Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima
Abstract Many waterbirds have fully (totipalmate) or partially webbed (palmate) feet that are used for locomotion in aquatic environments. 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 loc...
Published in: | Ecology and Evolution |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/article/4fb6ad42cca7428187776eeb82d26e01 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4fb6ad42cca7428187776eeb82d26e01 2023-05-15T18:20:25+02:00 Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima Anders Pape Møller Karsten Laursen 2019-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/article/4fb6ad42cca7428187776eeb82d26e01 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/article/4fb6ad42cca7428187776eeb82d26e01 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9, Iss 15, Pp 8580-8586 (2019) condition duck's feet eider locomotion uropygial gland webbed feet Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 2022-12-31T06:11:03Z Abstract Many waterbirds have fully (totipalmate) or partially webbed (palmate) feet that are used for locomotion in aquatic environments. 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 feet. 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 database of 233 eiders shot in Danish waters and at Åland, Finland during winter and early spring. Eiders with larger webbed feet had a larger locomotor apparatus, but did not have larger body size, they had larger uropygial glands that waterproof the plumage, they had larger beak volume and larger gizzards, and they had higher body condition. These findings imply that eiders with large webbed feet benefitted in terms of locomotion, feeding, and reproduction. Article in Journal/Newspaper Somateria mollissima Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ecology and Evolution 9 15 8580 8586 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
condition duck's feet eider locomotion uropygial gland webbed feet Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
condition duck's feet eider locomotion uropygial gland webbed feet Ecology QH540-549.5 Anders Pape Møller Karsten Laursen Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima |
topic_facet |
condition duck's feet eider locomotion uropygial gland webbed feet Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Many waterbirds have fully (totipalmate) or partially webbed (palmate) feet that are used for locomotion in aquatic environments. 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 feet. 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 database of 233 eiders shot in Danish waters and at Åland, Finland during winter and early spring. Eiders with larger webbed feet had a larger locomotor apparatus, but did not have larger body size, they had larger uropygial glands that waterproof the plumage, they had larger beak volume and larger gizzards, and they had higher body condition. These findings imply that eiders with large webbed feet benefitted in terms of locomotion, feeding, and reproduction. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Anders Pape Møller Karsten Laursen |
author_facet |
Anders Pape Møller Karsten Laursen |
author_sort |
Anders Pape Møller |
title |
Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima |
title_short |
Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima |
title_full |
Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima |
title_fullStr |
Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large feet are beneficial for eiders Somateria mollissima |
title_sort |
large feet are beneficial for eiders somateria mollissima |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/article/4fb6ad42cca7428187776eeb82d26e01 |
genre |
Somateria mollissima |
genre_facet |
Somateria mollissima |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 9, Iss 15, Pp 8580-8586 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.5384 https://doaj.org/article/4fb6ad42cca7428187776eeb82d26e01 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5384 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
15 |
container_start_page |
8580 |
op_container_end_page |
8586 |
_version_ |
1766197941927673856 |