Dramatic niche shifts and morphological change in two insular bird species

Per Alström; Knud Andreas Jønsson; Jon Fjeldså; Anders Ödeen; Per G. P. Ericson; Martin Irestedt

doi:10.1098/rsos.140364

Dramatic niche shifts and morphological change in two insular bird species

Per Alström, Knud Andreas Jønsson, Jon Fjeldså, Anders Ödeen, Per G. P. Ericson, Martin Irestedt

19 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Colonizations of islands are often associated with rapid morphological divergence. We present two previously unrecognized cases of dramatic morphological change and niche shifts in connection with colonization of tropical forest-covered islands. These evolutionary changes have concealed the fact that the passerine birds madanga, Madanga ruficollis, from Buru, Indonesia, and São Tomé shorttail, Amaurocichla bocagii, from São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea, are forest-adapted members of the family Motacillidae (pipits and wagtails). We show that Madanga has diverged mainly in plumage, which may be the result of selection for improved camouflage in its new arboreal niche,while selection pressures for other morphological changes have probably been weak owing to preadaptations for the novel niche. By contrast, we suggest that Amaurocichla’s niche change has led to divergence in both structure and plumage.

Original language	English
Article number	140364
Journal	Royal Society Open Science
Volume	2
Number of pages	9
ISSN	2054-5703
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.140364
Publication status	Published - Mar 2015

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title = "Dramatic niche shifts and morphological change in two insular bird species",

abstract = "Colonizations of islands are often associated with rapid morphological divergence. We present two previously unrecognized cases of dramatic morphological change and niche shifts in connection with colonization of tropical forest-covered islands. These evolutionary changes have concealed the fact that the passerine birds madanga, Madanga ruficollis, from Buru, Indonesia, and S{\~a}o Tom{\'e} shorttail, Amaurocichla bocagii, from S{\~a}o Tom{\'e}, Gulf of Guinea, are forest-adapted members of the family Motacillidae (pipits and wagtails). We show that Madanga has diverged mainly in plumage, which may be the result of selection for improved camouflage in its new arboreal niche,while selection pressures for other morphological changes have probably been weak owing to preadaptations for the novel niche. By contrast, we suggest that Amaurocichla{\textquoteright}s niche change has led to divergence in both structure and plumage.",

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AU - Alström, Per

AU - Jønsson, Knud Andreas

AU - Fjeldså, Jon

AU - Ödeen, Anders

AU - Ericson, Per G. P.

AU - Irestedt, Martin

PY - 2015/3

Y1 - 2015/3

N2 - Colonizations of islands are often associated with rapid morphological divergence. We present two previously unrecognized cases of dramatic morphological change and niche shifts in connection with colonization of tropical forest-covered islands. These evolutionary changes have concealed the fact that the passerine birds madanga, Madanga ruficollis, from Buru, Indonesia, and São Tomé shorttail, Amaurocichla bocagii, from São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea, are forest-adapted members of the family Motacillidae (pipits and wagtails). We show that Madanga has diverged mainly in plumage, which may be the result of selection for improved camouflage in its new arboreal niche,while selection pressures for other morphological changes have probably been weak owing to preadaptations for the novel niche. By contrast, we suggest that Amaurocichla’s niche change has led to divergence in both structure and plumage.

AB - Colonizations of islands are often associated with rapid morphological divergence. We present two previously unrecognized cases of dramatic morphological change and niche shifts in connection with colonization of tropical forest-covered islands. These evolutionary changes have concealed the fact that the passerine birds madanga, Madanga ruficollis, from Buru, Indonesia, and São Tomé shorttail, Amaurocichla bocagii, from São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea, are forest-adapted members of the family Motacillidae (pipits and wagtails). We show that Madanga has diverged mainly in plumage, which may be the result of selection for improved camouflage in its new arboreal niche,while selection pressures for other morphological changes have probably been weak owing to preadaptations for the novel niche. By contrast, we suggest that Amaurocichla’s niche change has led to divergence in both structure and plumage.

U2 - 10.1098/rsos.140364

DO - 10.1098/rsos.140364

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Dramatic niche shifts and morphological change in two insular bird species

Abstract

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