The avian bill is a textbook example of how evolution shapes morphology in response to
changing environments. Bills of seed‐specialist finches in particular have been the focus of …

Many animal appendages, such as avian beaks and mammalian ears, can be used to
dissipate excess body heat. Allen's rule, wherein animals in warmer climates have larger …

The island syndrome is a widespread biological phenomenon that describes a suite of
morphological, behavioural, demographic and life‐history changes associated with island …

Beaks are increasingly recognised as important contributors to avian thermoregulation.
Several studies supporting Allen's rule demonstrate how beak size is under strong selection …

Background Climate imposes multiple selection pressures on animal morphology. Allen's
Rule proposes that geographic variation in the appendage size of endotherms, relative to …

Highlights•Fiddler crabs often live in hot tropical environments.•Males can overcome thermal
constraints through their large claw and their burrow.•The claw acts as heat sink and the …

Large animals including waterbirds are traditionally considered passengers in wetland
ecosystems and used as indicator, flagship or umbrella species in wetland conservation, but …

Unidimensional measurements for estimating bill size, like length and width, are commonly
used in ecology and evolution, but can be criticised due to issues with repeatability and …

The avian beak is increasingly recognised as an important organ for thermoregulation,
particularly in disproportionately large‐beaked taxa such as toucans and hornbills. We used …

Allen's rule is an ecogeographical pattern whereby the size of appendages of animals
increases relative to body size in warmer climates in order to facilitate heat exchange and …