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Iacopini I, Foote JR, Fefferman NH, Derryberry EP, Silk MJ. Not your private tête-à-tête: leveraging the power of higher-order networks to study animal communication. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230190. [PMID: 38768202 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0190] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal communication is frequently studied with conventional network representations that link pairs of individuals who interact, for example, through vocalization. However, acoustic signals often have multiple simultaneous receivers, or receivers integrate information from multiple signallers, meaning these interactions are not dyadic. Additionally, non-dyadic social structures often shape an individual's behavioural response to vocal communication. Recently, major advances have been made in the study of these non-dyadic, higher-order networks (e.g. hypergraphs and simplicial complexes). Here, we show how these approaches can provide new insights into vocal communication through three case studies that illustrate how higher-order network models can: (i) alter predictions made about the outcome of vocally coordinated group departures; (ii) generate different patterns of song synchronization from models that only include dyadic interactions; and (iii) inform models of cultural evolution of vocal communication. Together, our examples highlight the potential power of higher-order networks to study animal vocal communication. We then build on our case studies to identify key challenges in applying higher-order network approaches in this context and outline important research questions that these techniques could help answer. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iacopo Iacopini
- Network Science Institute, Northeastern University London , London, E1W 1LP, UK
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University , Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Nina H Fefferman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN, USA
- NIMBioS, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Matthew J Silk
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD , Montpellier, France
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
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2
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Rose EM, Scofield AJ, Wenstrom AM, Stennette KA, Shank BD, Ball GF. Male and female red-cheeked cordon bleus sing similar yet individualistic songs. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 155:1909-1915. [PMID: 38456733 PMCID: PMC10924675 DOI: 10.1121/10.0025236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Birdsong is an excellent system for studying complex vocal signaling in both males and females. Historically, most research in captivity has focused only on male song. This has left a gap in our understanding of the environmental, neuroendocrine, and mechanistic control of female song. Here, we report the overall acoustic features, repertoire, and stereotypy of both male and female Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleus (Uraeginthus bengalus) (RCCBs) songs in the lab. We found few sex differences in the acoustic structure, song repertoire, and song stereotypy of RCCBs. Both sexes had similar song entropy, peak frequency, and duration. Additionally, individuals of both sexes sang only a single song type each and had similar levels of song and syllable stereotypy. However, we did find that female RCCBs had higher song bandwidth but lower syllable repertoires. Finally, and most strikingly, we found highly individualistic songs in RCCBs. Each individual produced a stereotyped and unique song with no birds sharing song types and very few syllable types being shared between birds of either sex. We propose that RCCBs represent a promising species for future investigations of the acoustic sex differences in song in a lab environment, and also for understanding the evolutionary driving forces behind individualistic songs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangeline M Rose
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Avery J Scofield
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Autumn M Wenstrom
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Katherine A Stennette
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Benjamin D Shank
- Department of Physics, Hope College, Holland, Michigan 49423, USA
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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3
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Kernan CE, Jones JS, Robillard T, Schöneich S, ter Hofstede HM. Efficacy constraints on female directional preference stabilize a male call component in a multimodal cricket duet. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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4
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The form and function of chimpanzee buttress drumming. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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5
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Sawant S, Arvind C, Joshi V, Robin VV. Spectrogram cross‐correlation can be used to measure the complexity of bird vocalizations. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Suyash Sawant
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati Tirupati India
| | - Chiti Arvind
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati Tirupati India
| | - Viral Joshi
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati Tirupati India
| | - V. V. Robin
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati Tirupati India
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6
