Abstract
The latitudinal gradient in body mass, which many organisms show (Bergmann’s rule), is thought to be a response to local environmental conditions varying across latitude. Hence, temporal changes in environmental conditions are expected to lead to a shift in Bergmann’s rule. We compared house sparrow Passer domesticus body mass measures taken in 1984/85 with measures in 2009 to show that the mean body mass decreased in eight and nine populations (for females and males, respectively) out of ten Finnish populations. Consequently, the latitudinal cline in body mass shifted poleward. The decrease in body mass was large (1.5 g reduction in a 33-g bird). Temperatures during sampling did not differ between sampling periods, suggesting that at least the immediate effect of temperature did not explain the reduction in body mass. House sparrows have declined in abundance in Finland and worldwide in recent decades. We here suggest that the deterioration of the (unknown) environmental conditions associated with this population decline (which may include climatic drivers) has led to a poleward shift in Bergmann’s rule in house sparrows.
Zusammenfassung
Bergmann im Fluss: zeitliche Veränderung des breitengradabhängigen Körpermassegradienten eines wildlebenden Singvogels
Der breitengradabhängige Gradient in der Körpermasse, den viele Organismen zeigen (Bergmann’sche Regel), gilt gemeinhin als Reaktion auf breitengradbedingte Unterschiede lokaler Umweltbedingungen. Es ist daher zu erwarten, dass zeitliche Veränderungen dieser Umweltbedingungen eine Verschiebung der Bergmann’schen Regel zur Folge haben. Wir verglichen Körpermassedaten von Haussperlingen Passer domesticus aus den Jahren 1984/85 mit Daten aus 2009 und konnten zeigen, dass die durchschnittliche Körpermasse in acht beziehungsweise neun (bei Weibchen beziehungsweise Männchen) von zehn finnischen Populationen abgenommen hatte. Folglich hat sich der breitengradabhängige Körpermassegradient polwärts verschoben. Die Abnahme der Körpermasse war stark (1.5 g Abnahme bei einem 33 g-Vogel). Die Temperatur zur Zeit der Datengewinnung unterschied sich zwischen den beiden Messzeiträumen nicht, was dafür spricht, dass zumindest der unmittelbare Einfluss der Temperatur die Abnahme der Körpermasse nicht erklären kann. Während der letzten Jahrzehnte hat die Häufigkeit von Haussperlingen sowohl in Finnland als auch weltweit abgenommen. Wir vermuten, dass die Verschlechterung der (unbekannten) Umweltbedingungen (wozu auch klimatische Einflüsse gehören können) im Zusammenhang mit dieser Populationsabnahme zu einer Polwärtsverschiebung der Bergmann’schen Regel bei Haussperlingen geführt hat.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the landowners for allowing us to trap house sparrows on their property. Anonymous reviewers are thanked for providing excellent comments that improved the paper. Sampling in the 1980s was supported by the Academy of Finland (to RAV) and re-sampling in 2009 by the Nessling Foundation (to JEB)
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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Brommer, J.E., Hanski, I.K., Kekkonen, J. et al. Bergmann on the move: a temporal change in the latitudinal gradient in body mass of a wild passerine. J Ornithol 156, 1105–1112 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1211-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1211-8