From Field and Study

With two endemic genera, 26% endemism at the specific, and 58% endemism at the subspecific level, the Galapagos sea-bird fauna is more highly endemic than that of any other archipelago. Of the four most distinct, hence probably oldest, endemics, three are probably of north Pacific origin and the fourth may be. The next most distinct group is of Humboldt Current origin, and the remainder, which are very little differentiated, are of Pacific or Caribbean origin. Special adaptations to Galapagos conditions include the loss of flight by a cormorant and the evolution of nocturnal habits by a gull, the latter probably as a result of kleptoparasitism or nest-predation by frigatcbirds. As a group the Galapagos sea-birds show varied adaptive responses to the relatively ascasonal and highly unpredictable marine environment. Opportunistic and non-annual breeding regimes predominate. Unlike the Galapagos land-birds, the study of Galapagos sea-birds has thrown light not on speciation processes but on the consequences of natural selection acting on breeding ecology and associated behaviour.

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From Field and Study

Cited by 10 publications

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Comparative ecology of seabirds in the Galapagos Archipelago

Comparative ecology of seabirds in the Galapagos Archipelago

Comparative ecology of seabirds in the Galapagos Archipelago

Evolution and adaptations of Galapagos sea-birds

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