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Shibata Y, Toji N, Wang H, Go Y, Wada K. Expansion of learning capacity elicited by interspecific hybridization. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3409. [PMID: 38896617 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Learned behavior, a fundamental adaptive trait in fluctuating environments, is shaped by species-specific constraints. This phenomenon is evident in songbirds, which acquire their species-specific songs through vocal learning. To explore the neurogenetic mechanisms underlying species-specific song learning, we generated F1 hybrid songbirds by crossing Taeniopygia guttata with Aidemosyne modesta. These F1 hybrids demonstrate expanded learning capacities, adeptly mimicking songs from both parental species and other heterospecific songs more extensively than their parental counterparts. Despite the conserved size of brain regions and neuron numbers in the neural circuits for song learning and production, single-cell transcriptomics reveals distinctive transcriptional characteristics in the F1 hybrids, especially in vocal-motor projection neurons. These neurons exhibit enrichment for nonadditively expressed genes, particularly those related to ion channel activity and cell adhesion, which are associated with the degree of song learning among F1 individuals. Our findings provide insights into the emergence of altered learning capabilities through hybridization, linked to cell type-specific transcriptional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukino Shibata
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Research Fellowship for Young Scientists of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Toji
- Research Fellowship for Young Scientists of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Hongdi Wang
- Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0497, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Go
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Research and Education Center for Brain Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
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2
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Backhouse F, Welbergen JA, Magrath RD, Dalziell AH. Depleted cultural richness of an avian vocal mimic in fragmented habitat. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Backhouse
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Richmond New South Wales Australia
| | - Justin A. Welbergen
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Richmond New South Wales Australia
| | - Robert D. Magrath
- Research School of Biology The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Anastasia H. Dalziell
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Richmond New South Wales Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York USA
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3
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Selective alarm call mimicry in the sexual display of the male superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae). Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10200-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDespite much research on mimicry, little is known about the ecology of dynamic mimetic signals involving mimicry of multiple species. Some of the most conspicuous examples of phenotypically plastic mimicry are produced by oscine passerines, where vocal production learning enables some species to mimic multiple models and flexibly adjust what they mimic and when. While singing from a perch, male superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) accurately imitate multiple songs and calls of over 20 species of bird. However, at key moments within their multimodal displays performed on display arenas on the forest floor, males mimic a small number of mobbing-alarm calls creating the acoustic illusion of a mixed-species mobbing flock (‘D-song’). Using observations from camera footage and a field-based playback experiment, we tested six hypotheses for alarm call model selection within D-song. Mimicked species were remarkably invariant, with 79% of D-song made up of imitations of just three different bird species. Males did not mimic the most common species in their general environment, but neither did they mimic rare species. Instead, males imitated the mobbing-alarm calls of heterospecific birds that foraged on or near the forest floor. Indeed, males primarily mimicked the alarm calls of heterospecific species that foraged alongside lyrebirds and were likely to appear together in experimentally-induced, terrestrial mobbing flocks. These findings support the hypothesis that males mimic a cue of a terrestrial predatory threat to lyrebirds, most likely to exploit the antipredator behaviour of female lyrebirds. Our study illustrates the importance of investigating the drivers of model selection in dynamic multi-model mimicry.
