Melospiza melodia (Song Sparrow) bill size is primarily shaped by thermoregulation on the California Channel Islands

Abstract

Inferring the environmental selection pressures responsible for phenotypic variation is a challenge in adaptation studies as traits often have multiple functions and are shaped by complex selection regimes. We provide indirect evidence that morphology of the multifunctional avian bill is primarily shaped by climate and thermoregulatory ability in Melospiza melodia (Song Sparrow) on the California Channel Islands. Our research builds on a study in M. melodia museum specimens that demonstrated a positive correlation between bill surface area and maximum temperature, suggesting a greater demand for dry heat dissipation in hotter, xeric environments. We sampled contemporary sparrow populations across 3 climatically distinct islands to test the hypotheses that bill morphology is influenced by habitat differences with functional consequences for foraging efficiency and is related to maximum temperature and, consequently, important for thermoregulation. Measurements of >500 live individuals indicated a significant, positive relationship between maximum temperature and bill surface area when correcting for body size. In contrast, maximum bite force, seed extraction time, and vegetation on breeding territories (a proxy for food resources) were not significantly associated with bill dimensions. While we cannot exclude the influence of foraging ability and diet on bill morphology, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that variation in M. melodia need for thermoregulatory capacity across the northern Channel Islands selects for divergence in bill surface area.