@jyang19.bsky.social
Ornithologist-to-be in data science, and vice versa. Now PhDing at Imperial College London. Pragmatic optimist.
Land-use change undermines the stability of avian functional diversity - new #OA @nature.com paper with @patrickawalkden.bsky.social @josephtobias.bsky.social, combining #PredictsProject with #Avonet doi.org/10.1038/s415...
27.11.2025 08:29 β π 32 π 15 π¬ 1 π 0
This Perspective discusses how the field of behavioural ecology has contributed to fundamental science and global challenges, ranging from understanding how natural selection leads to adaptation to optimizing biocontrol of pest species www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Free to read: rdcu.be/eRKbv
So much fun & learning happened in this PhD that it seemed impossible it could all fit in three years. Tremendous thanks to my supervisor @josephtobias.bsky.social , former lab mates & many friends @ra-barber.bsky.social, and Cris and Gavin for making the final day truly enjoyable.
18.10.2025 15:51 β π 4 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Scatterplot showing positive correlation between avian wing bone length and temperature across ~1500 bird species, along with diagrams comparing wing bones with low versus high proportional length
Another unexpected angle on bird wing evolution: skeletal measurements suggest that wing bone length is shaped not only by aerodynamics of flight but also by thermoregulation (1/4)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#macroecology #ornithology π§ͺπππͺΆ
New ποΈled by Alex Pigot - Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature -Standing biomass increases with richness when large-bodied spp are numerically rare but independent when spp size & abundance are uncoupled. @ucl.ac.uk - Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
21.03.2025 09:27 β π 70 π 34 π¬ 4 π 2This is my first PhD paper @imperiallifesci.bsky.social! and absolutely amazing teamwork with @josephtobias.bsky.social, @alexanderlees.bsky.social, Chenyue Yang, and @homewaylin.bsky.social. (8/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 9 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0π¨This paper is #OpenAccess and presents FOUR new global datasets β elevational ranges, flight modes, aerial lifestyle scores, and hand-wing areas for all birds β to facilitate research in ecology & evolution. Download here: doi.org/10.6084/m9.f.... (7/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 7 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Our results support the βthin-airβ hypothesis, suggesting that elevational constraints on flight efficiency are a general mechanism shaping wing evolution in flying animals. (6/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 4 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
We also show that wing-shape gradients are generally steeper at highest elevations, where aerodynamic and physiological challenges are most extreme. (5/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 5 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
The results of phylogenetic analyses on all extant birds confirm that species living at higher elevations have increased wing elongation (hand-wing index) and wing area, even accounting for 8 factors related to climate, habitat and species ecology, including migration. (4/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 5 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
However, testing this idea is not straightforward and previous results are mixed, partly because other factors associated with higher elevation - including elevational migration and differences in foraging ecology β may drive parallel or opposing trends in wing morphology. (3/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 7 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0Flying animals are proposed to have longer and larger wings at higher elevations to provide increased lift and improved flight efficiency, compensating for βthin-airβ effects including low air density and low oxygen supply. (2/8)
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 5 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
White-fronted Ground-tyrant, a resident species at extreme high elevations in the tropical Andes with very elongated wings. Photo: Matti RekilaΜ.
Do montane birds evolve more efficient wing shapes for flying at high elevations? Our global analysis published today suggests that they do! π§΅(1/8)β¬οΈ www.cell.com/current-biol....
21.03.2025 17:22 β π 48 π 15 π¬ 2 π 2
π¨ Macro-scale analyses linking bird traits and genomics reveal that the ancestors of modern birds underwent major pulses of evolutionary change related to ecological niche expansion immediately after the CretaceousβPalaeogene transition. π§ͺππͺΆ www.nature.com/articles/s41... @jyang19.bsky.social
20.03.2025 08:37 β π 19 π 6 π¬ 2 π 0
Arts of 2024 π¨ (from four.. continents! π²π)
31.12.2024 22:21 β π 3 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Big news! π My first PhD chapter has been published in @PLOSBiology, and it just made the cover! π¦π Perfect time to dive into the key findings from our global study on sexual selection in birds. π§΅π
π Read the paper: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
A must watch lecture on 50 years of advances in avian taxonomy & identification from PΓ€r AlstrΓΆm youtu.be/YDuUMbUOXJs?...
29.03.2024 18:23 β π 14 π 5 π¬ 2 π 1
