The 'island rule' in birds: medium body size and its ecological explanation

Do birds show a different pattern of insular evolution from mammals? Mammals follow the ''island rule'', with large-bodied species getting smaller on islands and small-bodied species getting bigger. By contrast, the traditional view on birds is that they follow no general island rule for body size, but that there is an insular trend for large bills. Insular shifts in feeding ecology are, therefore, widely assumed to be the primary cause of divergence in island birds. We use a comparative approach to test these ideas. Contrary to the traditional view, we find no evidence for increased bill size in insular populations. Instead, changes in both bill size and body size obey the ''island rule''. The differences between our results and the traditional view arise because previous analyses were based largely on passerines. We also investigate some ecological factors that are thought to influence island evolution. As predicted by the traditional view, shifts in bill size are associated with feeding ecology. By contrast, shifts in body size are associated with the potential for intraspecific competition and thermal ecology. All these results remain qualitatively unchanged when we use different methods to score the ecological factors and restrict our analyses to taxa showing pronounced morphological divergence. Because of strong covariation between ecological factors, however, we cannot estimate the relative importance of each ecological factor. Overall, our results show that the island rule is valid for both body size and bill length in birds and that, in addition to feeding ecology, insular shifts in the level of intraspecific competition and the abiotic environment also have a role.     

Insular shifts and trade-offs in life-history traits in pond frogs in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China

Island and mainland populations of animal species often differ strikingly in life-history traits such as clutch size, egg size, total reproductive effort and body size. However, despite widespread recognition of insular shifts in these life-history traits in birds, mammals and reptiles, there have been no reports of such life-history shifts in amphibians. Furthermore, most studies have focused on one specific life-history trait without explicit consideration of coordinated evolution among these intimately linked life-history traits, and thus the relationships among these traits are poorly studied. Here we provide the first evidence of insular shifts and trade-offs in a coordinated suite of life-history traits for an amphibian species, the pond frog Rana nigromaculata . Life-history data were collected from eight islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago and neighboring mainland China. We found consistent, significant shifts in all life-history traits between mainland and island populations. Island populations had smaller clutch sizes, larger egg sizes, larger female body size and invested less in total reproductive effort than mainland populations. Significant negative relationships were found between egg size and clutch size and between egg size and total reproductive effort among frog populations after controlling for the effects of body size. Therefore, decreased reproductive effort and clutch size, larger egg size and body size in pond frogs on islands were selected through trade-offs as an overall life-history strategy. Our findings contribute to the formation of a broad, repeatable ecological generality for insular shifts in life-history traits across a range of terrestrial vertebrate taxa.     

Evolution of island warblers: beyond bills and masses

In this paper, we take a closer look into the evolution of Acrocephalus warblers on islands in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The shape‐related morphological evolution of island species is characterized by changes in the hind limb, flight, and feeding apparatus. Birds on islands converged to a morphology with strong legs, shorter rictal bristles, and rounder, more slotted and broader wings. Because of their high variance among islands, body size and bill dimensions did not contribute to the separation of continental and island forms, although bills tend to be longer on islands. The wings of island birds hardly vary among islands, unsurprisingly due to a lack of the adaptive features associated with long distance flights. The tendency towards shorter rictal bristles in the island warblers can be explained by the diminished role of aerial feeding, and closer contact with various substrates in the course of extractive foraging. The shift towards stronger legs in several insular species is remarkable because reed warblers on continents have even stronger legs than other passerines of comparable size. This trait correlates with diverse, acrobatic feeding techniques that are typically associated with broad habitat use. Bills reach extreme lengths on some islands. However, short bills occur as frequently, rendering this character highly variable among islands. Short bills indicate gleaning feeding techniques, whereas long bills are typical for species that pursue hidden and difficult‐to‐access prey. Body sizes differ greatly from island to island. On average, the sizes of island birds do not differ from continental ones, however. We suggest that vegetation clutter is the major driving force for this variation. The main conclusion following from our results is that evolution on islands pertains to all functional complexes, and not only the hitherto studied body size and bill dimensions.     

