Chapter 12: Ecogeographic Variation in Cinnamon Teal (Anas Cyanoptera) Along Elevational and Latitudinal Gradients

Abstract

Abstract The Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) comprises five subspecies that inhabit a variety of habitats along an elevational gradient at temperate and tropical latitudes. North American and South American subspecies differ in their migratory behavior, which may have contributed to differences in body size. We measured body size of the five recognized subspecies (A. c. cyanoptera, A. c. orinomus, A. c. borreroi, A. c. tropica, and A. c. septentrionalium) throughout their ranges and evaluated morphometric differentiation in relation to Bergmann's rule. Subspecies and geographic regions differed significantly, with the largest subspecies and the largest individuals found at high elevations in the central Andes (A. c. orinomus) and at high latitudes in southern Patagonia (A. c. cyanoptera). Smaller-bodied individuals (A. c. cyanoptera) were found at the northern and southern limits of the Altiplano, where intermixing between subspecies with different body sizes might occur. However, there is no direct evide...