Taxonomic Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Flightless Mancallinae (Aves, Pan-Alcidae)
Taxonomic Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Flightless Mancallinae (Aves, Pan-Alcidae)

Author: N. Adam Smith

Publisher: PenSoft Publishers LTD

Published: 2011-04-20

Total Pages: 124

ISBN-13: 9546425850

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The flightless Mancallinae (Aves, Pan-Alcidae) from the Pacific Ocean are represented by one of the richest fossil records among Charadriiformes. A detailed review of previously published and previously undescribed fossils referred to Mancallinae resulted in taxonomic revision of the clade and the identification of three new species from the Miocene and Pliocene of California, USA. This monograph includes descriptions of new Mancallinae species and provides the first species-level phylogenetic hypothesis of Mancallinae relationships. Phylogenetic hypotheses were generated through the combined analysis of molecular sequence data and newly identified morphological character data for extant and extinct charadriiforms. The results of the combined phylogenetic analysis places hypotheses regarding the ethology and morphological convergence of Mancallinae to other flightless wing-propelled divers in phylogenetic context and facilitates comparisons between alcid paleodiversity and paleoclimatic events that have been hypothesized as drivers of alcid evolution.

Shorebird Ecology, Conservation, and Management
Shorebird Ecology, Conservation, and Management

Author: Dr. Mark A. Colwell

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2010-11-16

Total Pages: 345

ISBN-13: 0520947967

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Shorebirds are model organisms for illustrating the principles of ecology and excellent subjects for research. Their mating systems are as diverse as any avian group, their migrations push the limits of endurance, and their foraging is easily studied in the open habitats of estuaries and freshwater wetlands. This comprehensive text explores the ecology, conservation, and management of these fascinating birds. Beginning chapters examine phylogenetic relationships between shorebirds and other birds, and cover shorebird morphology, anatomy, and physiology. A section on breeding biology looks in detail at their reproductive biology. Because shorebirds spend much of their time away from breeding areas, a substantial section on non-breeding biology covers migration, foraging ecology, and social behavior. The text also covers shorebird demography, population size, and management issues related to habitat, predators, and human disturbances. Throughout, it emphasizes applying scientific knowledge to the conservation of shorebird populations, many of which are unfortunately in decline.

The Biology of Moult in Birds
The Biology of Moult in Birds

Author: Lukas Jenni

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-09-17

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1472977203

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Feathers are amazing structures unique to birds and, for a variety of reasons, they need to be renewed periodically as a whole in a process called moult. During this process, all of the functions of plumage are impaired and most aspects of a bird's life are affected. Every moult determines a bird's appearance anew, and restores plumage efficacy for flight and insulation. Moult profoundly affects physiology and the organization of the annual cycle, and it constrains reproduction and migration. Given these major impacts, which are equal to the other annual challenges of reproduction and migration, it is surprising that research on moult has largely been so neglected a subject. Lukas Jenni and Raffael Winkler have brought together the widely scattered results of studies on the processes and consequences of moult in birds. This book opens with an overview of the functions of plumage, and of feather maintenance and feather wear, and then introduces the two functions of moult: replacement of worn feathers and adjustment of plumage characteristics and appearance. The body of the book then examines feather-growth and the physiology, energetics and control of moult, and how various other physiological processes interact with moult and may compensate for its costs. Significantly, the authors explain how variations in moult and feather quality affect a bird's overall plumage quality, and they highlight the resulting consequences in terms of physical performance, appearance and signalling. Finally, there is a review of all the various solutions that birds have developed to fit moult into the annual cycle. This long-awaited book covers for the first time all aspects of the biology of moult and fills an important gap in the literature, completing our understanding of how the most important annual events in a bird's life fit together into a coherent whole. It draws on a wide range of information – from penguins to small passerines, from raptors to wildfowl – to highlight the variety of the subject and to pinpoint the many gaps in our knowledge along with avenues for fruitful further research.

