Climate of Our Future

ScienceDaily (May 25, 2009) — Why are some birds simple singers and others vocal virtuosos? Researchers at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and McGill University suspect that inconsistent climates may play a role

A large-scale study of mockingbirds in diverse habitats reveals that species in more variable climes also sing more complex tunes. “As environments become more variable or unpredictable, song displays become more elaborate,” said Carlos Botero, a postdoctoral researcher at NESCent in Durham, NC. NESCent is an NSF-funded collaborative research center operated by Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University.

Local climate patterns are good indicators of how challenging life is in a given location, Botero said. “Survival and reproduction become more complicated when weather patterns are unpredictable because you don’t know when food will be available or how long it will be around,” he explains. What’s more, the consequences of picking a mediocre mate are magnified in harsher climes.  Keep Reading