Body size predicts the rate of contemporary morphological change in birds
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
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Abstract
Across the globe, bird morphology is changing rapidly. Although trajectories of change are frequently consistent across studies, rates of change among species vary in magnitude—a phenomenon that remains unexplained. By analyzing two independently collected datasets demonstrating consistent changes in morphology in 129 species, we show that rates of phenotypic change are negatively correlated with body size—that is, smaller birds are changing faster. Why smaller-bodied species are changing faster is unknown, but we found little support for the hypothesis that generation length explains variation in the rates of change. Rather, body size appears to be a primary mediator of species’ phenotypic responses to contemporary climatic change and should be considered when testing hypotheses about the drivers of change.
Suggested Citation
Zimova, M., Weeks, B., Willard, D.E., Giery, S., Jirinec, V., Burner, R.C., and Winger, B.M., 2023, Body size predicts the rate of contemporary morphological change in birds: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), v. 120, no. 20, e2206971120, 9 p., https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2206971120.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Body size predicts the rate of contemporary morphological change in birds |
| Series title | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.2206971120 |
| Volume | 120 |
| Issue | 20 |
| Publication Date | May 08, 2023 |
| Year Published | 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | National Academy of Sciences |
| Contributing office(s) | Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center |
| Description | e2206971120, 9 p. |