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Williams H. Mechanisms of Cultural Evolution in the Songs of Wild Bird Populations. Front Psychol 2021; 12:643343. [PMID: 33981272 PMCID: PMC8107227 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Young songbirds draw the source material for their learned songs from parents, peers, and unrelated adults, as well as from innovation. These learned songs are used for intraspecific communication, and have well-documented roles for such functions as territory maintenance and mate attraction. The songs of wild populations differ, forming local "dialects" that may shift over time, suggesting that cultural evolution is at work. Recent work has focused on the mechanisms responsible for the cultural evolution of bird songs within a population, including drift, learning biases (such as conformity and rare-form copying), and selection (including sexual selection). In many songs or song repertoires, variability is partitioned, with some songs or song segments being stable and consistent, while others vary within the population and across time, and still others undergo population-wide transitions over time. This review explores the different mechanisms that shape the cultural evolution of songs in wild populations, with specific reference to a long-term investigation of a single population of philopatric Savannah sparrows. Males learn a single four-segment song during their 1st year and sing the same song thereafter. Within this song, the buzz segment is a population marker, and may be stable for decades - variant forms occur but eventually disappear. In contrast, the middle segment is highly variable both within the population and over time; changes in relative prevalence of different forms may be due to cultural drift or a rare-form learning bias. Within the introductory segment, a high note cluster was replaced by a click train between 1982 and 2010, following an S-shaped trajectory characteristic of both selective sweeps in population genetics and the replacement of one form by another in human language. In the case of the Savannah sparrows, this replacement may have been due to sexual selection. In subsequent generations, the number of clicks within trains increased, a form of cultural directional selection. In contrast to the narrowing of a trait's range during directional selection in genetic systems, variation in the number of clicks in a train increased as the mean value shifted because improvisation during song learning allowed the range of the trait to expand. Thus, in the single short song of the Savannah sparrow, at least four different mechanisms appear to contribute to three different types of cultural evolutionary outcomes. In the future, it will be import to explore the conditions that favor the application of specific (and perhaps conditional) learning rules, and studies such as the ongoing song seeding experiment in the Kent Island Savannah sparrow population will help in understanding the mechanisms that promote or repress changes in a population's song.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Williams
- Biology Department, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, United States
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Backhouse F, Dalziell AH, Magrath RD, Rice AN, Crisologo TL, Welbergen JA. Differential geographic patterns in song components of male Albert's lyrebirds. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2701-2716. [PMID: 33767830 PMCID: PMC7981226 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographic variation in bird song has received much attention in evolutionary studies, yet few consider components within songs that may be subject to different constraints and follow different evolutionary trajectories. Here, we quantify patterns of geographic variation in the socially transmitted "whistle" song of Albert's lyrebirds (Menura alberti), an oscine passerine renowned for its remarkable vocal abilities. Albert's lyrebirds are confined to narrow stretches of suitable habitat in Australia, allowing us to map likely paths of cultural transmission using a species distribution model and least cost paths. We use quantitative methods to divide the songs into three components present in all study populations: the introductory elements, the song body, and the final element. We compare geographic separation between populations with variation in these components as well as the full song. All populations were distinguishable by song, and songs varied according to the geographic distance between populations. However, within songs, only the introductory elements and song body could be used to distinguish among populations. The song body and final element changed with distance, but the introductory elements varied independently of geographic separation. These differing geographic patterns of within-song variation are unexpected, given that the whistle song components are always produced in the same sequence and may be perceived as a temporally discrete unit. Knowledge of such spatial patterns of within-song variation enables further work to determine possible selective pressures and constraints acting on each song component and provides spatially explicit targets for preserving cultural diversity. As such, our study highlights the importance for science and conservation of investigating spatial patterns within seemingly discrete behavioral traits at multiple levels of organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Backhouse
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNSWAustralia
| | - Anastasia H. Dalziell
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNSWAustralia
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem SolutionsSchool of Earth, Atmospheric and Life SciencesUniversity of WollongongWollongongNSWAustralia
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology ProgramCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
- Macaulay LibraryCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
- Center for Conservation BioacousticsCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Robert D. Magrath
- Research School of Biologythe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Aaron N. Rice
- Center for Conservation BioacousticsCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Taylor L. Crisologo
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNSWAustralia
- Macaulay LibraryCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Justin A. Welbergen
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNSWAustralia
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8
