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Small-Scale Divergence In Egg Color Along An Elevation Gradient In The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma Ultramarina): A Condition-Dependent Response?, John Mccormack, Elena Berg
Small-Scale Divergence In Egg Color Along An Elevation Gradient In The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma Ultramarina): A Condition-Dependent Response?, John Mccormack, Elena Berg
John E. McCormack
The functional significance of bird egg color and patterning is a continuing subject of interest and debate. Extreme polymorphism in eggshell appearance is often thought to be maintained by frequency-dependent selection operating within populations. However, variation could also be explained by small-scale differentiation combined with limited migration. Here, we report the existence of extreme variation in egg color in a population of Mexican Jays (Aphelocoma ultramarina) inhabiting a steep elevation and habitat gradient within a single mountain range, the Sierra del Carmen of Coahuila, Mexico. We quantified egg color of 143 eggs from 54 nests throughout the mountain range, using …