• Completed Wildlife Biology Masters Program. University of Montana 2007.

• Licentiate (B.S.) in Biology with Zoology Orientation. 2003. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Argentina.

• Curriculum Vita

Influence of embryonic metabolic rate and incubation temperature on incubation length variation in neotropical passerines

Causes of interspecific variation in embryonic developmental periods are poorly understood. Larger species generally need a longer time to develop due to allometric constraints. However, allometry does not explain variation in incubation periods in neotropical passerines. Instead, recent evidence demonstrated that incubation temperature experienced by embryos explains some of the interspecific variation in developmental periods, but variation remains for the same temperature. Metabolic rate has not been examined as a possible cause of variation in embryonic development among bird species. Yet, species typically differ in their metabolic rates. Assuming these differences are similarly manifested in embryos, they may explain some variation in rate of embryonic development. At the same time, metabolic rate is strongly temperature dependent and, therefore, may interact with incubation temperature in development. We measured embryonic metabolic rate at four temperatures experienced by embryos among 17 neotropical passerine species. We examined whether differences among species in metabolic rate and incubation temperature explain interspecific variation in incubation periods in neotropical birds. Our results indicate that oxygen consumption rate on a mass-specific basis explains significant amount of residual variation in embryonic developmental periods among species after correcting for incubation temperature.

Progress:

The second and final field season in Venezuela has just ended. A total of 315 measurements of embryonic metabolism of eggs of 17 different tropical passerine species have been successfully performed. Data collected in 2006 was presented at the VII Neotropical Ornithological Congress in May 2007. Currently, thesis is in preparation for defense in December.