ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9541-3304
Current Organisation
University of New England
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Environmental Monitoring | Environmental Science and Management | Wildlife and Habitat Management | Pattern Recognition and Data Mining | Conservation and Biodiversity | Computer-Human Interaction
Ecosystem Assessment and Management at Regional or Larger Scales | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Information Processing Services (incl. Data Entry and Capture) |
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-07-2005
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2008
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1071/MU13051
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-08-2016
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12382
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 30-01-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-06-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-03-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/WR17024
Abstract: Context The bell miner (Manorina melanophrys) is thought to prefer the dense vegetation of Lantana camara, a dominating noxious weed, to nest in compared with native plant communities in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. As miner numbers seemed to have increased with increased availability of nesting habitat, larger numbers of despotic bell miners territorially reduce native avian ersity. The resultant high insect numbers in the canopy lead to dieback. It is unknown to what extent the native bell miner relies on lantana for nesting sites and if restoration through removal of lantana, resulting in an influx of native species, changes food availability and thus foraging behaviours. Aims The objective of our study was to understand the relationship between the presence of lantana and bell miners by determining: (1) bell miner behaviours in response to different understorey types (2) bell miner nesting choices on a broad scale (3) nesting preference for each site on a broad scale and (4) whether nest height is related to fledging success. Methods Fifty in idual bell miners were observed within five colonies (four containing comparison quadrats of treated and intact lantana as part of a restoration study and one containing water vine for comparison as a pristine site n=10 per treatment) during four seasons. Five bouts of gleaning, probing or sallying were observed, noting height and plant species. Nest sites were examined over a large area, noting plant species present, nest height and plant height. Key results Bell miners used gleaning as the primary foraging tactic primarily in eucalypts (93% n=600, mean=13.6m±0.29, s.e.). Bell miners generally nested in understorey vegetation (83.5% of nests observed) at a mean height of 2.7m in 37 different plant species, native and exotic. Nest height did not influence the probability of broods fledging. Conclusions Bell miners exhibit considerable nest plasticity, and the removal of lantana as an oft-used nesting habitat is unlikely to lead to relocation by this species. Implications Instead, future research needs to focus on canopy insect assemblages in bell miner colonies, a potentially more important determinant of bell miner distribution.
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 21-03-2016
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.1831
Abstract: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for ecological research has grown rapidly in recent years, but few studies have assessed the disturbance impacts of these tools on focal subjects, particularly when observing easily disturbed species such as waterfowl. In this study we assessed the level of disturbance that a range of UAV shapes and sizes had on free-living, non-breeding waterfowl surveyed in two sites in eastern Australia between March and May 2015, as well as the capability of airborne digital imaging systems to provide adequate resolution for unambiguous species identification of these taxa. We found little or no obvious disturbance effects on wild, mixed-species flocks of waterfowl when UAVs were flown at least 60m above the water level (fixed wing models) or 40m above in iduals (multirotor models). Disturbance in the form of swimming away from the UAV through to leaving the water surface and flying away from the UAV was visible at lower altitudes and when fixed-wing UAVs either approached subjects directly or rapidly changed altitude and/or direction near animals. Using tangential approach flight paths that did not cause disturbance, commercially available onboard optical equipment was able to capture images of sufficient quality to identify waterfowl and even much smaller taxa such as swallows. Our results show that with proper planning of take-off and landing sites, flight paths and careful UAV model selection, UAVs can provide an excellent tool for accurately surveying wild waterfowl populations and provide archival data with fewer logistical issues than traditional methods such as manned aerial surveys.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2008
DOI: 10.1071/MU07014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-04-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2004
DOI: 10.1071/MU02042
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2011
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-05-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2001
DOI: 10.1071/MU00063
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-12-2022
DOI: 10.1111/CSP2.12875
Abstract: Addressing threats to bio ersity from pest species is a global challenge. One such challenge is to mitigate the impact of an overabundant Australian songbird, the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala, on woodland birds. The overabundance of noisy miners is listed as a key threatening process under federal bio ersity legislation, but current understanding of where and how noisy miner populations can be managed to yield conservation benefits is unclear. We evaluated the effectiveness of noisy miner removal across 12 treatment areas totaling 3913 ha and nine control areas totaling 1487 ha important for the critically endangered regent honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia . Removal of noisy miners significantly reduced their densities in all but one of the treatment areas. In 10 of the 12 treatment areas, noisy miner densities remained below an impact threshold of 0.65–0.83 birds ha −1 for at least 3 to more than 12 months. The percentage of suitable noisy miner habitat in the surrounding landscape was not a strong predictor of noisy miner management success. Regent honeyeaters occupied six treatment areas, nesting successfully in four. The abundance of other songbirds increased post‐miner removal in seven areas, decreased in three, and was mixed in two. Data from the control areas showed some variation in songbird numbers was independent of noisy miner management. We conclude that noisy miners can be managed in areas of high conservation value for a minimum cost of AUD $10 ha −1 . Larger treatment areas may be more important than the broader landscape context in maintaining long‐term noisy miner suppression. Standardized, long‐term monitoring is crucial to identify not only the drivers of pest species recolonization but also locations where threats from pests on endangered species can be addressed effectively while minimizing animal welfare and financial costs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2004
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2001
DOI: 10.1071/ZO01001
Abstract: The hormonal and gonadal profiles of the few Australian old endemic passerine species studied to date have exhibited less annual variation in gonad size, reduced litude in testosterone (T) and luteinising hormone (LH) levels in comparison with those exhibited by many predominantly migratory species from the north temperate zone. Because none of the Australian endemics studied to date were migratory species, we studied a migratory population of rufous whistlers in central western New South Wales to determine whether differences in life history might be associated with different gonadal and hormonal profiles. Breeding stages were classified into five functional categories: territory air establishment, nest building, incubation, feeding nestlings/fledglings and post-breeding. We captured adult males at all breeding stages, examined their gonadal status through unilateral laparotomy, collected a blood s le and assessed this for plasma T and LH content using radioimmunoassay. Both hormones peaked early in the breeding season: LH levels during territory air establishment at 2.8 ng/mL 1.7 (s.d.) and T levels during nest building at 1.8 ng/mL 1.6 (s.d.). Following incubation LH and T (in particular) levels decreased substantially with the onset of parental duties – whilst feeding nestlings/fledglings T was 0.1 ng/mL 0.1 (s.d.), and LH was 1.6 ng/mL 1.2 (s.d.). This temporal variation in hormone secretion and an observed synchronous peak in gonad size at nest-building is reminiscent of migratory species from the north temperate zone displaying biparental care. Peak concentrations of both plasma T and LH in whistlers were intermediate between those reported for passerines from the north temperate zone with a similar life history and sedentary Australian old endemic passerines examined to date. This possibly reflects differences in life-history traits, the functional use of T in this species and/or possible phyletic effects.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1071/ZO02059
Abstract: The brown falcon, Falco berigora, is one of Australia's most common and widespread raptors, inhabiting a broad array of habitats and most climatic zones across Australia. We monitored a large, marked population (44–49 pairs) over three annual breeding seasons in southern Victoria. Reproductive parameters such as clutch size and the duration of parental care were constant across years. However, there were marked differences in brood size and the proportion of pairs breeding. Both sexes of falcons were found to have high territory and mate fidelity, with only 10% of members of each sex changing territories during the study. Falcons were flexible in their choice of nest sites, using a variety of tree species and even isolated nest trees. Nest sites and territories were regularly distributed throughout the study area, with the density of the population the highest on record for this species. The diet of the population as a whole was very broad, but each pair predominantly specialised on either lagomorphs, small ground prey, small birds, large birds or reptiles. In iduals that changed territory within the study area also switched their diet according to the predominant land-use within the new territory and thus prey availability. We argue that, at the population level, broad dietary breadth, flexibility in choice of nest site, and a conservative, static breeding strategy allows the species to persist in a broad range of environments, possibly through 'bet-hedging'. At the in idual level, changeable dietary specialisation, high territory fidelity, strong year-round territorial defence, confining breeding to years when in idual conditions were favourable and adjusting brood sizes when required appear to be the main strategies enabling brown falcons to thrive under a variety of conditions.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13220
Abstract: Although evidence-based approaches have become commonplace for determining the success of conservation measures for the management of threatened taxa, there are no standard metrics for assessing progress in research or management. We developed 5 metrics to meet this need for threatened taxa and to quantify the need for further action and effective alleviation of threats. These metrics (research need, research achievement, management need, management achievement, and percent threat reduction) can be aggregated to examine trends for an in idual taxon or for threats across multiple taxa. We tested the utility of these metrics by applying them to Australian threatened birds, which appears to be the first time that progress in research and management of threats has been assessed for all threatened taxa in a faunal group at a continental scale. Some research has been conducted on nearly three-quarters of known threats to taxa, and there is a clear understanding of how to alleviate nearly half of the threats with the highest impact. Some management has been attempted on nearly half the threats. Management outcomes ranged from successful trials to complete mitigation of the threat, including for one-third of high-impact threats. Progress in both research and management tended to be greater for taxa that were monitored or occurred on oceanic islands. Predation by cats had the highest potential threat score. However, there has been some success reducing the impact of cat predation, so climate change (particularly drought), now poses the greatest threat to Australian threatened birds. Our results demonstrate the potential for the proposed metrics to encapsulate the major trends in research and management of both threats and threatened taxa and provide a basis for international comparisons of evidence-based conservation science.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/WR07015
Abstract: Bell miner (Manorina melanophrys) colonies are closely associated with decreased avian abundance and ersity and an apparently associated increase in psyllid abundance. However, a causative link between the presence of bell miners and increased psyllid abundance has yet to be established. We took advantage of the movement of bell miners into two new areas to investigate the ecological consequences of bell miner occupation on both avian and psyllid abundance. We monitored the number of bell miners and other avian species, using area searches, and psyllid abundance by monthly counts of lerp on leaves. Bell miner presence alone had limited effect on either bird ersity or abundance. However, when miners were also giving their distinctive ‘tink’ vocalisation, a significant decrease in avian abundance and ersity was observed. This evidence supports the hypothesis that ‘tink’ vocalisations are used by interspecific competitors to detect bell miner colonies. At the time of initial occupation, new sites did not have significantly elevated levels of psyllids compared with surrounding areas unoccupied by bell miners. Six months later one of the two newly occupied sites had significantly more Cardiaspina spp. than either the long-established colony or an unoccupied control site. In contrast, infestations of Glycaspis spp. remained significantly lower at both new sites when compared with the long-established colony, but equivalent to unoccupied areas. Given this, we conclude that bell miner occupation does not necessarily lead to an increase in psyllid abundance, characteristic of tree dieback in some colonies, and that a causative link between bell miner presence and declining tree health remains to be demonstrated.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1071/WR02041
Abstract: The accurate determination of nestling age and sex is an important tool for studies that examine life-history traits and ecological interactions. Despite the widespread distribution of the brown falcon, Falco berigora, in Australia, morphological criteria for sexing nestlings of this species have yet to be published and nestling development has not been intensively studied. While an ageing formula for the species exists, the small s le from which it was derived precluded appropriate statistical assessment of independence problems and other potentially confounding variables such as hatch order and sex. This study used a larger s le of free-living nestlings to account for these factors and found the most reliable measure for ageing nestlings to be wing length. Wing length increased linearly with chick age, independent of seven other potentially confounding factors examined. Ageing formulae based on wing length before and after remiges emerge are presented. In addition, an accurate test for determining nestling sex at banding age, based on tarsus width, is proposed. Nestling chronology of this species is also described in detail for the first time. Nestling development was similar to that described for other Falconiformes however, the chronology of nestling development was too variable to be useful in assigning chick age. Despite this, within 6 days of the eldest chick hatching the relative brightness of down and the degree to which chicks' eyes had opened were useful in assigning hatch order amongst nestlings with similar wing lengths.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/ETH.13334
Abstract: Researchers often use artificial models of animals to elicit and study behavior. Until recently, these models were typically handcrafted however, 3D‐printing technology has been adopted by researchers looking to create accurate and consistent animal models from scans of living animals, taxidermies, or existing models. While 3D‐printing techniques create models with accurate and repeatable shape and size, applying coloration to these models is still typically achieved with traditional methods, such as painting by hand. These approaches can be time‐consuming and require high levels of artistic skill, creating a barrier to producing realistic models, especially when more than one model or standardized coloration is required. Here, we present a simple workflow to avoid these issues by creating a photograph‐accurate paper “skin” that can be glued onto 3D‐printed animal models to provide surface coloration. We have used this methodology to create avian models for several experiments, and found that it can create highly detailed and standardized models with minimal training and is independent of artistic skill. Additionally, this method allows the files needed to accurately recreate models to be shared digitally with other researchers, further enhancing repeatability in the field.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: 07-01-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-08-2018
DOI: 10.1002/DEV.21769
Abstract: The neonate distress cry, which displays a similar acoustic structure across a range of mammalian species, is highly effective in attracting, even compelling, parental care. However, if this cry is defective, as found in human and rodent neonates with poor neurobehavioral function, is the signal less enticing? Using playback recordings of a ewe's own co-twins as stimuli in a two choice test, we compared the preference of each sheep dam for acoustic features of lamb distress calls to assess the impact of signal quality on maternal response. The results of this study indicate that lamb vocalizations with acoustic parameters reflecting poor vocal fold engagement and arousal were less likely to be preferred by their dam. Additionally, these calls were associated with delayed vocal initiation and poor infant survival behavior suggestive of subtle cognitive deficit and support the possibility that, as in deer and rodents, ovine vocalizations within a specific fundamental frequency range may well be a trigger for optimal maternal behavior. This research has important implications for understanding failed maternal-young interactions in ungulate and other species, and for verifying standardization of infant stimuli used in maternal behavior studies.
Publisher: The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.
Date: 09-2006
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-02-2010
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-11-2014
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12206
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-04-2005
DOI: 10.1002/BJS.4917
Abstract: Establishing trust between a patient and his or her surgeon is of paramount importance. The aim of this study was to assess the relative importance of the ‘attributes of trust’ between surgeon and patient with colorectal cancer. A discrete-choice questionnaire was conducted with 60 men and 43 women who had completed primary treatment for colorectal cancer in two teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Forty-seven of the 103 patients based their choice of surgical management on a single attribute and the remainder were willing to trade between different attributes. In order of importance, patients based their choice of surgical management on specialty training (β coefficient = 0·83), surgeon's communication (β = 0·82), type of hospital (β = 0·72) and who decides treatment (β = 0·01). Patients who were vigilant in their decision-making style and those who did not have tertiary education were more likely to change their preferences in the repeat interview. Clinicians may have a better chance of meeting a patient's expectations about the process of care if they assess the patient's desire for knowledge and give those who do not have tertiary education more time to assimilate information about their treatment.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2022
Publisher: BirdLife Australia, Ltd.
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.20938/AFO35001007
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-09-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-11528-Y
Abstract: Predation is one of the main threats to altricial nestlings, with predators often locating nests via eavesdropping on begging signals. Nestlings may be able to adjust their begging based on the current level of risk by monitoring both intra- and interspecific alarm calls near the nest. We show that noisy miner ( Manorina melanocephala ) nestlings can differentiate between terrestrial and aerial alarm calls of their own species, as they suppressed begging behaviour for longer in response to terrestrial rather than aerial alarm calls. This differential response is potentially due to greater danger that terrestrial calls encode. In contrast, nestlings ignored alarm calls of the sympatric grey butcherbird ( Cracticus torquatus ) and continued to beg but reduced begging intensity in response to the non-alarm calls of a sympatric eastern rosella ( Platycercus eximius ), suggesting nestlings were likely responding based upon similarity to a known signal as opposed to expressing a learnt behaviour. Results show that nestlings respond adaptively to two different intraspecific alarm signals but have not learnt to respond to the alarm calls of sympatric species. These suggest that nestlings are able to take advantage of the complex vocal repertoire that adults produce, although discernment is an issue when filtering out irrelevant stimuli.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2009
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-12-2015
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-06-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2010
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-07-2021
Abstract: Fauna surveys are traditionally manual, and hence limited in scale, expensive and labour‐intensive. Low‐cost hardware and storage mean that acoustic recording now has the potential to efficiently build scale in terrestrial fauna surveys, both spatially and temporally. With this aim, we have constructed the Australian Acoustic Observatory. It provides a direct and permanent record of terrestrial soundscapes through continuous recording across Australian ecoregions, including those periodically subject to fire and flood, when manual surveys are dangerous or impossible. The observatory comprises 360 permanent listening stations deployed across Australia. Groups of four sensors are deployed at each of 90 sites, placed strategically across ecoregions, to provide representative datasets of soundscapes. Each station continuously records sound, resulting in year‐round data collection. All data are made freely available under an open access licence. The Australian Acoustic Observatory is the world's first terrestrial acoustic observatory of this size. It provides continental‐scale environmental monitoring of unparalleled spatial extent, temporal resolution and archival stability. It enables new approaches to understanding ecosystems, long‐term environmental change, data visualization and acoustic science that will only increase in scientific value over time, particularly as others replicate the design in other parts of the world.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2003
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 10-04-2013
DOI: 10.1017/S0959270913000130
Abstract: Introduced mammalian predators have been implicated in the majority of avian extinctions on oceanic islands around the globe. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the decimated New Zealand avifauna, where introduced predators remain the primary threat to virtually all surviving endemic species, including the threatened New Zealand Falcon Falco novaeseelandiae . We used remote videography at falcon nests and conducted an artificial nest experiment to compare the rates of predation and responsible predators of falcons nesting in hills against those nesting in nearby commercial vineyards. Overall, 63% of artificial nests in the hills were predated, compared with 38% in vineyards. Further, artificial eggs were predated faster in the hills than those placed in vineyards. Video footage revealed that the suite of predators visiting real falcon nests was similar to those identified attacking artificial nests. However, predators differed across habitats, with nests in vineyards being predated mainly by hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus and Australasian Harriers Circus approximans , whereas nests in the hill environments were mainly attacked by stoats Mustela erminea . These results demonstrate the important implications of habitat type on predation pressure associated with introduced predators. These may well prove a fruitful avenue of management if breeding can be fostered in safer areas, as in the case of this threatened falcon.
Publisher: The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.
Date: 12-2012
DOI: 10.3356/JRR-12-05.1
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-07-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2012
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 07-07-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/AM17003
Abstract: Bell miner–associated dieback (BMAD) is a form of canopy decline involving bell miner (Manorina melanophrys) colonies on the eastern coast of Australia. The association can include an understorey of lantana (Lantana camara) preventing eucalypt regeneration. To date, comparatively little is known about the effects of these processes on mammal ersity and abundance. We therefore considered the effects of BMAD and lantana presence on ground mammals and insectivorous bats in four forest sites within New South Wales. These were monitored in association with a restoration project for the treatment of lantana that used glyphosate spraying to kill lantana in half of six 50m×50m quadrats per site (three control and three treated). Passive bioacoustic recorders, infrared cameras and Elliott traps were used to survey understorey fauna over four consecutive nights during each season. We found a greater number of small ground-dwelling and large mammals in control areas with an intact understorey of lantana relative to areas where lantana had been treated. However, insectivorous bats were not influenced by lantana presence. Our results suggest that ground-dwelling mammals benefit from the presence of lantana, as it may provide structural complexity that reduces predation risk and/or provides a food resource.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-11-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10336-022-02027-7
Abstract: In birds, several physiological characters have been proposed and tested as possible criteria of age. Among them, skull development is likely to provide a valuable reflection of other physiological developments, however the relationship between skull ossification and other physiological and morphometric traits has rarely been quantified within species. Here, we investigated suitability of skull ossification as an indicator of age in Noisy Miners ( Manorina melanocephala ), an Australian passerine bird. We compared skull ossification with other age indicators including the bursa of Fabricius, gonadal development, and a range of commonly used body size measures that included wing length and tarsus length. We carried out morphological measurements on 1251 in idual Noisy Miner carcasses that had been collected during a culling experiment in November, December and May 2015–2016 from north-eastern NSW, Australia. The probability of a bursa of Fabricius being present in an in idual bird changed with skull ossification level, with a significant reduction in the size of the bursa of Fabricius correlating with the degree of skull ossification. In male Noisy Miners, birds that were at a later stage of skull ossification had significantly larger testis size than those with a lower stages of skull ossification. In females, ovary size increased significantly as skull ossification progressed. In both sexes, skull ossification level was also correlated with body mass and skeletal measures. Given this, the level of skull ossification in Noisy Miners accurately correlates with other age indicators, and can justifiably be used as a non-invasive aging method in the field for live birds.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 30-10-2023
Publisher: Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
Date: 2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12196
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2008
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2003
DOI: 10.1071/MU02028
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2009
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 21-10-2009
Abstract: Indirect fitness benefits from kin selection can explain why non-breeding in iduals help raise the young of relatives. However, the evolution of helping by non-relatives requires direct fitness benefits, for ex le via group augmentation. Here, we examine nest visit rates, load sizes and prey types delivered by breeding pairs and their helpers in the cooperatively breeding bell miner ( Manorina melanophrys ). In this system, males remain in their natal colony while young females typically disperse, and helpers of both sexes often assist at multiple nests concurrently. We found extremely clear evidence for the expected effect of genetic relatedness on in idual helping effort per nest within colonies. This positive incremental effect of kinship was facultative—i.e. largely the result of within-in idual variation in helping effort. Surprisingly, no sex differences were detectable in any aspect of helping, and even non-relatives provided substantial aid. Helpers and breeders of both sexes regulated their provisioning effort by responding visit-by-visit to changes in nestling begging. Helping behaviour in bell miners therefore appears consistent with adaptive cooperative investment in the brood, and kin-selected care by relatives. Similar investment by ‘unrelated’ helpers of both sexes argues against direct fitness benefits, but is perhaps explained by kin selection at the colony level.
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 27-06-2018
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.5052
Abstract: This paper proposes a new methodology to quantify patterns of egg shape variation using geometric morphometrics of three-dimensional landmarks captured on digitally reconstructed eggshells and demonstrates its performance in capturing shape variation at multiple biological levels. This methodology offers unique benefits to complement established linear measurement or two-dimensional (2D) contour profiling techniques by (i) providing a more precise representation of eggshell curvature by accounting for variation across the entire surface of the egg (ii) avoids the occurrence of correlations from combining multiple egg shape features (iii) avoids error stemming from projecting a highly-curved three-dimensional (3D) object into 2D space and (iv) enables integration into 3D workflows such as finite elements analysis. To demonstrate, we quantify patterns of egg shape variation and estimate morphological disparity at multiple biological levels, within and between clutches and among species of four passerine species of different lineages, using volumetric dataset obtained from micro computed tomography. The results indicate that species broadly have differently shaped eggs, but with extensive within-species variation so that all four-focal species occupy a range of shapes. Within-species variation is attributed to between-clutch differences in egg shape within-clutch variation is surprisingly substantial. Recent comparative analyses that aim to explain shape variation among avian taxa have largely ignored potential biases due to within-species variation, or use methods limited to a narrow range of egg shapes. Through our approach, we suggest that there is appreciable variation in egg shape across clutches and that this variation needs to be accounted for in future research. The approach developed in this study to assess variation in shape is freely accessible and can be applied to any spherical-to-conical shaped object, including eggs of non-avian dinosaurs and reptiles through to other extant taxa such as poultry.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 30-03-2011
Abstract: Kin selection predicts that helpers in cooperative systems should preferentially aid relatives to maximize fitness. In family-based groups, this can be accomplished simply by assisting all group members. In more complex societies, where large numbers of kin and non-kin regularly interact, more sophisticated kin-recognition mechanisms are needed. Bell miners ( Manorina melanophrys ) are just such a system where in iduals regularly interact with both kin and non-kin within large colonies. Despite this complexity, in idual helpers of both sexes facultatively work harder when provisioning the young of closer genetic relatedness. We investigated the mechanism by which such adaptive discrimination occurs by assessing genetic kinship influences on the structure of more than 1900 provisioning vocalizations of 185 miners. These ‘mew’ calls showed a significant, positive linear increase in call similarity with increasing genetic relatedness, most especially in comparisons between male helpers and the breeding male. Furthermore, in idual helping effort was more heavily influenced by call similarity to breeding males than to genetic relatedness, as predicted if call similarity is indeed the rule-of-thumb used to discriminate kin in this system. In idual mew call structure appeared to be inflexible and innate, providing an effective mechanism by which helpers can assess their relatedness to any in idual. This provides, to our knowledge, the first ex le of a mechanism for fine-scale kin discrimination in a complex avian society.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2016
DOI: 10.1071/MU15064
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-11-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-10-2021
DOI: 10.1111/CSP2.549
Abstract: Controlling problem species for conservation can be fraught, particularly when native species are subject to lethal control. The noisy miner ( Manorina melanocephala ), has been the target of numerous lethal control efforts. Outcomes of these noisy miner removals have varied substantially, so identifying the circumstances under which they are effective is essential for ethical and effective management. We compiled data for all identified noisy miner removals ( n = 45), including both permit‐based and unofficial removals. We investigated whether methodological and ecological factors explained the effectiveness of removals in reducing noisy miner density or increasing woodland bird richness and abundance. The only predictor of any measure of success was time between first and final culls which was positively related to reduction in noisy miner density. Surprisingly, despite removals mainly failing to reduce noisy miner density to below a threshold above which noisy miners impact smaller birds, woodland birds usually still increased. Disrupted social structure as noisy miners recolonized may have led to less effective aggressive exclusion of small birds. Further removals may not need to reduce noisy miner density to below this threshold to benefit woodland birds, but consistent monitoring and reporting would support better evaluation of effectiveness and correlates of success.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-04-2014
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12143
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-07-2004
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-04-2007
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 18-01-2012
Abstract: Hypotheses proposed to explain the evolution of cooperative behaviour typically require differentiation between either groups of conspecifics (e.g . kin/non-kin) or, more typically, in iduals (e.g. reciprocal altruism). Despite this, the mechanisms that facilitate in idual or class recognition have rarely been explored in cooperative species. This study examines the in idual differentiation abilities of noisy miners ( Manorina melanocephala ), a species with one of the most complex avian societies known. Miners permanently occupy colonies numbering into hundreds of in iduals. Within these colonies, cooperative coalitions form on a fission–fusion basis across numerous contexts, from social foraging through to mobbing predators. Birds often use in idually distinctive ‘chur’ calls to recruit others to a caller's location, facilitating coalition formation. I used the habituation–discrimination paradigm to test the ability of miners to differentiate between the chur calls of two in iduals that were both either: (i) familiar, or (ii) unfamiliar to the focal subject. This technique had not, to my knowledge, been used to assess vocalization differentiation in cooperative birds previously, but here demonstrated that miners could correctly use the spectral features of signals to differentiate between the vocalizations of different in iduals, regardless of their familiarity. By attending to in idual differences in recruitment calls, miners have a communication system that is capable of accommodating even the most complex cooperative hypotheses based upon acoustic information.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-10-2022
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLAC089
Abstract: Jeholornis is a representative of the earliest- erging bird lineages, providing important evidence of anatomical transitions involved in bird origins. Although ~100 specimens have been reported, its cranial morphology remains poorly documented owing to poor two-dimensional preservation, limiting our understanding of the morphology and ecology of the key avian lineage Jeholornithiformes, in addition to cranial evolution during the origin and early evolution of birds. Here, we provide a detailed description of the cranial osteology of Jeholornis prima, based primarily on high-quality, three-dimensional data of a recently reported specimen. New anatomical information confirms the overall plesiomorphic morphology of the skull, with the exception of the more specialized rostrum. Data from a large s le size of specimens reveal the dental formula of J. prima to be 0–2–3 (premaxillary–maxillary–dentary tooth counts), contrary to previous suggestions that the presence of maxillary teeth is diagnostic of a separate species, Jeholornis palmapenis. We also present evidence of sensory adaptation, including relatively large olfactory bulbs in comparison to other known stem birds, suggesting that olfaction was an important aspect of Jeholornis ecology. The digitally reconstructed scleral ring suggests a strongly diurnal habit, supporting the hypothesis that early- erging birds were predominantly active during the day.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2001
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-12-2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-04-2018
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.4016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1111/JAV.01752
Start Date: 07-2020
End Date: 12-2024
Amount: $560,082.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 05-2017
End Date: 12-2024
Amount: $900,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity