Evolution of vanga pedal morphology and its relation to ecology
Loading...
Persistent link to this item
Statistics
View StatisticsJournal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Title
Evolution of vanga pedal morphology and its relation to ecology
Authors
Published Date
2023
Publisher
Type
Presentation
Abstract
Adaptive radiations are clades that exhibit exceptional diversification in response to ecological opportunity. Studying them is a great way to develop an understanding of the evolution of morphology in response to environmental pressures. In bird adaptive radiations, bills are the most commonly studied anatomical trait. Hindlimbs, like bills, have strong associations with ecological functions, and studying them allows us to capture a different ecomorphological aspect of this adaptive radiation that may not be visible from just studying bills. To do this, we studied the hindlimb morphology of the family Vangidae. We found that bone length varies based on expected patterns of locomotion, with longer tarsometatarsi and shorter halluxes and penultimate phalanges for walking birds, and vice-versa for more arboreal birds. There was more bone length variation within Malagasy vangas than non-Malagasy vangas, supporting how locomotory diversification supported an adaptive radiation that included two extreme taxa. Only one phalanx significantly differed in length based on foraging strategy, showing that hindlimbs capture a different aspect of ecology than bills, where a significant difference has been previously found.
Keywords
Description
Faculty advisor: Sushma Reddy
Related to
Replaces
License
Series/Report Number
Funding information
This research was supported by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).
Isbn identifier
Doi identifier
Previously Published Citation
Other identifiers
Suggested citation
Lim, Euan; Auerbach, Anya; Reddy, Sushma. (2023). Evolution of vanga pedal morphology and its relation to ecology. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/256456.
Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.