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Lefeuvre M, Rutkowska J. Zebra finch song parameters are affected by the breeding status of the male, but not temperature variability. Physiol Behav 2024; 281:114581. [PMID: 38734358 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Bird song is a crucial feature for mate choice and reproduction. Song can potentially communicate information related to the quality of the mate, through song complexity, structure or finer changes in syllable characteristics. It has been shown in zebra finches that those characteristics can be affected by various factors including motivation, hormone levels or extreme temperature. However, although the literature on zebra finch song is substantial, some factors have been neglected. In this paper, we recorded male zebra finches in two breeding contexts (before and after pairing) and in two ambient temperature conditions (stable and variable) to see how those factors could influence song production. We found strong differences between the two breeding contexts: compared to their song before pairing, males that were paired had lower song rate, syllable consistency, frequency and entropy, while surprisingly the amplitude of their syllables increased. Temperature variability had an impact on the extent of these differences, but did not directly affect the song parameters that we measured. Our results describe for the first time how breeding status and temperature variability can affect zebra finch song, and give some new insights into the subtleties of the acoustic communication of this model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Lefeuvre
- Jagiellonian University, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Cracow, Poland; Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Cracow, Poland
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2
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Kraft FLH, Crino OL, Adeniran-Obey SO, Moraney RA, Clayton DF, George JM, Buchanan KL. Parental developmental experience affects vocal learning in offspring. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13787. [PMID: 38877207 PMCID: PMC11178867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cultural and genetic inheritance combine to enable rapid changes in trait expression, but their relative importance in determining trait expression across generations is not clear. Birdsong is a socially learned cognitive trait that is subject to both cultural and genetic inheritance, as well as being affected by early developmental conditions. We sought to test whether early-life conditions in one generation can affect song acquisition in the next generation. We exposed one generation (F1) of nestlings to elevated corticosterone (CORT) levels, allowed them to breed freely as adults, and quantified their son's (F2) ability to copy the song of their social father. We also quantified the neurogenetic response to song playback through immediate early gene (IEG) expression in the auditory forebrain. F2 males with only one corticosterone-treated parent copied their social father's song less accurately than males with two control parents. Expression of ARC in caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) correlated with father-son song similarity, and patterns of expression levels of several IEGs in caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) in response to father song playback differed between control F2 sons and those with a CORT-treated father only. This is the first study to demonstrate that developmental conditions can affect social learning and neurogenetic responses in a subsequent generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny-Linn H Kraft
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ondi L Crino
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | | | - Raven A Moraney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - David F Clayton
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Julia M George
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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3
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Dickerson AL, Hall ML, Jones TM. Effects of variation in natural and artificial light at night on acoustic communication: a review and prospectus. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
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4
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5
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Wada H, Coutts V. Detrimental or beneficial? Untangling the literature on developmental stress studies in birds. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272388. [PMID: 34608943 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.227363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Developing animals display a tremendous ability to change the course of their developmental path in response to the environment they experience, a concept referred to as developmental plasticity. This change in behavior, physiology or cellular processes is primarily thought to allow animals to better accommodate themselves to the surrounding environment. However, existing data on developmental stress and whether it brings about beneficial or detrimental outcomes show conflicting results. There are several well-referred hypotheses related to developmental stress in the current literature, such as the environmental matching, silver spoon and thrifty phenotype hypotheses. These hypotheses speculate that the early-life environment defines the capacity of the physiological functions and behavioral tendencies and that this change is permanent and impacts the fitness of the individual. These hypotheses also postulate there is a trade-off among organ systems and physiological functions when resources are insufficient. Published data on avian taxa show that some effects of developmental nutritional and thermal stressors are long lasting, such as the effects on body mass and birdsong. Although hypotheses on developmental stress are based on fitness components, data on reproduction and survival are scarce, making it difficult to determine which hypothesis these data support. Furthermore, most physiological and performance measures are collected only once; thus, the physiological mechanisms remain undertested. Here, we offer potential avenues of research to identify reasons behind the contrasting results in developmental stress research and possible ways to determine whether developmental programming due to stressors is beneficial or detrimental, including quantifying reproduction and survival in multiple environments, measuring temporal changes in physiological variables and testing for stress resistance later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Victoria Coutts
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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6
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Liu Y, Zollinger SA, Brumm H. Chronic exposure to urban noise during the vocal learning period does not lead to increased song frequencies in zebra finches. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02942-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
It has often been observed that birds sing at a higher pitch in cities and other areas that are polluted with intense low-frequency noise. How this pattern arises remains unclear though. One prevailing idea is that songbirds adjust song frequencies to environmental noise profiles through developmental plasticity via vocal learning. However, the conclusions of previous studies testing this hypothesis are inconsistent. Here we report the findings from two song learning experiments with zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata), in which we exposed young birds to anthropogenic noise during their sensitive vocal learning period. Unlike previous studies that addressed this issue, we did not use constant synthetic noise but natural urban noise with its typical amplitude fluctuations that was broadcast at realistic sound levels. We found that noise-exposed males in neither experiment developed higher pitched songs compared to control males. This suggests that the natural fluctuations between higher and lower noise levels in cities may allow young birds to exploit relatively quiet moments to hear their tutors and themselves, permitting them to make accurate copies of even low-frequency song elements.
Significance statement
If animals are to persist in urban habitats, they often must adjust their behavior to the altered conditions. Birds in cities are often observed to sing at a higher pitch, but we are largely ignorant of how this phenomenon arises. We investigated whether low-frequency traffic noise interferes with the song learning of birds so that they develop higher pitched songs. Accordingly, we played back natural traffic noise from urban bird habitats to young birds during their learning period and then analyzed their adult songs. We found that birds that learned their songs in noise did not sing at higher frequencies compared to control males that learned their song with no noise exposure. Our results show that typical traffic noise in cities may not be sufficient to interfere with vocal learning in a way that birds develop higher-pitched songs.
