Brain size and urbanization in birds

Møller, Anders Pape; Erritzøe, Johannes

doi:10.1186/s40657-015-0017-y

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…Sol et al (2012) also showed a significant effect of brain size, while Maklakov et al (2011) showed that families of birds with larger brains were more likely to have species that successfully became established in urban areas. Here, we failed to replicate such an effect, as did Møller and Erritzøe (2015) in a much larger study of brain size in urban and rural populations of the same species, and in an independent study of brain size in urban and rural species of birds.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

Urbanized birds have superior establishment success in novel environments

et al. 2015

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

Urbanized birds have superior establishment success in novel environments

et al. 2015

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“…Some other studies have shown little evidence that urban‐tolerant species have large residual brain size (Kark et al , Evans et al ), but we found it was highly correlated with urban‐tolerance (Fig. 4, 5; Møller , Maklakov et al , Møller and Erritzøe ). Some studies have found little evidence that urban‐tolerant species have large residual brain size (Kark et al , Evans et al ), but we found it was highly correlated with urban‐tolerance (Fig.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 46%

“…Despite the breadth of research which has focused on ecological and life history traits associated with urbanization in birds, the results are severely mixed and frequently contradictory. For example, residual brain size in birds is sometimes positively associated with urbanization (Maklakov et al , Møller and Erritzøe ) and sometimes not (Kark et al , Evans et al ). Similarly, contrasting results have been reported for annual fecundity (Croci et al , Møller , Evans et al ) and niche breadth (Kark et al , Evans et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generalists are the most urban‐tolerant of birds: a phylogenetically controlled analysis of ecological and life history traits using a novel continuous measure of bird responses to urbanization

Callaghan

Major

Wilshire

et al. 2019

Oikos

156

152

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Identifying which ecological and life history traits influence a species’ tolerance to urbanization is critical to understanding the trajectory of biodiversity in an increasingly urbanizing world. There is evidence for a wide array of contrasting patterns for single trait associations with urbanization. In a continental‐scale analysis, incorporating 477 species and >5 000 000 bird observations, we developed a novel and scalable methodology that evaluated the ecological and life history traits which most influence a species’ adaptability to persist in urban environments. Specifically, we assigned species‐specific scores based on continuous measures of response to urbanization, using VIIRS night‐time light values (i.e. radiance) as a proxy for urbanization. We identified generalized, phylogenetically controlled patterns: bird species which are generalists (i.e. large niche breadth), with large clutch size, and large residual brain size are among the most urban‐tolerant bird species. Conversely, specialized feeding strategies (i.e. insectivores and granivores) were negatively associated with urbanization. Enhancement and persistence of avian biodiversity in urban environments probably relies on protecting, maintaining and restoring diverse habitats serving a range of life history strategies.

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“…Extensive analysis of birds breeding across Great Britain indicated a primary role of foraging niche position and nest site choice in the process of adaptation to urban life (Evans et al ), while other studies linked urban colonization success to sociality and migratory ability (Chace and Walsh , Kark et al ). Urban invasiveness has also been associated with such traits as innovativeness and behavioural flexibility (Tryjanowski et al , ) or relative brain size (Carrete and Tella ), although the latter relationship is still being debated (Kark et al , Møller and Erritzøe ). While certain phenotypic characteristics may predispose birds to become urban dwellers, the process of urbanization may also provoke further divergence between rural and urban conspecifics in a number of morphological, physiological and behavioural traits (Partecke et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How birds colonize cities: genetic evidence from a common waterbird, the Eurasian coot

Minias

Włodarczyk

Minias

et al. 2017

Journal of Avian Biology

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Much effort has been devoted to identify ecological and life‐history traits which facilitate urban colonization by wild avian species, but surprisingly little is known about the population‐level mechanisms of urbanization processes. In general, two different patterns of urban colonization have been proposed: 1) the model of independent colonization predicts that birds colonize cities independently in different geographical regions; 2) the model of leapfrog colonization assumes a single colonization event, while additional urban populations are established from the initial urban populations. The aim of this paper was to determine the pattern of urban colonization in a common waterbird, the Eurasian coot Fulica atra. For this purpose, we analysed microsatellite variation in three pairs of urban and rural coot populations from central Poland. We found that a newly‐established urban population was genetically more similar to neighbouring rural populations than to long‐established urban populations, as indicated by the analysis of fixation index, genetic distance and Bayesian assignment of individuals to genetic clusters. These results are consistent with the model of independent colonization, where neighbouring rural populations are a source of individuals that colonize new urban areas. However, our analysis also showed significant differentiation between long‐established urban populations and adjacent rural populations, suggesting that genetic connectivity between two types of habitat decreases with increasing time since urbanization. Our study shows high complexity of urbanization processes in wild animal populations, as well as it underpins utility of molecular tools in studying population‐level mechanisms of urbanization.

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Brain size and urbanization in birds

Cited by 23 publications

References 39 publications

Urbanized birds have superior establishment success in novel environments

Urbanized birds have superior establishment success in novel environments

Generalists are the most urban‐tolerant of birds: a phylogenetically controlled analysis of ecological and life history traits using a novel continuous measure of bird responses to urbanization

How birds colonize cities: genetic evidence from a common waterbird, the Eurasian coot

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