干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Canonical discriminant analyses were used to assess whether four populations of Cape sparrows varied in body size and shape according to predictions from Bergmann’s Rule. In accordance with Bergmann’s Rule, birds from two hot, arid Namib desert sites (Namib 1 and Namib 2) were smaller than birds from two cool, mesic Transvaal sites. If heat dissipation through extremities (tarsi) is important to reduce water lost from evaporative cooling, birds under hot conditions in dry environments (Namib 2) should have longer tarsi than those in more humid hot environments (Namib 1). Contrary to this, males at Namib 2 had relatively longer wings but shorter tarsi than at Namib 1, and female relative tarsus length did not vary between desert sites.