DOCSLIB.ORG

P0665-P0680.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
P0665-P0680.Pdf A FEEDING ADAPTATION OF THE JAW ARTICULATION IN NEW WORLD JAYS (CORVIDAE) RICHARD L. ZUSI NationalMuseum of Natural History,Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 USA ABSTRACT.--Thejaw articulationof mostendemic New World jays(Corvidae) has a condyle of the quadrateand an opposingcotyla of the lower jaw not found in other birds. They also have well-developed meatic articular facets of the quadrate and cranium. The tip of the rhamphothecaof the lower mandible is chisel shaped.These and other featuresconstitute a functionalunit, the buttresscomplex, that bracesthe partiallyopened lower jaw and enhances its use as a chisel. The buttresscomplex stabilizes the lower jaw by anchoringthe jaw on the quadrateand reducing torque on the quadrateduring pounding. A hypothesisof pounding with the lower mandible was confirmed by field observationsof Aphelocomacoerulescens coerulescens,which stabsacorns with the lower mandible and then tears off the shell using both mandibles.This may be an unusually effective method of peeling acorns,and it differs from the techniquesused by Garrulusand Pica.The origin of the complexmay not be associated with acorn eating. A slight modification of the jaw articulation in Cyanolycaprobably rep- resentsthe evolutionary precursorof the buttresscomplex. The distribution of the complex in the Corvidae suggeststhat Cyanolycais the sistergroup of other endemic New World jays. Gymnorhinusis related to the New World jays, not to Nucifraga.An exampleof convergent evolution is provided by Hemignathuswilsoni (Drepanidinae). Received 15 August1986, accepted 22 April 1987. MANY members of the Corvidae pound hard found only in certain New World jays and are food items with the tip of the bill while holding clearly associatedin somespecies with a special the food against a firm substrate with one or technique for opening nuts, especiallyacorns. both feet. Most birds that pound with their bills Within the Corvidae, however, the occurrence on a hard substrate(e.g. woodpeckers)use both of this charactercomplex does not correlatewell mandiblesor primarily the upper for the trans- with the occurrenceof acorn eating; it appears mission of force (Spring 1965). Becauseof its to representan evolutionary novelty of broader unstablesuspension from the cranium, the low- ecologicalsignificance within the family. er jaw alone appearsnot to be an effective im- plement for strong pounding. For this reason MATERIALS AND METHODS my curiosity was aroused by an unusual con- figuration in the lower jaw and quadrate of a I examinedskulls of 76 speciesfrom all genera of the Corvidaeexcept Temnurus and Zavattariornis.The New World jay that implied use of only the jaw articulationsof 2 additional specieswere ob- lower mandible in pounding. I studied modi- servedin skin specimensby softeningand reflecting ficationsof the lower jaw and its articulation as a flap of skin. I alsoexamined 13 speciesfrom 4 fam- a functionally integrated charactercomplex. The ilies allied to the Corvidae. To determine the action variation and taxonomic distribution of this of the jaw articulationand its ligaments,I manipu- apomorphouscomplex have somephylogenetic lated a freshly killed BlueJay (Cyanocitta cristata) and implications within the Corvidae (sensuBlake American Crow (Corvusbrachyrhynchos). Information and Vaurie 1962). aboutontogenetic stages of the featuresunder study Although acornsand other nuts are impor- was obtainedby clearingand staining(Taylor 1967) tant food items for many speciesof Corvidae, two nestlings of the Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescenscoerulescens) and by dissectionof a hatch- the only well-defined modificationof the bill ling FishCrow (Corvusossifragus). Jaw muscles