C. Sheard

Nest traits for the world's birds

The paper introduces a global database of bird nest traits and explores correlations between nest characteristics and environmental variables.

Anthropogenic nest material use correlates with human landscape modifications in a global sample of birds

The paper investigates global correlates of anthropogenic nest material use in birds, finding it correlates with human landscape modification and nesting environment, but not body mass or conservation status.

The macroevolutionary dynamics of mammalian sexual size dimorphism

The paper investigates the macroevolutionary dynamics of mammalian sexual size dimorphism, finding that male-biased SSD is more common and stable than female-biased SSD, with correlations to diet, social organisation, and body size.

Skeletal morphology of bird wings is determined by thermoregulatory demand for heat dissipation in warmer climates

This study shows that warmer climates correlate with longer wing bones in passerine birds due to increased heat dissipation demands during flight.

Tempo and mode of morphological evolution are decoupled from latitude in birds

This study examines how latitude affects the tempo and mode of morphological evolution in birds, finding weak and clade-dependent effects.

The latitudinal gradient in hand-wing-index: global patterns and predictors of wing morphology in birds

The paper presents a global dataset of avian hand-wing index (HWI) and shows it correlates with latitude, migration, and temperature variability, providing a dispersal ability index for ecological studies.

Ecology, phylogeny, and the evolution of developmental duration in birds

This study investigates the factors influencing developmental duration in birds using phylogenetic and ecological data, finding that body size, ecology, and evolutionary history explain most of the variation.

Tempo and timing of ecological trait divergence in bird speciation

The paper examines the tempo and timing of ecological trait divergence in bird speciation, finding that trait divergence occurs in pulses followed by stasis and often precedes sympatry.