The material a bird selects for its nest depends on the dimensions of its beak, according to researchers.
Using data on nest materials for nearly 6,000 species of birds, a team based at the University of Bristol and the University of St Andrews utilized random forest models, a type of machine learning algorithm, to take data from bird beaks and try to predict what nest materials that species might use.
They found a surprisingly strong correlation. Using only information on beak shape and size, they were able to correctly predict broad nest material use in 60% of species, rising to 97% in some cases.
These findings, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, include a careful exploration of these models, investigating the ecological and evolutionary context behind these relationships. For example, not every species has the same access to all nest material types, which also affects these results.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Catherine Sheard of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences said, “We know a lot about primate hands, but not as much about how other animals use their limbs and mouths to manipulate objects. We’re very excited about the potential applications of our findings, to further explore how beak shape may have co-evolved with other aspects of nest building or other functions.”
2023-07-10 08:48:04
Post from phys.org