Acta Ornithologica, vol. 34, no. 2 ; Ekomorfologia neotropikalnych ptaków owocożernych
Polska Akademia Nauk. Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii ; Meeting of the European Ornithologists' Union (2 ; 1999 ; Gdańsk)
Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN
Referat wygłoszony na Second Meeting of the European Ornithologists' Union ; Bibliogr. p. 147 ; P. [141]-148 : ill. ; 27 cm ; Abstract in Polish
Frugivory is widespread among birds and, at first glance, it is difficult to suggest states of external characters that would separate frugivorous birds from omnivores and carnivores. In the literature it has been suggested that body size and gape width increase with frugivory. It also has been stated that powerful morphological constraints act on behavioural differences among fruit-eating birds. This relates mainly to the way fruits are obtained by the birds, namely either on the wing or from a perch. We analysed behaviour and external morphological characters of Neotropical birds in a lowland rain forest in southern Venezuela to address these problems. Morphologically speaking, frugivores formed an ill defined subset of this avian community. Body size and gape width did not show a consistent relationship with frugivory. Reaching out and down, as well as taking fruits on the wing were the most common techniques used apart from simple gleaning. Body size constrains the evolution of corresponding characters. Evolutionary speaking, there are many roads to frugivory and only careful analyses of behavioural observations, and ecological data, paired with morphological considerations can uncover the general rules behind this diversity.
MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257, Vol. 34, No 2 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568, Vol. 34, No 2 ; click here to follow the link
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Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund
Oct 2, 2020
May 20, 2014
102
https://rcin.org.pl./publication/61243
Edition name | Date |
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Ecomorphology of Neotropical frugivores / Winkler, Hans | Oct 2, 2020 |
Lebreton, Jean-Dominique (1950– )
Homberger, Dominique G.
Lokki, Heikki Saurola, Pertti (1938– )
Kania, Wojciech Maria (1943– ) Busse, Przemysław (1937– )
Aebischer, Nicholas J.
Lakhani, Ken H.
Lakhani, Ken H.