Insular shifts in body size of rice frogs in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China

1. Differences in body size between mainland and island populations have been reported for reptiles, birds and mammals. Despite widespread recognition of insular shifts in body size in these taxa, there have been no reports of such body size shifts in amphibians. 2. We provide the first evidence of an insular shift in body size for an amphibian species, the rice frog Rana limnocharis. We found significant increases in body size of rice frogs on most sampled islands in the Zhoushan archipelago when compared with neighbouring mainland China. 3. Large body size in rice frogs on islands was significantly related to increased population density, in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Increases in rice frog density were significantly related to higher resource availability on islands. Increased resource availability on islands has led to higher carrying capacities, which has subsequently facilitated higher densities and individual growth rates, resulting in larger body size in rice frogs. We also suggest that large body size has evolved on islands, as larger individuals are competitively superior under conditions of harsh intraspecific competition at high densities. 4. Increases in body size in rice frogs were not related to several factors that have been implicated previously in insular shifts in body size in other taxa. We found no significant relationships between body size of rice frogs and prey size, number of larger or smaller frog species, island area or distance of islands from the mainland. 5. Our findings contribute to the formation of a broad, repeatable ecological generality for insular shifts in body size across a range of terrestrial vertebrate taxa, and provide support for recent theoretical work concerning the importance of resource availability for insular shifts in body size.     

Microevolution in island forms: the roles of drift and directional selection in morphological divergence of a passerine bird

Abstract.— Theory predicts that in small isolated populations random genetic drift can lead to phenotypic divergence; however this prediction has rarely been tested quantitatively in natural populations. Here we utilize natural repeated island colonization events by members of the avian species complex, Zosterops lateralis , to assess whether or not genetic drift alone is an adequate explanation for the observed patterns of microevolutionary divergence in morphology. Morphological and molecular genetic characteristics of island and mainland populations are compared to test three predictions of drift theory: (1) that the pattern of morphological change is idiosyncratic to each island; (2) that there is concordance between morphological and neutral genetic shifts across island populations; and (3) for populations whose time of colonization is known, that the rate of morphological change is sufficiently slow to be accounted for solely by genetic drift. Our results are not consistent with these predictions. First, the direction of size shifts was consistently towards larger size, suggesting the action of a nonrandom process. Second, patterns of morphological divergence among recently colonized populations showed little concordance with divergence in neutral genetic characters. Third, rate tests of morphological change showed that effective population sizes were not small enough for random processes alone to account for the magnitude of microevolutionary change. Altogether, these three lines of evidence suggest that drift alone is not an adequate explanation of morphological differentiation in recently colonized island Zosterops and therefore we suggest that the observed microevolutionary changes are largely a result of directional natural selection.     

Linking environmental stress, feeding-shifts and the ‘island syndrome’: a nutritional challenge hypothesis

Adaptation to insular environments often arises from changes and innovations in feeding behaviour allowing expanded foraging habits and an increased niche breadth. These shifts and innovations have traditionally been thought to be related to community-wide processes, but could also be the direct result of environmental constraints determining the abundance, availability and suitability of a particular food providing specific nutrients for survival, growth and reproduction. The link between environmental constraints on nutrients and life-history of insular organisms can help in understanding the convergent set of adaptations sustaining the ‘island syndrome’. We tested whether a potential insular nutrient shortage can drive diet shifts, nutritional biochemistry and growth stress, thus contributing to the modulation of life-history traits in a large passerine bird, the red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax). Results supported the insular nutritional challenge hypothesis, linked to an insular insect shortage. An insect shortage may in turn have determined the reduced consumption of this source of protein but increased consumption of other arthropods, and notably fruits, by insular nestlings and fully-grown individuals. Island birds showed comparatively low circulating levels of nutrients and metabolites associated with the consumption of protein-rich animal matter as opposed to carbohydrate-rich vegetal matter, as well as high growth stress reflected in poor feather quality. We propose that feeding shifts derived from an insular insect shortage may exert a strong influence on the allocation of limited time, energy and nutrients among competing functions associated with physiological changes and investment in reproduction and self-maintenance. Traits and patterns generally defining the insular syndrome could thus be linked to particular insular nutrient constraints forcing feeding shifts and nutritional challenges with physiological, demographic and life-history consequences.     

