By Dr. Than Boves, Arkansas State University
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Bergmann’s Rule, which states that body size in endotherms is positively related to latitude (as a surrogate of temperature), is one of the oldest principles in ecology. Despite this fact, questions remain about its relevance for migratory species, when it manifests itself during development and how it is maintained, and what its future holds in a world undergoing climate change. Dr. Boves and his lab studied these aspects of Bergmann’s Rule in a long-distance migratory songbird, the Prothonotary Warbler.
Dr. Than Boves is an Associate Professor of Avian Ecology at Arkansas State University. He has studied a broad range of topics in bird ecology, behavior, evolution, and conservation for >15 yrs, often focusing on warblers, but also dabbling in raptors and other songbirds.