Birds - Conservation, Research and Ecology
Birds - Conservation, Research and Ecology

Author: Heimo Mikkola

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2023-10-04

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 1837696195

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Birds are among the best-known and most popular animals. With the help of modern technology like mobile identification, even non-academic birders can fully participate in scientific data collection. Unfortunately, birds suffer badly from agricultural changes, forest fires, logging, plastic waste, urban noise, and large windows. They may also carry viral diseases that will eventually affect humans. This book includes nine chapters from all over the world that discuss these problems and propose possible solutions for better conservation of birds.

On the Origin of Species Through Heteropatric Differentiation
On the Origin of Species Through Heteropatric Differentiation

Author: Kevin Winker

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2010-11

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 0943610885

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Differentiation and speciation without extended isolation appear to be common among migratory animals. Historical oversight of this is probably due to temporal distortion in distribution maps and a tendency to consider that lineages had different historical traits, such as being sedentary or much less mobile. Mobility among cyclic migrants makes population isolation difficult, and diminished levels of intraspecific differentiation occur in avian migrants (I term this "Montgomery's rule"). Nevertheless, many lineages have differentiated despite increased mobility and a high propensity for gene flow, conditions that speciation theory has not addressed adequately. Populations of seasonal migrants usually occur in allopatry and sympatry during a migratory cycle, and this distributional pattern (heteropatry) is the focus of a model empirically developed to explain differentiation in migratory lineages. Divergence arises through disruptive selection from resource competition and heterogeneously distributed cyclic resources. Heteropatric speciation is a type of ecological speciation in which reproductive isolation increases between populations as a byproduct of adaptation to different environments that enhances breeding allopatry and allochrony despite degrees of sympatry that occur during the nonbreeding period in migration cycles. Mating or pair bonding in nonbreeding areas is rare. Patterns such as leapfrog migration and limited morphological divergence suggest that differentiation is driven by these ecological factors rather than by sexual selection or nontemporal changes in the resource base itself, although the additional presence of either of the latter would have additive divergent effects. Migratory lineages provide a largely neglected series of natural experiments in speciation in which to test predictions stemming from this model and others focusing on ecological speciation --

Wildlife Forensic Investigation
Wildlife Forensic Investigation

Author: John E. Cooper

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2013-05-23

Total Pages: 753

ISBN-13: 1439813752

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Providing an in-depth introduction to the rapidly evolving field of wildlife forensics, this volume also chronicles aspects of the history of management, conservation, and environmental protection, with an emphasis on their global importance in the twenty-first century. The book examines the crucial role of wildlife forensic investigation with regard to live animals, dead animals, and samples and covers national, regional, and international legislation. The book discusses animal welfare as well as the damage that can be inflicted on humans and property by wildlife. The text is enhanced by case studies from experts who describe some of their own work.

What Is a Bird?
What Is a Bird?

Author: Tony D. Williams

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2021-01-19

Total Pages: 755

ISBN-13: 0691211876

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A large-format, beautifully illustrated look at the natural history of birds There are some 10,000 bird species in existence today, occupying every continent and virtually every habitat on Earth. The variety of bird species is truly astounding, from the tiny bee hummingbird to the large flightless ostrich, making birds one of the most diverse and successful animal groups on the planet. Taking you inside the extraordinary world of birds, What Is a Bird? explores all aspects of these remarkable creatures, providing an up-close look at their morphology, unique internal anatomy and physiology, fascinating and varied behavior, and ecology. It features hundreds of color illustrations and draws on a broad range of examples, from the familiar backyard sparrow to the most exotic birds of paradise. A must-have book for birders and armchair naturalists, What Is a Bird? is a celebration of the rich complexity of bird life. An absorbing and beautifully presented exploration of the natural history of birds Integrates physiological adaptations with ecology and behavior Features a wealth of color photographs and explanatory figures Uses scanning electron microscope imagery to provide a rare close-up view of structures not normally visible Provides insights into our complex relationship with birds, from our enduring fascination with them to the threats they face and the challenges of conservation