La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Morphological adaptations to predation risk in passerines
Auteurs :	J. P. Swaddle, Auteur ; R. Lockwood, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Journal of Avian Biology (29(2) JUN 1998)
Article en page(s) :	172-176
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	Avoiding predation is an important factor in avian life-history strategies and there are many examples of adaptations that appear to decrease predation risk. However, we are not aware of any studies of structural morphological adaptations to reduce predation risk in any avian species. Here, we have compared published indices of relative predation risk for passerine species with two size-constrained measures of wingtip shape and relative hind limb morphology. Our analyses indicate that species with rounded wingtips and those with relatively short femora compared with tarsi are at a lower relative predation risk than those with more pointed wingtips and relatively longer femora. These relations are discussed in terms of the functional morphology of wingtip shape and hind limb morphology and suggestions for further experimental investigations are made.

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