larger bill being advantageous in excess heat dissipation and water retention. Therefore, larger bills may evolve to adapt the high temperature in summer, especially in species which occupying arid habitats (Greenberg, Danner, et al, 2012 ; Luther & Greenberg, 2014 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in bill surface area is associated with local climatic factors across populations of the plain laughingthrush

Liu,

Lou,

Yao

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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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.

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