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Female song in eastern bluebirds varies in acoustic structure according to social context. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2824-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Moseley DL, Phillips JN, Derryberry EP, Luther DA. Evidence for differing trajectories of songs in urban and rural populations. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractLearned traits, such as foraging strategies and communication signals, can change over time via cultural evolution. Using historical recordings, we investigate the cultural evolution of birdsong over nearly a 50-year period. Specifically, we examine the parts of white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli) songs used for mate attraction and territorial defense. We compared historical (early 1970s) recordings with contemporary (mid-2010s) recordings from populations within and near San Francisco, CA and assessed the vocal performance of these songs. Because birds exposed to anthropogenic noise tend to sing at higher minimum frequencies with narrower frequency bandwidths, potentially reducing one measure of song performance, we hypothesized that other song features, such as syllable complexity, might be exaggerated, as an alternative means to display performance capabilities. We found that vocal performance increased between historical and contemporary songs, with a larger effect size for urban songs, and that syllable complexity, measured as the number of frequency modulations per syllable, was historically low for urban males but increased significantly in urban songs. We interpret these results as evidence for males increasing song complexity and trilled performance over time in urban habitats, despite performance constraints from urban noise, and suggest a new line of inquiry into how environments alter vocal performance over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Moseley
- Biology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Institution, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer N Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - David A Luther
- Biology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
- Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation, Front Royal, VA, USA
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10
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Love J, Hoepfner A, Goller F. Song Feature Specific Analysis of Isolate Song Reveals Interspecific Variation in Learned Components. Dev Neurobiol 2019; 79:350-369. [PMID: 31002477 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Studies of avian vocal development without exposure to conspecific song have been conducted in many passerine species, and the resultant isolate song is often interpreted to represent an expression of the genetic code for conspecific song. There is wide recognition that vocal learning exists in oscine songbirds, but vocal learning has only been thoroughly investigated in a few model species, resulting in a narrow view of birdsong learning. By extracting acoustic signals from published spectrograms, we have reexamined the findings of isolate studies with a universally applicable semi-automated quantitative analysis regimen. When song features were analyzed in light of three different production aspects (respiratory, syringeal, and central programming of sequence), all three show marked interspecific variability in how close isolate song features are to normal. This implies that song learning mechanisms are more variable than is commonly recognized. Our results suggest that the interspecific variation shows no readily observable pattern reflecting phylogeny, which has implications for understanding the mechanisms behind the evolution of avian vocal communication. We emphasize that song learning in passerines provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the evolution of a complex, plastic trait from a phylogenetic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Love
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112
| | - Amanda Hoepfner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112
| | - Franz Goller
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112.,Institute for Zoophysiology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
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11
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Noise-induced vocal plasticity in urban white-crowned sparrows does not involve adjustment of trill performance components. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1905. [PMID: 30760726 PMCID: PMC6374513 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36276-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Background noise can interfere with acoustic communication and subsequently influence signaling behavior. Immediate signaling flexibility (ISF) is a context-dependent form of behavioral plasticity that allows animals to temporarily change their acoustic behavior in response to noise fluctuations and potentially improve the chances of successful communication in noisy environments. The adaptive value of ISF is ultimately contingent on the response of the intended receiver, and there are differential effects on receiver response depending on which signal component is modified. However, there is scant research on whether ISF involves modification of a signal component specifically linked to mate attraction or territory defense. Our study addresses this knowledge gap and provides important insight into whether males employ short-term signal modification in a manner that could affect mate pairing success in birds. Specifically, we explore the maladaptive potential of ISF in the San Francisco, California population of Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli by testing for changes in trill bandwidth and rate—the specific trill structure components known to influence the receiver’s perception of vocal performance in this species—before and during noise broadcast experiments. Although Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli are capable of ISF, we found no evidence that noise induces temporary adjustment of the trill structure traits used by receivers to assess vocal performance.
