J. Tobias

Biophysical constraints on avian adaptation and diversification

This study shows that bird beak and body shapes are constrained by biophysical trade-offs, leading to specialized forms and faster evolutionary turnover at the extremes of morphospace.

Land use configuration shapes climate change risk to gallery forests in a savannah ecosystem

The paper assesses how land use configuration modifies climate change risks to gallery forests in a savannah ecosystem, showing elevated risks in protected areas due to interactions between rainfall change and cropland distribution.

Constraints on avian seed dispersal reduce potential for resilience in degraded tropical forests

The paper quantifies defaunation of seed-dispersing birds in degraded tropical forests and finds reduced functional trait diversity and limited seed dispersal potential in degraded areas.

A fast-slow trait continuum at the level of entire communities

The paper shows that slow and fast functional strategies manifest at the ecosystem level, driven by disturbance and resource availability in grassland communities.

Species-specific traits mediate avian demographic responses under past climate change

The paper reconstructs demographic histories of 263 bird species using whole-genome sequences and identifies trait networks influencing population size changes in response to climate warming and cooling.

Diversity reduces extinction risk at global scales

The paper shows that more diverse bird assemblages have lower extinction risk despite containing species with extinction-prone traits.

The latitudinal gradient in rates of evolution for bird beaks, a species interaction trait

This study examines bird beak evolution rates across latitudes, finding similar beak size evolution but faster beak shape evolution in temperate zones, supporting the empty niches hypothesis.

Tempo and mode of morphological evolution are decoupled from latitude in birds

This study examines how latitude affects the tempo and mode of morphological evolution in birds, finding weak and clade-dependent effects.

Range-wide spatial mapping reveals convergent character displacement of bird song

The paper shows that bird song traits converge in sympatric zones of two antbird species, contradicting classic character displacement theory and suggesting social selection drives this pattern.

Behavior influences range limits and patterns of coexistence across an elevational gradient in tropical bird diversity

This study examines how behavioral interactions influence elevational range limits and coexistence patterns in tropical bird sister pairs across an elevational gradient.