Dabbling ducks disperse seeds

Temporal Flexibility of Reproduction in Temperate-Breeding Dabbling Ducks

—I compared nesting intervals during three consecutive years in five species of temperate-nesting dabbling ducks (Mallard [Anas platyrhynchos], Northern Pintail [Anas acuta], Northern Shoveler [Anas clypeata], Blue-winged Teal [Anas discors], Gadwall [Anas strepera]) and assessed whether differences existed in timing of refractoriness. Most nesting by females of all five species ended by the su...

Splash-cup plants accelerate raindrops to disperse seeds.

The conical flowers of splash-cup plants Chrysosplenium and Mazus catch raindrops opportunistically, exploiting the subsequent splash to disperse their seeds. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we elucidate their mechanism for maximizing dispersal distance. We fabricate conical plant mimics using three-dimensional printing, and use high-speed video to visualize splash profiles...

Condition dependence of iridescent wing flash-marks in two species of dabbling ducks.

Growing empirical evidence supports the hypothesis of male mate choice for female ornaments which are thought to reflect individual quality and future breeding ability. While structural colors are clearly used in mate choice and pairing, the condition dependence of such traits is less obvious, particularly in females. We present spectral measurements of wing flash-marks in two species of dabbli...

Patterns of Variation in Clutch Sizes in a Guild of Temperate-Nesting Dabbling Ducks

Phylogeny and Biogeography of Dabbling Ducks (genus: Anas): a Comparison of Molecular and Morphological Evidence

--We constructed a phylogeny for the dabbling ducks (tribe Anatini) based on cytochrome-b and ND2 mitochondrial gene DNA sequences. This phylogeny differed in several important respects from a morphological phylogeny developed by Livezey (1991), including the distinctiveness ofthe blue-winged ucks from other dabbling ducks, the inclusion of the genus Tachyeres and exclusion of Callonetta from t...