Data from: Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima ...

• Main Authors: Møller, Anders Pape, Laursen, Karsten
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2019
• Subjects: Somateria mollissima; duck’s feet; webbed feet; Uropygial gland; eider; Holocene
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v34fd09; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.v34fd09

1. Many waterbirds have fully (totipalmate) or partially webbed (palmate) feet that are used for locomotion in aquatic environments. 2. If webbed feet and wings both contribute to efficient diving, we predicted a positive association between the area of webbed feet and the size of the frontal locomotor apparatus (wing area, heart mass and breast muscle, after adjusting for any partial effects of body size). We predicted that individuals able to acquire more and better quality food due to larger webbed feet should have larger livers with higher concentrations of fat-soluble antioxidants such as vitamin E, and invest more in immune function as reflected by the relative size of the uropygial gland than individuals with small webbed feed. 3. Here we examine if the area of webbed feet is correlated with locomotion, diet and body condition in a sea-duck, the eider (Somateria mollissima). We analyzed an extensive data base of 233 eiders shot in Danish waters and at Åland, Finland during winter and early spring. 4. ... : Swimming-Feet-DataAll data ...