"Gull Egg Mass as a Function of Length and Width" by Melissa McCormick

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department

Mathematics

First Advisor

Shandelle Henson

Second Advisor

James L. Hayward

Abstract

The mass of a Glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) egg provides a convenient estimation of parental energy allocated towards reproduction. Obtaining accurate mass measurements, however, can be hindered by logistical constraints associated with field research. In this study, I create a mathematical model to estimate egg mass from easily determined measurements of length and width. Egg measurements were collected at a gull colony on Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, WA. These measurements facilitated the estimation and validation of model parameters. A multi-variable allometric model incorporating both length and width variables provided the best estimation of egg mass.

Subject Area

Glaucous-winged gull--Eggs--Mathematics, Birds--Eggs--Mathematics, Eggs.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/honors/38/

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