Urban Bird Behavior May Divide a Species
by Sarah Jane Keller 胡德良 译
Humans aren't the only species to rapidly adapt to urban hustle and bustle. A new study reveals that when European blackbirds (Turdus merula) move from their native forest into the city, they migrate shorter distances than their country cousins—a behavioral change that could eventually split the populations into separate species. Researchers studied 168 blackbirds along a 2800-kilometer path in and around seven cities from Spain to Estonia. When blackbirds eat and drink throughout Europe, different atomic varieties of hydrogen become incorporated into their beaks and feathers, which give clues to their migration patterns. The data revealed that urban blackbirds in northern Europe, which started moving into cities in the 1930s, stay closest to home during the winter. Meanwhile, their forest-dwelling counterparts still take to the wing each year for warmer climes, traveling to southern Europe or as far as northern Africa, the team reports online this month in Oikos. Cities tend to stay warmer than the countryside and there's lots of food within easy reach -- factors that may keep urban birds lazing about town. The migratory divide could explain genetic differences that have already arisen among the urban and rural blackbird populations -- a possible first step to a species split. | 人类不是唯一能够快速适应城市繁忙节奏的物种。一项新研究表明,欧洲乌鸫(Turdus merula)从当地的森林转移到城市之后,它们比农村地区的同类迁徙的距离更短了,这种行为变化最终可能会使该种群分离成为不同的物种。在从西班牙到爱沙尼亚2800公里的沿途中,研究人员研究了七个城市内部及周边的168只乌鸫。当乌鸫在遍及欧洲各地进食及饮水后,氢元素不同的原子种类就会融入它们的鸟喙和羽毛中,为它们的迁徙模式提供了线索。数据显示,北欧乌鸫是20世纪30年代迁往城区的,它们在冬季呆在距离家园最近的地方。然而,研究小组在本月生态学杂志Oikos在线版上报道说:当地的林栖乌鸫仍然每年飞往较为温暖的地方,飞到欧洲南部或者远至非洲北部。城市往往比农村更为温暖,而且容易找到很多食物,这些可能都是使城区乌鸫懒洋洋地逗留在城市的因素。迁徙模式的区别可以说明在市区乌鸫群落和农村乌鸫群落之间已经产生了遗传上的变异,这是通向物种分离的第一步。 |
译自:美国《科学》杂志网站(30 November 2011, 5:25 PM)
原著:Sarah Jane Kelle
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