of an for cracking nuts is the rhamphothecalbulge adult EurasianJay (Garrulus glandarius) and one adult in the lower jaw of the nutcrackers(Nucifraga; Blue Jaywere dissected.I drew the original illustra- references in Turcek and Kelso 1968). Most tions in pencil, using a dissectingmicroscope and corvidshave stout bills capableof a variety of drawing tube for all anatomicalfigures; final figures manipulations.The modificationsI describeare were inked by an illustrator.Field observations,pho- 665 The Auk 104: 665-680. October 1987 666 RICHARDL. ZUSI [Auk, Vol. 104 palate of different speciescould be compared.The system was assumedto remain in static equilibrium. Mag- upperjaw nitudes and directions of some force vectors were set arbitrarily; magnitudesand directionsof all others were determined graphically by assumingthat the sum of all torques equaled zero and that the sum of all force componentson the x- and y-axesof each bone equaled zero. Slight discrepanciesfrom zero resultedfrom errorsin graphing.Gravity was ignored I / quadrate becauseits effecton the systemin a living bird would / t•,m;aniccavity be highly variable.All numericalvalues for vectors cranium represent indices that are proportional to vector lengths.These indices are usefulfor comparison,but units of force or torque are unspecified. I use the term "jaw" when referring to the entire lower jaw or only to its articulation. "Upper mandi- ble" and "lower mandible" refer to the rostral por- tions of the jaws coveredby rhamphotheca."Bill" refers to both mandibles. Anatomical terminology generallyfollows Baumel et al. (1979),but 5 new terms are proposed:cotyla prootica (prootic cotyla) and cotyla squamosa(squamosal cotyla) of the cranium for the articular depressions that receive the prootic and squamosalcondyles of the quadrate;processus meaticus (meatic process)for the processof the quadrate that articulateswith the suprameaticprocess of the squa- mosal;condylus rostralis (rostral condyle) of the quad- rate and cotylarostraIis (rostral cotyla) for new struc- tures of the quadratomandibulararticulation. Foruniformity throughout the family Corvidaeand conveniencein referring to groups of speciesby a generic name, I use the scientificnomenclature of Blake and Vaurie (1962); for Drepanidinae I follow Greenway(1968). Common names are from the A.O.U. Fig. 1. Osteologyof the jaw articulationin corvids. Check-list (A.O.U. 1983) and Goodwin (1986). (a) Skull of GarruIusglandarius, lateral view. Box in- cludesmajor features discussed in thispaper. (b) Low- er jaw and quadrateof Picanuttalli. (c) Aphelocoma RESULTS coerulescens.Note buttressin Aphelocoma. MORPHOLOGY Osteology.--Thispaper is concernedwith the suspensionsystem of the lower jaw, including tographs,and motion pictures(8 ram, 36 frames/s)of the feeding behavior of the Florida ScrubJay were the jaw, quadrate,and cranium (Fig. la, b). Al- obtained at the Archbold BiologicalStation in Lake though the upper jaw and palate are linked to Placid, Florida, during 10-18 September 1983, and the suspensionsystem, they are peripheral to brief observationsof a captive American Crow were this discussion.In certain jays the suspension made in Maryland. system,hereafter called the jaw articulation,dif- An analysisof hypotheticalforces on the jaw artic- fers from that of other corvids by the presence ulation during mandibular pounding was undertaken of a prominent buttresson the lower jaw (Fig. [seeBock (1966, 1968) for similar analysespertinent lc). to birds].The analysisis not intended to reflectactual In most corvids [illustrated by the Yellow- forcesin the living bird becausethe musclesacting billed Magpie (Picanuttalli) in Fig. 2] the quad- on the systemare unknown, the exactdirection and magnitudeof eachforce are unknown,and the planes rate articulateswith the lower jaw by a rounded