title: Ecological importance of the thermal emissivity of avian eggshells.
abstract: Breeding birds have to divide their time between egg incubation and foraging. Particularly in cases when only one parent incubates the eggs, and especially in cold climates, the cooling of the eggs during absence from the nest may be problematic. In the present study we find that the thermal emissivity of eggshells may be ecologically important, and that an evolutionary pressure towards lower emissivity for exposed eggs in cold climates exists. We plan to experimentally compare emissivities among species in a future study.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China. Lars_Olof.Bjorn@biol.lu.se
authors.forename: Lars Olof
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Björn
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Uvdal
authors.forename: Shaoshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008954:Models, Biological; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors