What pattern defines the successful evolutionary strategy balancing Arctic breeding and global migration?
Answer
A pattern of feast and extreme endurance.
The evolutionary success of the Sabine’s Gull hinges on a two-part strategy that manages extreme seasonal disparity. The 'feast' component refers to the short, resource-rich summer period spent maximizing reproductive output on the Arctic tundra. This is immediately followed by the 'extreme endurance' phase, characterized by protracted, energy-demanding oceanic transits spanning thousands of miles globally. This combination allows the species to capitalize on ephemeral high-latitude breeding success while maintaining flexibility by exploiting predictable, distant marine food supplies during the non-breeding season.
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