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4
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Male superb lyrebirds mimic functionally distinct heterospecific vocalizations during different modes of sexual display. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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5
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Backhouse F, Dalziell AH, Magrath RD, Welbergen JA. Higher-order sequences of vocal mimicry performed by male Albert's lyrebirds are socially transmitted and enhance acoustic contrast. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212498. [PMID: 35259987 PMCID: PMC8905160 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most studies of acoustic communication focus on short units of vocalization such as songs, yet these units are often hierarchically organized into higher-order sequences and, outside human language, little is known about the drivers of sequence structure. Here, we investigate the organization, transmission and function of vocal sequences sung by male Albert's lyrebirds (Menura alberti), a species renowned for vocal imitations of other species. We quantified the organization of mimetic units into sequences, and examined the extent to which these sequences are repeated within and between individuals and shared among populations. We found that individual males organized their mimetic units into stereotyped sequences. Sequence structures were shared within and to a lesser extent among populations, implying that sequences were socially transmitted. Across the entire species range, mimetic units were sung with immediate variety and a high acoustic contrast between consecutive units, suggesting that sequence structure is a means to enhance receiver perceptions of repertoire complexity. Our results provide evidence that higher-order sequences of vocalizations can be socially transmitted, and that the order of vocal units can be functionally significant. We conclude that, to fully understand vocal behaviours, we must study both the individual vocal units and their higher-order temporal organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Backhouse
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Anastasia H Dalziell
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Justin A Welbergen
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
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6
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Vocal Learning and Behaviors in Birds and Human Bilinguals: Parallels, Divergences and Directions for Research. LANGUAGES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/languages7010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Comparisons between the communication systems of humans and animals are instrumental in contextualizing speech and language into an evolutionary and biological framework and for illuminating mechanisms of human communication. As a complement to previous work that compares developmental vocal learning and use among humans and songbirds, in this article we highlight phenomena associated with vocal learning subsequent to the development of primary vocalizations (i.e., the primary language (L1) in humans and the primary song (S1) in songbirds). By framing avian “second-song” (S2) learning and use within the human second-language (L2) context, we lay the groundwork for a scientifically-rich dialogue between disciplines. We begin by summarizing basic birdsong research, focusing on how songs are learned and on constraints on learning. We then consider commonalities in vocal learning across humans and birds, in particular the timing and neural mechanisms of learning, variability of input, and variability of outcomes. For S2 and L2 learning outcomes, we address the respective roles of age, entrenchment, and social interactions. We proceed to orient current and future birdsong inquiry around foundational features of human bilingualism: L1 effects on the L2, L1 attrition, and L1<–>L2 switching. Throughout, we highlight characteristics that are shared across species as well as the need for caution in interpreting birdsong research. Thus, from multiple instructive perspectives, our interdisciplinary dialogue sheds light on biological and experiential principles of L2 acquisition that are informed by birdsong research, and leverages well-studied characteristics of bilingualism in order to clarify, contextualize, and further explore S2 learning and use in songbirds.
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7
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Liu
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China
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8
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Rehfeldt RA, Tyndall I, Belisle J. Music as a Cultural Inheritance System: A Contextual-Behavioral Model of Symbolism, Meaning, and the Value of Music. BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ISSUES 2021; 30:749-773. [PMID: 38624997 PMCID: PMC8641538 DOI: 10.1007/s42822-021-00084-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Music is a pervasive cultural practice that has been present in ancient civilizations through to the present, yet its evolutionary significance has not been unequivocally determined. One position suggests that evolution favored music-related behaviors because such behaviors were linked to sexual selection and reproduction. A more recent perspective that is consistent with today's evolutionary science framework suggests that music is a cultural-level adaptation because of the survival advantages it affords members of a community. This article explores the selection mechanisms responsible for the retention and transmission of music-related behaviors. Music is proposed to be a complex symbolic inheritance system, or an advanced form of relational responding, that required cooperation to develop and further facilitated unity and affinity among groups of people. The aggregate product of this cooperation is then assigned meaning and selected by the contingencies of a particular sociocultural community. Music may thus occasion similar values-consistent behavior (i.e., within the values system of the community) across groups of people. Implications for the role of music in promoting the well-being of a culture are examined.
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Abstract
Birds are our best models to understand vocal learning – a vocal production ability guided by auditory feedback, which includes human language. Among all vocal learners, songbirds have the most diverse life histories, and some aspects of their vocal learning ability are well-known, such as the neural substrates and vocal control centers, through vocal development studies. Currently, species are classified as either vocal learners or non-learners, and a key difference between the two is the development period, extended in learners, but short in non-learners. But this clear dichotomy has been challenged by the vocal learning continuum hypothesis. One way to address this challenge is to examine both learners and canonical non-learners and determine whether their vocal development is dichotomous or falls along a continuum. However, when we examined the existing empirical data we found that surprisingly few species have their vocal development periods documented. Furthermore, we identified multiple biases within previous vocal development studies in birds, including an extremely narrow focus on (1) a few model species, (2) oscines, (3) males, and (4) songs. Consequently, these biases may have led to an incomplete and possibly erroneous conclusions regarding the nature of the relationships between vocal development patterns and vocal learning ability. Diversifying vocal development studies to include a broader range of taxa is urgently needed to advance the field of vocal learning and examine how vocal development patterns might inform our understanding of vocal learning.
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10
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Searcy WA, Soha J, Peters S, Nowicki S. Variation in vocal production learning across songbirds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200257. [PMID: 34482719 PMCID: PMC8419578 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds as a whole are considered to be vocal production learners, meaning that they modify the structure of their vocalizations as a result of experience with the vocalizations of others. The more than 4000 species of songbirds, however, vary greatly in crucial features of song development. Variable features include: (i) the normality of the songs of early-deafened birds, reflecting the importance of innate motor programmes in song development; (ii) the normality of the songs of isolation-reared birds, reflecting the combined importance of innate auditory templates and motor programmes; (iii) the degree of selectivity in choice of external models; (iv) the accuracy of copying from external models; and (v) whether or not learning from external models continues into adulthood. We suggest that because of this variability, some songbird species, specifically those that are able to develop songs in the normal range without exposure to external models, can be classified as limited vocal learners. Those species that require exposure to external models to develop songs in the normal range can be considered complex vocal learners. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A. Searcy
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
| | - Jill Soha
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Susan Peters
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Stephen Nowicki
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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11
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Vernes SC, Kriengwatana BP, Beeck VC, Fischer J, Tyack PL, ten Cate C, Janik VM. The multi-dimensional nature of vocal learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200236. [PMID: 34482723 PMCID: PMC8419582 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
How learning affects vocalizations is a key question in the study of animal communication and human language. Parallel efforts in birds and humans have taught us much about how vocal learning works on a behavioural and neurobiological level. Subsequent efforts have revealed a variety of cases among mammals in which experience also has a major influence on vocal repertoires. Janik and Slater (Anim. Behav.60, 1-11. (doi:10.1006/anbe.2000.1410)) introduced the distinction between vocal usage and production learning, providing a general framework to categorize how different types of learning influence vocalizations. This idea was built on by Petkov and Jarvis (Front. Evol. Neurosci.4, 12. (doi:10.3389/fnevo.2012.00012)) to emphasize a more continuous distribution between limited and more complex vocal production learners. Yet, with more studies providing empirical data, the limits of the initial frameworks become apparent. We build on these frameworks to refine the categorization of vocal learning in light of advances made since their publication and widespread agreement that vocal learning is not a binary trait. We propose a novel classification system, based on the definitions by Janik and Slater, that deconstructs vocal learning into key dimensions to aid in understanding the mechanisms involved in this complex behaviour. We consider how vocalizations can change without learning, and a usage learning framework that considers context specificity and timing. We identify dimensions of vocal production learning, including the copying of auditory models (convergence/divergence on model sounds, accuracy of copying), the degree of change (type and breadth of learning) and timing (when learning takes place, the length of time it takes and how long it is retained). We consider grey areas of classification and current mechanistic understanding of these behaviours. Our framework identifies research needs and will help to inform neurobiological and evolutionary studies endeavouring to uncover the multi-dimensional nature of vocal learning. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja C. Vernes
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Veronika C. Beeck
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter L. Tyack
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Carel ten Cate
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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12
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Chopoorian A, Pichkar Y, Creanza N. The Role of the Learner in the Cultural Evolution of Vocalizations. Front Psychol 2021; 12:667455. [PMID: 34484031 PMCID: PMC8415155 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.667455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a uniquely human behavior, language is crucial to our understanding of ourselves and of the world around us. Despite centuries of research into how languages have historically developed and how people learn them, fully understanding the origin and evolution of language remains an ongoing challenge. In parallel, researchers have studied the divergence of birdsong in vocal-learning songbirds to uncover broader patterns of cultural evolution. One approach to studying cultural change over time, adapted from biology, focuses on the transmission of socially learned traits, including language, in a population. By studying how learning and the distribution of cultural traits interact at the population level, we can better understand the processes that underlie cultural evolution. Here, we take a two-fold approach to understanding the cultural evolution of vocalizations, with a focus on the role of the learner in cultural transmission. First, we explore previous research on the evolution of social learning, focusing on recent progress regarding the origin and ongoing cultural evolution of both language and birdsong. We then use a spatially explicit population model to investigate the coevolution of culture and learning preferences, with the assumption that selection acts directly on cultural phenotypes and indirectly on learning preferences. Our results suggest that the spatial distribution of learned behaviors