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12
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Fedurek P, Zuberbühler K, Semple S. Trade-offs in the production of animal vocal sequences: insights from the structure of wild chimpanzee pant hoots. Front Zool 2017; 14:50. [PMID: 29142585 PMCID: PMC5674848 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vocal sequences - utterances consisting of calls produced in close succession - are common phenomena in animal communication. While many studies have explored the adaptive benefits of producing such sequences, very little is known about how the costs and constraints involved in their production affect their form. Here, we investigated this issue in the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) pant hoot, a long and structurally complex vocal sequence comprising four acoustically distinct phases – introduction, build-up, climax and let-down. Results We found that in each of these phases, and for the sequence as a whole, there was a negative relationship between the number of calls produced and their average duration. There was also a negative relationship between the total duration of some adjacent phases. Significant relationships between the fundamental frequency of calls and their number or duration were found for some phases of the sequence, but the direction of these relationships differed between particular phases. Conclusions These results indicate that there are trade-offs in terms of signal duration at two levels in pant-hoot production: between call number and duration, and between the relative durations of successive phases. These trade-offs are likely to reflect biomechanical constraints on vocal sequence production. Phase-specific trade-offs also appear to occur between fundamental frequency and call number or duration, potentially reflecting that different phases of the sequence are associated with distinct types of information, linked in different ways to call pitch. Overall, this study highlights the important role of costs and constraints in shaping the temporal and acoustic structure of animal vocal sequences. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-017-0235-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Fedurek
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Stuart Semple
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Interdisciplinary Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
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13
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Nelson DA. Geographical variation in song phrases differs with their function in white-crowned sparrow song. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Nelson DA, Nickley BM, Poesel A, Gibbs HL, Olesik JW. Inter-dialect dispersal is common in the Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow. BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal in birds can have an important influence on the genetic structure of populations by affecting gene flow. In birds that learn their songs, dispersal can affect the ability of male birds to share songs in song dialects and may influence mate attraction. We used Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) trace element analysis on the body feathers of birds to assess dispersal among four song dialects. We found that (1) most males had a feather element profile typical of only one dialect location; (2) males singing non-local (‘foreign’) dialects in a focal population often learned their foreign songs outside the dialect; and (3) females often dispersed among dialects. We estimated 5% dispersal per year by yearling males between the site of moulting and breeding. Our estimate is consistent with genetic estimates of widespread gene flow between dialects in this subspecies of the white-crowned sparrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas A. Nelson
- aBorror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ben M. Nickley
- aBorror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Angelika Poesel
- aBorror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - H. Lisle Gibbs
- aBorror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - John W. Olesik
- bSchool of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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15
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Fedurek P, Zuberbühler K, Dahl CD. Sequential information in a great ape utterance. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38226. [PMID: 27910886 PMCID: PMC5133612 DOI: 10.1038/srep38226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Birdsong is a prime example of acoustically sophisticated vocal behaviour, but its complexity has evolved mainly through sexual selection to attract mates and repel sexual rivals. In contrast, non-human primate calls often mediate complex social interactions, but are generally regarded as acoustically simple. Here, we examine arguably the most complex call in great ape vocal communication, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) 'pant hoot'. This signal consists of four acoustically distinct phases: introduction, build-up, climax and let-down. We applied state-of-the-art Support Vector Machines (SVM) methodology to pant hoots produced by wild male chimpanzees of Budongo Forest, Uganda. We found that caller identity was apparent in all four phases, but most strongly in the low-amplitude introduction and high-amplitude climax phases. Age was mainly correlated with the low-amplitude introduction and build-up phases, dominance rank (i.e. social status) with the high-amplitude climax phase, and context (reflecting activity of the caller) with the low-amplitude let-down phase. We conclude that the complex acoustic structure of chimpanzee pant hoots is linked to a range of socially relevant information in the different phases of the call, reflecting the complex nature of chimpanzee social lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Fedurek
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Christoph D. Dahl
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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16
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Dowling JL, Colombelli-Négrel D, Webster MS. Kin Signatures Learned in the Egg? Red-Backed Fairy-Wren Songs Are Similar to Their Mother's In-Nest Calls and Songs. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Kershenbaum A, Blumstein DT, Roch MA, Akçay Ç, Backus G, Bee MA, Bohn K, Cao Y, Carter G, Cäsar C, Coen M, DeRuiter SL, Doyle L, Edelman S, Ferrer-i-Cancho R, Freeberg TM, Garland EC, Gustison M, Harley HE, Huetz C, Hughes M, Bruno JH, Ilany A, Jin DZ, Johnson M, Ju C, Karnowski J, Lohr B, Manser MB, McCowan B, Mercado E, Narins PM, Piel A, Rice M, Salmi R, Sasahara K, Sayigh L, Shiu Y, Taylor C, Vallejo EE, Waller S, Zamora-Gutierrez V. Acoustic sequences in non-human animals: a tutorial review and prospectus. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 91:13-52. [PMID: 25428267 PMCID: PMC4444413 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animal acoustic communication often takes the form of complex sequences, made up of multiple distinct acoustic units. Apart from the well-known example of birdsong, other animals such as insects, amphibians, and mammals (including bats, rodents, primates, and cetaceans) also generate complex acoustic sequences. Occasionally, such as with birdsong, the adaptive role of these sequences seems clear (e.g. mate attraction and territorial defence). More often however, researchers have only begun to characterise - let alone understand - the significance and meaning of acoustic sequences. Hypotheses abound, but there is little agreement as to how sequences should be defined and analysed. Our review aims to outline suitable methods for testing these hypotheses, and to describe the major limitations to our current and near-future knowledge on questions of acoustic sequences. This review and prospectus is the result of a collaborative effort between 43 scientists from the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, signal processing, machine learning, quantitative linguistics, and information theory, who gathered for a 2013 workshop entitled, 'Analysing vocal sequences in animals'. Our goal is to present not just a review of the state of the art, but to propose a methodological framework that summarises what we suggest are the best practices for research in this field, across taxa and across disciplines. We also provide a tutorial-style introduction to some of the most promising algorithmic approaches for analysing sequences. We divide our review into three sections: identifying the distinct units of an acoustic sequence, describing the different ways that information can be contained within a sequence, and analysing the structure of that sequence. Each of these sections is further subdivided to address the key questions and approaches in that area. We propose a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive approach to studying sequences, with the goal of clarifying research terms used in different fields, and facilitating collaboration and comparative studies. Allowing greater interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate the investigation of many important questions in the evolution of communication and sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arik Kershenbaum
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Marie A. Roch
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Çağlar Akçay
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Gregory Backus
- Department of Biomathematics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Cir, Falcon Heights, MN 55108, USA
| | - Kirsten Bohn
- Integrated Science, Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC-4, 351, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Gerald Carter
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Cristiane Cäsar
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Mary’s Quad South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Michael Coen
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, K6/446 Clinical Sciences Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792-4675, USA
| | - Stacy L. DeRuiter
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Laurance Doyle
- Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Shimon Edelman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-7601, USA
| | - Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho
- Department of Computer Science, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, (Catalonia), Calle Jordi Girona, 31, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Todd M. Freeberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Ellen C. Garland
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, Washington 98115, USA
| | - Morgan Gustison
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Heidi E. Harley
- Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
| | - Chloé Huetz
- CNPS, CNRS UMR 8195, Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, Batiments 440-447, Rue Claude Bernard, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Melissa Hughes
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, 66 George St, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Julia Hyland Bruno
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410, USA
| | - Dezhe Z. Jin
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, 104 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802-6300, USA
| | - Michael Johnson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Marquette University, 1515 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Chenghui Ju
- Department of Biology, Queen College, The City Univ. of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, New York 11367, USA
| | - Jeremy Karnowski
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0515, USA
| | - Bernard Lohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Marta B. Manser
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brenda McCowan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, 1 Peter J Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eduardo Mercado
- Department of Psychology; Evolution, Ecology, & Behavior, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Park Hall Room 204, Buffalo, NY 14260-4110, USA
| | - Peter M. Narins
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Alex Piel
- Division of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street Cambridge, CB2 3QG, UK
| | - Megan Rice
- Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia at Athens, 355 S Jackson St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kazutoshi Sasahara
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Laela Sayigh
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 86 Water St, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Yu Shiu
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Charles Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Edgar E. Vallejo
