Spatial sorting drives morphological variation in the invasive bird, Acridotheris tristis

dc.contributor.authorBerthouly-Salazar, Cecile
dc.contributor.authorJanse Van Rensburg, Berndt
dc.contributor.authorLe Roux, J.J. (Johannes Jacobus)
dc.contributor.authorVan Vuuren, Bettine J.
dc.contributor.authorHui, Cang
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-10T08:30:01Z
dc.date.available2012-08-10T08:30:01Z
dc.date.issued2012-05-31
dc.description.abstractThe 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.en
dc.description.librarianab2012en
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Stellenbosch University Subcommittee B and the National Research Foundation (NRF).en
dc.description.urihttp://www.plosone.orgen
dc.identifier.citationBerthouly-Salazar C, Van Rensburg BJ, Le Roux JJ, Van Vuuren BJ, Hui C (2012) Spatial Sorting Drives Morphological Variation in the Invasive Bird, Acridotheris tristis. PLoS ONE 7(5): e38145. DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0038145.en
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203
dc.identifier.other10.1371/journal.pone.0038145
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/19584
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen
dc.rights© 2012 Berthouly et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.en
dc.subjectInvasive birden
dc.subjectAcridotheris tristisen
dc.subjectSpatial sortingen
dc.subjectAvesen
dc.subject.lcshBirdsen
dc.subject.lcshIntroduced birdsen
dc.subject.lcshSpatial systemsen
dc.titleSpatial sorting drives morphological variation in the invasive bird, Acridotheris tristisen
dc.typeArticleen

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