Sexual size dimorphism in red-necked phalaropes and functional significance of nonsexual bill structure variation for feeding performance

Journal of Morphology
Margaret A Rubega

Abstract

Sexual size dimorphism is widespread in shorebirds, yet no tests of the assumption that such size dimorphism extends to functionally significant dimensions of the bill exist. This report presents tests of: (1) the assumption that sexual size dimorphism extends to the feeding structures in sexually size dimorphic bird, and (2) the hypothesis that bill-size variation influences feeding performance in Phalaropus lobatus, the red-necked phalarope. Discriminant function analysis revealed that the sexes of this species can be distinguished on the basis of five body size/bill length variables, but with low accuracy in sexing of females because of misclassification of small females as males. In the shorebird literature, the assumption is generally made that in the absence of selection to the contrary, bill size scales to body size and hence sexual size dimorphism extends to bill size. However, discriminant function analysis of measures from red-necked phalaropes failed to separate the sexes on the basis of either external or internal bill dimensions other than length. Nonetheless, internal dimensions of the upper jaw combined with exposed culmen length explained 86% of the variance in feeding performance of phalaropes; high feeding per...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1989·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·William R Rice

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Citations

Jun 21, 2018·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Kristiina J Hurme
Dec 16, 2000·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·S E dit Durell

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