can cause unexpected evolutionary patterns of learning. We find that, intuitively, selection for rare cultural phenotypes can indirectly favor a novelty-biased learning strategy. In contrast, selection for common cultural phenotypes leads to cultural homogeneity; we find that there is no selective pressure on learning strategy without cultural variation. Thus, counterintuitively, selection for common cultural traits does not consistently favor conformity bias, and novelty bias can stably persist in this cultural context. We propose that the evolutionary dynamics of learning preferences and cultural biases can depend on the existing variation of learned behaviors, and that this interaction could be important to understanding the origin and evolution of cultural systems such as language and birdsong. Selection acting on learned behaviors may indirectly impose counterintuitive selective pressures on learning strategies, and understanding the cultural landscape is crucial to understanding how patterns of learning might change over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby Chopoorian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Yakov Pichkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Nicole Creanza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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13
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Riebel K. Animal communication: Lyrebirds 'cry wolf' during mating. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R798-R800. [PMID: 34157266 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
During courtship, male lyrebirds create acoustic illusions of a flock of birds fending off a predator. These realistic illusions fool the imitated species to engage in mobbing, but intriguingly lyrebirds produce them only preceding or during copulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Riebel
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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14
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Kuhl H, Frankl-Vilches C, Bakker A, Mayr G, Nikolaus G, Boerno ST, Klages S, Timmermann B, Gahr M. An Unbiased Molecular Approach Using 3'-UTRs Resolves the Avian Family-Level Tree of Life. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:108-127. [PMID: 32781465 PMCID: PMC7783168 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Presumably, due to a rapid early diversification, major parts of the higher-level phylogeny of birds are still resolved controversially in different analyses or are considered unresolvable. To address this problem, we produced an avian tree of life, which includes molecular sequences of one or several species of ∼90% of the currently recognized family-level taxa (429 species, 379 genera) including all 106 family-level taxa of the nonpasserines and 115 of the passerines (Passeriformes). The unconstrained analyses of noncoding 3-prime untranslated region (3′-UTR) sequences and those of coding sequences yielded different trees. In contrast to the coding sequences, the 3′-UTR sequences resulted in a well-resolved and stable tree topology. The 3′-UTR contained, unexpectedly, transcription factor binding motifs that were specific for different higher-level taxa. In this tree, grebes and flamingos are the sister clade of all other Neoaves, which are subdivided into five major clades. All nonpasserine taxa were placed with robust statistical support including the long-time enigmatic hoatzin (Opisthocomiformes), which was found being the sister taxon of the Caprimulgiformes. The comparatively late radiation of family-level clades of the songbirds (oscine Passeriformes) contrasts with the attenuated diversification of nonpasseriform taxa since the early Miocene. This correlates with the evolution of vocal production learning, an important speciation factor, which is ancestral for songbirds and evolved convergent only in hummingbirds and parrots. As 3′-UTR-based phylotranscriptomics resolved the avian family-level tree of life, we suggest that this procedure will also resolve the all-species avian tree of life
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Kuhl
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Ecophysiology and Aquaculture, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carolina Frankl-Vilches
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Antje Bakker
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Gerald Mayr
- Ornithological Section, Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard Nikolaus
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Stefan T Boerno
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Klages
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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15
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Wright TF, Derryberry EP. Defining the multidimensional phenotype: New opportunities to integrate the behavioral ecology and behavioral neuroscience of vocal learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:328-338. [PMID: 33621636 PMCID: PMC8628558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Vocal learning has evolved independently in several lineages. This complex cognitive trait is commonly treated as binary: species either possess or lack it. This view has been a useful starting place to examine the origins of vocal learning, but is also incomplete and potentially misleading, as specific components of the vocal learning program - such as the timing, extent and nature of what is learned - vary widely among species. In our review we revive an idea first proposed by Beecher and Brenowitz (2005) by describing six dimensions of vocal learning: (1) which vocalizations are learned, (2) how much is learned, (3) when it is learned, (4) who it is learned from, (5) what is the extent of the internal template, and (6) how is the template integrated with social learning and innovation. We then highlight key examples of functional and mechanistic work on each dimension, largely from avian taxa, and discuss how a multi-dimensional framework can accelerate our understanding of why vocal learning has evolved, and how brains became capable of this important behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy F Wright
- Dept of Biology, New Mexico State Univ, Las Cruces, NM, 88005, USA.
