Simon C. Griffith
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View article: The thermal range of the wild zebra finch in developmental, reproductive, and phylogenetic contexts
The thermal range of the wild zebra finch in developmental, reproductive, and phylogenetic contexts Open
The zebra finch has been used in laboratory studies to understand the effects of ambient temperature on development and reproduction. We characterize the thermal range in which the species breeds in the wild in Australia. Our data reveal t…
View article: Recent Divergence and Microgeographic Genetic Structure in an Endangered Australian Songbird: The Southern Black‐Throated Finch
Recent Divergence and Microgeographic Genetic Structure in an Endangered Australian Songbird: The Southern Black‐Throated Finch Open
Anthropogenic habitat loss and climate change threaten global biodiversity. Effective conservation management is greatly benefited by a detailed understanding of geographic structure, genetic diversity, and demography of threatened species…
View article: Zebra finches produce soft laryngeal whistles during thermal panting that are not adaptive vocal signals
Zebra finches produce soft laryngeal whistles during thermal panting that are not adaptive vocal signals Open
Birds and mammals converged upon the same physical mechanism of vocal fold vibration1,2 to produce the wide variety of communicative vocal signals critical for their reproduction, social interactions, survi…
View article: Communication networks of wild zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia castanotis</i>)
Communication networks of wild zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia castanotis</i>) Open
Communication networks are widespread across species, permitting information flow and facilitating social connections across space and time. In birds, communication networks are well studied in territorial species with long-range songs con…
View article: The canary in the concrete jungle: how polluted towns make sparrows frail, anxious and old before their time
The canary in the concrete jungle: how polluted towns make sparrows frail, anxious and old before their time Open
View article: Linking performance to powerhouse: mitochondrial aerobic metabolism in blood cells reflects flight endurance of house sparrows ( <i>Passer domesticus</i> )
Linking performance to powerhouse: mitochondrial aerobic metabolism in blood cells reflects flight endurance of house sparrows ( <i>Passer domesticus</i> ) Open
Identifying the physiological mechanisms underpinning inter-individual differences in performance and fitness remains a key challenge in organismal biology. Variation in mitochondrial aerobic metabolism has been suggested to underlie inter…
View article: Programmed DNA elimination drives rapid genomic innovation in two thirds of all bird species
Programmed DNA elimination drives rapid genomic innovation in two thirds of all bird species Open
Bird genomes are among the most stable in terms of synteny and gene content across vertebrates. However, germline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs) represent a striking exception where programmed DNA elimination confines large-scale genomic ch…
View article: Spatial extent and age-related bioaccumulation of fluoride in the bones of house sparrows around aluminium smelting operations
Spatial extent and age-related bioaccumulation of fluoride in the bones of house sparrows around aluminium smelting operations Open
Industrial fluoride emissions negatively impact animal health and remain elevated over large areas surrounding point sources. Here, we examined the geographic and demographic determinants of fluoride exposure in 42 house sparrows (Passer d…
View article: Independent evolution of atypical sperm morphology in a passerine bird
Independent evolution of atypical sperm morphology in a passerine bird Open
Spermatozoa exhibit striking morphological variation across the animal kingdom. In passerine birds, sperm exhibit considerable variation in size, yet the basic sperm phenotype is highly conserved; sperm are filiform, the head is corkscrew-…
View article: Exposure to lead (Pb) contamination heightens predator avoidance behaviours in an urban bird
Exposure to lead (Pb) contamination heightens predator avoidance behaviours in an urban bird Open
View article: Telomere length declines with mean blood lead concentration in an urban passerine
Telomere length declines with mean blood lead concentration in an urban passerine Open
Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic and widespread environmental pollutant and can severely harm body tissues as well as DNA. Pb could potentially damage telomeres, whose length and shortening rate are linked with cellular senescence, physiologica…
View article: Function of Duet Coordination in a Territorial Socially Monogamous Bird
Function of Duet Coordination in a Territorial Socially Monogamous Bird Open
Duetting, a cooperative vocal behaviour performed by mated pairs, is a distinctive vocal behaviour among many species in specifically primates and birds. Yet, the exact features of duets that may make them a stronger territorial signal are…
View article: Recent historical bottlenecks and restricted gene flow in one of the last remaining stronghold populations of the southern black-throated finch (Poephila cincta cincta)
Recent historical bottlenecks and restricted gene flow in one of the last remaining stronghold populations of the southern black-throated finch (Poephila cincta cincta) Open
Habitat fragmentation is a key driver of reduced genetic connectivity and loss of genetic variation among populations, elevating the risk of inbreeding depression and reduced adaptive potential. The endemic, nationally endangered southern …
View article: Windy weather drives social structure in wild zebra finches
Windy weather drives social structure in wild zebra finches Open
Background Social connections may provide individuals with multiple benefits. Individuals, however, are often constrained in how they socially organize due to ecological and environmental factors that affect individual space-use and moveme…