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7
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Experimental test of the communicative value of syllable diversity and syllable switching in the common chiffchaff. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Wilson KM, Tatarenkov A, Burley NT. Early life and transgenerational stressors impact secondary sexual traits and fitness. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kerianne M Wilson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andrey Tatarenkov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Nancy Tyler Burley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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9
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Kriengwatana BP. Learning strategies and the social brain: Missing elements in the link between developmental stress, song and cognition? Integr Zool 2019; 14:158-171. [PMID: 30688022 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bird songs may advertise aspects of cognition because song learning and learning speed in cognitive tasks are both affected by early-life environments. However, such relationships remain ambiguous in the literature. Here, I discuss 2 lines of research that may help to demystify links between song learning and cognition. First, learning strategies should be considered when assessing performance to ensure that individual differences in learning ability are not masked by individual differences in learning strategies. Second, song characteristics should be associated with social behavior because songs have a social purpose and, consequently, should be strongly related at functional and neural levels. Finally, if song learning and cognitive abilities are correlated because they develop concurrently and/or share or compete for the same resources, I discuss ways glucocorticoids may link early-life stress, song learning and cognitive ability, focusing particularly on oxidative stress as a potential mechanism.
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Eyck HJ, Buchanan KL, Crino OL, Jessop TS. Effects of developmental stress on animal phenotype and performance: a quantitative review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1143-1160. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Harrison J.F. Eyck
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 75 Pigdons rd; Geelong VIC 3216 Australia
| | - Katherine L. Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 75 Pigdons rd; Geelong VIC 3216 Australia
| | - Ondi L. Crino
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 75 Pigdons rd; Geelong VIC 3216 Australia
| | - Tim S. Jessop
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 75 Pigdons rd; Geelong VIC 3216 Australia
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11
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Zollinger SA, Dorado-Correa A, Goymann W, Forstmeier W, Knief U, BastidasUrrutia AM, Brumm H. Traffic noise exposure depresses plasma corticosterone and delays offspring growth in breeding zebra finches. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz056. [PMID: 31620292 PMCID: PMC6788579 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The impact of human activity on the acoustic environment is overwhelming, with anthropogenic noise reaching even remote areas of the planet. The World Health Organization has identified noise pollution as one of the leading environmental health risks in humans, and it has been linked to a myriad of short- and long-term health effects in exposed individuals. However, less is known about the health effects of anthropogenic noise exposure on animals. We investigated long- and short-term effects of traffic noise on zebra finches breeding in small communal aviaries, using a repeated measures design. Birds bred in both noise and no-noise conditions, and we measured baseline plasma glucocorticoid levels before, during and after breeding. In addition, we assayed immune function, measured reproductive success and offspring growth and compared rates of extra-pair paternity of breeding adults. Breeding birds had significantly lower baseline plasma corticosterone levels when exposed to traffic noise than when they were not exposed to noise playback. In addition, the nestlings reared during noise exposure were lighter than nestlings of the same parents when breeding in control conditions. Our results suggest that traffic noise poses a more severe hurdle to birds at more vulnerable stages of their life history, such as during reproductive events and ontogeny. While chronic exposure to traffic noise in our birds did not, by itself, prove to be a sufficient stressor to cause acute effects on health or reproductive success in exposed individuals, it did result in disruptions to normal glucocorticoid profiles and delayed offspring growth. However, animals living in urban habitats are exposed to a multitude of anthropogenic disturbances, and it is likely that even species that appear to be thriving in noisy environments may suffer cumulative effects of these multiple disturbances that may together impact their fitness in urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Anne Zollinger
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton East, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- Corresponding author: Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK.
| | - Adriana Dorado-Correa
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Goymann
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Knief
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152 PlaneggMartinsried, Germany
| | - Ana María BastidasUrrutia
- Biodiversity and Global Change Lab, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, HansCarlvonCarlowitzPlatz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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12
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The effect of early life conditions on song traits in male dippers (Cinclus cinclus). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205101. [PMID: 30427834 PMCID: PMC6235254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Song complexity and singing frequency in male birds are shaped by female choice; they signal male quality because song is costly to develop and produce. The timing of song learning and the development of the brain structures involved occur during a period when chicks are exposed to a number of potential stressors. The quality and quantity of song produced by adults may therefore reflect the level of stress experienced during early life, a theory known as the ‘developmental stress hypothesis’. We tested this hypothesis using song recordings and life-history data from an individually marked, long-term study population of wild dippers (Cinclus cinclus). The extent to which early life conditions predict adult song traits was investigated using natal brood size as a measure of sibling competition; the rate of provisioning by parents as a proxy for nutritional stress; and residuals of the linear regression between body mass and tarsus length as a measure of nestling condition. The syllable diversity in the songs of adult males was positively correlated with their body condition as nestlings, but there was no significant correlation with either provisioning rate or brood size. Provisioning rate did, however, predict song rate; males in relatively poor condition as nestlings or those raised in smaller broods which were fed more frequently by their parents sang at a higher rate in adulthood. These results support the developmental stress hypothesis and provide some of the first evidence from a wild bird of how the conditions experienced during early life impact adult song. Song traits may therefore provide females with information regarding both the current condition and developmental history of males.
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13
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Boogert NJ, Lachlan RF, Spencer KA, Templeton CN, Farine DR. Stress hormones, social associations and song learning in zebra finches. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170290. [PMID: 30104435 PMCID: PMC6107560 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of information provided by others is a common short-cut adopted to inform decision-making. However, instead of indiscriminately copying others, animals are often selective in what, when and whom they copy. How do they decide which 'social learning strategy' to use? Previous research indicates that stress hormone exposure in early life may be important: while juvenile zebra finches copied their parents' behaviour when solving novel foraging tasks, those exposed to elevated levels of corticosterone (CORT) during development copied only unrelated adults. Here, we tested whether this switch in social learning strategy generalizes to vocal learning. In zebra finches, juvenile males often copy their father's song; would CORT-treated juveniles in free-flying aviaries switch to copying songs of other males? We found that CORT-treated juveniles copied their father's song less accurately as compared to control juveniles. We hypothesized that this could be due to having weaker social foraging associations with their fathers, and found that sons that spent less time foraging with their fathers produced less similar songs. Our findings are in line with a novel hypothesis linking early-life stress and social learning: early-life CORT exposure may affect social learning indirectly as a result of the way it shapes social affiliations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje J Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Robert F Lachlan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Karen A Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | | | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell 78315, Germany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78464, Germany
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14
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Hamaide J, De Groof G, Van Ruijssevelt L, Lukacova K, Van Audekerke J, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A. Volumetric development of the zebra finch brain throughout the first 200 days of post-hatch life traced by in vivo MRI. Neuroimage 2018; 183:227-238. [PMID: 30107257 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The first months of life are characterized by massive neuroplastic processes that parallel the acquisition of skills and abilities vital for proper functioning in later life. Likewise, juvenile songbirds learn the song sung by their tutor during the first months after hatching. To date, most studies targeting brain development in songbirds exclusively focus on the song control and auditory pathways. To gain a comprehensive insight into structural developmental plasticity of the entire zebra finch brain throughout the different subphases of song learning, we designed a longitudinal study in a group of male (16) and female (19) zebra finches. We collected T2-weighted 3-dimensional anatomical scans at six developmental milestones throughout the process of song learning, i.e. 20, 30, 40, 65, 90 and 120 days post hatching (dph), and one additional time point well after song crystallization, i.e. 200 dph. We observed that the total brain volume initially increases, peaks around 30-40 dph and decreases towards the end of the study. Further, we performed brain-wide voxel-based volumetric analyses to create spatio-temporal maps indicating when specific brain areas increase or decrease in volume, relative to the subphases of song learning. These maps informed (1) that most areas implicated in song control change early, i.e. between 20 and 65 dph, and are embedded in large clusters that cover major subdivisions of the zebra finch brain, (2) that volume changes between consecutive subphases of vocal learning appear highly similar in males and females, and (3) that only more rostrally situated brain regions change in volume towards later ages. Lastly, besides detecting sex differences in local tissue volume that align with previous studies, we uncovered two additional brain loci that are larger in male compared to female zebra finches. These volume differences co-localize with areas related to the song control and auditory pathways and can therefore be associated to the behavioral difference as only male zebra finches sing. In sum, our data point to clear heterochronous patterns of brain development similar to brain development in mammalian species and this work can serve as a reference for future neurodevelopmental imaging studies in zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Geert De Groof
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lisbeth Van Ruijssevelt
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kristina Lukacova
- Centre of Biosciences, Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
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15
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Sewall KB, Anderson RC, Soha JA, Peters S, Nowicki S. Early life conditions that impact song learning in male zebra finches also impact neural and behavioral responses to song in females. Dev Neurobiol 2018; 78:10.1002/dneu.22600. [PMID: 29675841 PMCID: PMC6195868 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Early life stressors can impair song in songbirds by negatively impacting brain development and subsequent learning. Even in species in which only males sing, early life stressors might also impact female behavior and its underlying neural mechanisms, but fewer studies have examined this possibility. We manipulated brood size in zebra finches to simultaneously examine the effects of developmental stress on male song learning and female behavioral and neural response to song. Although adult male HVC volume was unaffected, we found that males from larger broods imitated tutor song less accurately. In females, early condition did not affect the direction of song preference: all females preferred tutor song over unfamiliar song in an operant test. However, treatment did affect the magnitude of behavioral response to song: females from larger broods responded less during song preference trials. This difference in activity level did not reflect boldness per se, as a separate measure of this trait did not differ with brood size. Additionally, in females we found a treatment effect on expression of the immediate early gene ZENK in response to tutor song in brain regions involved in song perception (dNCM) and social motivation (LSc.vl, BSTm, TnA), but not in a region implicated in song memory (CMM). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that developmental stressors that impair song learning in male zebra finches also influence perceptual and/or motivational processes in females. However, our results suggest that the learning of tutor song by females is robust to disturbance by developmental stress. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra B. Sewall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Rindy C. Anderson
- Department Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Jill A. Soha
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Susan Peters
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stephen Nowicki
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
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Burley NT, Hamedani E, Symanski C. Mate choice decision rules: Trait synergisms and preference shifts. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2380-2394. [PMID: 29531661 PMCID: PMC5838072 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