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16
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Dalziell AH, Maisey AC, Magrath RD, Welbergen JA. Male lyrebirds create a complex acoustic illusion of a mobbing flock during courtship and copulation. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1970-1976.e4. [PMID: 33636120 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Darwin argued that females' "taste for the beautiful" drives the evolution of male extravagance,1 but sexual selection theory also predicts that extravagant ornaments can arise from sexual conflict and deception.2,3 The sensory trap hypothesis posits that elaborate sexual signals can evolve via antagonistic coevolution whereby one sex uses deceptive mimicry to manipulate the opposite sex into mating.3 Here, the success of deceptive mimicry depends on whether it matches the receiver's percept of the model,4 and so has little in common with concepts of aesthetic judgement and 'beauty.'1,5-9 We report that during their song and dance displays,10 male superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) create an elaborate acoustic illusion of a mixed-species mobbing flock. Acoustic analysis showed that males mimicked the mobbing alarm calls of multiple species calling together, enhancing the illusion by also vocally imitating the wingbeats of small birds. A playback experiment confirmed that this illusion was sufficient to fool avian receivers. Furthermore, males produced this mimicry only (1) when females attempted to exit male display arenas, and (2) during the lyrebirds' unusually long copulation, suggesting that the mimicry aims to prevent females from prematurely terminating these crucial sexual interactions. Such deceptive behavior by males should select for perceptual acuity in females, prompting an inter-sexual co-evolutionary arms race between male mimetic accuracy and discrimination by females. In this way the elaboration of the complex avian vocalizations we call 'song' could be driven by sexual conflict, rather than a female's preference for male extravagance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia H Dalziell
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2614, Australia; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia; Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Alex C Maisey
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2614, Australia; Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Sherbrooke Lyrebird Survey Group, 30 Moores Road, Monbulk, VIC 3793, Australia
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2614, Australia
| | - Justin A Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
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17
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Austin VI, Dalziell AH, Langmore NE, Welbergen JA. Avian vocalisations: the female perspective. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1484-1503. [PMID: 33797176 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Research on avian vocalisations has traditionally focused on male song produced by oscine passerines. However, accumulating evidence indicates that complex vocalisations can readily evolve outside the traditional contexts of mate attraction and territory defence by male birds, and yet the previous bias towards male song has shaped - and continues to shape - our understanding of avian communication as a whole. Accordingly, in this review we seek to address this imbalance by synthesising studies on female vocalisations from across signalling contexts throughout the Aves, and discuss the implications of recent empirical advances for our understanding of vocalisations in both sexes. This review reveals great structural and functional diversity among female vocalisations and highlights the important roles that vocalisations can play in mediating female-specific behaviours. However, fundamental gaps remain. While there are now several case studies that identify the function of female vocalisations, few quantify the associated fitness benefits. Additionally, very little is known about the role of vocal learning in the development of female vocalisations. Thus, there remains a pressing need to examine the function and development of all forms of vocalisations in female birds. In the light of what we now know about the functions and mechanisms of female vocalisations, we suggest that conventional male-biased definitions of songs and calls are inadequate for furthering our understanding of avian vocal communication more generally. Therefore, we propose two simple alternatives, both emancipated from the sex of the singer. The first distinguishes song from calls functionally as a sexually selected vocal signal, whilst the second distinguishes them mechanistically in terms of their underlying neurological processes. It is clear that more investigations are needed into the ultimate and proximate causes of female vocalisations; however, these are essential if we are to develop a holistic epistemology of avian vocal communication in both sexes, across ecological contexts and taxonomic divides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria I Austin
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Ground Floor, Building R2, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Anastasia H Dalziell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Ground Floor, Building R2, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.,Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850, U.S.A
| | - Naomi E Langmore
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivan's Creek Road, Acton, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Justin A Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Ground Floor, Building R2, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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18
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Song learning and plasticity in songbirds. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 67:228-239. [PMID: 33667874 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong provides a fascinating system to study both behavioral and neural plasticity. Oscine songbirds learn to sing, exhibiting behavioral plasticity both during and after the song-learning process. As a bird learns, its song progresses from a plastic and highly variable vocalization into a more stereotyped, crystallized song. However, even after crystallization, song plasticity can occur: some species' songs become more stereotyped over time, whereas other species can incorporate new song elements. Alongside the changes in song, songbirds' brains are also plastic. Both song and neural connections change with the seasons in many species, and new neurons can be added to the song system throughout life. In this review, we highlight important research on behavioral and neural plasticity at multiple timescales, from song development in juveniles to lifelong modifications of learned song.
