Table 1.
Species’ mean body size (Size) is consistently a better predictor of rate of change in morphological traits (tarsus, bill, and wing lengths) than generation length (GL)
| Dataset | Morphological trait | Predictor | Mean estimate | Posterior support (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Tarsus length | Size | 6.19e-03 | 96.2 |
| GL | 6.32e-03 | 72.7 | ||
| Chicago | Bill length | Size | 9.97e-03 | 99.4 |
| GL | 6.42e-03 | 70.3 | ||
| Chicago | Wing length | Size | −3.15e-03 | 84.3 |
| GL | −6.82e-03 | 75.4 | ||
| Amazon | Body mass | Size | 5.00e-04 | 59.5 |
| Amazon | Wing length | Size | −4.03e-03 | 96.1 |
| Chicago & Amazon | Wing length | Size | −2.99e-03 | 96.4 |
Results are based on Bayesian hierarchical multispecies models that include all trait observations for Chicago, Amazon, and both datasets. Posterior support indicates % one-sided support.