Feet first: Adaptive growth in magellanic penguin chicks.

ABSTRACT: Growing animals should allocate their limited resources in ways that maximize survival. Seabird chicks must balance the growth of features and fat reserves needed to survive on land with those needed to successfully fledge and survive at sea. We used a large, 34-year dataset to examine energy allocation in Magellanic penguin chicks. Based on the temporal trends in the selective pressures that chicks faced, we developed predictions relating to the timing of skeletal feature growth (Prediction 1), variation in skeletal feature size and shape (Prediction 2), and responses to periods of high energetic constraint (Prediction 3). We tested our predictions using descriptive statistics, generalized additive models, and principal component analysis. Nearly all of our predictions were supported. Chi

SUBMITTER: Gownaris NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8093740 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature