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Latitude, elevation and body mass variation in Andean passerine birds
Author(s) -
Blackburn Tim M.,
Ruggiero Adriana
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
global ecology and biogeography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.164
H-Index - 152
eISSN - 1466-8238
pISSN - 1466-822X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1466-822x.2001.00237.x
Subject(s) - bergmann's rule , latitude , passerine , ecology , elevation (ballistics) , range (aeronautics) , biology , assemblage (archaeology) , endemism , biogeography , geography , zoology , materials science , geometry , mathematics , geodesy , composite material
1 Relationships between body mass and latitude, and body mass and elevation are examined in the assemblage of Andean passerine birds. 2 Across species, body mass is positively correlated with the mid‐point of the species elevational distribution, but there is no significant relationship between body mass and latitudinal range mid‐point. 3 When the assemblage is separated into Andean endemic and non‐endemic species, the former group shows a significant positive relationship between body mass and elevation, and the latter a significant positive relationship between body mass and latitude (‘Bergmann’s rule’). Andean endemic species exhibit Bergmann’s rule once elevation is controlled for using multiple regression. 4 These relationships are not a consequence of the phylogenetic non‐independence of species. All the effects shown are very weak, with latitude and elevation explaining only a few per cent of the variation in body mass. Relationships are strongest when phylogenetically controlled analyses are performed just within genera. 5 The implications of these results for the mechanistic understanding of Bergmann’s rule are discussed.