of rotation of the lower jaw and quadrateare neither medial condyle and an elongate, obliquely constantnor preciselyknown. Nevertheless,the anal- transversesurface formed by the confluenceof ysisproduced a setof hypothetical,relative values by the lateral and caudal condyles.In the closed which functional properties of the jaw articulations position the latter condyles abut on the elon- October1987] Adaptationin NewWorld Jays 667 lateral cotyla Fig. 3. Quadrateand lower jaw of Aphelocomacoe- rulescens,showing right quadrate(upper two figures) and right ramusof lower jaw (lower three figures). Top to bottom: lateral, ventral, dorsal, caudal, and Fiõ. 2. Quadrate and lower iaw of Pica nuttalli, caudodorsolateral views. showinõriõht quadrate(upper two figures)and riõht ramusoœ lower iaw (lower three fiõures).Top to bot- tom: lateral, ¾entral, dorsal, caudal, and caudodor- the lower jaw is opened wide and the intercot- solatera1 ¾iews. ylar crestabuts the intercondylar groove of the quadrate.Most corvids conform to this descrip- tion. Somejays (illustratedby Aphelocomacoerules- gate, lateral cotyla of the lower jaw, and the censin Fig. 3) possessan additional condyle of medial condyle rests on the caudal end of a the quadratomandibular articulation, the ros- well-defined roedial cotyla of the lower jaw. tral condyle, and an additional cotyla of the Upon opening, the lower jaw slides caudolat- articular fossaof the lower jaw, the rostral cot- erally with respectto the quadrate,which itself yla. The rostral condyle consistsof a convex rotates rostromedially about its cranial articu- articular surface oriented rostroventrally on a lation. The medial condyleof the quadrateslides pedicel of the quadrate,located rostrodorsal to restrally along the medial cotyla, guided by its the lateral condyle. Facing it is the articular prominent lateral wall. Backwardsliding of the surfaceof the rostral cotyla of the lower jaw, partially opened lower jaw is resisted weakly located rostral and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Orden Passeriformes, Familias Malaconotidae a Passeridae)
    Ardeol a 57(1), 2010, 199-205 Artículos especiales NOMBRES EN CASTELLANO DE LAS AVES DEL MUNDO RECOMENDADOS POR LA SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE ORNITOLOGÍA (DECIMOCUARTA PARTE: ORDEN PASSERIFORMES, FAMILIAS MALACONOTIDAE A PASSERIDAE) Eduardo DE JUANA *, Josep DEL HOYO , Manuel FERNÁNDEZ -C RUZ , Xavier FERRER , Ramón SÁEZ -R OYUELA y Jordi SARGATAL INTRODUCCIÓN 110, 51(2): 491-499, 52(2): 389-398, 54(1): 145-153, 56(1): 127-134 y 56(1): 135-142. Esta es la decimocuarta entrega de los nom - En relación a las especies de la avifauna es - bres para las aves del mundo en castellano que pañola, cuando los nombres no coinciden con propone la Sociedad Española de Ornitología los de la Lista Patrón de la Sociedad Españo - (SEO/BirdLife). Tiene su base en el volumen la de Ornitología ( Ardeola , 1: 11-85), en un 14 del Handbook of the Birds of the World apartado final se explican de forma sucinta (Lynx Edicions, Barcelona) , con las siguien - las razones que provocan tales cambios. Son tes 17 familias del orden Passeriformes: Ma - seis especies de córvidos: Garrulus glanda - laconotidae, Prionopidae, Vangidae, Dicruri - rius , Cyanopica cooki , Pica pica , Nucifraga dae, Callaeidae, Notiomystidae, Grallinidae, caryocatactes , Corvus monedul a y Corvus Struthideidae , Artamidae, Cracticidae, Pity - corax . riaseidae, Ptilonorhynchidae, Paradiseidae, Corvidae, Buphagidae, Sturnidae y Passeri - dae. Estas familias agrupan un total de 468 LISTA SISTEMÁTICA DE LOS NOMBRES PROPUESTOS , especies . Como es habitual, la lista sigue en POR FAMILIAS todos sus detalles la clasificación y nomen - clatura científica del mencionado Handbook 176. MALACONOTIDAE (48 especies) of the Birds of the World .
