| Grant number: | 12/17225-2 |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants |
| Start date: | July 01, 2013 |
| End date: | October 31, 2016 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Ecology |
| Principal Investigator: | Alejandro Edward Jahn |
| Grantee: | Alejandro Edward Jahn |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil |
| City of the host institution: | Rio Claro |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 13/14316-0 - The evolution of bird migration: Does current theory apply in South America?, BP.JP |
Abstract
How do birds evolve the ability to migrate? Although this question has been pursued for decades, the majority of research has been conducted at north temperate latitudes (Europe and North America) and has focused on a limited set of traits (e.g., migration vs. residency). How do the genetic, behavioral and morphological components of migration evolve, and do they evolve in similar ways across the planet? South America offers a one-of-a-kind, yet unrealized, opportunity to answer this question. With >230 species, it is home to one of the largest bird migration systems on the planet, offering ample opportunities to test the generality of theory. Additionally, South America holds a diversity of migration types, including short- and long distance migration. Finally, the continent straddles both temperate and tropical latitudes, such that birds there breed, migrate, and overwinter in widely different environments. Fork-tailed Flycatchers (Tyrannus savana), one of the most common South American migrants, are composed of temperate-tropical migrants, intra-tropical migrants, and permanent residents. I propose to study how bird migration evolves by comparing behavioral (e.g., speed of migration), molt-related (timing of molt), morphometric (e.g., wing length) and functional (e.g., wing loading) adaptations for migration among Fork-tailed Flycatcher populations, within a phylogeographic framework (i.e., comparing these traits in the context of genetic differentiation between populations). This will be the first study on the evolution of bird migration to simultaneously consider the genetic, morphological and behavioral components of migration across a broad geographical spectrum. Such a multidisciplinary, integrative approach promises a fresh perspective on how birds have overcome the multiple challenges to living a life "on the move". (AU)
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