Convergent evolution of noncoding elements associated with short tarsus length in birds

BMC Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 23(1)

Published: Feb. 21, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Functional Diversity and Ecosystem Services of Birds in Productive Landscapes of the Colombian Amazon

Diversity, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(5), P. 305 - 305

Published: April 23, 2025

The expansion of anthropogenic activities drives changes in the composition, structure, and spatial configuration natural landscapes, influencing both taxonomic functional diversity bird communities. This pattern is evident Colombian Amazon, where agricultural livestock has altered ecological dynamics, avifaunal assemblages, provision regulating ecosystem services. study analyzed influence agroforestry (cocoa-based systems—SAFc) silvopastoral systems (SSP) on birds their potential impact services eight productive landscape mosaics within Amazon. Each mosaic consisted a 1 km2 grid, which seven types vegetation cover were classified, metrics calculated. Bird communities surveyed through visual observations mist-net captures, during traits measured. Additionally, guilds assigned to each species based literature review. Five multidimensional indices computed, along with community-weighted means per guild. A total 218 recorded across land-use systems. richness, abundance, diversity—as well as composition guilds—varied according cover. Functional increased containing closed patches symmetrical configurations. Variations linked low redundancy, may also lead differences such biological pest control seed dispersal—both are critical for regeneration connectivity rural landscapes. In conclusion, contributes resilience landscapes Amazonian systems, highlighting need management that promotes structural heterogeneity sustain connectivity.

Language: Английский

---

Nectar feeding beyond the tongue: hummingbirds drink using phase-shifted bill opening, flexible tongue flaps and wringing at the tips

Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 226(Suppl_1)

Published: April 3, 2023

ABSTRACT Hummingbirds are the most speciose group of vertebrate nectarivores and exhibit striking bill variation in association with their floral food sources. To explicitly link comparative feeding biomechanics to hummingbird ecology, deciphering how they move nectar from tongue throat is as important understanding this liquid collected. We employed synced, orthogonally positioned, high-speed cameras describe movements, backlight filming track displacements intraorally. reveal that base plays a central role fluid handling, neither just passive vehicle taking inside flower nor static tube for flow into throat. Instead, we show actually dynamic device an unexpected pattern opening closing its tip base. three complementary mechanisms: (1) distal wringing: wrung out soon it retracted upon protrusion, near where intraoral capacity decreased when tips closed; (2) raking: filling cavity moved mouthwards by base, leveraging flexible flaps, retraction; (3) basal expansion: more released oral cavity, open (phase-shifted opening), increasing facilitate towards

Language: Английский

---

Potential effects of artificial feeders on hummingbirds-plant interactions: are generalizations yet possible?

Ornitología colombiana, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 25, P. 2 - 18

Published: Feb. 22, 2024

La influencia humana en los ecosistemas y las interacciones entre especies han sido observadas variados estudios ornitológicos. Este fenómeno es evidente áreas donde se proveen alimentos a diferentes comunidades de fauna, como comederos colibríes. Esta suplementación artificial recursos plantea preguntas sobre su impacto aspectos la polinización, visitas florales movilidad A partir una revisión sistemática literatura realizó identificación posibles cambios y/o efectos que presencia bebederos artificiales podría tener relación polinizador-planta. Se identificaron 26 artículos mencionan temas rol interacción planta-animal, catalogando impactos positivos, negativos o neutros (sin impacto). encontró baja producción científica el tema, no fue posible determinar si hay un claro causa bebederos. Adicionalmente, varios investigadores afirman algunos e planta-animal podrían estar asociados efecto especie-específico, por lo generalizaciones son inadecuadas. soporte insuficiente concluyente, resaltando necesidad rigurosos para evaluar cómo pueden afectar biología reproductiva, distribución espacial procesos ecosistémicos colibríes escalas modificación ecosistémicos. Complementariamente, hizo búsqueda Google® identificar páginas difusión masiva den información al público general; resultados tomaron 40 primeras ellas indagó con fuentes sustentaban planteada, encontrando vacío verificables, científicos. Consideramos fundamental impulsar idea divulgación dominio debe ser mayor medida sustentada datos ornitológicos concretos.

---

Convergent and lineage-specific genomic changes contribute to adaptations in sugar-consuming birds

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Sept. 1, 2024

Although high-sugar diets are associated with metabolic diseases in humans, several bird lineages have independently evolved to primarily subsist on simple sugars from flower nectar or fruits. In this study, we address a key question of the repeatability molecular evolution by investigating convergent and lineage-specific mechanisms underlying dietary adaptations four major sugar-consuming lineages: hummingbirds, parrots, honeyeaters, sunbirds. We assembled nine new genomes for species their closely related non-sugar feeding outgroup generated 90 tissue-specific transcriptomes six species. identified signatures positive selection both protein-coding non-coding regulatory sequences, found targets same genes more frequently sugar-feeders compared controls, suggesting that adapting diet requires changes limited number genetic elements. At functional level, pathways energy homeostasis, carbohydrate metabolism, heart function, hormonal regulation showed signals evolution, while lipid amino acid metabolism demonstrated mostly evolution. Notably, observed striking evidence adaptation MLXIPL, transcription factor regulating sugar manifesting sequence across all sugar-feeders. With assays, hummingbird MLXIPL enhances sugar-induced transcriptional activity HEK239 cells, its central role diets. Our findings elucidate main genomic sugar-feeding at pathway levels.