    [Show full text]
  • 5.4. Changes in the Bird Communities of Sierra Nevada Zamora ,R.1 and Barea-Azcón, J.M.2 1 Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research
    5.4. Changes in the bird communities of Sierra Nevada Zamora ,R.1 and Barea-Azcón, J.M.2 1 Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research. University of Granada 2 Environment and Water Agency of Andalusia Abstract The changes in the composition and abundance of passerine communities were studied along an elevational gradient, comparing the results found by censuses made in three different habitats (oak forest, high-mountain juniper scrublands, and high-mountain summits) at the beginning of the 1980s and at present. The results indicate that in the last 30 years, notable changes have taken place in the composition and, especially, in the abundance of the passerine communities. Significant declines in populations were appreciated in many of the species that were dominant in the 1980s, particularly in oak forests and in high-mountain juniper scrublands. The magnitude of the changes diminishes with elevation, and therefore the ecosystem that has changed the most was the oak woodland and those that changed the least were the ecosystems of the high-summits. The bird communities in Sierra Nevada showed a strong spatio-temporal dynamic that appears to be accentuated by global change. Aims and methodology The censuses of reproductive birds compiled censuses were made along linear transects with [13 - 17]. The current censuses were undertaken at the beginning of the 1980s and at present a fixed bandwidth of 50 m, 25 m on each side of within the framework of the Sierra Nevada (2008-2012) were compared. The sites studied the observer. The sampling effort was similar in Global Change Observatory from 2008 to 2012, were the same in both periods: an oak forest both periods.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring in South Texas
    SPRING IN SOUTH TEXAS MARCH 31–APRIL 9, 2019 Green Jay, Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, Texas, April 5, 2019, Barry Zimmer LEADERS: BARRY ZIMMER & JACOB DRUCKER LIST COMPILED BY: BARRY ZIMMER VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM SPRING IN SOUTH TEXAS MARCH 31–APRIL 9, 2019 By Barry Zimmer Once again, our Spring in South Texas tour had it all—virtually every South Texas specialty, wintering Whooping Cranes, plentiful migrants (both passerine and non- passerine), and rarities on several fronts. Our tour began with a brief outing to Tule Lake in north Corpus Christi prior to our first dinner. Almost immediately, we were met with a dozen or so Scissor-tailed Flycatchers lining a fence en route—what a welcoming party! Roseate Spoonbill, Crested Caracara, a very cooperative Long-billed Thrasher, and a group of close Cave Swallows rounded out the highlights. Strong north winds and unsettled weather throughout that day led us to believe that we might be in for big things ahead. The following day was indeed eventful. Although we had no big fallout in terms of numbers of individuals, the variety was excellent. Scouring migrant traps, bays, estuaries, coastal dunes, and other habitats, we tallied an astounding 133 species for the day. A dozen species of warblers included a stunningly yellow male Prothonotary, a very rare Prairie that foraged literally at our feet, two Yellow-throateds at arm’s-length, four Hooded Warblers, and 15 Northern Parulas among others. Tired of fighting headwinds, these birds barely acknowledged our presence, allowing unsurpassed studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Nest Predators and Prey in a Neotropical Savannah in Central Brazil
    ZOOLOGIA 26 (4): 799–802, December, 2009 SHORT COMMUNICATION Passeriformes: nest predators and prey in a Neotropical Savannah in Central Brazil Leonardo F. França 1, 4; Nadinni O. M. Sousa 1; Luane R. dos Santos 1; Charles Duca 1; Daniel T. Gressler 1; Fábio J. A. Borges 1; Leonardo E. Lopes 2; Lilian T. Manica 1; Luciana V. Paiva 1; Rita C. S. de Medeiros 3 & Miguel Â. Marini 1 1 Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900 Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil. 2 Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. 3 Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis. SCEN Trecho 2, Ed. Sede IBAMA, 70818-900 Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil. 4 Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT. The identification of predators of birds’ nests, crucial to a better understanding of predator-prey interac- tions, remains poorly known. Here we provide evidence that birds, and especially passerines, may depredate birds’ nests in the Cerrado (Neotropical Savannah) of Central Brazil. Data was collected primarily in a Conservation Unit (Estação Ecológica de Águas Emendadas) during the breeding season, between 2003 and 2007. We report and discuss details on 14 events of nest predation, 12 of which by passerines, mostly by curl-crested jays – Cyanocorax cristatellus (Temminck, 1823). The results of our study suggest that the role of birds as nest predators in the Cerrado has been underestimated and needs to be further investigated. KEY WORDS. Cerrado; bird; passerine.
