The Effect of Shape on the Surface-Volume Relationships of Birds' Eggs

1976/01/01 by Donald F. Hoyt · 6 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Plant Reproductive Biology #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Animal Nutrition and Physiology

paper · doi:10.2307/1367694

Abstract

Ornithologists have rarely succeeded in demonstrating any functional significance of the differences in the shapes of birds' eggs.Presumably, egg shape is the result of natural selection.If so, differences in shape must reflect adaptations to different environmental conditions, and an understanding of the selective advantages of different egg shapes would provide some broader insights into avian biology.gated the effect of shape on the surface-volume relationship of birds' eggs.Having discovered a systematic effect of shape, I have improved the accuracy with which egg surface area can be predicted from simple measurements.Additionally, I have developed a simple and accurate device for measuring volume.

Citations

• The Avian Egg: Surface Area, Volume, and Density
• The Avian Egg: Water Vapor Conductance, Shell Thickness, and Functional Pore Area

Cited by

• Dinosaur eggs: gas conductance through the shell, water loss during incubation and clutch size
• The Auca Mahuevo nesting site (Upper Cretaceous, Argentina), revisited: new insights into the structural diversity and incubation mode of titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) eggs
• Variation in avian egg shape and nest structure is explained by climatic conditions. [europepmc]
• A new, three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach to assess egg shape. [europepmc]
• A consistent long-lasting pattern of spatial variation in egg size and shape in blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ). [europepmc]
• Pear-Shaped Eggs Evolved to Maximize the Surface Area-to-Volume Ratio, Increase Metabolism, and Shorten Incubation Time in Birds. [europepmc]

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