- Department of Computer Science, Monterrey Institute of Technology, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Sara Waller
- Department of Philosophy, Montana State University, 2-155 Wilson Hall, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA
| | - Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, University College London, London WC1H 0AG, UK
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Nelson DA, Szeyller E, Poesel A. Alerting and message components of white-crowned sparrow song differ in structure and environmental transmission. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Signals that function over long distances, such as bird songs, must be detectable and discriminable from other signals by receivers despite being attenuated and degraded during environmental transmission. The acoustic design features that enhance detectability may conflict with those that enhance discriminability of different messages (e.g., the sender’s motivation or identity). The songs of many bird species begin with simple tonal notes, hypothesized to alert receivers to the following song parts. We describe structural differences in the songs of the Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis) and performed a transmission experiment to test if the whistle transmits differently than other song parts. As expected for an alerting component, the whistle phrases across different song types were highly similar, suffered less degradation when transmitted, and were produced at higher amplitude than the other two phrase types. These results suggest that in white-crowned sparrows alerting and message-bearing song phrases transmit differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas A. Nelson
- Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212, USA
| | - Erica Szeyller
- Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212, USA
| | - Angelika Poesel
- Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212, USA
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Linossier J, Courvoisier H, Aubin T. The two parts of the blackcap song: Acoustic analysis and male responses to playbacks. Behav Processes 2015; 121:87-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Narango DL, Rodewald AD. Urban-associated drivers of song variation along a rural–urban gradient. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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21
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Zebra finches are able to learn affixation-like patterns. Anim Cogn 2015; 19:65-73. [PMID: 26297477 PMCID: PMC4701768 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0913-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Adding an affix to transform a word is common across the world languages, with the edges of words more likely to carry out such a function. However, detecting affixation patterns is also observed in learning tasks outside the domain of language, suggesting that the underlying mechanism from which affixation patterns have arisen may not be language or even human specific. We addressed whether a songbird, the zebra finch, is able to discriminate between, and generalize, affixation-like patterns. Zebra finches were trained and tested in a Go/Nogo paradigm to discriminate artificial song element sequences resembling prefixed and suffixed ‘words.’ The ‘stems’ of the ‘words,’ consisted of different combinations of a triplet of song elements, to which a fourth element was added as either a ‘prefix’ or a ‘suffix.’ After training, the birds were tested with novel stems, consisting of either rearranged familiar element types or novel element types. The birds were able to generalize the affixation patterns to novel stems with both familiar and novel element types. Hence, the discrimination resulting from the training was not based on memorization of individual stimuli, but on a shared property among Go or Nogo stimuli, i.e., affixation patterns. Remarkably, birds trained with suffixation as Go pattern showed clear evidence of using both prefix and suffix, while those trained with the prefix as the Go stimulus used primarily the prefix. This finding illustrates that an asymmetry in attending to different affixations is not restricted to human languages.
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Poesel A, Nelson DA. Changes in Performance of Shared and Unshared Songs Within and Between Years in the White-crowned Sparrow. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Poesel
- Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH USA
| | - Douglas A. Nelson
- Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University; Columbus OH USA
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23
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All signals are not equal: acoustic signalling of individuality, sex and breeding status in a cooperative breeder. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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24
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Osiejuk TS. Differences in Frequency of Shared Song Types Enables Neighbour-Stranger Discrimination in a Songbird Species with Small Song Repertoire. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz S. Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology; Institute of Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University; Poznań Poland
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Courvoisier H, Camacho-Schlenker S, Aubin T. When neighbours are not ‘dear enemies’: a study in the winter wren, Troglodytes troglodytes. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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26
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Sandoval L, Méndez C, Mennill DJ. Individual Distinctiveness in the Fine Structural Features and Repertoire Characteristics of the Songs of White-eared Ground-sparrows. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Sandoval
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON Canada
| | - Carolina Méndez
- Laboratorio de Bioacústica Escuela de Biología; Universidad de Costa Rica; San Pedro Costa Rica
| | - Daniel J. Mennill
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON Canada
