Egg shape in the Common Guillemot Uria aalge and Brunnich’s Guillemot U. lomvia: not a rolling matter?

• Published in: Journal of Ornithology
• Main Authors: Birkhead, T.R., Thompson, J.E., Biggins, J.D.
• Other Authors: Thompson, JE, Biggins, JD
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Verlag (Germany) 2017
• Subjects: Bru; common guillemot; Uria aalge; uria
• Online Access: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/112880/; https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/112880/1/TRB%20et%20all%20G%20eggs%202.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-017-1437-8

The adaptive significance of avian egg shape is poorly understood, and has been studied only in those species producing pyriform (pear-shaped, or pointed) eggs: waders and guillemots (murres) Uria spp., albeit to a limited extent. In the latter, it is widely believed that the pyriform shape has evol...