    [Show full text]
  • Tinamiformes – Falconiformes
    LIST OF THE 2,008 BIRD SPECIES (WITH SCIENTIFIC AND ENGLISH NAMES) KNOWN FROM THE A.O.U. CHECK-LIST AREA. Notes: "(A)" = accidental/casualin A.O.U. area; "(H)" -- recordedin A.O.U. area only from Hawaii; "(I)" = introducedinto A.O.U. area; "(N)" = has not bred in A.O.U. area but occursregularly as nonbreedingvisitor; "?" precedingname = extinct. TINAMIFORMES TINAMIDAE Tinamus major Great Tinamou. Nothocercusbonapartei Highland Tinamou. Crypturellus soui Little Tinamou. Crypturelluscinnamomeus Thicket Tinamou. Crypturellusboucardi Slaty-breastedTinamou. Crypturellus kerriae Choco Tinamou. GAVIIFORMES GAVIIDAE Gavia stellata Red-throated Loon. Gavia arctica Arctic Loon. Gavia pacifica Pacific Loon. Gavia immer Common Loon. Gavia adamsii Yellow-billed Loon. PODICIPEDIFORMES PODICIPEDIDAE Tachybaptusdominicus Least Grebe. Podilymbuspodiceps Pied-billed Grebe. ?Podilymbusgigas Atitlan Grebe. Podicepsauritus Horned Grebe. Podicepsgrisegena Red-neckedGrebe. Podicepsnigricollis Eared Grebe. Aechmophorusoccidentalis Western Grebe. Aechmophorusclarkii Clark's Grebe. PROCELLARIIFORMES DIOMEDEIDAE Thalassarchechlororhynchos Yellow-nosed Albatross. (A) Thalassarchecauta Shy Albatross.(A) Thalassarchemelanophris Black-browed Albatross. (A) Phoebetriapalpebrata Light-mantled Albatross. (A) Diomedea exulans WanderingAlbatross. (A) Phoebastriaimmutabilis Laysan Albatross. Phoebastrianigripes Black-lootedAlbatross. Phoebastriaalbatrus Short-tailedAlbatross. (N) PROCELLARIIDAE Fulmarus glacialis Northern Fulmar. Pterodroma neglecta KermadecPetrel. (A) Pterodroma
    [Show full text]
  • Walker Marzluff 2017 Recreation Changes Lanscape Use of Corvids
    Recreation changes the use of a wild landscape by corvids Author(s): Lauren E. Walker and John M. Marzluff Source: The Condor, 117(2):262-283. Published By: Cooper Ornithological Society https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-14-169.1 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1650/CONDOR-14-169.1 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Volume 117, 2015, pp. 262–283 DOI: 10.1650/CONDOR-14-169.1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Recreation changes the use of a wild landscape by corvids Lauren E. Walker* and John M. Marzluff College of the Environment, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA * Corresponding author: [email protected] Submitted October 24, 2014; Accepted February 13, 2015; Published May 6, 2015 ABSTRACT As urban areas have grown in population, use of nearby natural areas for outdoor recreation has also increased, potentially influencing bird distribution in landscapes managed for conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • Records of Four Critically Endangered Songbirds in the Markets of Java Suggest Domestic Trade Is a Major Impediment to Their Conservation
    20 BirdingASIA 27 (2017): 20–25 CONSERVATION ALERT Records of four Critically Endangered songbirds in the markets of Java suggest domestic trade is a major impediment to their conservation VINCENT NIJMAN, SUCI LISTINA SARI, PENTHAI SIRIWAT, MARIE SIGAUD & K. ANNEISOLA NEKARIS Introduction 1.2 million wild-caught birds (the vast majority Bird-keeping is a popular pastime in Indonesia, and of them songbirds) were sold in the Java and Bali nowhere more so than amongst the people of Java. markets each year. Taking a different approach, It has deep cultural roots, and traditionally a kukilo Jepson & Ladle (2005) made use of a survey of (bird in the Javanese language) was one of the five randomly selected households in the Javan cities things a Javanese man should pursue or obtain in of Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya, order to live a fulfilling life (the others being garwo, and Medan in Sumatra, which together make up a wife, curigo, a Javanese dagger, wismo, a house or a quarter of the urban Indonesian population, to a place to live, and turonggo, a horse, as a means estimate that between 600,000 and 760,000 wild- of transportation). A kukilo represents having a caught native songbirds were acquired each year. hobby, and it often takes the form of owning a Extrapolating this to the urban population of Java, perkutut (Zebra Dove Geopelia striata) or a kutilang which amounts to 60% of Indonesia’s total, it (Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster) but suggests that a total of 1.4–1.8 million wild-caught also a wide range of other birds (Nash 1993, Chng native songbirds were acquired.
