"We studied yellow-green vireos, 30 nestlings
from 14 nests" and they go on to admit they lost 17 to parasitic fly larva,
not pretty. All were wild-caught and raised inside under electric lights, to
record when they moulted, fattened, and started getting antsy with migratory
urges.
Even when kept out of sunlight, they moulted, accumulated
fat reserves, and got nervous about migration. This suggests an internal (endogenous)
biological clock (control of these processes). "These three processes synchronized
among juveniles, regardless of hatch day or how old they were, which ever comes
first."
JUMPED_TO CONCLUSION: "We conclude, therefore, that
moult, migratory fattening and the onset of migration in juvenile yellow-green
vireos are not driven by proximate environmental cues at the time of their expression
but rather by endogenous programmes."
Comic relief: "Juvenile age … (at the onset of moult
or at any similar synchronous event, like morning, noon, date or week)… decreased
significantly with later hatch dates."
They try Argument Debunking: "Some might argue that
social factors might influence moult, fat accumulation and migratory restlessness.
The Nocturnal (Why do they specify nocturnal?) migratory activity of Older (vireos)
might (trigger) others to moult, accumulate fat, get restlessness.
Their BIG MISTAKE: "We neither visually nor acoustically
isolated each of the captive juveniles; however, we feel it is unlikely for
several reasons."
"We could not,however, prevent the potential influence
of other seasonal environmental variables such as temperature and humidity.
(EMERGENCY MANEUVER: Rely on Other "Experts" instead
of your own evidence.) "To date, no experimental evidence exists that slight
changes in temperature and humidity exert proximate control of moult or migration
in birds… (In our study) weekly temperature and humidity… fluctuated to such
an extent that the slight change in mean temperature and humidity over the entire
course of the experiment may not have provided a very reliable seasonal cue."
Did they forget to say "the mean DAILY temperature, or HOURLY humidity" etc.?
What about angle of the sun? A particular constellation in the Zenith? Sounds
of some other Seasonal animal, or smells of certain nuts and flowers…? We may
never know, if institutions throw money to bozos like these two for "scientific
study".
Their "Three-point Debunk" of the Older Bird's Influence
argument:
"First, older vireos on average(!? Then some did?)
did not express migratory restlessness any earlier … than … younger vireos.
"Second, all (our) juvenile vireos … started to
moult before any individual expressed nocturnal activity; therefore, migratory
restlessness in older birds did not advance at least the onset (!!? Insinuates
evidence that older birds' behavior advanced the process!?!) of moult in younger
vireos…
"Third, (Quick! Rely on Other "Experts" again!!)
in three decades of similar experimentation (with) over 5000 nestling birds
of (over ) 100 species, hand-reared … under simulated photoperiods (electric
lights), no evidence suggests moult, fat accumulation, or the expression of
nocturnal migratory behaviour by older individuals advances the onset (Onset
again!?!) of these processes in younger individuals.
FATAL OVERSIGHT: What about the Older Vireos' songs,
or some not-so-obvious older bird PHEROMONES or Other "older bird" Behaviors,
like eating more? Huh? Think you might want to truly isolate those nestlings
next time?
THEIR BREATHLESS SUMMATION, as they grab their hats
and coats: "Although (our) limited sample size … precludes a definitive interpretation
… the evidence (Rely on Other "Experts") overwhelmingly supports (the argument
for) the influence of a seasonal change in day length, either directly or indirectly,
as the primary cause of calendar effects in juvenile development
So why did they even bother with this study at all?
A chance to get work on their doctorates, get published, or gain points toward
tenure on a visit to Panama's exotic San Juan Islands to pick up a couple more
Molas for that empty wall space over the couch? Couldn't they think of a better
way, more scientifically controlled, to do something more than fill the muddy
footprints of Other Experts? Something, dare I say it: Brave, innovative, outside
the box, i.e. worthwhile?
