Extra pair paternity in birds: a review of interspecific variation and adaptive function
- S. Griffith, I. Owens, Katherine A. Thuman
- BiologyMolecular Ecology
- 30 October 2002
The remaining challenges of understanding the relative roles of genes and ecology in determining variation between taxa in the rate of extra paternity are highlighted, and testing for differences between extra‐pair offspring and those sired within‐pair is highlighted.
Global hotspots of species richness are not congruent with endemism or threat
- C. Orme, R. G. Davies, I. Owens
- Environmental ScienceNature
- 18 August 2005
It is demonstrated that hotspots of species richness, threat and endemism do not show the same geographical distribution and this suggests that, even within a single taxonomic class, different mechanisms are responsible for the origin and maintenance of different aspects of diversity.
Cooperative breeding in birds: a comparative test of the life history hypothesis
- K. E. Arnold, I. Owens
- Environmental Science, BiologyProceedings of the Royal Society of London…
- 7 May 1998
It is suggested that low annual mortality is the key factor that predisposes avian lineages to cooperative breeding, then ecological changes, such as becoming sedentary, further slow population turnover and reduce opportunities for independent breeding are suggested.
Evolutionary Ecology of Birds: Life Histories, Mating Systems and Extinction
- P. Bennett, I. Owens
- Environmental Science, Biology
- 28 March 2002
A comparison study of comparative methods and empirical evidence of variation in mating systems and sexual dimorphism among living species found in the literature confirmed the need for further research into this topic.
Ecological basis of extinction risk in birds: habitat loss versus human persecution and introduced predators.
- I. Owens, P. Bennett
- Environmental ScienceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences…
- 24 October 2000
The results demonstrate the importance of considering separately the multiple mechanisms that underlie contemporary patterns of extinction and reveal why it has previously proven so difficult to identify simple ecological correlates of overall extinction risk.
Variation in extinction risk among birds: chance or evolutionary predisposition?
- P. Bennett, I. Owens
- Biology, Environmental ScienceProceedings of the Royal Society of London…
- 22 March 1997
It is suggested that low rates of fecundity, which evolved many tens of millions of years ago, predisposed certain lineages to extinction, and increases in extinction risk are independently associated with increases in body size and decreases in fecundities.
Ecology Predicts Large‐Scale Patterns of Phylogenetic Diversification in Birds
- A. Phillimore, R. Freckleton, C. Orme, I. Owens
- BiologyAmerican Naturalist
- 12 June 2006
It is shown that diversification rate possesses an intermediate phylogenetic signal across families, and this results suggest that large‐scale patterns in avian diversification can be explained by variation in intrinsic biology.
Sexual dimorphism in birds: why are there so many different forms of dimorphism?
- I. Owens, I. Hartley
- BiologyProceedings of the Royal Society of London…
- 7 March 1998
The results suggest that size dimorphism is associated with the sort of intrasexual competition described by traditional classifications of social mating system, whereas plumage–colour dimorphisms is associatedWith cryptic female choice.
Contrasting levels of extra-pair paternity in mainland and island populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus): is there an «island effect»?
- S. Griffith, I. Stewart, D. Dawson, I. Owens, T. Burke
- Environmental Science
- 1 September 1999
The analysis of the genetic mating system of two populations of the house sparrow and uses the results from four other populations to test existing hypotheses using an intra-specific comparative approach to find no effect of breeding density and genetic variation on the level of extra-pair paternity.
Global biogeography and ecology of body size in birds.
- V. Olson, R. G. Davies, P. Bennett
- Environmental ScienceEcology Letters
- 1 March 2009
The first assemblage-level global examination of 'Bergmann's rule' within an entire animal class suggests that global patterns of body size in avian assemblages are driven by interactions between the physiological demands of the environment, resource availability, species richness and taxonomic turnover among lineages.
...
...