Climatic effects on bird colour
Nature Communications
2011년2월23일
Finnish brown tawny owls have increased in number over the last 28 years compared to their grey counterparts. Research in Nature Communications this week suggests that populations of wild birds can evolve in response to climate change.
Patrik Karell and colleagues modelled the heritability of plumage colour in Strix aluco a Finnish tawny owl and found that almost 80% of the colour variation was heritable. They also modelled the survival of 466 owls. They found that brown owls have a lower survival rate compared to grey owls in winters where there was deep snow cover. As winters have been milder in recent years the numbers of the brown owls have increased, therefore the study shows that climate change can affect a heritable trait.
doi: 10.1038/ncomms1213
리서치 하이라이트
-
6월29일
Environment: 1.81 billion people at risk of 1-in-100 year floodNature Communications
-
6월28일
Astronomy: Hydrogen- and helium-rich exoplanets may provide habitable conditions for billions of yearsNature Astronomy
-
6월28일
Climate change: Decline in tropical cyclones during the twentieth centuryNature Climate Change
-
6월24일
Environment: Assessing the impacts of US school lunches on climate, land and waterCommunications Earth & Environment
-
6월24일
Palaeontology: It sucked to be the prey of ancient cephalopodsScientific Reports
-
6월23일
Scientific community: Women credited less than men in scientific paper authorshipNature
