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1 June 2008 Sex Differentiation of Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis lusitanius): the Use of Biometrics, Bill Morphometrics and Wing Tip Coloration
Juan Arizaga, Asier Aldalur, Alfredo Herrero, David Galicia
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

We used feathers and skeletal measurements, white and black areas at the wing tip and bill morphometrics of Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis lusitanius) in order to test for possible sex-differences. Overall, 157 individuals from the eastern Bay of Biscay (N Spain) were measured, and the sex determined in 155 individuals, by means of DNA-analyses. All feathers and skeletal-associated measurements, except the distance between each primary (P1 to P5) feather and the wing tip in a folded wing varied between the sexes, with males being larger than females. Sexual selection is discussed to be the major cause explaining these differences. A discriminant function is provided to separate sexes. By contrast, both wing tip patterns of coloration and bill morphology did not vary between sex classes.

Juan Arizaga, Asier Aldalur, Alfredo Herrero, and David Galicia "Sex Differentiation of Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis lusitanius): the Use of Biometrics, Bill Morphometrics and Wing Tip Coloration," Waterbirds 31(2), 211-219, (1 June 2008). https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2008)31[211:SDOYGL]2.0.CO;2
Received: 17 May 2007; Accepted: 1 November 2007; Published: 1 June 2008
KEYWORDS
biometrics
Morphometrics
sex
the eastern bay of Biscay
wingtip coloration pattern
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis lusitanius)
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