Response and explanatory variables used in regression analysis

The slow-paced life history of many Neotropical birds (e.g., high survival
and low fecundity) is hypothesized to increase lifetime fitness through
investments in self-maintenance over reproduction relative to their
temperate counterparts. Molt is a key investment in self-maintenance and
is readily shaped by environmental conditions. As such, variation in molt
strategies may be a key mechanism underlying life-history trade-offs and
adaptation to new environments. Here, we review molt strategies from a
diversity of lowland Neotropical landbirds and examine how variation in
molt strategies, characterized by differences in molt insertions, timing,
extent, and duration contribute to life-history variation and adaptation
to diverse ecological conditions. In addition to our synthesis, we present
a case study to examine the relationship between home range size and
duration of the definitive prebasic molt of a well-studied subset of
Amazonian landbirds. Our results suggest a connection between prolonged
molt duration and larger home range size of small-to-medium-sized
Amazonian landbirds. Our aims were to identify key gaps in our knowledge
of Neotropical bird molt, to stimulate further comparative studies into
the evolution of molt strategies, and to highlight how variation in molt
strategies may be a key mechanism underlying life-history variation across
latitudes.