Body proportions for the facilitation of walking, running and flying: the case of partridges.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Predation is one of the most important natural selection forces. Prey species can optimize feeding behavior and escape from predators based on mobility conditioned by body proportions. With age, mobility capacity increases and individuals are more efficient in finding resources and safety (e.g., food and refuge). Birds' mobility is driven by the dimensions, of the head and torso, as well as the extremities and flight feathers. To assess the relationship between body traits and to understand how body proportions are organized in wild Red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa), we used biometric data from nearly 14,000 individuals, obtained during a long-term study (1988-2011) on a wild population.

Results

We used GLMs and regressions to model the relationship between b

SUBMITTER: Nadal J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6260763 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature