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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Spatial sorting drives morphological variation in the invasive bird, acridotheris tristis
PLoS ONE, Volume 7, No. 5, Article e38145, Year 2012
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Description
The speed of range expansion in many invasive species is often accelerating because individuals with stronger dispersal abilities are more likely to be found at the range front. This 'spatial sorting' of strong dispersers will drive the acceleration of range expansion. In this study, we test whether the process of spatial sorting is at work in an invasive bird population (Common myna, Acridotheris tristis) in South Africa. Specifically, we sampled individuals across its invasive range and compared morphometric measurements relevant and non-relevant to the dispersal ability. Besides testing for signals of spatial sorting, we further examined the effect of environmental factors on morphological variations. Our results showed that dispersal-relevant traits are significantly correlated with distance from the range core, with strong sexual dimorphism, indicative of sex-biased dispersal. Morphological variations were significant in wing and head traits of females, suggesting females as the primary dispersing sex. In contrast, traits not related to dispersal such as those associated with foraging showed no signs of spatial sorting but were significantly affected by environmental variables such as the vegetation and the intensity of urbanisation. When taken together, our results support the role of spatial sorting in facilitating the expansion of Common myna in South Africa despite its low propensity to disperse in the native range. © 2012 Berthouly et al.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3364963/bin/pone.0038145.s001.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3364963/bin/pone.0038145.s002.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3364963/bin/pone.0038145.s003.xlsx
Authors & Co-Authors
Berthouly-Salazar, Cécile
South Africa, Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University
Van Rensburg, Berndt Janse
Australia, Brisbane
The University of Queensland
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
Le Roux, Johannes Jacobus
South Africa, Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University
Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Hui, Cang
South Africa, Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University
Statistics
Citations: 64
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0038145
e-ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Sexual And Reproductive Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
South Africa
Participants Gender
Female