Maniraptor News

I will update this page with news related to maniraptors and link to websites that discuss these finds, the newest updates at the top.

News from past years can be found archived here.

2026
4/15

• Hemiplasy helps explain high rates of apparent morphological convergence in neoavians
• Body size and lekking behaviour influence song in cotingids
• Degeneration and adaptive evolution of digits in paleognaths
• Incubation strategy and hatching start time affect duration of the nestling period in Arctic-breeding Calidris
• Artificial selection for increased reproductive effort accelerates actuarial senescence in Coturnix japonica

4/13

• Variation in food availability affects population age structure of Fratercula arctica

4/9

• Island–mainland song divergence decoupled from genetic and geographic distance in Zosterops lateralis
• Diversification of the Thamnomanes caesius and Thamnomanes schistogynus species complex
• Migratory and breeding behavior of Rallus aquaticus in Scotland

4/7

• Post-hatching development of the bill-tip organ in scolopacids
• Taxonomy of Aburria

4/6

• Functional morphology of the jaw in Ara ararauna
• Variability and stability of rewarded behavior in Columba livia
• Seasonal variation in trophic niche and resource use in Larus marinus
• Growth, movement, and survival of Limosa haemastica chicks constrained by local conditions

4/3

• Robustness and resilience to declining temperature predict reproductive outcomes in Tachycineta bicolor
• Laying order predicts maternal investment in egg yolk hormones and nutrients but not embryo size in Turdus migratorius

4/2

• Effects of Gallirallus australis on breeding success of Ardenna grisea
• Interactions between Bubo bubo and Astur gentilis
• Photoperiod but not testosterone increases basal metabolic rate in Passer domesticus

4/1

• Relationship between morphological variability and extinction in drepanidins
• Within-individual changes in mitochondrial DNA copy number across the life course and links to individual performance in Taeniopygia guttata
• Past distribution of otidiforms in Bulgaria

3/31

• Evolutionary shifts in avian rhodopsin function
• Rhamphothecal microstructure in Gallus gallus domesticus
• Caprimulgid fossils from the Quaternary of Cuba

3/30

• Breeding ecology and niche differentiation of bucerotids in China

3/29

• Oxidative stress constrains avian mate choice in Taeniopygia castanotis

3/27

• Nectar-feeding mechanism of nectariniids
• Pleistocene–Holocene avian community transitions based on sedimentary metagenomics

3/26

• New avialan Eschatornis aterradora
• Origin of the triosseal canal in ornithothoraceans
• Spectral transmittance of the ocular media in procellariiforms and suliforms

3/25

• Evaluation of variation in Solnhofen avialans
• Expression of SCARB1 in feather follicles necessary but not sufficient for carotenoid-based feather pigmentation in Erythrura gouldiae
• Maniraptoran egg from the Quantou Formation

3/24

• Diversification of Euphonia hirundinacea
• RAG1-independent atypical B cell development in Gallus gallus domesticus

3/22

• Struthio eggshell remains as taxonomic and paleoenvironmental indicators

3/20

• Review of infections as added oxidative costs of avian migration

3/19

• High temperatures inhibit quantity discrimination of conspecifics in Parus major

3/18

• Latitude-driven changes in diel rhythms in Rissa tridactyla
• Nest site fidelity in Mycteria leucocephala

3/17

• New avialan Phylloscopus tokaraensis
• Redescription of Bonapartenykus ultimus
• Incubation efficiency of oviraptorid eggs
• Solo songs, duets and territory defence across seasons in female Setophaga petechia aureola
• Implications of leaving or remaining at natal site during early stages of independence in Platalea leucorodia

3/16

• Mechanics of avian dust bathing
• Impact of sequential organization on auditory same/different discrimination by Columba livia
• Pteropod predation by Pygoscelis adeliae
• New specimen of Yaverlandia bitholus

3/15

• Phylogeny of columbiforms
• Rangewide connectivity and migration ecology in Limnothlypis swainsonii
• Egg color influences egg removal by Cuculus canorus

3/14

• Comparative analysis of plasma steroid hormone levels in Afro-Eurasian passeriforms

3/13

• Challenges associate with microbiome diversity, glucocorticoids, and condition in Cardinalis cardinalis

3/12

• Corvus corax anticipate Canis lupus kill sites across broad scales
• Effects of temporal arrangement and landmark stability in a spatial occasion setting task with Columba livia
• Phylogeny of Butorides
• No effect in plasma corticosterone levels after observation of diseased conspecifics in Serinus canaria

3/11

• Multiannual environmental forcing shapes breeding phenology and success in Aptenodytes patagonicus
• Influence of behavioral contingency on developmental song learning in young Taeniopygia guttata tutored by a robot
• Ontogenetic evidence of socially learned call sequences in Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis
• Social familiarity strengthens neural and vocal responses to conspecific calls in Taeniopygia guttata
• Movement networks of breeding Larus marinus and Larus smithsonianus reveal differential capacity for habitat connectivity across populations