Mixed patterns of morphological adaptation to insularity in an aerial displaying bird,the Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

On islands, colonizing birds may evolve behavioural and morphological adaptations to the new environment, often resulting in changes in body size and reduction or even total loss of flight. These island populations have therefore been used to test hypotheses related to adaptations for flight. However, in certain species in which flight is used not only in foraging and migration but also in mating displays, disentangling the effects of natural and social selection is difficult. Thus, sedentary populations of species that perform aerial displays (such as the Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago that breed in the Azores archipelago) may offer an opportunity to separate the effects of natural and social selection on morphology. If insular Common Snipe respond to the characteristic ecological context of oceanic islands, we expect them to differ from migratory conspecifics in body size and by having relatively smaller and more rounded wings. On the other hand, if social selection exerts a more powerful force over the morphology of this species, we expect that sedentary and migratory birds will not differ in flight‐related characters. We tested these hypotheses by comparing morphological characters measured on live Common Snipe captured in the Azores during the breeding season with those measured on migratory specimens hunted during autumn/winter in mainland Portugal. Sedentary Azorean birds were smaller and had relatively shorter tails but did not show the tendency for insular birds to possess more rounded wings as described in other taxa, including in the Azores. Bergman's rule might explain the difference in body size and shorter tails may be responsible for behavioural differences between populations. The lack of difference in wing shape might be explained by the need of the Common Snipe to perform aerial displays during courtship, suggesting an effect of social selection on the migratory strategy of this species.     

Mandibles and molars of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.): integrated latitudinal pattern and mosaic insular evolution

Aim The distinct nature of island populations has traditionally been attributed either to adaptation to particular insular conditions or to random genetic effects. In order to assess the relative importance of these two disparate processes, insular effects were addressed in the European wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus, 1758). Location Wood mice from 33 localities on both mainland and various Atlantic and western Mediterranean islands were considered. This sampling covers only part of the latitudinal range of A. sylvaticus but included the two main genetic clades identified by previous studies. Islands encompass a range of geographical conditions (e.g. small islands fringing the continent through large and isolated ones). Methods The insular syndrome primarily invokes variations in body size, but ecological factors such as release from competition, niche widening and food availability should also influence other characters related to diet. In the present study, the morphology of the wood mice was quantified based on two characters involved in feeding: the size and shape of the mandibles and first upper molars. The size of the mandible is also a proxy for the body size of the animal. Patterns of morphological differentiation of both features were estimated using two‐dimensional outline analysis based on Fourier methods. Results Significant differences between mainland and island populations were observed in most cases for both the mandibles and molars. However, molars and mandibles displayed divergent patterns. Mandible shape diverged mostly on islands of intermediate remoteness and competition levels, whereas molars exhibited the greatest shape differentiation on small islands, such as Port‐Cros and Porquerolles. A mosaic pattern was also displayed for size. Body and mandible size increased on Ibiza, but molar size remained similar to mainland populations. Mosaic patterns were, however, not apparent in the mainland populations. Congruent latitudinal variations were evident for the size and shape of both mandibles and molars. Main conclusions Mosaic evolution appears to characterize insular divergence. The molar seems to be more prone to change with reduced population size on small islands, whereas the mandible could be more sensitive to peculiar environmental conditions on large and remote islands.     

Sexual size dimorphism in island plants: the niche variation hypothesis and insular size changes

The niche variation hypothesis predicts insular populations exhibit increased sexual size dimorphism (SSD), to minimize intraspecific competition. Although many animal taxa conform to this prediction, insular patterns of SSD have yet to be investigated in plants. Here, we tested for differences in SSD of dioecious plants that colonised four island groups (Kermadec, Three Kings, Chatham and Auckland Islands) from New Zealand. Using herbarium collections, we quantified leaf and stem sizes of 263 individuals from 28 dioecious taxa. We developed a novel analytical technique to explore changes in the direction of SSD on islands. Lastly, we tested for evolutionary size changes of male and female plants on islands. The degree of SSD did not vary predictably between insular and mainland taxa, contrary to predictions of the niche variation hypothesis. Furthermore, the direction of SSD was not predictable on islands, while it was consistently female biased on the mainland. Our results suggest that selection favours increased size of both sexes on islands and that SSD is unpredictable for insular plants.     

Body Size Evolution in Insular Speckled Rattlesnakes (Viperidae: Crotalus mitchellii)

Background

Speckled rattlesnakes (Crotalus mitchellii) inhabit multiple islands off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Two of the 14 known insular populations have been recognized as subspecies based primarily on body size divergence from putative mainland ancestral populations; however, a survey of body size variation from other islands occupied by these snakes has not been previously reported. We examined body size variation between island and mainland speckled rattlesnakes, and the relationship between body size and various island physical variables among 12 island populations. We also examined relative head size among giant, dwarfed, and mainland speckled rattlesnakes to determine whether allometric differences conformed to predictions of gape size (and indirectly body size) evolving in response to shifts in prey size.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Insular speckled rattlesnakes show considerable variation in body size when compared to mainland source subspecies. In addition to previously known instances of gigantism on Ángel de la Guarda and dwarfism on El Muerto, various degrees of body size decrease have occurred frequently in this taxon, with dwarfed rattlesnakes occurring mostly on small, recently isolated, land-bridge islands. Regression models using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) showed that mean SVL of insular populations was most strongly correlated with island area, suggesting the influence of selection for different body size optima for islands of different size. Allometric differences in head size of giant and dwarf rattlesnakes revealed patterns consistent with shifts to larger and smaller prey, respectively.

Conclusions/Significance

Our data provide the first example of a clear relationship between body size and island area in a squamate reptile species; among vertebrates this pattern has been previously documented in few insular mammals. This finding suggests that selection for body size is influenced by changes in community dynamics that are related to graded differences in area over what are otherwise similar bioclimatic conditions. We hypothesize that in this system shifts to larger prey, episodic saturation and depression of primary prey density, and predator release may have led to insular gigantism, and that shifts to smaller prey and increased reproductive efficiency in the presence of intense intraspecific competition may have led to insular dwarfism.     

On humans and wildlife in Mediterranean islands

Aim To investigate the effects of human‐induced landscape changes in Mediterranean islands on the ecological and evolutionary responses of bird communities and populations. The combination of mass extinction of large mammals and massive deforestation by humans was hypothesized to produce new selection regimes to which organisms were likely to respond. Habitat selection and niche breadth have been investigated at the scale of species, and phenotypic variation at the scale of local populations. Location The study was carried out along habitat gradients and in habitat mosaics at different spatial scales on the island of Corsica and in areas of similar size and structure in continental France. Methods Two sets of gradients have been used for investigating habitat selection and niche breadth: gradients of altitude, and gradients of vegetation structure. Population studies focused on the blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus. Large samples of breeding attempts by this species in 10 habitats provided detailed data on phenotypic variation of fitness‐related traits both on Corsica and on the mainland. Results The extent of niche space used by birds differed substantially depending on which habitat gradient was considered. Many species have been found to contract their habitat niche along the elevation gradient on Corsica compared with the mainland, whereas all species in the vegetation gradient broadened their niche on the island. Breeding patterns of the blue tit differed considerably depending on whether they settle in deciduous oaks (Quercus humilis) or in evergreen sclerophyllous oaks (Quercus ilex). Phenotypic variation of breeding traits was much higher on the island, where more populations were correctly timed for the best breeding period than on the mainland, a pattern that is likely to result from lower dispersal of organisms on the island. Main conclusions The differences in observed niche breadth between the two series of habitat gradients is explained both by the species‐specific ecology of the species and the human‐induced environmental history of Corsica. Large‐scale landscape changes provided new opportunities for island colonization by non‐forest species, which are isolated as small, ‘fugitive’ local populations. In both gradients, forest species that are typical components of the Corsican bird fauna definitely expanded their niche and occupied a wider range of habitats on Corsica than on the mainland. At the population scale, landscapes included habitat patches with contrasted selection regimes, which resulted in high phenotypic variation for many fitness‐related traits. Reduced dispersal of birds on the island resulted in a much higher degree of local differentiation on Corsica than on the mainland.     

Dwarfism in insular sloths: biogeography,selection, and evolutionary rate

The islands of Bocas del Toro, Panama, were sequentially separated from the adjacent mainland by rising sea levels during the past 10,000 years. Three-toed sloths (Bradypus) from five islands are smaller than their mainland counterparts, and the insular populations themselves vary in mean body size. We first examine relationships between body size and physical characteristics of the islands, testing hypotheses regarding optimal body size, evolutionary equilibria, and the presence of dispersal in this system. To do so, we conduct linear regressions of body size onto island area, distance from the mainland, and island age. Second, we retroactively calculate two measures of the evolutionary rate of change in body size (haldanes and darwins) and the standardized linear selection differential, or selection intensity (i). We also test the observed morphological changes against models of evolution by genetic drift. The results indicate that mean body size decreases linearly with island age, explaining up to 97% of the variation among population means. Neither island area nor distance from the mainland is significant in multiple regressions that include island age. Thus, we find no evidence for differential optimal body size among islands, or for dispersal in the system. In contrast, the dependence of body size on island age suggests uniform directional selection for small body size in the insular populations. Although genetic drift cannot be discounted as the cause for this evolution in body size, the probability is small given the consistent direction of evolution (repeated dwarfism). The insular sloths show a sustained rate of evolution similar to those measured in haldanes over tens of generations, appearing to unite micro- and macroevolutionary time scales. Furthermore, the magnitude and rate of this example of rapid differentiation fall within predictions of theoretical models from population genetics. However, the linearity of the relationship between body size and island age is not predicted, suggesting that either more factors are involved than those considered here, or that theoretical advances are necessary to explain constant evolutionary rates over long time spans in new selective environments.     

Acoustic structure of songs in island populations of the Japanese bush warbler, Cettia diphone, in relation to sexual selection

Bird songs in island populations have often been reported to be simplified, in that island birds have a smaller number of song types and song-element types compared to mainland birds. However, there is less information on the characteristics of acoustic structure in island songs. I investigated song structure of one mainland and three island populations of Japanese bush warblers, Cettia diphone, and found that island songs had an acoustically simple structure. The frequency-modulated (FM) portions of the songs were shorter and had fewer frequency inflections in the insular populations than in the mainland population, while the number of FM notes, the frequency range of these notes, and the song repertoire sizes of males did not differ between the islands and the mainland. I also investigated whether the song complexity is related to sexual selection pressure using the degree of sexual size dimorphism as a proxy for the latter. The degree of dimorphism in body mass was larger on the mainland. Thus, weakened sexual selection on islands is a possible factor in the formation of simple songs. Further studies related to male–male competition and female choice on islands are required.     

Variability in seed size selection by granivorous passerines: effects of bird size,bird size variability,and ecological plasticity

The niche variation hypothesis predicts a direct relationship between intraspecific variability in feeding ecology and the variability of the morphological traits related to feeding behaviour. The following study tests this prediction by measuring in captivity the seed size preferences and the morphology of 9–11 individuals of seven specialized granivorous bird species. The average seed size preferences of these birds have previously been shown to be related to components of bill size. The ranges of seed sizes selected were related to the mean bill sizes of birds in a way that paralleled the patterns found when analysing average values. Bill and body size variability were not related, however, to the range of seed preferences after controlling for the significant mean-variance relationship showed by morphological traits. Thus, results do not support the niche variation hypothesis. the significant effect of average bill size on diet variability was consistent with the direct relationship between bird size and ecological plasticity expected on the basis of the shape of the family of functions relating seed size and seed profitability for different-sized birds. These findings suggest morphological mechanisms for ecological plasticity whose generality and evolutionary significance merit further research.     

Ecomorphological relationships in a group of insectivorous birds of temperate forests in winter

We examined the relationships between morphology and foraging behaviour in a group of insectivorous birds wintering in temperate mixed forests in northern Iberia. Using principal components analysis we reduced 11 biometric variables to three major morphological components and 20 foraging categories to four major ecological factors. The relative length of the tarsometatarsus and bill morphology were the most important morphological variables predicting foraging ecology. Birds exploiting distal parts of trees and foliage were generally smaller and had relatively longer tarsometatarsi than those foraging on trunks. Foraging on the ground and branches of medium diameter was associated with bill thickness. Ecomorphological patterns were discernible at the level of substrate use and foraging methods, but bear no relation to selection of tree species or foraging height. Morphology correctly predicted niche breadth and interspecific overlap. In Parus spp. interspecific differences in bill shape could explain 63% of the interspecific segregation according to substrate use (R²= 0.63, p <0.01).     

Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in birds: test of hypotheses using blue tits in contrasted Mediterranean habitats

Many hypotheses, either sex‐related or environment‐related, have been proposed to explain sexual size dimorphism in birds. Two populations of blue tits provide an interesting case study for testing these hypotheses because they live in contrasting environments in continental France and in Corsica and exhibit different degree of sexual size dimorphism. Contrary to several predictions, the insular population is less dimorphic than the continental one but neither the sexual selection hypothesis nor the niche variation hypothesis explain the observed patterns. In the mainland population it is advantageous for both sexes to be large, and males are larger than females. In Corsica, however, reproductive success was greater for pairs in which the male was relatively small, i.e. pairs in which sexual size dimorphism is reduced. The most likely explanation is that interpopulation differences in sexual size dimorphism are determined not by sex‐related factors, but by differences in sex‐specific reproductive roles and responses to environmental factors. Because of environmental stress on the island as a result of food shortage and high parasite infestations, the share of parents in caring for young favours small size in males so that a reduced sexual size dimorphism is not the target of selection but a by‐product of mechanisms that operate at the level of individual sexes.     

Rapid and repeated origin of insular gigantism and dwarfism in Australian tiger snakes

It is a well-known phenomenon that islands can support populations of gigantic or dwarf forms of mainland conspecifics, but the variety of explanatory hypotheses for this phenomenon have been difficult to disentangle. The highly venomous Australian tiger snakes (genus Notechis) represent a well-known and extreme example of insular body size variation. They are of special interest because there are multiple populations of dwarfs and giants and the age of the islands and thus the age of the tiger snake populations are known from detailed sea level studies. Most are 5000-7000 years old and all are less than 10,000 years old. Here we discriminate between two competing hypotheses with a molecular phylogeography dataset comprising approximately 4800 bp of mtDNA and demonstrate that populations of island dwarfs and giants have evolved five times independently. In each case the closest relatives of the giant or dwarf populations are mainland tiger snakes, and in four of the five cases, the closest relatives are also the most geographically proximate mainland tiger snakes. Moreover, these body size shifts have evolved extremely rapidly and this is reflected in the genetic divergence between island body size variants and mainland snakes. Within south eastern Australia, where populations of island giants, populations of island dwarfs, and mainland tiger snakes all occur, the maximum genetic divergence is only 0.38%. Dwarf tiger snakes are restricted to prey items that are much smaller than the prey items of mainland tiger snakes and giant tiger snakes are restricted to seasonally available prey items that are up three times larger than the prey items of mainland tiger snakes. We support the hypotheses that these body size shifts are due to strong selection imposed by the size of available prey items, rather than shared evolutionary history, and our results are consistent with the notion that adaptive plasticity also has played an important role in body size shifts. We suggest that plasticity displayed early on in the occupation of these new islands provided the flexibility necessary as the island's available prey items became more depauperate, but once the size range of available prey items was reduced, strong natural selection followed by genetic assimilation worked to optimize snake body size. The rate of body size divergence in haldanes is similar for dwarfs (h(g) = 0.0010) and giants (h(g) = 0.0020-0.0025) and is in line with other studies of rapid evolution. Our data provide strong evidence for rapid and repeated morphological divergence in the wild due to similar selective pressures acting in different directions.     

Explaining adaptive shifts in body size on islands: a life history approach

The tendency for island populations to differ in body size from their mainland relatives has been well documented, but the mechanisms for these size changes remain speculative. Explanations have typically been based on ecological interactions that directly favor either an increase or decrease in body size. While it is clear that direct ecological interactions can influence body size, life history shifts present an alternative explanation for observed insular size trends across phylogenetic groups and trophic levels. Here I describe how decreased resource availability and reduced predation pressure, the same selective forces invoked by previous hypotheses, can operate to produce body size changes via the evolution of life history traits. This mechanism is more generally applicable than previous explanations and is consistent with much of the available data.     

Size changes in island plants: independent trait evolution in Alyxia ruscifolia (Apocynaceae) on Lord Howe Island

Species that are endemic to isolated islands often differ dramatically in size from their mainland relatives, for reasons that are poorly understood. While decades of research have sought to better understand insular size changes in animals, far fewer studies have investigated insular size changes in plants. Here, I test for changes in plant stature, seed size and leaf area in a woody shrub (Alyxia ruscifolia, Apocynaceae), which inhabits both the continent of Australia, and Lord Howe Island, a subtropical island located 600 km off Australia's east coast. Results showed that island plants became reproductively mature at earlier stages of ontogeny than mainland plants, and that mature plants were taller on the mainland, providing a rare example of dwarfism in plants. Conversely, island plants produced larger seeds, which might make them more competitive as seedlings. Seeds produced by island plants were also less circular and more oblong in shape than their mainland counterparts, perhaps to facilitate their dispersal by avian frugivores with limited gape sizes. Lastly, island and mainland plants had similar average leaf sizes. However, juvenile plants on the mainland produced smaller, more needle‐shaped leaves with larger terminal spines relative to adult plants, which may help protect them against large, ground‐dwelling herbivores. On the other hand, island plants showed weaker ontogenetic shifts in leaf morphology in the absence of large herbivores. When interpreted jointly, results indicate that stature, seed size and leaf area are on separate evolutionary trajectories in A. ruscifolia, which appear to be determined by a complex suite of disparate selection pressures between Lord Howe Island and the mainland.