Over the past 20 years, major advances have clarified how ecological patterns inform theory,
and how in turn theory informs applied ecology. Also, there has been an increased …

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 …

The diversity of beak shapes among birds is often assumed to be largely the result of
adaptations to different feeding behaviors and diets. However, this assumption has only …

We identify two processes by which humans increase genetic exchange among groups of
individuals: by affecting the distribution of groups and dispersal patterns across a landscape …

In vertebrates, bite force is a measure of whole organism performance that is associated with
both cranial morphology and dietary ecology. Mechanistic studies of bite force production …

Measurements of whole-organism performance traits have been useful in studies of
adaptation and phenotype–environment correlations. Bite force capacities may be tightly …

Extant and fossil crocodilians have long been divided into taxonomic and/or ecological
groups based on broad patterns of skull shape, particularly the relative length and width of …

Adaptive radiation is the rapid evolution of morphologically and ecologically diverse species
from a single ancestor. The two classic examples of adaptive radiation are Darwin's finches …

Environmental differences influence the evolutionary divergence of mating signals through
selection acting either directly on signal transmission (“sensory drive”) or because …

Background Research on variation in bill morphology has focused on the role of diet. Bills
have other functions, however, including a role in heat and water balance. The role of the bill …