La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Morphological convergence in papyrus dwelling passerines
Auteurs :	B. Leisler, Auteur ; H. Winkler, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Ostrich (No number JUL 2001)
Article en page(s) :	24-29
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	The morphology of eight African papyrus-dwelling passerine species (Laniarius mufumbiri, Cisticola carruthersi, Bradypterus carpalis, Acrocephalus rufescens, Chloropeta gracilirostris, Ploceus (Sitagra) pelzelni, Ploceus (Textor) castanops, and Serinus koliensis) out of six lineages was compared with the morphology of congeneric species inhabiting various other habitats. Morphology was analyzed by using 17 external characters of three functional complexes. A principal component analysis of these data revealed general patterns of morphological variation but did not reveal specific convergent features. Discriminant function analyses were first used to identify those traits which best separate the six lineages, then we searched for possible morphological differences between the papyrus-dwelling species and the non-papyrus species. By this new approach, existing convergent adaptations could be demonstrated and by plotting the data on two discriminant axes, patterns of phylogenetic vs. convergent differences could be graphically visualized. Convergence affected only a few traits but not overall phenotype. The papyrus species showed convergent adaptations in traits of the hind limb and to a lesser extent in the flight apparatus.

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