Birds With Distinct Ecological Traits Show Varied Haemoglobin Adaptations Along Elevation Gradients.

ABSTRACT: Ecological systems are highly dynamic, with organisms continually adapting to various environmental stressors along natural gradients. Birds along elevation gradients serve as excellent models for examining physiological adaptations, such as elevated haemoglobin concentrations at high altitudes due to lower oxygen availability. This study aimed to examine how various ecological traits influence the haemoglobin concentration responses of multiple bird taxa to an elevation gradient. We measured haemoglobin concentration in 920 birds of 133 species at six sites representing an elevation gradient spanning from 60 to 1,600 m above sea level. Using MCMC Bayesian mixed models, we identified important ecological determinants of haemoglobin concentration and further ran separate models to test whet

SUBMITTER: Bhembe ZD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11981876 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature