Doi: https://doi.org/10.13157/arla.70.2.2023.sc2
Authors: Juan Carlos ALONSO, Thibault DIEULEVEUT, Carlos PALACÍN, Inmaculada ABRIL-COLÓN, Alberto UCERO and Christelle LUCAS
E-mail: jcalonso@mncn.csic.es
Published: Volume 70.2, July 2023. Pages 271-283.
Language: English
Keywords: African Houbara Bustard, biometry, Canarian Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis macqueenii, C. undulata fuertaventurae, C. u. undulata, insular dwarfism and MacQueen’s Bustard
Summary:
This study presents for the first time morphometric data from large samples of freeliving individuals of Chlamydotis bustards (448 MacQueen’s Bustards, 288 African Houbaras, and 53 Canarian Houbaras). Linear measurements were largest in MacQueen’s Bustards, intermediate in African Houbaras and smallest in Canarian Houbaras, with differences between the largest and smallest species ranging from 4.5% to 13.9%. Male MacQueen’s Bustards were also the heaviest (4% and 15.5% heavier than, respectively, African and Canarian Houbara males) but, unexpectedly, there were no significant weight differences among females of the three bustards. Males of the three bustards were significantly larger than females in all linear measurements and weight. These between-species/subspecies differences are consistent with a slight trend to insular dwarfism that probably selects for smaller size in the Canarian subspecies. Males are larger and heavier than females in the three bustards, as expected in polygynous species, suggesting a moderate effect of sexual selection acting on male size. Finally, the slightly higher sexual size dimorphism values observed in wings and tarsi in MacQueen’s bustards compared to both subspecies of African Houbaras are in line with the allometric constraint hypothesis.
Supplementary Material:
Downloadable 1
Downloadable 2