An important and understudied question in sexual selection is how females evaluate information from multiple secondary sexual traits (SSTs), particularly when expression of traits is phenotypically uncorrelated. We performed mate choice experiments on zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis Gould) to evaluate two hypotheses: preference shifts (obstacles to choice using one trait increase chooser reliance on others) and trait synergisms (choice based on the sum/product of two or more independently varying traits). The first experiment, which employed males raised on diets that impact SST expression, supported the trait synergism hypothesis: overall, male pairing success was best predicted by synergisms involving beak color and cheek patch size. Results did not support the preference shift hypothesis. Results of a follow-up experiment that included males reared on a single diet, and in which male beak color and cheek patch size were manipulated, were also consistent with the trait synergism hypothesis. Results have implications for understanding the long-term persistence of multiple SSTs in populations and for the measurement of repeatability and heritability of mate preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Tyler Burley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCAUSA
| | - Elnaz Hamedani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCAUSA
| | - Cole Symanski
- Department of EntomologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCAUSA
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17
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de Boer RA, Eens M, Müller W. 'Out of tune': consequences of inbreeding on bird song. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1142. [PMID: 27466453 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of bird song is expected to signal male quality to females. 'Quality' is determined by genetic and environmental factors, but, surprisingly, there is very limited evidence if and how genetic aspects of male quality are reflected in song. Here, we manipulated the genetic make-up of canaries (Serinus canaria) via inbreeding, and studied its effects upon song output, complexity, phonetics and, for the first time, song learning. To this end, we created weight-matched inbred and outbred pairs of male fledglings, which were subsequently exposed to the same tutor male during song learning. Inbreeding strongly affected syllable phonetics, but there were little or no effects on other song features. Nonetheless, females discriminated among inbred and outbred males, as they produced heavier clutches when mated with an outbred male. Our study highlights the importance of song phonetics, which has hitherto often been overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raïssa A de Boer
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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18
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Zito JB, Hanna A, Kadoo N, Tomaszycki ML. Early life stress increases testosterone and corticosterone and alters stress physiology in zebra finches. Horm Behav 2017; 95:57-64. [PMID: 28782547 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress has enduring effects on behavior and physiology. However, the effects on hormones and stress physiology remain poorly understood. In the present study, parents of zebra finches of both sexes were exposed to an increased foraging paradigm from 3 to 33days post hatching. Plasma and brains were collected from chicks at 3 developmental time points: post hatching days 25, 60 and adulthood. Plasma was assayed for testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), and corticosterone (CORT). The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus was assessed for corticotrophin releasing factor (CRH) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression. As expected, body mass was lower in nutritionally stressed animals compared to controls at multiple ages. Nutritionally stressed animals overall had higher levels of CORT than did control and this was particularly apparent in females at post hatching day 25. Nutritionally stressed animals also had a higher number of cells expressing CRH and GR in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus than did controls. There was an interaction, such that both measures were higher in control animals at PHD 25, but higher in NS animals by adulthood. Females, regardless of treatment, had higher circulating CORT and a higher number of cells expressing CRH than did males. Nutritionally stressed animals also had higher levels of T than did control animals, and this difference was greatest for males at post hatching day 60. There were no effects of nutritional stress on E2. These findings suggest that nutritional stress during development has long-lasting effects on testosterone and stress physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bayley Zito
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Angy Hanna
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Nora Kadoo
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Michelle L Tomaszycki
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, USA.
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19
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Honarmand M, Krause ET, Naguib M. Implications of nutritional stress as nestling or fledgling on subsequent attractiveness and fecundity in zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata). PeerJ 2017; 5:e3628. [PMID: 28852585 PMCID: PMC5572542 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The conditions an organism experiences during early development can have profound and long lasting effects on its subsequent behavior, attractiveness, and life history decisions. Most previous studies have exposed individuals to different conditions throughout development until nutritional independence. Yet under natural conditions, individuals may experience limitations for much shorter periods due to transient environmental fluctuations. Here, we used zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in captivity to determine if conditions experienced during distinctly different early developmental phases contribute differently to male and female attractiveness and subsequent reproduction. We conducted a breeding experiment in which offspring were exposed to food regimes with (a) low quality food provided only during the nestling period, (b) low quality food provided only during the fledgling period, or (c) high quality food throughout early development. We show that despite short-term effects on biometry and physiology, there were no effects on either male or female attractiveness, as tested in two-way mate choice free-flight aviary experiments. In a subsequent breeding experiment, the offspring from the initial experiment were allowed to breed themselves. The next generation offspring from mothers raised under lower quality nutrition as either nestling or fledging were lighter at hatching compared to offspring from mothers raised under higher quality nutrition whereas paternal early nutrition had no such effects. The lack of early developmental limitations on attractiveness suggests that attractiveness traits were not affected or that birds compensated for any such effects. Furthermore, maternal trans-generational effects of dietary restrictions emphasize the importance of role of limited periods of early developmental stress in the expression of environmentally determined fitness components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Honarmand
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - E Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Celle, Germany
| | - Marc Naguib
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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20
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Griffith SC, Crino OL, Andrew SC, Nomano FY, Adkins-Regan E, Alonso-Alvarez C, Bailey IE, Bittner SS, Bolton PE, Boner W, Boogert N, Boucaud ICA, Briga M, Buchanan KL, Caspers BA, Cichoń M, Clayton DF, Derégnaucourt S, Forstmeier W, Guillette LM, Hartley IR, Healy SD, Hill DL, Holveck MJ, Hurley LL, Ihle M, Tobias Krause E, Mainwaring MC, Marasco V, Mariette MM, Martin-Wintle MS, McCowan LSC, McMahon M, Monaghan P, Nager RG, Naguib M, Nord A, Potvin DA, Prior NH, Riebel K, Romero-Haro AA, Royle NJ, Rutkowska J, Schuett W, Swaddle JP, Tobler M, Trompf L, Varian-Ramos CW, Vignal C, Villain AS, Williams TD. Variation in Reproductive Success Across Captive Populations: Methodological Differences, Potential Biases and Opportunities. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon C. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Ondi L. Crino
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Samuel C. Andrew
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Fumiaki Y. Nomano
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior; Cornell University; Ithaca NY USA
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM; Ciudad Real Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - Ida E. Bailey
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | | | - Peri E. Bolton
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Neeltje Boogert
- School of Psychology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | - Ingrid C. A. Boucaud
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Michael Briga
- Behavioural Biology; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Cracow Poland
| | - David F. Clayton
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | | | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | | | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Susan D. Healy
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | - Davina L. Hill
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Marie-Jeanne Holveck
- Institute of Biology; University of Leiden; Leiden The Netherlands
- Biodiversity Research Centre; Earth and Life Institute; Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL); Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - Laura L. Hurley
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Malika Ihle
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | - E. Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry; Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Celle Germany
| | - Mark C. Mainwaring
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Valeria Marasco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Mylene M. Mariette
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong VIC Australia
| | - Meghan S. Martin-Wintle
- Conservation and Research Department; PDXWildlife; Portland OR USA
- Applied Animal Ecology; Institute for Conservation Research; San Diego Zoo Global; Escondido CA USA
| | - Luke S. C. McCowan
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Maeve McMahon
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Ruedi G. Nager
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Marc Naguib
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Animal Sciences; Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø Norway
| | - Dominique A. Potvin
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research; University of Western Ontario; London ON Canada
| | - Nora H. Prior
- Zoology Department; University of British Columbia; Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Ana A. Romero-Haro
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM; Ciudad Real Spain
| | - Nick J. Royle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; University of Exeter; Penryn UK
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Cracow Poland
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Zoological Institute; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - John P. Swaddle
- Biology Department; Institute for Integrative Bird Behaviour Studies; The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg VA USA
| | | | - Larissa Trompf
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Claire W. Varian-Ramos
- Biology Department; Institute for Integrative Bird Behaviour Studies; The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg VA USA
| | - Clémentine Vignal
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Avelyne S. Villain
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences; Simon Fraser University; Burnaby BC Canada
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Potvin DA, Curcio MT, Swaddle JP, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Experimental exposure to urban and pink noise affects brain development and song learning in zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata). PeerJ 2016; 4:e2287. [PMID: 27602270 PMCID: PMC4991897 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, numerous studies have observed changes in bird vocalizations-especially song-in urban habitats. These changes are often interpreted as adaptive, since they increase the active space of the signal in its environment. However, the proximate mechanisms driving cross-generational changes in song are still unknown. We performed a captive experiment to identify whether noise experienced during development affects song learning and the development of song-control brain regions. Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were bred while exposed, or not exposed, to recorded traffic urban noise (Study 1) or pink noise (Study 2). We recorded the songs of male offspring and compared these to fathers' songs. We also measured baseline corticosterone and measured the size of song-control brain regions when the males reached adulthood (Study 1 only). While male zebra finches tended to copy syllables accurately from tutors regardless of noise environment, syntax (the ordering of syllables within songs) was incorrectly copied affected by juveniles exposed to noise. Noise did not affect baseline corticosterone, but did affect the size of brain regions associated with song learning: these regions were smaller in males that had been had been exposed to recorded traffic urban noise in early development. These findings provide a possible mechanism by which noise affects behaviour, leading to potential population differences between wild animals occupying noisier urban environments compared with those in quieter habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique A. Potvin
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University,Canberra,ACT,Australia
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario,London,ON,Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario,London,ON,Canada
| | - Michael T. Curcio
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William and Mary,Williamsburg,VA,United States
| | - John P. Swaddle
- Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William and Mary,Williamsburg,VA,United States
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter,Exeter,United Kingdom
| | - Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario,London,ON,Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario,London,ON,Canada
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22
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Pasch B, Abbasi MZ, Wilson M, Zhao D, Searle JB, Webster MS, Rice AN. Cross-fostering alters advertisement vocalizations of grasshopper mice (Onychomys): Evidence for the developmental stress hypothesis. Physiol Behav 2016; 157:265-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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23
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Waltzing Taeniopygia: integration of courtship song and dance in the domesticated Australian zebra finch. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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24
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Krause ET, Naguib M. Zebra finch males compensate in plumage ornaments at sexual maturation for a bad start in life. Front Zool 2016; 12 Suppl 1:S11. [PMID: 26816511 PMCID: PMC4722338 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-12-s1-s11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An individual's fitness in part depends on the characteristics of the mate so that sexually attractive ornaments, as signals of quality, are used in mate choice. Often such ornaments develop already early in life and thus are affected by nutritional conditions experienced then. Individuals thus should benefit by compensating as soon as possible for poor initial development of ornaments, to be attractive already at sexual maturity. Here, we tested whether early nutritional stress affects the cheek patch size of male Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), which are important in mate choice, and whether a small cheek patch size early on is compensated at sexual maturation. Furthermore we tested whether exploration behaviour is affected by such a compensation, as shown for other compensatory growth trajectories. Results Zebra finch males which were raised under poorer nutritional conditions initially expressed smaller cheek patches at day 50 post-hatching but then compensated in cheek patch size already at 65 days, i.e. when becoming sexually mature. Furthermore, compensatory growth in cheek patch during adolescence was negatively correlated with activity and exploration behaviour, measured in a novel environment. Conclusion This compensation in cheek patch size benefits male attractiveness but also was related to less exploration behaviour, an established proxy for avian personality traits. We discuss the possibility that compensatory priorities exist so that not all deficits from a bad start are caught-up at the same time. Resource allocation to compensate for poorly expressed traits is likely to have evolved to optimise traits by the time they are most beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University Bielefeld, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Institute of Animal Welfare and Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler Institute, Doernbergstr. 25-27, 29223 Celle, Germany
| | - Marc Naguib
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University Bielefeld, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
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25
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MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Developmental stress and birdsong: integrating signal function and development. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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26
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Farrell TM, Morgan A, Sarquis-Adamson Y, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Effects of early-developmental stress on growth rates, body composition and developmental plasticity of the HPG-axis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 222:134-43. [PMID: 26253500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In altricial songbirds, food restriction in early development has adverse effects on various physiological systems. When conditions improve birds can accelerate growth, but this compensatory strategy is associated with long-term adverse consequences. One system affected by altered growth rates is the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Here, we subjected European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, to an unpredictable food manipulation from 35 to 115days of age. We assessed the effects of the treatment by measuring overall body mass and body composition during and following the treatment period (i.e., accelerated growth). In adulthood, we measured the long-term effects of the treatment on overall body mass, testis volume, and HPG axis function in both sexes by quantifying androgen levels before and after a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) challenge. During the treatment period, treatment birds had less body fat than controls. Following the treatment period, treatment birds weighed more than controls, but these gains were attributed to changes in lean mass. In adulthood, treatment males had lower baseline androgen levels, but there was no difference in peak androgen levels compared to controls. Treatment females did not differ from controls on any of the androgen measures. However, females that accelerated growth faster following the termination of the treatment had lower integrated androgen levels. When faced with limited developmental resources, birds may alter the developmental trajectory of physiological systems as a compensatory strategy. Such a strategy may have long-term consequences on endocrine regulation that could affect courtship and reproductive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Farrell
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
| | - Amanda Morgan
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Yanina Sarquis-Adamson
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, Canada
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27
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Honarmand M, Riebel K, Naguib M. Nutrition and peer group composition in early adolescence: impacts on male song and female preference in zebra finches. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Honarmand M, Thompson CK, Schatton A, Kipper S, Scharff C. Early developmental stress negatively affects neuronal recruitment to avian song system nucleus HVC. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:107-18. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 05/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Honarmand
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
| | - Christopher K. Thompson
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience; the Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla California
| | - Adriana Schatton
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
| | - Silke Kipper
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
- Department of Zoology; Technische Universität München; Munich Germany
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30
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Kriengwatana B, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. No Trade-Offs between Lipid Stores and Structural Growth in Juvenile Zebra Finches Undergoing Nutritional Stress during Development. Physiol Biochem Zool 2015; 88:208-15. [PMID: 25730275 DOI: 10.1086/678988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional conditions during development can affect both structural growth and body fat deposition. Body size and body fat each have significant consequences for fitness, yet few studies have investigated how young birds balance resource allocation between structural growth and fat reserves. We raised zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in consistently high- or low-food conditions until posthatch day 35 (PHD 35). From this age until PHD 62, half of the birds in each condition were switched to the other treatment, while the rest were maintained on the same conditions. Body mass, lean mass, body fat, and tarsus length were measured before (PHD 25) and after (PHD 55) nutritional independence. Precise measures of body composition were obtained noninvasively at both ages using quantitative magnetic resonance analysis. At PHD 25, birds in the high treatment had more body mass and lean mass than birds in the low treatment, but nutritional treatments did not affect body fat at this age. Unexpectedly, the strategic response of birds that experienced deteriorating food availability was to maintain body mass by increasing body fat and decreasing lean mass. Birds that experienced an improvement in food availability significantly increased body mass by increasing lean mass and not body fat. Birds maintained on a low diet throughout did not significantly increase body mass, lean mass, or body fat. Tarsus length was not affected by nutritional manipulations. These findings indicate that nutritional stress did not affect the relationship between skeletal growth and body fat deposition because lean mass, body fat, and tarsus length can be independently regulated at different developmental periods depending on nutritional conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buddhamas Kriengwatana
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 1G9, Canada; and Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6G 1G9, Canada; 2Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
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31
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Olson CR, Owen DC, Ryabinin AE, Mello CV. Drinking songs: alcohol effects on learned song of zebra finches. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115427. [PMID: 25536524 PMCID: PMC4275239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Speech impairment is one of the most intriguing and least understood effects of alcohol on cognitive function, largely due to the lack of data on alcohol effects on vocalizations in the context of an appropriate experimental model organism. Zebra finches, a representative songbird and a premier model for understanding the neurobiology of vocal production and learning, learn song in a manner analogous to how humans learn speech. Here we show that when allowed access, finches readily drink alcohol, increase their blood ethanol concentrations (BEC) significantly, and sing a song with altered acoustic structure. The most pronounced effects were decreased amplitude and increased entropy, the latter likely reflecting a disruption in the birds’ ability to maintain the spectral structure of song under alcohol. Furthermore, specific syllables, which have distinct acoustic structures, were differentially influenced by alcohol, likely reflecting a diversity in the neural mechanisms required for their production. Remarkably, these effects on vocalizations occurred without overt effects on general behavioral measures, and importantly, they occurred within a range of BEC that can be considered risky for humans. Our results suggest that the variable effects of alcohol on finch song reflect differential alcohol sensitivity of the brain circuitry elements that control different aspects of song production. They also point to finches as an informative model for understanding how alcohol affects the neuronal circuits that control the production of learned motor behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. Olson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road L470, Portland, Oregon, United States of America 97239–3098
| | - Devin C. Owen
- Psychology Department, Lewis and Clark College, 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road, Portland, Oregon 97219, United States of America
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road L470, Portland, Oregon, United States of America 97239–3098
| | - Claudio V. Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road L470, Portland, Oregon, United States of America 97239–3098
- * E-mail:
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32
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Templeton CN, Laland KN, Boogert NJ. Does song complexity correlate with problem-solving performance in flocks of zebra finches? Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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34
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Brust V, Krüger O, Naguib M, Krause ET. Lifelong consequences of early nutritional conditions on learning performance in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Behav Processes 2014; 103:320-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 01/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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35
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Kriengwatana B, Wada H, Schmidt KL, Taves MD, Soma KK, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Effects of nutritional stress during different developmental periods on song and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in zebra finches. Horm Behav 2014; 65:285-93. [PMID: 24417905 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In songbirds, developmental stress affects song learning and production. Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function resulting in elevated corticosterone (CORT) may contribute to this effect. We examined whether developmental conditions affected the association between adult song and HPA axis function, and whether nutritional stress before and after nutritional independence has distinct effects on song learning and/or vocal performance. Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were raised in consistently high (HH) or low (LL) food conditions until post-hatch day (PHD) 62, or were switched from high to low conditions (HL) or vice versa (LH) at PHD 34. Song was recorded in adulthood. We assessed the response of CORT to handling during development and to dexamethasone (DEX) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenges during adulthood. Song learning and vocal performance were not affected by nutritional stress at either developmental stage. Nutritional stress elevated baseline CORT during development. Nutritional stress also increased rate of CORT secretion in birds that experienced stress only in the juvenile phase (HL group). Birds in the LL group had lower CORT levels after injection of ACTH compared to the other groups, however there was no effect of nutritional stress on the response to DEX. Thus, our findings indicate that developmental stress can affect HPA function without concurrently affecting song.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Kriengwatana
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
| | - H Wada
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - K L Schmidt
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - M D Taves
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - K K Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - S A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Shahbazi M, Jimenez P, Martinez LA, Carruth LL. Effects of housing condition and early corticosterone treatment on learned features of song in adult male zebra finches. Horm Behav 2014; 65:226-37. [PMID: 24492024 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Early developmental stress can have long-term physiological and behavioral effects on an animal. Developmental stress and early corticosterone (Cort) exposure affect song quality in many songbirds. Early housing condition can act as a stressor and affect the growth of nestlings and adult song, and improvements in housing condition can reverse adverse effects of early stress exposure in rodents. However, little is known about this effect in songbirds. Therefore, we took a novel approach to investigate if housing condition can modify the effects of early Cort exposure on adult song in male zebra finches. We manipulated early housing conditions to include breeding in large communal flight cages (FC; standard housing condition; with mixed-sex and mix-aged birds) versus individual breeding cages (IBC, one male-female pair with small, IBC-S, or large clutches, IBC-L) in post-hatch Cort treated male birds. We found that Cort treated birds from IBC-S have higher overall song learning scores (between tutor and pupil) than from FC but there is no difference between these groups in the No-Cort treated birds. When examining the effects of Cort within each housing condition, overall song learning scores decreased in Cort treated birds from flight cages but increased in birds from IBC-S compared to controls. Likewise, the total number of syllables and syllable types increased significantly in Cort treated birds from IBC-S, but decreased in FC-reared birds though this effect was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that the effects of early Cort treatment on learned features of song depend on housing condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahin Shahbazi
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, USA
| | - Pedro Jimenez
- Centro de Investigacion en Reproduccion Animal, CINVESTAV-UAT, Apdo. Postal 62, 90000 Tlaxcala, Tlax., Mexico
| | - Luis A Martinez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Laura L Carruth
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, USA.
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37
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Song performance and elaboration as potential indicators of male quality in Java sparrows. Behav Processes 2013; 99:138-44. [PMID: 23876390 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Bird songs have evolved under sexual selection pressure. Songs include multiple features that are subject to female preference, but recent comparative research has indicated evolutionary tradeoffs between song performance and complexity in some species. Trill, a repetition of the same sound, is a performance-related song trait; higher trill performance can be achieved at the cost of song complexity at the among-species or population level. The aim of this study was to examine whether such tradeoffs also account for within-species variation in Java sparrow songs, which include both multiple trill types and non-trill parts. We found a great individual variation in trill proportion, trill performance, and song complexity. A positive association between trill performance and body size suggested that trills can serve as an indicator of male quality. However, contrary to the tradeoffs predicted by previous studies based on other passerine species, trill performance and song complexity, i.e., note repertoire, were positively correlated: males in better condition can sing songs with larger note repertoires and higher trill performance, which may explain how trills and non-trill notes are both maintained and have co-evolved by sexual selection in Java sparrow songs.
