Environmental Stress and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Antilophia Galeata, Myiothlypis Flaveola and Basileuterus Culicivorus in Brazilian Savanna

Abstract

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), defined as the random difference between two sides of a bilaterally symmetrical character, is often used to monitor biological populations in altered habitats. We aimed to compare the values of FA for wing and tarsi of three bird species (Antilophia galeata, Myiothlypis flaveola and Basileuterus culicivorus) in areas with different environmental stresses and to analyze their potential use as biomonitors. The birds were captured between March 2010 and March 2011, in seven forest fragments. In areas of high environmental stress, FA was higher for the wings of A. galeata and M. flaveola and the tarsi of B. culicivorus. FA depends on the functional importance of the character for each species. Thus, this study demonstrated that FA in wings and tarsi is a useful tool to assess the quality of the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) forest habitat.