Long-term trend toward earlier breeding in an American bird: A response to global warming?

Brown, Jerram L.; Li, Shou Hsien; Bhagabati, Nirmal

doi:10.1073/pnas.96.10.5565

Cited by 213 publications

(142 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…It is well established that global warming is having adverse effects on living organisms (Thomas et al, 2004). Some of these effects occur through changes in the timing of seasonal processes (Parmesan and Yohe, 2003), such as reproduction (Brown et al, 1999;Winkler et al, 2002). Global climate change does not affect photoperiod, the ubiquitous initial predictive cue used by high-latitude species, but does affect temperature and rainfall patterns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity of the Avian Song Control System in Response to Localized Environmental Cues in an Equatorial Songbird

Moore¹,

Wingfield²,

Brenowitz³

2004

J. Neurosci.

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A striking feature of the vertebrate brain is its plasticity. In high-latitude vertebrates, seasonal plasticity of the brain is driven by ubiquitous photoperiod cues and therefore is highly predictable and synchronous across extensive geographic ranges. A pronounced example of seasonal brain plasticity occurs in the nuclei that regulate song behavior in songbirds. These nuclei are larger in breeding than in nonbreeding birds. In the tropics, photoperiod varies little annually, and other environmental cues important for breeding can show considerable local geographic variability. We investigated whether localized patterns of seasonal breeding in tropical birds are associated with brain plasticity. We studied two populations of rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) that breed, only 25 km apart, on the equator but out of phase with each other. We measured gonadal activity and the size of song nuclei (high vocal center, robust nucleus of the arcopallium, and area X) during each population's breeding and nonbreeding periods. Breeding males had larger song nuclei and greater gonadal activity than did nonbreeding birds. This plasticity was associated with local environmental cues, such that the two populations exhibit asynchronous changes in brain structure. These results demonstrate the sensitivity of the brain and its ability to use a variety of environmental cues to coordinate seasonal plasticity and reproduction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity of the Avian Song Control System in Response to Localized Environmental Cues in an Equatorial Songbird

Moore¹,

Wingfield²,

Brenowitz³

2004

J. Neurosci.

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“…Many potential examples of rapid change in phenotype related to climate have been reported recently (e.g. Winkel & Hudde, 1997;Brown et al, 1999;Crick et al, 1999;Dunn & Winkler, 1999;Saether et al, 2000;Moss et al, 2001). However, it remains unclear whether these changes are phenotypic or micro-evolutionary in nature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid evolutionary change in a secondary sexual character linked to climatic change

Møller¹,

Szép²

2004

J of Evolutionary Biology

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The ability of organisms to respond evolutionarily to rapid climatic change is poorly known. Secondary sexual characters show the potential for rapid evolutionary change, as evidenced by strong divergence among species and high evolvability. Here we show that the length of the outermost tail feathers of males of the socially monogamous barn swallow Hirundo rustica, feathers that provide a mating advantage to males, has increased by more than 1 standard deviation during the period from 1984 to 2003. Barn swallows from the Danish population studied here migrate through the Iberian Peninsula to South Africa in fall, and return along the same route in spring. Environmental conditions on the spring staging grounds in Algeria, as indexed by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, predicted tail length and change in tail length across generations. However, conditions in the winter quarters and at the breeding grounds did not predict change in tail length. Environmental conditions in Algeria in spring showed a temporal deterioration during the study period, associated with a reduction in annual survival rate of male barn swallows. Phenotypic plasticity in tail length of males, estimated as the increase in tail length from the age of 1 to 2 years, decreased during the course of the study. Estimates of directional selection differentials for male tail length with respect to mating success, breeding date, fecundity, survival and total selection showed temporal variation, with the intensity of breeding date selection, survival selection and total selection declining during the study. Response to selection as estimated from the product of heritability and total selection was very similar to the observed temporal change in tail length. These findings provide evidence of rapid micro‐evolutionary change in a secondary sexual character during a very short time period, which is associated with a rapid change in environmental conditions.

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“…In birds, climate change may influence demographic rates directly (Saether et al 2000;Sillett et al 2000), but more commonly it is linked to range shifts (Parmesan & Yohe 2003) or changes in breeding phenology. For instance, variation in climate change between wintering and nesting grounds may adversely affect arrival times in migratory birds (Forchhammer et al 1998;Brown et al 1999;Crick & Sparks 1999;Dunn & Winkler 1999), or the response of a non-migratory bird population may not match that of its prey (Visser et al 1998). A mismatch may also occur when patterns of regional climatic change differ between the egg-laying and hatching season, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short- and long-term population dynamical consequences of asymmetric climate change in black grouse

Ludwig

Alatalo

Helle³

et al. 2006

Proc. R. Soc. B.

134

129

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Temporal asymmetry in patterns of regional climate change may jeopardize the match between the proximate and ultimate cues of the timing of breeding. The consequences on short-and long-term population dynamics and trends as well as the underlying mechanisms are, however, often unknown. Using long-term data from Finland, we demonstrate that black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) have responded to spring warming by advancing both egg-laying and hatching. However, early summer (the time of hatching) has not advanced, and chicks have to face colder post-hatching conditions. Demonstrating that these conditions are critical to post-hatching survival, we show that chicks are increasingly suffering higher mortality because they hatch too early. Consequently, breeding success and population size has severely declined over the past four decades. Finally, we modelled the impact of this particular climate change scenario on population dynamics and show that the mismatch can further explain the observed collapse of cyclic fluctuations. Because the evolutionary response of grouse is lagging behind the novel selective pressures, seasonally asymmetric climate change is likely to constitute an important determinant of future short-and long-term changes in the dynamics of black grouse populations.

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Long-term trend toward earlier breeding in an American bird: A response to global warming?

Cited by 213 publications

References 31 publications

Plasticity of the Avian Song Control System in Response to Localized Environmental Cues in an Equatorial Songbird

Plasticity of the Avian Song Control System in Response to Localized Environmental Cues in an Equatorial Songbird

Rapid evolutionary change in a secondary sexual character linked to climatic change

Short- and long-term population dynamical consequences of asymmetric climate change in black grouse

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