Dietary niche and the evolution of cranial morphology in birds

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
• Main Authors: Felice, Ryan N., Tobias, Joseph A., Pigot, Alex L., Goswami, Anjali
• Other Authors: European Research Council, SYNTHESYS, Natural Environment Research Council
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 2019
• Subjects: Avian Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.2677; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2018.2677; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2018.2677

Cranial morphology in birds is thought to be shaped by adaptive evolution for foraging performance. This understanding of ecomorphological evolution is supported by observations of avian island radiations, such as Darwin's finches, which display rapid evolution of skull shape in response to foo...