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Avian Research 2017, 8(1): 1 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-016-0059-9
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The role of climate factors in geographic variation in body mass and wing length in a passerine bird

Show Author's Information Yanfeng Sun1,2,  Mo Li1,  Gang Song3,  Fumin Lei3,  Dongming Li1( ),  Yuefeng Wu1( )
Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
Ocean College, Hebei Agricultural University, Qinhuangdao 066003, China
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Keywords:
Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Body mass, Wing length, Altitude, Latitude, Climate factor
Cite this article:
Sun Y, Li M, Song G, et al. The role of climate factors in geographic variation in body mass and wing length in a passerine bird. Avian Research, 2017, 8(1): 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-016-0059-9
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Abstract Full text About this article
Background

Geographic variation in body size is assumed to reflect adaptation to local environmental conditions. Although Bergmann's rule is usually sufficient to explain such variation in homeotherms, some exceptions have been documented. The relationship between altitude, latitude and body size, has been well documented for some vertebrate taxa during the past decades. However, relatively little information is available on the effects of climate variables on body size in birds.

Methods

We collected the data of 267 adult Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) specimens sampled at 48 localities in China's mainland, and further investigated the relationships between two response variables, body mass and wing length, as well as a suit of explanatory variables, i.e. altitude, latitude, mean annual temperature (MAT), annual precipitation (PRC), annual sunshine hours (SUN), average annual wind speed (WS), air pressure (AP) and relative humidity (RH).

Results

Our study showed that (1) although the sexes did not differ significantly in body mass, males had longer wings than females; (2) body mass and wing length were positively correlated with altitude but not with latitude; (3) body mass and wing length were negatively correlated with AP and RH, but not significantly correlated with WS. Body mass was positively correlated with SUN and inversely correlated with MAT. Wing length was not correlated with MAT in either sex, but was positively correlated with SUN and negatively correlated with PRC in male sparrows; (4) variation in body mass could be best explained by AP and SUN, whereas variation in wing length could be explained by RH and AP in both sexes. In addition, variation in male sparrows can be explained by SUN, WS and PRC but not in females.

Conclusions

Two different proxies of body size, body mass and wing length, correlated with same geographic factors and different climate factors. These differences may reflect selection for heat conservation in the case of body mass, and for efficient flight in the case of wing length.


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About this article

The role of climate factors in geographic variation in body mass and wing length in a passerine bird

Show Author's information Yanfeng Sun1,2, Mo Li1, Gang Song3, Fumin Lei3, Dongming Li1( ), Yuefeng Wu1( )
Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
Ocean College, Hebei Agricultural University, Qinhuangdao 066003, China
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Abstract

Background

Geographic variation in body size is assumed to reflect adaptation to local environmental conditions. Although Bergmann's rule is usually sufficient to explain such variation in homeotherms, some exceptions have been documented. The relationship between altitude, latitude and body size, has been well documented for some vertebrate taxa during the past decades. However, relatively little information is available on the effects of climate variables on body size in birds.

Methods

We collected the data of 267 adult Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) specimens sampled at 48 localities in China's mainland, and further investigated the relationships between two response variables, body mass and wing length, as well as a suit of explanatory variables, i.e. altitude, latitude, mean annual temperature (MAT), annual precipitation (PRC), annual sunshine hours (SUN), average annual wind speed (WS), air pressure (AP) and relative humidity (RH).

Results

Our study showed that (1) although the sexes did not differ significantly in body mass, males had longer wings than females; (2) body mass and wing length were positively correlated with altitude but not with latitude; (3) body mass and wing length were negatively correlated with AP and RH, but not significantly correlated with WS. Body mass was positively correlated with SUN and inversely correlated with MAT. Wing length was not correlated with MAT in either sex, but was positively correlated with SUN and negatively correlated with PRC in male sparrows; (4) variation in body mass could be best explained by AP and SUN, whereas variation in wing length could be explained by RH and AP in both sexes. In addition, variation in male sparrows can be explained by SUN, WS and PRC but not in females.

Conclusions

Two different proxies of body size, body mass and wing length, correlated with same geographic factors and different climate factors. These differences may reflect selection for heat conservation in the case of body mass, and for efficient flight in the case of wing length.

Keywords: Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Body mass, Wing length, Altitude, Latitude, Climate factor

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 27 September 2016
Accepted: 19 December 2016
Published: 25 January 2017
Issue date: January 2017

Copyright

© The Author(s) 2017.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the curators of the National Zoological Museum of China for providing locality and other information on specimens. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, 31330073, 31672292) and the Natural Science Foundation of the Department of Education, Hebei Province (YQ2014024)

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