Adaptive divergence in the Superb Fairy-wren (<i>Malurus cyaneus</i>): a mainland versus island comparison of morphology and foraging behaviour

Schlotfeldt, Beth; Kleindorfer, Sonia

doi:10.1071/mu06004

Cited by 34 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…Combined, these findings suggest a continuous production of nectar-producing flowers on the mainland during the low rainfall season, and lower food availability (or less accessible prey) on the island across the year. A similar study (Schlotfeldt and Kleindorfer 2006) on morphology and foraging behavior in the Superb Fairywren, Malurus cyaneus, found comparable results: island birds had a wider niche breadth and were more generalist foragers than mainland birds. Niche expansion may be a response to increased intraspecific competition (Svanbäck and Bolnick 2007), which in this case is likely to reflect limited resource availability (not measured).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…FCNP, PLRC and NHCP were primarily mallee heath land (Ford and Paton 1982;Ball and Carruthers 1999;Kleindorfer et al 2006a;Schlotfeldt and Kleindorfer 2006), with large areas of scrubland at NHCP (Kleindorfer et al 2006b). SCP was dominated by Eucalyptus woodland; SAC had two distinct vegetation types, comprising Callitris woodland and Eucalyptus woodland (Rix 1976;Ford and Paton 1977;Westphal et al 2003;Schlotfeldt and Kleindorfer 2006;Kleindorfer et al 2006b;Galligan and Kleindorfer 2008).…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…where p i is the proportion of observations within each foraging category i (Werner and Sherry 1987;Antos and Bennett 2006;Schlotfeldt and Kleindorfer 2006). Because H 0 does not take into account the number of behavior states within each foraging category, we calculated J 0 , which provides a measure of niche breadth on a 0-1 scale:…”

Section: Niche Breadthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Divergence in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae): evidence from morphology and feeding behavior

2009

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Studies of island versus mainland populations have provided insights into processes that shape adaptive divergence (e.g., through selection in allopatric populations) as well as patterns of morphological change. In this study, we compare the morphology and foraging behavior in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) between Kangaroo Island and the South Australian mainland. We (1) provide descriptive information on morphology traits across populations to test previously described differences; (2) test the prediction that island birds will have a wider foraging niche, different use of foraging substrate, and different foraging techniques, and (3) test for evidence of reduced prey diversity on islands as evidenced by longer foraging time. The results provide support for the predictions. Island birds were larger than the mainland birds in tarsus (2.5%) and bill length (3.7%), had a wider foraging niche (mostly due to greater insect consumption), and foraged more from the bark and air (sallying). Consistent with other studies of island biogeography, at least one common mainland predator and several bird species are absent from Kangaroo Island, which may facilitate niche expansion in the island birds. A wider niche could also be favored by lower prey diversity on islands (a depauperate community): in this study, island birds had longer foraging times than mainland birds, which may be evidence for lower total prey density.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Divergence in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae): evidence from morphology and feeding behavior

2009

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“…The study was conducted across 4 years (2004)(2005)(2006)(2007) Kleindorfer et al 2006;Lambert and Kleindorfer 2006;Schlotfeldt and Kleindorfer 2006;Colombelli-Ne´grel and Kleindorfer 2008).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest height, nest concealment, and predator type predict nest predation in superb fairy‐wrens (Malurus cyaneus)

Colombelli‐Négrel

Kleindorfer

2008

Ecological Research

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111

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Three factors and their interaction effects are increasingly recognized as important determinants of nest predation: nest concealment, nest height, and predator type. The risk of nest predation is predicted to vary across these variables because of nest detectability and accessibility. In general, however, few studies examine how these three variables interact in relation to nest predation, focusing instead on either nest concealment or nest height (whereby predator identity is usually not known). In this study, we examine the role of nest concealment and nest height for nest survival using both artificial and natural nests in the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). We indirectly identified potential predators through marks left on artificial eggs and footprints left on tracking tunnels. Predation level at artificial nests was lower than at natural nests, and this could be due to a failure of some nest predators to locate cryptic nests in the absence of cues provided by parental activity. Our results supported the prediction that exposed and concealed nests have different levels of nest predation, which can be explained by variation in predator type. Visual predators were only detected at exposed nests, and survival from visual predators was lower for high nests that were also exposed. However, olfactory predators were detected irrespective of nest height or nest concealment. Because rodents use olfaction to locate nests, this could explain the lack of association between nest concealment and predation outcome at low nests. In addition, rodent footmarks near nests were significantly associated with rodent tooth marks on eggs.

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“…Building on biogeographical analysis of Kangaroo Island (Abbott 1974), work on the host-parasite biology of birds and their ticks and adaptive divergence in morphology in the Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) between island and mainland (Schlotfeldt and Kleindorfer 2006) elucidates much interesting evolution. That work, however, awaits complementary phylogeographic analyses of divergence times and spatial analysis of diversity within and between mainland and island populations.…”

Section: Island Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography: its development and impact in Australo-Papuan ornithology with special reference to paraphyly in Australian birds

Joseph

Omland

2009

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Abstract.With examples from Australo-Papuan ornithology, we examine the technical and theoretical roots of molecular phylogeography and review its development. We describe the progression from ad hoc interpretation of gene trees in single species phylogeographic studies through to comparative phylogeography and currently advocated model-testing approaches. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences have provided most advances to date, although we demonstrate and advocate the future use of multilocus datasets analysed with coalescent methods. We examine interrelationships among speciation research, historical biogeography, phylogeography and landscape genetics. Mitochondrial paraphyly, in which individuals of one species or population have mtDNA that is more closely related to that of another than to their own, emerges in 44% of Australian studies to date as a common, important result in Australian avian phylogeography. Accordingly, we explore at length its most common causes and its impact on case studies in Australo-Papuan avian phylogeography. The impact of so much paraphyly on avian phylogeography and taxonomy is a major theme of the review. We suggest a full research agenda for avian phylogeography in the AustraloPapuan region that spans diverse topics: the need for more studies of pelagic birds, spatio-temporal links between New Guinea and Australia, island populations, testing of long-established biogeographical hypotheses, and integration of molecular and non-molecular datasets into integrated evolutionary understanding of species and populations. Studying the full continuum of divergences from landscape genetics, to phylogeography, to recently diverged species with evidence of paraphyly, to highly divergent species with many fixed differences will lead to a more complete understanding of the processes and patterns of avian evolution.

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Adaptive divergence in the Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus): a mainland versus island comparison of morphology and foraging behaviour

Cited by 34 publications

References 51 publications

Divergence in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae): evidence from morphology and feeding behavior

Divergence in New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae): evidence from morphology and feeding behavior

Nest height, nest concealment, and predator type predict nest predation in superb fairy‐wrens (Malurus cyaneus)

Phylogeography: its development and impact in Australo-Papuan ornithology with special reference to paraphyly in Australian birds

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