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Schmidt KL, Moore SD, MacDougall-Shackleton EA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Early-life stress affects song complexity, song learning and volume of the brain nucleus RA in adult male song sparrows. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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39
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Nemeth E, Pieretti N, Zollinger SA, Geberzahn N, Partecke J, Miranda AC, Brumm H. Bird song and anthropogenic noise: vocal constraints may explain why birds sing higher-frequency songs in cities. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20122798. [PMID: 23303546 PMCID: PMC3574330 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When animals live in cities, they have to adjust their behaviour and life histories to novel environments. Noise pollution puts a severe constraint on vocal communication by interfering with the detection of acoustic signals. Recent studies show that city birds sing higher-frequency songs than their conspecifics in non-urban habitats. This has been interpreted as an adaptation to counteract masking by traffic noise. However, this notion is debated, for the observed frequency shifts seem to be less efficient at mitigating noise than singing louder, and it has been suggested that city birds might use particularly high-frequency song elements because they can be produced at higher amplitudes. Here, we present the first phonetogram for a songbird, which shows that frequency and amplitude are strongly positively correlated in the common blackbird (Turdus merula), a successful urban colonizer. Moreover, city blackbirds preferentially sang higher-frequency elements that can be produced at higher intensities and, at the same time, happen to be less masked in low-frequency traffic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin Nemeth
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
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40
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Lachlan RF, Nowicki S. How Reliable Is Song Learning Accuracy as a Signal of Male Early Condition? Am Nat 2012; 180:751-61. [DOI: 10.1086/668010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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41
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Cardoso GC, Atwell JW, Hu Y, Ketterson ED, Price TD. No Correlation Between Three Selected Trade-Offs in Birdsong Performance and Male Quality for a Species With Song Repertoires. Ethology 2012; 118:584-593. [PMID: 33859448 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2012.02047.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Demanding performance of vocal signals, such as birdsong, may be evaluated by trade-offs among acoustic traits. If individuals differ in their ability to sustain physiologically demanding singing, then aspects of song performance resulting from such trade-offs could signal individual quality. Song performance can also differ among song types, and it is not known whether this influences the assessment of individual quality. We asked whether three trade-off-based measures of song performance indicate male age or aspects of condition (body condition, hematocrit and ectoparasite load) in the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), a species with small repertoires. Across a sample of over 100 males, no measure of song performance was related to male age or condition, nor did song performance improve with age for those males recorded in consecutive years. In all cases, the variation in song performance explained by these predictors was small (<4%). Instead, the more song types we recorded from a male, the more likely we were to record high-performance songs, and this sampling effect was stronger than putative correlations with male quality. These results complement a previous study on this population showing that most variation in performance is found among song types rather than among males. Collectively, the lack of association between trade-off-based aspects of song performance and male age or condition, plus variation among song types that interferes with rapid assessment of a male's best performance, indicate that these aspects of song performance do not allow a good assessment of male quality in juncos, and perhaps more generally in species with song repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo C Cardoso
- CIBIO-Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Yang Hu
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | | | - Trevor D Price
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA
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Dabelsteen T, Coppack T, Hesler N, Sacher T, Bairlein F, Mundry R. Song repertoire size correlates with measures of body size in Eurasian blackbirds. BEHAVIOUR 2012. [DOI: 10.1163/156853912x649920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Bonaparte KM, Riffle-Yokoi C, Burley NT. Getting a head start: diet, sub-adult growth, and associative learning in a seed-eating passerine. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23775. [PMID: 21949684 PMCID: PMC3176201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental stress, and individual variation in response to it, can have important fitness consequences. Here we investigated the consequences of variable dietary protein on the duration of growth and associative learning abilities of zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, which are obligate graminivores. The high-protein conditions that zebra finches would experience in nature when half-ripe seed is available were mimicked by the use of egg protein to supplement mature seed, which is low in protein content. Growth rates and relative body proportions of males reared either on a low-protein diet (mature seed only) or a high-protein diet (seed plus egg) were determined from body size traits (mass, head width, and tarsus) measured at three developmental stages. Birds reared on the high-protein diet were larger in all size traits at all ages, but growth rates of size traits showed no treatment effects. Relative head size of birds reared on the two diets differed from age day 95 onward, with high-diet birds having larger heads in proportion to both tarsus length and body mass. High-diet birds mastered an associative learning task in fewer bouts than those reared on the low-protein diet. In both diet treatments, amount of sub-adult head growth varied directly, and sub-adult mass change varied inversely, with performance on the learning task. Results indicate that small differences in head growth during the sub-adult period can be associated with substantial differences in adult cognitive performance. Contrary to a previous report, we found no evidence for growth compensation among birds on the low-protein diet. These results have implications for the study of vertebrate cognition, developmental stress, and growth compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M. Bonaparte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Christina Riffle-Yokoi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Nancy Tyler Burley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Krause ET, Naguib M. Compensatory growth affects exploratory behaviour in zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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46
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Boogert NJ, Fawcett TW, Lefebvre L. Mate choice for cognitive traits: a review of the evidence in nonhuman vertebrates. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Woodgate JL, Leitner S, Catchpole CK, Berg ML, Bennett AT, Buchanan KL. Developmental stressors that impair song learning in males do not appear to affect female preferences for song complexity in the zebra finch. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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48
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Buchanan KL. The developmental stress hypothesis: a special case of the evolution of condition-dependent sexual traits. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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49
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Ritschard M, Laucht S, Dale J, Brumm H. Enhanced testosterone levels affect singing motivation but not song structure and amplitude in Bengalese finches. Physiol Behav 2010; 102:30-5. [PMID: 20951153 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2010] [Revised: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Song is a fundamental component of territory defense and mate attraction in birds, and androgens (like testosterone) are known to play a key role in controlling it. However, little is known about how differences in testosterone levels between males translate into inter-individual song variation. Indeed, testosterone could affect both the motivation to sing and the structure of song itself. Here, we tested whether experimentally elevated testosterone levels in adult Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica), an oscine bird species, have an activational effect on 1) song performance, and 2) song structure. Our results show that testosterone-treated males, in contrast to sham-control males, sang more when confronted with a female. Other performance-related traits, however, such as latency to sing and song amplitude, were not affected. Testosterone-treated males also showed no differences in our two measures of song structure: fundamental element frequency and mean song frequency. Because song structure is known to be organizationally affected by testosterone, our results, synthesized together with findings from the current literature, suggest that in oscine birds, song contains multiple messages about the signaler's hormonal status. First, song performance may reflect current hormonal condition, and second, song structure may reflect the past hormonal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ritschard
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
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Müller W, Vergauwen J, Eens M. Testing the developmental stress hypothesis in canaries: consequences of nutritional stress on adult song phenotype and mate attractiveness. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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