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19
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Basso JC, Satyal MK, Rugh R. Dance on the Brain: Enhancing Intra- and Inter-Brain Synchrony. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:584312. [PMID: 33505255 PMCID: PMC7832346 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.584312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dance has traditionally been viewed from a Eurocentric perspective as a mode of self-expression that involves the human body moving through space, performed for the purposes of art, and viewed by an audience. In this Hypothesis and Theory article, we synthesize findings from anthropology, sociology, psychology, dance pedagogy, and neuroscience to propose The Synchronicity Hypothesis of Dance, which states that humans dance to enhance both intra- and inter-brain synchrony. We outline a neurocentric definition of dance, which suggests that dance involves neurobehavioral processes in seven distinct areas including sensory, motor, cognitive, social, emotional, rhythmic, and creative. We explore The Synchronicity Hypothesis of Dance through several avenues. First, we examine evolutionary theories of dance, which suggest that dance drives interpersonal coordination. Second, we examine fundamental movement patterns, which emerge throughout development and are omnipresent across cultures of the world. Third, we examine how each of the seven neurobehaviors increases intra- and inter-brain synchrony. Fourth, we examine the neuroimaging literature on dance to identify the brain regions most involved in and affected by dance. The findings presented here support our hypothesis that we engage in dance for the purpose of intrinsic reward, which as a result of dance-induced increases in neural synchrony, leads to enhanced interpersonal coordination. This hypothesis suggests that dance may be helpful to repattern oscillatory activity, leading to clinical improvements in autism spectrum disorder and other disorders with oscillatory activity impairments. Finally, we offer suggestions for future directions and discuss the idea that our consciousness can be redefined not just as an individual process but as a shared experience that we can positively influence by dancing together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Basso
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.,Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.,School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Medha K Satyal
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Rachel Rugh
- Center for Communicating Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.,School of Performing Arts, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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20
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The Neuroethology of Vocal Communication in Songbirds: Production and Perception of a Call Repertoire. THE NEUROETHOLOGY OF BIRDSONG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34683-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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21
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Sakata JT, Woolley SC. Scaling the Levels of Birdsong Analysis. THE NEUROETHOLOGY OF BIRDSONG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34683-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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22
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Gammon DE, Corsiglia AM. Mockingbirds imitate frogs and toads across North America. Behav Processes 2019; 169:103982. [PMID: 31586643 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Vocal mimicry is taxonomically widespread among birds, but little is known about mimicry of non-avian models. Prior studies show preferential imitation of avian models whose sounds are acoustically similar to the non-imitative songs of the vocal mimic. Based on these studies and anecdotes about frog imitations by northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos), we hypothesized which anuran models would be most likely to get imitated by mockingbirds across their geographic range. We tested our hypothesis using >40 h of archived mockingbird recordings. Our results showed that mockingbirds imitated at least 12 anuran species, and calls were disproportionately mimicked when they contained dominant frequencies within the vocal range of the mockingbird (750-7000 Hz). Mockingbirds also frequently modified model anuran sounds by leaving out formants and/or truncating call duration. Our results represent the most comprehensive survey for any mimicking species of the imitation of anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Gammon
- Biology Department, Elon University, Elon, NC, 27244, United States.
| | - Anna M Corsiglia
- Biology Department, Elon University, Elon, NC, 27244, United States
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23
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Robinson CM, Snyder KT, Creanza N. Correlated evolution between repertoire size and song plasticity predicts that sexual selection on song promotes open-ended learning. eLife 2019; 8:44454. [PMID: 31478482 PMCID: PMC6721395 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Some oscine songbird species modify their songs throughout their lives ('adult song plasticity' or 'open-ended learning'), while others crystallize their songs around sexual maturity. It remains unknown whether the strength of sexual selection on song characteristics, such as repertoire size, affects adult song plasticity, or whether adult song plasticity affects song evolution. Here, we compiled data about song plasticity, song characteristics, and mating system and then examined evolutionary interactions between these traits. Across 67 species, we found that lineages with adult song plasticity show directional evolution toward increased syllable and song repertoires, while several other song characteristics evolved faster, but in a non-directional manner. Song plasticity appears to drive bi-directional transitions between monogamous and polygynous social mating systems. Notably, our analysis of correlated evolution suggests that extreme syllable and song repertoire sizes drive the evolution of adult song plasticity or stability, providing novel evidence that sexual selection may indirectly influence open- versus closed-ended learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina M Robinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Kate T Snyder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Nicole Creanza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
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24
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Osiejuk TS, Łosak K, Steifetten Ø, Dale S. Songbird presumed to be age‐limited learner may change repertoire size and composition throughout their life. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. S. Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Environmental Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - K. Łosak
- Department of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Environmental Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Ø. Steifetten
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Aas Norway
- Department of Environmental Sciences Telemark University College Bø Norway
| | - S. Dale
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Aas Norway
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