Estimating the mass of the Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis) and its egg

IF 16.4 1区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Accounts of Chemical Research Pub Date : 2024-07-26 DOI:10.1111/ibi.13350

Robert D. Montgomerie, Tim R. Birkhead

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Abstract

The body mass and egg mass of the Great Auk Pinguinus impennis were never measured before the bird was driven to extinction in 1844. Previous studies conducted before 1990 used data from related species to estimate the mass of an adult bird at 4500–5000 g, and the fresh mass of its egg as 327–372 g. In the present study, we use a larger dataset of measurements from extant alcids, and statistical methods that control for the effects of phylogeny, to provide new estimates for those traits. The presumed body mass of the Great Auk was initially derived from a hearsay report from the 18th century, and then supported by subsequent comparative analyses based on skeletal measurements. Our new best estimates from currently available data show that the Great Auk's body mass was probably closer to 3560 g and its fresh egg mass was about 350 g. This new body mass estimate is the average of predictions from independent regressions of body mass on (1) tibiotarsus and femur lengths (3441 g) and (2) egg volume (3681 g). We calculated the Great Auk's fresh egg mass from a regression of fresh egg mass on egg volume in the extant alcids. Providing more accurate estimates of the body and egg mass of Great Auk can inform speculation about the developmental mode, ecology and life history of this iconic, extinct species.

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估算大鸟（Pinguinus impennis）及其卵的质量

在1844年大杓鹬灭绝之前，人们从未测量过这种鸟的体重和卵重。在本研究中，我们使用了一个更大的现存杓鹬的测量数据集，并使用了控制系统发育影响的统计方法，对这些特征进行了新的估计。大赤麻鸭的推测体重最初来自于 18 世纪的一个道听途说的报告，后来根据骨骼测量结果进行的比较分析也支持了这一推测。我们从现有数据中得出的新的最佳估计值表明，大白鹭的体重可能接近 3560 克，其新鲜卵的质量约为 350 克。这个新的体重估计值是体重对（1）胫骨和股骨长度（3441 克）和（2）卵体积（3681 克）的独立回归预测值的平均值。我们根据现存杓鹬的鲜蛋质量对蛋体积的回归结果计算出了大白鹭的鲜蛋质量。更准确地估算大白鹭的体重和卵重可以为推测这一标志性灭绝物种的发育模式、生态学和生活史提供信息。

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来源期刊

Accounts of Chemical Research 化学-化学综合

CiteScore

31.40

自引率

1.10%

发文量

312

审稿时长

2 months

期刊介绍： Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance. Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.