Language: Английский

---

Convergent evolution of noncoding elements associated with short tarsus length in birds

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 30, 2024

Abstract Convergent evolution is the independent of similar traits in unrelated lineages across Tree Life. Various factors underlie convergent including rate changes through consistent shifts substitution same genes or gene networks. In this study, we use comprehensive phenotypic data to identify seven bird clades with shortening tarsus length and both comparative genomic population genetic evolutionary among four target shorter optimal length. Using a newly generated, set avian conserved non-exonic elements (CNEEs), find strong evidence for acceleration short-tarsi CNEEs, but not protein-coding genes. Accelerated CNEEs are preferentially located near functions development, strongest enrichment associated skeletal system development. Further analysis networks highlighted larger role regulation broadly homologous developmental pathways as being an integral aspect limb size variability birds.

Language: Английский

---

Upper bill bending as an adaptation for nectar feeding in hummingbirds

Journal of The Royal Society Interface, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 21(220)

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Observations of maxillary (upper bill) bending in hummingbirds have been considered an optical illusion, yet a recent description out-of-phase opening and closing between their bill base tip suggests genuine capacity for bending. We investigate kinematics during nectar feeding six species hummingbirds. employed geometric morphometrics to identify zones combined these data with measurements flexural rigidity from micro-computed tomography scans better understand the flexing mechanism. found that mandible remains place throughout licking cycle, while maxilla undergoes significant shape deformation, such distal portion upper bends upwards. propose is key component drinking mechanism hummingbirds, allowing coordination function (distal wringing basal expansion) tongue (raking/squeegeeing) intra-oral transport. present fluid analysis reveals combination pressure-driven (Poiseuille) boundary-driven (Couette) flows, which previously thought represent alternative mechanisms. Bill allows separation tips maintaining tightly closed middle section bill, enabling exploitation long narrow flowers can exclude less efficient pollinators.

Language: Английский

---

Morphological specialization to nectarivory in Phyllostomus discolor (Wagner, 1843) (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

The Anatomical Record, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 306(11), P. 2830 - 2841

Published: Dec. 27, 2022

Abstract Dedicated nectarivory is a derived feeding habit that requires specialized cranial and soft‐tissue morphologies to extract nectar from flowers. Nectarivory has evolved many times in terrestrial vertebrates, four bat families (Pteropodidae, Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae, Mystacinidae). Within phyllostomids, specializations have been well documented two subfamilies, Glossophaginae Lonchophyllinae. However, also independently the genus Phyllostomus (subfamily Phyllostominae). Since species an omnivorous diet with high consumption of nectar, they can be used explore basic morphological modifications linked evolving nectarivorous habit. Here, we focused on describing comparing features potentially associated discolor . We present first detailed tongue palate descriptions for P. perform skull morphometric analysis including 10 species. found hair‐like papillae , convergent feature Pteropodids; these likely confer advantage when nectar. does not show characteristic bats, such as long narrow snout. pose variety food, hard insects fruits, large size relative nectarivores may create trade‐offs against specialization towards nectarivory. In contrast, mobile evolutionary solution extraction major impact this species' ability feed other resources.

Language: Английский

---

How do honeyeaters drink nectar?

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 63(1), P. 48 - 58

Published: June 5, 2023

We investigated the kinematics and biomechanics of nectar feeding in five species honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Acanthagenys rufogularis, Ptilotula penicillata, Certhionyx variegatus, Manorina flavigula). There is abundant information on foraging behaviors ecological relationships with plants, but there has never been an examination their nectar-feeding from kinematic biomechanical perspectives. analyzed high-speed video captive individuals to describe feeding, specific focus describing tongue movements bill-tongue coordination, characterize mechanism uptake tongue. found clear interspecific variation filling mechanics. Species varied lick frequency, velocity, protrusion retraction duration, which, some cases, are relevant for differences mechanisms. support use capillary variegatus only. By contrast, Phylidonyris flavigula employed a modified version expansive seen hummingbirds, as was dorsoventral expansion body, even portions that remain outside nectar, once tip entered nectar. All fluid trapping distal fimbriated portion tongue, which supports previous hypotheses "paintbrush."

Language: Английский

---

Hummingbird ingestion of low-concentration ethanol within artificial nectar

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 10(6)

Published: June 1, 2023

Both frugivores and nectarivores are potentially exposed to dietary ethanol produced by fermentative yeasts which metabolize sugars. Some nectarivorous mammals exhibit a preference for low-concentration solutions compared controls of comparable caloric content, but behavioural responses nectar-feeding birds unknown. We investigated Anna's Hummingbirds (

Language: Английский

---