La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Fault bars and fluctuating asymmetry in birds: are the two measures correlated?
Auteurs :	Susan Prentice, Auteur ; Andrew P. Jobes, Auteur ; Gary Burness, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Journal of Field Ornithology (79(1) MAR 2008)
Article en page(s) :	58-63
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	As bio-indicators, bilateral asymmetry and fault bar formation have been found to be correlated with environmental quality, body condition, and individual fitness. Although commonly used as indices of the same parameters, it is not clear whether asymmetry and fault bars are equivalent measures of developmental history. We tested the possible relationship between these two metrics by measuring the degree of asymmetry and the number of fault bars in the wing and tail feathers of migrating White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) at Long Point Bird Observatory on Lake Erie, Ontario, during October 2004. Within individuals, we found no relationship between the occurrence of fault bars and degree of bilateral asymmetry. In addition, individuals with higher fat scores had more symmetrical wings than individuals with lower scores, but did not have fewer fault bars. Together, these results suggest that fluctuating asymmetry and fault bar occurrence should not be used interchangeably as bio-indicators.

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