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Pyle: Age determination and molt strategies in North American alcids 219 Marine Ornithology 37: 219–225 (2009) AGE DETERMINATION AND MOLT STRATEGIES IN NORTH AMERICAN ALCIDS (2009)
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BibTeX
@MISC{Pyle09pyle:age,
author = {Peter Pyle},
title = {Pyle: Age determination and molt strategies in North American alcids 219 Marine Ornithology 37: 219–225 (2009) AGE DETERMINATION AND MOLT STRATEGIES IN NORTH AMERICAN ALCIDS},
year = {2009}
}
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Abstract
I examined 3442 specimens and measured the width of the premaxillary process at the gape (“gape width”) in 2245 specimens to determine age and to trace molt patterns in 20 species of North American alcids during the first, second and definitive cycles. Gape width became significantly wider with age in specimens of all 20 species; 95 % confidence intervals are presented as a preliminary guide to help age carcasses and live alcids in the hand. In order to trace presumed homologous molts across alcid taxa, results on molt are presented using standardized nomenclature. Terminology for first prebasic molts relative to the natal grounds in murres, razorbills and Synthliboramphus murrelets are proposed, nomenclature for the divergent molts of puffins are clarified and ornamental plumes in certain murrelets and auklets are considered basic rather than “breeding ” or alternate feathers. Guidelines are presented for the sampling of up to three generations of feathers from a single individual in studies using stable isotopes, and in turn, the use of isotopes to study molt patterns is encouraged. I suggest that ancestral alcids exhibited a Complex Alternate Strategy (as do many other Charadriiformes) and that, over time, inserted molts have been lost or merged in certain species because of physical and environmental constraints. Key words: Alcidae, gape width, sampling guidelines, molt terminology, museum specimens
Keyphrases
north american alcids gape width age determination molt strategy marine ornithology molt pattern certain murrelets divergent molt first prebasic molt standardized nomenclature stable isotope environmental constraint key word alcid taxon ancestral alcids certain specie molt terminology live alcids premaxillary process synthliboramphus murrelets museum specimen ornamental plume preliminary guide alternate feather presumed homologous molt complex alternate strategy single individual age carcass definitive cycle natal ground confidence interval many charadriiformes
