Intraspecific trait variation shapes macro-scale patterns ofniche breadth and range size

Abstract

Morphological variation within species may promote adaptation across ecological and geographic space, perhaps reflecting evolutionary plasticity and adaptability. Based on this concept, species with greater intraspecific variation in morphological traits may be expected to occupy broader ecological niches and larger geographic ranges. However, even in the age of global trait datasets, intraspecific morphological variation remains poorly quantified at broad taxonomic and geographic scales, limiting our understanding of how trait flexibility shapes ecological and biogeographic patterns. Focusing on 161 species of bulbuls, a widespread avian family containing some of the most abundant bird species in the world, along with some of the rarest and most restricted in range, we conducted global-scale sampling of morphological traits. These included beak shape, tarsus length and wing length, associated with dietary niche, foraging strategy and dispersal, respectively. Using phylogenetic models, we tested whether ecological niche breadth and geographical range size are predicted by intraspecific morphological variation quantified from 8,251 museum specimens and 5,627 live captures. Our results demonstrate that morphological trait variation predicts both ecological niche breadth and geographic range size. Furthermore, widespread species exhibit greater morphological variation than restricted-range species even when comparisons are constrained to equivalent geographic extents, consistent with the hypothesis that intraspecific trait variation facilitates range expansion rather than simply accumulating as a consequence of occupying a larger range. These results identify intraspecific morphological variation as a potentially important, yet largely overlooked, predictor of ecological traits and biogeographic distributions in birds.