A juvenile Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) sits on its nest platform high in an old-growth Douglas fir.

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A juvenile Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) sits on its nest platform high in an old-growth Douglas fir. The Marbled Murrelet is an endangered seabird. A recent study used age-ratio analysis of museum specimens collected from 1892-1922 to measure long-term demographic changes in this species. Researchers compared the long-term demography with contemporary estimates and predictions from life history theory. Historic reproduction rates estimated from the museum specimens matched predictions from comparative analysis, but it was 8–9 times greater than contemporary estimates. Adult survival was similar. Historic reproductive rates would support stable populations, but current rates should result in population declines. Using museum specimens to reconstruct historic demography is a unique method used to identify causes of decline and set benchmarks for the recovery of endangered species. This photograph originally appeared on the cover of Ecology (88:2) in February of 2007.

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Primary or BEN resource type	Photograph
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Format	jpeg
Ecological Core Concept	Populations -- Population growth and regulation Populations Applied ecology -- Conservation Applied ecology
Drought & Water-Ecosystem Services Collection	Off
Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection	Off
Big Data Collection	Off
Editor's Choice	No
Audience	Undergraduate upper division 15-16 Undergraduate lower division 13-14
Pedagogical Use Description	This photograph can be used to illustrate a Marbled Murrelet in its native habitat, an endangered species, or the use of museum specimens to estimate historic demographics and inform conservation decisions.
Keywords	demography, reproduction, reproduction rate, museum, history, specimen, endangered species, seabird
Key taxa	Marbled Murrelet, Brachyramphus marmoratus
Life science discipline (subject)	Ecology
Primary Author Controlled Name	Tom Hamer
Primary Author Affiliation	n/a
Primary Author email	n/a
Rights	Copyright 2007 by the Ecological Society of America.
Resource Editor	Unknown
Reviewer A	Unknown
Reviewer B	Unknown
Date Of Record Submission	2008-04-08

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