Scaling of Avian Primary Feather Length

Nudds, Robert L.; Kaiser, Gary W.; Dyke, Gareth J.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015665

Cited by 29 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This index is correlated with dispersal ability in interspecific comparisons [27,29,30]. WL comprises the lengths of the manus and the longest primary feather, both of which are strongly correlated with overall wing length and scale isometrically with other wing components such as the ulna [31][32][33]. Bird wings are generally shaped as one-quarter of an oval.…”

Section: Materials and Methods (A) Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic ‘engines’ of flight drive genome size reduction in birds

Wright¹,

Gregory

Witt³

2014

Proc. R. Soc. B.

113

110

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The tendency for flying organisms to possess small genomes has been interpreted as evidence of natural selection acting on the physical size of the genome. Nonetheless, the flight-genome link and its mechanistic basis have yet to be well established by comparative studies within a volant clade. Is there a particular functional aspect of flight such as brisk metabolism, lift production or maneuverability that impinges on the physical genome? We measured genome sizes, wing dimensions and heart, flight muscle and body masses from a phylogenetically diverse set of bird species. In phylogenetically controlled analyses, we found that genome size was negatively correlated with relative flight muscle size and heart index (i.e. ratio of heart to body mass), but positively correlated with body mass and wing loading. The proportional masses of the flight muscles and heart were the most important parameters explaining variation in genome size in multivariate models. Hence, the metabolic intensity of powered flight appears to have driven genome size reduction in birds.

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Section: Materials and Methods (A) Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic ‘engines’ of flight drive genome size reduction in birds

Wright¹,

Gregory

Witt³

2014

Proc. R. Soc. B.

113

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Primary feathers extend the length of the wing beyond that of the articulated skeleton in all birds, and skeletal wing to primary feather length proportions vary greatly among clades (32). Given this uncertainty, three methods for estimating primary feather length were used.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A third estimate was obtained by extrapolating from the proportions in large Procellariiformes. Spread wing specimens including all skeletal elements are rare in museum collections (32). The humerus is typically removed or truncated from spread wings, making it difficult to obtain precise measurements of the skeletal length and wing length of a single individual.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For comparison, the most complete wing element of the teratorn A. magnificens is a humerus estimated at 570 mm in length. No fossil feathers are known for teratorns, but scaling based on the relative feather length in the extant Gymnogyps californicus (California Condor) results in total wingspan estimates of 5.70-6.07 m (15), whereas applying the three regressions (32) results in wingspan estimates of 5.09-5.57 m. Past estimates of 7 m or more (15,16) are based on extrapolation from mass estimates rather than wing elements, but these estimates require leading primary lengths of ∼1.5 m, which contrasts sharply with both ratios seen in extant terrestrial soaring birds and the observation that primary length exhibits negative allometry with increasing body size (32).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Flight performance of the largest volant bird

Ksepka

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Pelagornithidae is an extinct clade of birds characterized by bizarre tooth-like bony projections of the jaws. Here, the flight capabilities of pelagornithids are explored based on data from a species with the largest reported wingspan among birds. Pelagornis sandersi sp. nov. is represented by a skull and substantial postcranial material. Conservative wingspan estimates (∼6.4 m) exceed theoretical maximums based on extant soaring birds. Modeled flight properties indicate that lift:drag ratios and glide ratios for P. sandersi were near the upper limit observed in extant birds and suggest that pelagornithids were highly efficient gliders, exploiting a long-range soaring ecology.Aves | fossil | Oligocene | paleontology | pseudotooth F light ability in birds is largely governed by scaling effects, leading to a tradeoff between the benefits of physiological efficiencies and the drawbacks of decreasing power margin (ratio of available muscle power to required mechanical power) as size increases (1-4). Over their ∼150-My history, birds evolved to span at least four orders of magnitude in size (2) and achieve a wide variety of flight styles, such a flap-gliding, soaring, and hovering. Today, the largest directly measured wild individuals of volant birds reach wingspans of ∼3.5 m (Royal Albatross Diomedea exulans) and masses of ∼19 kg (Great Bustard Otis tarda and Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori) (5). In the past, the extinct terrestrial teratorn Argentavis magnificens (6) and the extinct soaring Pelagornithidae (7-10) greatly exceeded these sizes. Given the challenges of flight at large size, there has been much debate over potential upper size limits for different styles of flight in vertebrates (1, 2, 11-13), and the evolution of specialized taxa, like teratorns and pelagornithids, has been tied to environmental factors, such as wind patterns (6, 14-16).A well-preserved associated skeleton representing the largest known volant bird provides the basis for the present study of flight properties in the remarkable extinct clade Pelagornithidae. Pelagornithidae appeared in the Paleocene (9) and attained a global distribution before going extinct in the Pliocene (8, 17). Skeletal characteristics, including pseudoteeth (spike-like protrusions of the jaw bones), a hinged mandible, and specialized wing bones (7-10, 18, 19), have raised questions about the paleoecology and phylogenetic affinities of Pelagornithidae. Although Pelagornithidae has historically been linked to the Pelecaniformes and Procellariiformes (7,8,20), more recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that this extinct clade is the sister taxon to Anseriformes (waterfowl) (9) or Galloanserae (waterfowl and landfowl) (21).Regardless of their affinities, Pelagornithidae evolved such highly modified skeletal morphologies that it would not be plausible to make meaningful inferences about their flight style and ecology based on extant relatives. Therefore, computer modeling provides the best path toward understanding the flight capabilities of these remarkable birds. Flight ...

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“…For continuous independent variables, the value of estimate ± SE is given and Roby 2011), environmental conditions (here considered under the integrative year effect) apparently had a relatively limited effect on Teal wing length compared to intrinsic features of each individual (see also De la Hera et al 2009). This may partly be due to the fact that wing length not only depends on primary feather length, which may be affected by environmental conditions during annual moult, but also on the length of underlying wing bones (humerus, radius, ulna and manus; Nudds et al 2011). Such bones do not vary in length once adult age is reached, and are unlikely to grow much even between juvenile and adult ages: indeed, measurement of tarsus length in over 7,500 Teal showed no significant skeletal growth between firstyear and adult females, and a marginal 0.2 mm difference in males (M. Guillemain et al, unpublished data).…”

Section: Wing Lengthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual quality persists between years: individuals retain body condition from one winter to the next in Teal

et al. 2013

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Few studies have considered how body condition changes over time in individual birds, and most of these concerned long-lived breeding birds. We used a large database of Common Teal Anas crecca ringed and recaptured while wintering in the Camargue to study interannual persistence in wing length and body condition. Winter body condition may be a major determinant of survival during that season, and may further be related to breeding success. Indices of condition were compared for individual Teal between the moments of ringing and of recapture the following winter, analyzing each sex and age class (adult or juvenile) separately. Wing length was highly repeatable between years, though some limited annual variation was also recorded in adult males. Using scaled mass index as an index of body condition, we observed that condition at ringing was the strongest predictor of body condition at recapture for males and juvenile females, although inter-and intra-annual variation was also significant in most cases. The value of the slope for the relationship between individual body condition indices at ringing and recapture did not differ from 1 for males and for adults, whereas, for juvenile females, the slope was significantly greater than 1, indicating that individual differences in condition became more exaggerated over time. When analyses were repeated using crude body mass instead of a condition index, results were generally similar. Birds recaptured the following winter had a greater body condition at ringing that those that were not recaptured, supporting the hypothesis of a link between winter body condition and return probability. Our results demonstrate the importance of a head start in Teal, given persistent effects of obtaining better condition in the first winter, and suggest specific age and sex effects. They also underline the value of condition indices as a long-term predictor of individual quality in birds, even during the non-breeding season and for such a relatively short-lived species.Keywords Scaled mass index Á Inter-annual changes Á Body size Á Fitness Á Inter-annual persistence Zusammenfassung Individuelle Qualität bleibt von Jahr zu Jahr bestehen: Krickenten behalten ihre individuelle Körperkondition von einem Winter zum nächsten bei Es gibt nur wenige Studien zu zeitlichen Veränderungen der Körperkondition von Vogelindividuen; die meisten von diesen Untersuchungen betreffen zudem langlebige Vogelarten zur Brutzeit. Anhand einer großen Datenmenge von Krickenten Anas crecca, die in ihrem Winterquartier in der Camargue beringt und wiedergefangen wurden, untersuchten wir die Persistenz von Flügellänge und Körperkondition von einem Jahr zum anderen. Die winterliche Körperkon-dition kann einen Hauptüberlebensfaktor zu dieser Jahreszeit darstellen und darüber hinaus mit dem Bruterfolg

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Scaling of Avian Primary Feather Length

Cited by 29 publications

References 15 publications

Metabolic ‘engines’ of flight drive genome size reduction in birds

Metabolic ‘engines’ of flight drive genome size reduction in birds

Flight performance of the largest volant bird

Individual quality persists between years: individuals retain body condition from one winter to the next in Teal

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