3/10

• Evolution of carotenoid-based bare-part ornamentation in charadriiforms
• Large-bodied and wide-beaked avian frugivores show greater specialization in tropical seed dispersal networks
• Intra- and inter-specific competition interact in Cyanistes caeruleus and Parus major
• Spatial genetic structure and connectivity in Phaethon rubricauda

3/9

• Past colony connectivity of Rissa tridactyla
• Pandion haliaetus haliaetus predation on Glaucostegus halavi

3/8

• Fine-scale patterns of genetic structure in tyrannideans from the Purus–Madeira interfluve
• Survival of Coragyps atratus

3/7

• Environmental correlates of spatio-temporal patterns of color variation in Buteo buteo
• Mandibular shape variation in domestic anatids

3/6

• Influence of rivers and the environment on avian taxon composition across lowland Amazonia
• Developmental patterns of ductus arteriosus morphology in Gallus gallus domesticus embryos

3/5

• Osteology of the feeding apparatus of Phoenicopterus chilensis
• Molecular evolution of a sex-linked inversion polymorphism in Taeniopygia guttata
• Reproductive senescence in Falco eleonorae
• Foraging strategies of Astur gentilis in the Białowieża Forest
• Phenotypic variation in Ardeotis arabs
• Composite identity of Psittacus galgulus

3/4

• Predisposed and learned preferences for multipoint visual statistics in newly hatched Gallus gallus domesticus
• Socially learnt predator recognition in nestling Coloeus monedula
• Parabuteo unicinctus morph from an unstable to stable state when navigating gaps

3/3

• Variation in avian wing length canalization and behavior

3/2

• How and why avian reproductive success varies in response to precipitation

2/28

• Variation in avian infrared radiation
• Hypervigilance as an adaptive strategy to multiple risks in Acrocephalus arundinaceus

2/27

• Eye morphology of avians

2/26

• Genomic adaptations to sugar consumption in avians
• Drivers of anseriform cranial and hindlimb skeleton evolution
• Phylogeny of Eocene zygodactyl avians
• Flexibility in provisioning behaviour in Cyanopica cooki

2/25

• New specimen of Alnashetri cerropoliciensis
• Developmental underpinnings of morphological disparity in the avian palate
• Territoriality modulates the coevolution of cooperative breeding and female song in oscines
• How exploratory traits shape juvenile post-fledging behavior and survival in Larus fuscus
• Terrestrial habitat use of male Macronectes breeding at Marion Island
• Flight calls of eastern and western Haemorhous purpureus are diagnostically different
• Breeding season survival of female Meleagris gallopavo silvestris across the southeastern United States

2/24

• New avialan Gorgonavis alcyone
• Species-specific biofluorescent casque patterns in Casuarius
• Recognition of predator odors by meliphagids
• Sexual dimorphism in juvenile skull shape of Tachymarptis melba

2/23

• Niche divergence and expansion in pezoporins
• Avian tracks from the Vinchina Formation

2/20

• Skull evolution in picids via articular innovation and allometric decoupling facilitates pecking performance
• Avialan eggs from the Ilseongsan Formation

2/19

• Evidence of the bouba-kiki effect in juvenile Gallus gallus domesticus
• Variation in use of external migratory cues by Scolopax minor
• Ecological harshness has a weak influence on reproductive trade-offs in Parus major

2/18

• Diet of Accipiter striatus and Astur cooperii

2/17

• New avialan Meterchen luti
• Behavioural and fitness effects of experimental immune activation during incubation in Ficedula hypoleuca

2/15

• Long-term stability of dominance hierarchies in Cacatua galerita

2/13

• New avialan Rhynchaeites mcfaddeni
• Review of troodontid diet

2/12

• Cervical morphology of pelecanimorphs
• Male Chlamydera nuchalis upregulate multiple sexual signals following bower wall removal
• Complex communication in Amazona auropalliata
• Vocal mimicry in Perisoreus

2/11

• Pelagornis could not meet the energetic demands of skimming
• Conformity and individual preference shape nest material use in Taeniopygia guttata
• Simple mechanistic traits outperform complex syndromes in predicting avian dispersal distances

2/10

• Photic niche explains avian behavioral responses to solar eclipses
• Seasonal variation in coprophagic foraging in Pyrrhocorax graculus
• Breeding biology of Agelasticus cyanopus
• Habitat use of Antrostomus vociferus at the Altona Flat Rock
• Review of river influence on marine avian foraging ecology

2/6

• New avialans Cercomacra mura and Cercomacra raucisona
• Drivers of seasonal avian distribution in mountains

2/5

• Social origins of vocal sequences in Taeniopygia guttata (and Homo sapiens)
• Ancient gene flow shapes phylogenetic discordance in Leiothlypis
• Lower dive effort for solitary Morus bassanus compared with those in groups

2/4

• Role of tensegrity in the diversity of avian postural stability
• Latitude and communal living associated with evolution of joint territory defense in American oscines
• Sex-role reversal and the Bateman gradient in Centropus
• Temporal dynamics of selection on early-life phenotypic plasticity in seasonal migration in Gulosus aristotelis

2/3

• Genomic history of oscines in the Himalayas–Hengduan Mountains

2/2

• Torpor in Cheramoeca leucosterna
• Phylogenetic position of mohoids
• Allometric relationship between bill length and bill-clattering display rhythm in ciconiids
• Egg recognition and nestling discrimination in Pycnonotus cafer
• Response of incubating Sericornis frontalis to information about danger
• Indicatorids from the Varswater Formation

2/1

• Niche pre-emption as a constraint on morphological evolution in passeridans

1/31

• Females are larger and less detected than males but experience similar annual survival in Eleothreptus anomalus

1/30

• Environmental drivers of Pterodroma vagrancy in the Southwest Pacific
• Aramides cajaneus from the La Esperanza Formation

1/29

• New avialans Vegavis geitononesos and Vegavis notopothousa
• Genetic and morphological basis of local adaptation to elevational extremes in Leucosticte tephrocotis dawsoni

1/28

• Avian species with similar effect traits maintain temporal stability of community functions under tropical cyclone disturbance
• Nest tails as disruptive camouflage in Chiroxiphia caudata
• Perisoreus infaustus help conspecifics in distress regardless of social familiarity
• Holistic motor control of Taeniopygia guttata song syllable sequences
• Morphological assessment of species limits in the Tyto alba species complex

1/27

• Morphological integration in avian foot forms
• Functional morphology of the avian neck compared to crocodylians
• Evolutionary history of delayed plumage maturation in piprids
• Progression of genetic and trait introgression in Ramphocelus flammigerus hybrid zones
• Factors affecting frontline host defences against avian brood parasitism
• Parallel divergence patterns of Poecile montanus and Poecile palustris in China

1/26

• New avialans Porphyrio claytongreenei and Strigops insulaborealis
• Evolution of the avian jaw joint and middle ear
• Gliding aerodynamics of Microraptor

1/24

• Social and ecological factors associated with innovation in urban Cacatua galerita

1/23

• Phylogeny of Garrulus

1/22

• Development of the abdominal musculature in the Gallus gallus domesticus embryo

1/21

• Oxygen-free metabolism in the avian inner retina supported by the pecten
• Phylogeny of anseriforms
• A plumage patch signalling nest occupancy is shaped by social environment in Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
• Molt phenology reflects breeding investment and intrinsic constraints in Pygoscelis adeliae
• Alerting and orienting attention in anti-predator vigilance of Aphelocoma coerulescens
• Recent breeding experience improves egg ejection behavior in Hirundo rustica
• Distress calls as social stressors in Gallus gallus domesticus

1/20

• Postnatal skull and cervical development of picines

1/19

• Bone histology of phorusrhacids
• Female Acrocephalus scirpaceus in social pairs with low MHC dissimilarity achieve higher MHC dissimilarity through random extra-pair mating
• Thryophilus rufalbus respond more strongly to experimentally simulated predators near their nest

1/16

• Ecological niche differences underlie assembly of endemic avians in acrobiont forests of northern Mesoamerica
• Species limits in Platyrinchus mystaceus

1/14

• Prevalence of super black plumage in Lepidothrix
• Drivers of the evolution of avian innate immune defences
• Development of the avian acrocoracoid process

1/13

• Drivers of aquatic avian extinction in Hawaiʻi
• Plumage color of male Lepidothrix coronata predicts female visitation rates but does not signal avian haemosporidian infection
• Early-life social instability affects aggression but not response inhibition in Gallus gallus domesticus

1/12

• New specimens of Hassiavis laticauda
• Interplay between syllable duration and pitch during whistle matching in Luscinia megarhynchos
• Diving ecology of Procellaria

1/11

• Review of the evolution of obligate avian scavengers

1/9

• Quantifying unrecorded loss of avian phylogenetic diversity
• Combinatoriality within the vocal repertoire of Porphyrio melanotus melanotus

1/8

• New troodontid Xenovenator espinosai
• Diversification of Troglodytes musculus
• Divergent migratory strategies of Cepphus grylle

1/7

• Quantitative characterization of melanin-based feather color
• Variation in visual displays of Phylloscopus from discrete modifications of motion

1/6

• Physiological role for pheomelanin in Taeniopygia guttata
• Genetic population structure in Eudyptes moseleyi

1/5

• Poecile atricapillus behavioral responses to predator mounts of varying threat levels
• Demographic pathways linking environmental covariates to population dynamics in Ficedula hypoleuca
• Vocal repertoire and acoustic cues to individual identity in Eudyptes moseleyi

1/2

• Comment and response on the evolution of avian cranial kinesis

1/1

• New avialan Hylophilus moxensis