The multifactorial nature of beak and skull shape evolution in parrots and cockatoos (Psittaciformes) (2019)
Journal Article
Bright, J. A., Marugán-Lobón, J., Rayfield, E. J., & Cobb, S. N. (2019). The multifactorial nature of beak and skull shape evolution in parrots and cockatoos (Psittaciformes). BMC evolutionary biology, 19(1), Article 104. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-019-1432-1

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: The Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are characterised by their large beaks, and are renowned for their ability to produce high bite forces. These birds also possess a suite of modifications to their cranial ar... Read More about The multifactorial nature of beak and skull shape evolution in parrots and cockatoos (Psittaciformes).

Feeding in Birds: Thriving in Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Niches (2019)
Book Chapter
Rico-Guevara, A., Sustaita, D., Gussekloo, S., Olsen, A., Bright, J., Corbin, C., & Dudley, R. (2019). Feeding in Birds: Thriving in Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Niches. In V. Bels, & I. Q. Whishaw (Eds.), Feeding in Vertebrates (643-693). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_17

We start with a general description of the structure of the feeding apparatus in birds (Sect. 17.1), then we describe the biomechanics of those parts (Sect. 17.2), including a review of contemporary approaches to the study of bird feeding morphology... Read More about Feeding in Birds: Thriving in Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Niches.

The evolutionary relationship among beak shape, mechanical advantage, and feeding ecology in modern birds (2018)
Journal Article
Navalón, G., Bright, J. A., Marugán‐Lobón, J., & Rayfield, E. J. (2019). The evolutionary relationship among beak shape, mechanical advantage, and feeding ecology in modern birds. Evolution, 73(3), 422-435. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13655

Extensive research on avian adaptive radiations has led to a presumption that beak morphology predicts feeding ecology in birds. However, this ecomorphological relationship has only been quantified in a handful of avian lineages, where associations a... Read More about The evolutionary relationship among beak shape, mechanical advantage, and feeding ecology in modern birds.

Correlates of rate heterogeneity in avian ecomorphological traits (2018)
Journal Article
Chira, A. M., Cooney, C. R., Bright, J. A., Capp, E. J. R., Hughes, E. C., Moody, C. J. A., …Thomas, G. H. (2018). Correlates of rate heterogeneity in avian ecomorphological traits. Ecology letters, 21(10), 1505-1514. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13131

Heterogeneity in rates of trait evolution is widespread, but it remains unclear which processes drive fast and slow character divergence across global radiations. Here, we test multiple hypotheses for explaining rate variation in an ecomorphological... Read More about Correlates of rate heterogeneity in avian ecomorphological traits.

Open data and digital morphology (2017)
Journal Article
Davies, T. G., Rahman, I. A., Lautenschlager, S., Cunningham, J. A., Asher, R. J., Barrett, P. M., …Donoghue, P. C. J. (2017). Open data and digital morphology. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1852), https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0194

Over the past two decades, the development of methods for visualizing and analysing specimens digitally, in three and even four dimensions, has transformed the study of living and fossil organisms. However, the initial promise that the widespread app... Read More about Open data and digital morphology.

Scaling and functional morphology in strigiform hind limbs (2017)
Journal Article
Rayfield, E. J., Madan, M. A., & Bright, J. A. (2017). Scaling and functional morphology in strigiform hind limbs. Scientific reports, 7, Article 44920. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44920

© The Author(s) 2017. Strigiformes are an order of raptorial birds consisting exclusively of owls: the Tytonidae (barn owls) and the Strigidae (true owls), united by a suite of adaptations aiding a keen predatory lifestyle, including robust hind limb... Read More about Scaling and functional morphology in strigiform hind limbs.

Mega-evolutionary dynamics of the adaptive radiation of birds (2017)
Journal Article
Cooney, C. R., Bright, J. A., Capp, E. J., Chira, A. M., Hughes, E. C., Moody, C. J., …Thomas, G. H. (2017). Mega-evolutionary dynamics of the adaptive radiation of birds. Nature, 542(7641), 344-347. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21074

The origin and expansion of biological diversity is regulated by both developmental trajectories and limits on available ecological niches. As lineages diversify, an early and often rapid phase of species and trait proliferation gives way to evolutio... Read More about Mega-evolutionary dynamics of the adaptive radiation of birds.

The shapes of bird beaks are highly controlled by nondietary factors (2016)
Journal Article
Bright, J. A., Marugán-Lobón, J., Cobb, S. N., & Rayfield, E. J. (2016). The shapes of bird beaks are highly controlled by nondietary factors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(19), 5352-5357. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1602683113

Bird beaks are textbook examples of ecological adaptation to diet, but their shapes are also controlled by genetic and developmental histories. To test the effects of these factors on the avian craniofacial skeleton, we conducted morphometric analyse... Read More about The shapes of bird beaks are highly controlled by nondietary factors.

Validation experiments on finite element models of an ostrich (Struthio camelus) cranium (2015)
Journal Article
Cuff, A. R., Bright, J. A., & Rayfield, E. J. (2015). Validation experiments on finite element models of an ostrich (Struthio camelus) cranium. PeerJ, 3(10), Article 1294. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1294

The first finite element (FE) validation of a complete avian cranium was performed on an extant palaeognath, the ostrich (Struthio camelus). Ex-vivo strains were collected from the cranial bone and rhamphotheca. These experimental strains were then c... Read More about Validation experiments on finite element models of an ostrich (Struthio camelus) cranium.

Finite element modelling predicts changes in joint shape and cell behaviour due to loss of muscle strain in jaw development (2015)
Journal Article
Brunt, L. H., Norton, J. L., Bright, J. A., Rayfield, E. J., & Hammond, C. L. (2015). Finite element modelling predicts changes in joint shape and cell behaviour due to loss of muscle strain in jaw development. Journal of biomechanics, 48(12), 3112-3122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.07.017

© 2015 The Authors. Abnormal joint morphogenesis is linked to clinical conditions such as Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) and to osteoarthritis (OA). Muscle activity is known to be important during the developmental process of joint morphoge... Read More about Finite element modelling predicts changes in joint shape and cell behaviour due to loss of muscle strain in jaw development.