<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The woodpecker family (Picidae) includes numerous species that vary in size and plumage colouration, but which share many easily recognisable external features. These birds possess pronounced anatomical adaptions that enable them to exploit arboreal habitats and live in niches that are inaccessible to most other birds. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge on the relationships between skull shape, habitat preference, pecking abilities and foraging habits of 10 European woodpecker species. A geometric morphometric approach was used to analyse two-dimensional cranial landmarks. We used principal component (PC) analyses on those measurements that may be related to habitat preference and foraging habits. The PCs resulted in descriptions of the relative length and width of the bill, variation in its relative size, orientation of the nostrils variation in the elongation of the <italic>neurocranium,</italic> the relative size and position of the palatine bone, length of the <italic>rostrum</italic>, and the thickness of the mandible bone. The analysis showed and confirmed the presence of some cranial elements that are strongly associated with habitat preference, pecking behaviour and excavation abilities.</p>
</abstract>

The woodpecker family (Picidae) includes numerous species that vary in size and plumage colouration, but which share many easily recognisable external features. These birds possess pronounced anatomical adaptions that enable them to exploit arboreal habitats and live in niches that are inaccessible to most other birds. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge on the relationships between skull shape, habitat preference, pecking abilities and foraging habits of 10 European woodpecker species. A geometric morphometric approach was used to analyse two-dimensional cranial landmarks. We used principal component (PC) analyses on those measurements that may be related to habitat preference and foraging habits. The PCs resulted in descriptions of the relative length and width of the bill, variation in its relative size, orientation of the nostrils variation in the elongation of the neurocranium, the relative size and position of the palatine bone, length of the rostrum, and the thickness of the mandible bone. The analysis showed and confirmed the presence of some cranial elements that are strongly associated with habitat preference, pecking behaviour and excavation abilities.

Diversity of cranial shape in European Woodpecker species (Picidae)

Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology

Department of Paleontology, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences

Department of Anatomy, Cell- and Developmental Biology

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Diversity of cranial shape in European Woodpecker species (Picidae)"}

The woodpecker family (Picidae) includes numerous species that vary in size and plumage colouration, but which share many easily recognisable external...

Diversity of cranial shape in European Woodpecker species (Picidae)

Published Online: Jun 09, 2023

Page range: 111 - 125

Received: Feb 27, 2023

Accepted: May 16, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0007

Keywords
woodpecker, skull shape, cranial morphology, morphometrics, anatomy, mandibles, kinetics, habitat preference

© 2023 Tibor Pecsics et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Diversity of cranial shape in European Woodpecker species (Picidae)

Published Online: Jun 09, 2023

Page range: 111 - 125

Received: Feb 27, 2023

Accepted: May 16, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0007

Keywordswoodpecker, skull shape, cranial morphology, morphometrics, anatomy, mandibles, kinetics, habitat preference

© 2023 Tibor Pecsics et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
woodpecker, skull shape, cranial morphology, morphometrics, anatomy, mandibles, kinetics, habitat preference