Code and data for manuscript analyses / R version 4.5.1 / "Foraging Behavior and Ecology Drive the Evolution of Humerus Shape in Hummingbirds" / How do tiny hummingbirds balance agility, power, and efficiency in flight? By analyzing humeral shape across 80 species, we uncover how body size, foraging behavior, and geographic distribution shape this key wing bone. Traplining and territorial species exhibit partially distinct humeral morphologies consistent with their contrasting flight demands, and trapliners evolve humeral form at significantly faster rates. Strong evolutionary integration between proximal and distal regions shows that changes in one part of the bone propagate through the entire structure. Our findings reveal how ecology, biomechanics, and evolutionary history interact to shape the hummingbird skeleton.
by: Juan Camilo Ríos-Orjuela (7304462)
Published: (2025)