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Temperature, size and developmental plasticity in birds.

Brian C Weeks1, Madeleine Klemz1, Haruka Wada2

  • 1School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

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|December 7, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Climate change is causing species to shrink. In birds, warmer developmental temperatures lead to smaller body sizes, suggesting developmental plasticity is a key factor in these size reductions.

Keywords:
Bergmann's rulebody sizeclimate changedevelopmental plasticityendothermsphenotypic plasticity

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Climate Change Biology

Background:

  • Rising global temperatures are linked to decreasing species body sizes across diverse taxa.
  • Temperature-size relationships are well-studied in ectotherms, often attributed to developmental plasticity.
  • In endotherms, warming-driven size changes are typically explained by natural selection, with less focus on plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for developmental plasticity in temperature-size relationships in birds.
  • To explore insulin-like growth factors as a potential mechanism for plastic responses to temperature in endotherms.
  • To assess the role of developmental plasticity in climate change-driven size reductions in birds.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on temperature effects on bird body size.
  • Analysis of existing data linking developmental temperature and body size in avian species.
  • Identification of potential molecular mechanisms, such as insulin-like growth factors, mediating plasticity.

Main Results:

  • Evidence supports a role for developmental plasticity in temperature-size relationships in birds.
  • Warmer developmental temperatures are frequently associated with reduced adult body size in birds, mirroring ectotherm responses.
  • Insulin-like growth factors are proposed as a plausible mechanistic link for these plastic responses.

Conclusions:

  • Developmental plasticity may be a significant, underappreciated factor in warming-driven size reductions in endotherms like birds.
  • Understanding plasticity's role is crucial for predicting biodiversity responses to climate change.
  • Plasticity and natural selection impose different constraints, highlighting the need to differentiate their roles in evolutionary adaptation.