    [Show full text]
  • Corvids of Cañada
    !!! ! CORVIDS OF CAÑADA COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax) AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhyncos) YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE (Pica nuttalli) STELLER’S JAY (Cyanocitta stelleri) WESTERN SCRUB-JAY Aphelocoma californica) Five of the ten California birds in the Family Corvidae are represented here at the Cañada de los Osos Ecological Reserve. Page 1 The Common Raven is the largest and can be found in the cold of the Arctic and the extreme heat of Death Valley. It has shown itself to be one of the most intelligent of all birds. It is a supreme predator and scavenger, quite sociable at certain times of the year and a devoted partner and parent with its mate. The American Crow is black, like the Raven, but noticeably smaller. Particularly in the fall, it may occur in huge foraging or roosting flocks. Crows can be a problem for farmers at times of the year and a best friend at other times, when crops are under attack from insects or when those insects are hiding in dried up leftovers such as mummified almonds. Crows know where those destructive navel orange worms are. Smaller birds do their best to harass crows because they recognize the threat they are to their eggs and young. Crows, ravens and magpies are important members of the highway clean-up crew when it comes to roadkills. The very attractive Yellow-billed Magpie tends to nest in loose colonies and forms larger flocks in late summer or fall. In the central valley of California, they can be a problem in almond and fruit orchards, but they also are adept at catching harmful insect pests.
    [Show full text]
  • Magnificent Magpie Colours by Feathers with Layers of Hollow Melanosomes Doekele G
    © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | Journal of Experimental Biology (2018) 221, jeb174656. doi:10.1242/jeb.174656 RESEARCH ARTICLE Magnificent magpie colours by feathers with layers of hollow melanosomes Doekele G. Stavenga1,*, Hein L. Leertouwer1 and Bodo D. Wilts2 ABSTRACT absorption coefficient throughout the visible wavelength range, The blue secondary and purple-to-green tail feathers of magpies are resulting in a higher refractive index (RI) than that of the structurally coloured owing to stacks of hollow, air-containing surrounding keratin. By arranging melanosomes in the feather melanosomes embedded in the keratin matrix of the barbules. barbules in more or less regular patterns with nanosized dimensions, We investigated the spectral and spatial reflection characteristics of vivid iridescent colours are created due to constructive interference the feathers by applying (micro)spectrophotometry and imaging in a restricted wavelength range (Durrer, 1977; Prum, 2006). scatterometry. To interpret the spectral data, we performed optical The melanosomes come in many different shapes and forms, and modelling, applying the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method their spatial arrangement is similarly diverse (Prum, 2006). This has as well as an effective media approach, treating the melanosome been shown in impressive detail by Durrer (1977), who performed stacks as multi-layers with effective refractive indices dependent on extensive transmission electron microscopy of the feather barbules the component media. The differently coloured magpie feathers are of numerous bird species. He interpreted the observed structural realised by adjusting the melanosome size, with the diameter of the colours to be created by regularly ordered melanosome stacks acting melanosomes as well as their hollowness being the most sensitive as optical multi-layers.