View article: Experimental demonstration of functional divergence in mitochondrial metabolism between two finch subspecies subjected to a thermal challenge
Experimental demonstration of functional divergence in mitochondrial metabolism between two finch subspecies subjected to a thermal challenge Open
Whilst there is a growing appreciation that mitochondrial divergence across lineages is not selectively neutral, less work has examined the functional differences that may exist in closely divergent taxa. We measured mitochondrial oxygen c…
View article: Behavior across time and space – how large scale “trait-based” approaches can shape behavioral ecology
Behavior across time and space – how large scale “trait-based” approaches can shape behavioral ecology Open
Understanding the responses of organisms to environmental change is critical to tackling the grand challenges of 21st century biology. Fields such as ecophysiology and ecology have embraced these challenges and “re-invented” themselves in …
View article: The influence of temperature, humidity and wind on the daily visits to water by the Australian zebra finch
The influence of temperature, humidity and wind on the daily visits to water by the Australian zebra finch Open
The Australian zebra finch is an arid‐adapted passerine with high hygric demands, that is projected to be at risk from increasing temperature and aridity throughout its distribution by the end of the century. We examine here how individual…
View article: Recent divergence and microgeographic genetic structure in an endangered Australian songbird: the southern black-throated finch
Recent divergence and microgeographic genetic structure in an endangered Australian songbird: the southern black-throated finch Open
Anthropogenic habitat loss and climate change threaten global biodiversity. Effective conservation management requires a detailed understanding of geographic structure, genetic diversity, and demography of threatened species. The black-thr…
View article: Germline mutation rates and fine-scale recombination parameters in zebra finch
Germline mutation rates and fine-scale recombination parameters in zebra finch Open
Most of our understanding of the fundamental processes of mutation and recombination stems from a handful of disparate model organisms and pedigree studies of mammals, with little known about other vertebrates. To gain a broader comparativ…
View article: High spatial pair cohesion during and after breeding in a socially monogamous territorial passerine
High spatial pair cohesion during and after breeding in a socially monogamous territorial passerine Open
Long-term social monogamy, a prevalent mating system in avian species, is often associated with increased cooperation and coordination as well as reduced sexual conflict. Although many studies have highlighted the benefits of long-term par…
View article: Function of duet coordination in a territorial socially monogamous bird
Function of duet coordination in a territorial socially monogamous bird Open
Duetting, a cooperative vocal behaviour performed by mated pairs, is a distinctive vocal behaviour among many species in specifically primates and birds. The exact features of duets that may make them a stronger territorial signal is still…
View article: Same data, different analysts: variation in effect sizes due to analytical decisions in ecology and evolutionary biology
Same data, different analysts: variation in effect sizes due to analytical decisions in ecology and evolutionary biology Open
View article: Animal social networks are robust to changing association definitions
Animal social networks are robust to changing association definitions Open
View article: Spatial Extent and Age-Related Bioaccumulation of Fluoride in the Bones of House Sparrows Around Aluminium Smelting Operations
Spatial Extent and Age-Related Bioaccumulation of Fluoride in the Bones of House Sparrows Around Aluminium Smelting Operations Open
View article: Spatial Extent and Age-Related Bioaccumulation of Fluoride in the Bones of House Sparrows Around Aluminium Smelting Operations
Spatial Extent and Age-Related Bioaccumulation of Fluoride in the Bones of House Sparrows Around Aluminium Smelting Operations Open
View article: A single atom can change the colour of a bird. These are the genes responsible
A single atom can change the colour of a bird. These are the genes responsible Open
View article: Spread of yellow-bill-color alleles favored by selection in the long-tailed finch hybrid system
Spread of yellow-bill-color alleles favored by selection in the long-tailed finch hybrid system Open
View article: Constant companions: wild zebra finch pairs display extreme spatial cohesion
Constant companions: wild zebra finch pairs display extreme spatial cohesion Open
Many animals maintain long-term monogamous partnerships, but the extent to which partners associate varies substantially and has implications for the scope of cooperation between pair members. Zebra finches ( Taeniopygia castanosis ) are m…
View article: Mutation and recombination parameters in zebra finch are similar to those in mammals
Mutation and recombination parameters in zebra finch are similar to those in mammals Open
Most of our understanding of the fundamental processes of mutation and recombination stems from a handful of disparate model organisms and pedigree studies of mammals, with little known about other vertebrates. To gain a broader comparativ…
View article: Exposure to lead (Pb) contamination paradoxically heightens predator avoidance behaviours in an urban bird
Exposure to lead (Pb) contamination paradoxically heightens predator avoidance behaviours in an urban bird Open
To survive, prey animals must correctly assess and respond to predation, by vigilantly scanning their environment for threats, assessing predation risk through gaze aversion (responding fearfully to predator gaze), and escaping efficiently…