Parental Care and Clutch Sizes in North and South American Birds

Martin, Thomas E.; Martin, Paul R.; Olson, Christopher R.; Heidinger, Britt J.; Fontaine, Joseph J.

doi:10.1126/science.287.5457.1482

Cited by 396 publications

(436 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

396

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, in a recent work, we have found no support for the predation hypothesis, since egg coloration remained unrelated to nest predation among the European passerines (Soler et al 2005). The nests predators may rely on other more obvious cues denoting nest presence than egg colour, such as, for instance, parental activity (Martin et al 2000), or the nest itself (Gotmark 1992). However, we could not dismiss the possibility that predators on hole and open nests had differently tuned colour sensory systems (e.g.…”

Section: Discussion (A) Does Ultraviolet Egg Coloration In Birds Varymentioning

confidence: 87%

Dark nests and egg colour in birds: a possible functional role of ultraviolet reflectance in egg detectability

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Owing to the conspicuousness of ultraviolet (UV) colour in dark environments, natural selection might have selected UV egg coloration because it would enhance egg detectability by parents in murky nests. Here, we tested this hypothesis by using comparative and experimental approaches. First, we studied variation in egg coloration of 98 species of European passerines measured using UV-visible reflectance spectrometry (300-700 nm) in relation to nesting habits. Analyses based on raw data and controlling for phylogenetic distances both at the species and the family levels revealed that hole-nester species produced eggs with higher UV reflectance than those nesting in open habitats. The experimental approach consisted of the manipulation of UV reflectance of the experimental eggs introduced outside the nest-cup of the hole-nester spotless starling Sturnus unicolor and the study of the retrieval of these eggs. Ultraviolet-reflecting eggs (controls) were more frequently retrieved to the nest-cup than nonreflecting (-UV) eggs. These results were not due to '-UV' eggs being recognized by starlings as parasitic because when a parasitic egg is detected, starlings removed it from the nest-box. Therefore, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that UV egg colours are designed to provide highly detectable targets for parent birds in dark nest environments.

show abstract

Section: Discussion (A) Does Ultraviolet Egg Coloration In Birds Varymentioning

confidence: 87%

Dark nests and egg colour in birds: a possible functional role of ultraviolet reflectance in egg detectability

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Survivorship has been posited as a higher order determinant of clutch size in birds, explaining gross patterns among latitudes (Martin 2002). Within latitudes, however, where survival probabilities may be more similar, predation has been found to predict clutch size more closely (Martin 1995;Martin et al 2000). Under similar higher order survival constraints, temperature and predation should interact to select for specific parental life histories and behavioral tactics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clutch size is influenced by a number of phylogenetic and environmental constraints (Martin 2004), whose hierarchical organization (Ghalambor and Martin 2001) should allow for clutch size predictions in specific populations. To understand the interactions between these constraints, however, it is necessary to examine multiple, phylogenetically controlled pairs of species or populations in a variety of environments (Ferretti et al 2005;Martin et al 2000). Here we present a single such contrast between two subspecies of the swamp sparrow, Melospiza georgiana, at study sites 319 km apart at a similar latitude (39.6°N vs. 39.4°N), yet varying in elevation (800 m), predation risk, and climate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Within each subspecies, predation risk should be highest during the stage of offspring development with the most parental activity around the nest (P1), and parental activity should be higher around nests with more offspring (P2: Ferretti et al 2005). Furthermore, nest attendance should be lower, on average, in the coastal population in order to reduce detection by predators (P3: Eggers et al 2005;Fontaine and Martin 2006), which may in turn reduce nestling growth (Nolan et al 2001) or increase the mass of food carried per provisioning trip (P4: Martin et al 2000).…”

Section: Predationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Causes of reduced clutch size in a tidal marsh endemic

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We tested three hypotheses of clutch size variation in two subspecies of the swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana georgiana and M. g. nigrescens). Swamp sparrows follow the pattern of other estuarine endemics, where clutch size is smaller among tidal salt marsh populations (M. g. nigrescens) than their closest inland relatives (M. g. georgiana). Our results support predation risk and temperature, but not adult survival, as explanations of this pattern in swamp sparrows. Coastal nests were twice as likely to fail as inland nests, and parental activity around the nest site was positively related to clutch size at both sites. When brood size was controlled for, coastal adults visited nests less often and females vocalized less frequently during visits than inland birds, which may decrease nest detectability to predators. Coastal parents waited longer than inland birds to feed offspring in the presence of a model nest predator, but there was no difference in their response to models of predators of adults, as would be expected if coastal birds possessed increased longevity. Additionally, coastal females laid more eggs than inland females over a single season, following a within-season bet-hedging strategy rather than reducing within-season investment. Coastal territories experienced ambient air temperatures above the physiological zero of egg development more often, and higher temperatures during laying correlated with smaller clutches and increased egg inviability among coastal birds. Similar effects were not seen among inland nests, where laying temperatures were generally below physiological zero. Both subspecies showed an increase in hatching asynchrony and a decrease in apparent incubation length under high temperatures. Coastal individuals, however, showed less hatching asynchrony overall despite higher temperatures. Both air temperatures during laying and predation risk could potentially explain reduced clutch size in not only coastal plain swamp sparrows, but also other tidal marsh endemics.

show abstract

“…decreases with energy availability : e.g. zooplankton - Poulin (1995), fish -Conover (1992, turtles - Iverson et al (1993) and birds -Lack (1947, 1948; Martin et al (2000) ; Cardillo (2002). However, more frequent reproductive attempts in high-energy areas may partly compensate.…”

Section: (B ) Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species–energy relationships at the macroecological scale: a review of the mechanisms

2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Correlations between the amount of energy received by an assemblage and the number of species that it contains are very general, and at the macro-scale such species-energy relationships typically follow a monotonically increasing curve. Whilst the ecological literature contains frequent reports of such relationships, debate on their causal mechanisms is limited and typically focuses on the role of energy availability in controlling the number of individuals in an assemblage. Assemblages from high-energy areas may contain more individuals enabling species to maintain larger, more viable populations, whose lower extinction risk elevates species richness. Other mechanisms have, however, also been suggested. Here we identify and clarify nine principal mechanisms that may generate positive species-energy relationships at the macro-scale. We critically assess their assumptions and applicability over a range of spatial scales, derive predictions for each and assess the evidence that supports or refutes them. Our synthesis demonstrates that all mechanisms share at least one of their predictions with an alternative mechanism. Some previous studies of species-energy relationships appear not to have recognised the extent of shared predictions, and this may detract from their contribution to the debate on causal mechanisms. The combination of predictions and assumptions made by each mechanism is, however, unique, suggesting that, in principle, conclusive tests are possible. Sufficient testing of all mechanisms has yet to be conducted, and no single mechanism currently has unequivocal support. Each may contribute to species-energy relationships in some circumstances, but some mechanisms are unlikely to act simultaneously. Moreover, a limited number appear particularly likely to contribute frequently to species-energy relationships at the macro-scale. The increased population size, niche position and diversification rate mechanisms are particularly noteworthy in this context.

show abstract

Parental Care and Clutch Sizes in North and South American Birds

Cited by 396 publications

References 38 publications

Dark nests and egg colour in birds: a possible functional role of ultraviolet reflectance in egg detectability

Dark nests and egg colour in birds: a possible functional role of ultraviolet reflectance in egg detectability

Causes of reduced clutch size in a tidal marsh endemic

Species–energy relationships at the macroecological scale: a review of the mechanisms

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About