    [Show full text]
  • Costa Rica: the Introtour | July 2017
    Tropical Birding Trip Report Costa Rica: The Introtour | July 2017 A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour Costa Rica: The Introtour July 15 – 25, 2017 Tour Leader: Scott Olmstead INTRODUCTION This year’s July departure of the Costa Rica Introtour had great luck with many of the most spectacular, emblematic birds of Central America like Resplendent Quetzal (photo right), Three-wattled Bellbird, Great Green and Scarlet Macaws, and Keel-billed Toucan, as well as some excellent rarities like Black Hawk- Eagle, Ochraceous Pewee and Azure-hooded Jay. We enjoyed great weather for birding, with almost no morning rain throughout the trip, and just a few delightful afternoon and evening showers. Comfortable accommodations, iconic landscapes, abundant, delicious meals, and our charismatic driver Luís enhanced our time in the field. Our group, made up of a mix of first- timers to the tropics and more seasoned tropical birders, got along wonderfully, with some spying their first-ever toucans, motmots, puffbirds, etc. on this trip, and others ticking off regional endemics and hard-to-get species. We were fortunate to have several high-quality mammal sightings, including three monkey species, Derby’s Wooly Opossum, Northern Tamandua, and Tayra. Then there were many www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Page Tropical Birding Trip Report Costa Rica: The Introtour | July 2017 superb reptiles and amphibians, among them Emerald Basilisk, Helmeted Iguana, Green-and- black and Strawberry Poison Frogs, and Red-eyed Leaf Frog. And on a daily basis we saw many other fantastic and odd tropical treasures like glorious Blue Morpho butterflies, enormous tree ferns, and giant stick insects! TOP FIVE BIRDS OF THE TOUR (as voted by the group) 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Individual Repeatability, Species Differences, and The
    Supplementary Materials: Individual repeatability, species differences, and the influence of socio-ecological factors on neophobia in 10 corvid species SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS 2 Figure S1 . Latency to touch familiar food in each round, across all conditions and species. Round 3 differs from round 1 and 2, while round 1 and 2 do not differ from each other. Points represent individuals, lines represent median. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS 3 Figure S2 . Site effect on latency to touch familiar food in azure-winged magpie, carrion crow and pinyon jay. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS 4 Table S1 Pairwise comparisons of latency data between species Estimate Standard error z p-value Blue jay - Azure-winged magpie 0.491 0.209 2.351 0.019 Carrion crow - Azure-winged magpie -0.496 0.177 -2.811 0.005 Clark’s nutcracker - Azure-winged magpie 0.518 0.203 2.558 0.011 Common raven - Azure-winged magpie -0.437 0.183 -2.392 0.017 Eurasian jay - Azure-winged magpie 0.284 0.166 1.710 0.087 ’Alal¯a- Azure-winged magpie 0.416 0.144 2.891 0.004 Large-billed crow - Azure-winged magpie 0.668 0.189 3.540 0.000 New Caledonian crow - Azure-winged magpie -0.316 0.209 -1.513 0.130 Pinyon jay - Azure-winged magpie 0.118 0.170 0.693 0.488 Carrion crow - Blue jay -0.988 0.199 -4.959 0.000 Clark’s nutcracker - Blue jay 0.027 0.223 0.122 0.903 Common raven - Blue jay -0.929 0.205 -4.537 0.000 Eurasian jay - Blue jay -0.207 0.190 -1.091 0.275 ’Alal¯a- Blue jay -0.076 0.171 -0.443 0.658 Large-billed crow - Blue jay 0.177 0.210 0.843 0.399 New Caledonian crow - Blue jay -0.808 0.228 -3.536
    [Show full text]
  • Reconstructing the Geographic Origin of the New World Jays
    Neotropical Biodiversity ISSN: (Print) 2376-6808 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tneo20 Reconstructing the geographic origin of the New World jays Sumudu W. Fernando, A. Townsend Peterson & Shou-Hsien Li To cite this article: Sumudu W. Fernando, A. Townsend Peterson & Shou-Hsien Li (2017) Reconstructing the geographic origin of the New World jays, Neotropical Biodiversity, 3:1, 80-92, DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2017.1296751 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/23766808.2017.1296751 © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Published online: 05 Mar 2017. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 956 View Crossmark data Citing articles: 2 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tneo20 Neotropical Biodiversity, 2017 Vol. 3, No. 1, 80–92, https://doi.org/10.1080/23766808.2017.1296751 Reconstructing the geographic origin of the New World jays Sumudu W. Fernandoa* , A. Townsend Petersona and Shou-Hsien Lib aBiodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; bDepartment of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan (Received 23 August 2016; accepted 15 February 2017) We conducted a biogeographic analysis based on a dense phylogenetic hypothesis for the early branches of corvids, to assess geographic origin of the New World jay (NWJ) clade. We produced a multilocus phylogeny from sequences of three nuclear introns and three mitochondrial genes and included at least one species from each NWJ genus and 29 species representing the rest of the five corvid subfamilies in the analysis.
    [Show full text]