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Manser MB, Jansen DA, Graw B, Hollén LI, Bousquet CA, Furrer RD, le Roux A. Vocal Complexity in Meerkats and Other Mongoose Species. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800286-5.00006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Martinez JG, Bohn KM, Carroll RJ, Morris JS. A Study of Mexican Free-Tailed Bat Chirp Syllables: Bayesian Functional Mixed Models for Nonstationary Acoustic Time Series. J Am Stat Assoc 2013; 108:514-526. [PMID: 23997376 DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2013.793118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We describe a new approach to analyze chirp syllables of free-tailed bats from two regions of Texas in which they are predominant: Austin and College Station. Our goal is to characterize any systematic regional differences in the mating chirps and assess whether individual bats have signature chirps. The data are analyzed by modeling spectrograms of the chirps as responses in a Bayesian functional mixed model. Given the variable chirp lengths, we compute the spectrograms on a relative time scale interpretable as the relative chirp position, using a variable window overlap based on chirp length. We use 2D wavelet transforms to capture correlation within the spectrogram in our modeling and obtain adaptive regularization of the estimates and inference for the regions-specific spectrograms. Our model includes random effect spectrograms at the bat level to account for correlation among chirps from the same bat, and to assess relative variability in chirp spectrograms within and between bats. The modeling of spectrograms using functional mixed models is a general approach for the analysis of replicated nonstationary time series, such as our acoustical signals, to relate aspects of the signals to various predictors, while accounting for between-signal structure. This can be done on raw spectrograms when all signals are of the same length, and can be done using spectrograms defined on a relative time scale for signals of variable length in settings where the idea of defining correspondence across signals based on relative position is sensible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue G Martinez
- (Deceased) was recently at the Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, PO Box 301402, Houston, TX 77230-1402, USA
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Nelson DA, Poesel A. Song sharing correlates with lifetime social pairing success but not territory tenure in the Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1525-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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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Jansen DAWAM, Cant MA, Manser MB. Segmental concatenation of individual signatures and context cues in banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) close calls. BMC Biol 2012; 10:97. [PMID: 23206242 PMCID: PMC3529192 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-10-97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND All animals are anatomically constrained in the number of discrete call types they can produce. Recent studies suggest that by combining existing calls into meaningful sequences, animals can increase the information content of their vocal repertoire despite these constraints. Additionally, signalers can use vocal signatures or cues correlated to other individual traits or contexts to increase the information encoded in their vocalizations. However, encoding multiple vocal signatures or cues using the same components of vocalizations usually reduces the signals' reliability. Segregation of information could effectively circumvent this trade-off. In this study we investigate how banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) encode multiple vocal signatures or cues in their frequently emitted graded single syllable close calls. RESULTS The data for this study were collected on a wild, but habituated, population of banded mongooses. Using behavioral observations and acoustical analysis we found that close calls contain two acoustically different segments. The first being stable and individually distinct, and the second being graded and correlating with the current behavior of the individual, whether it is digging, searching or moving. This provides evidence of Marler's hypothesis on temporal segregation of information within a single syllable call type. Additionally, our work represents an example of an identity cue integrated as a discrete segment within a single call that is independent from context. This likely functions to avoid ambiguity between individuals or receivers having to keep track of several context-specific identity cues. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides the first evidence of segmental concatenation of information within a single syllable in non-human vocalizations. By reviewing descriptions of call structures in the literature, we suggest a general application of this mechanism. Our study indicates that temporal segregation and segmental concatenation of vocal signatures or cues is likely a common, but so far neglected, dimension of information coding in animal vocal communication. We argue that temporal segregation of vocal signatures and cues evolves in species where communication of multiple unambiguous signals is crucial, but is limited by the number of call types produced.
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Affiliation(s)
- David AWAM Jansen
- Animal Behaviour, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael A Cant
- Daphne du Maurier, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Marta B Manser
- Animal Behaviour, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Boeckle M, Szipl G, Bugnyar T. Who wants food? Individual characteristics in raven yells. Anim Behav 2012; 84:1123-1130. [PMID: 23162139 PMCID: PMC3482666 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2012] [Revised: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Discriminating between different individuals is considered as prerequisite for any forms of social knowledge. In birds, discriminating between conspecifics based on individual characteristics has been tested mainly in the auditory domain with territorial calls and songs for neighbour and kin discrimination but little is known about discriminating between signallers in food calls. Ravens utilize a large set of calls and show individually distinctive call repertoires. Moreover, they show advanced social tactics during foraging, suggesting that they are capable of dealing with conspecifics on an individual basis. When confronted with food that is difficult to access, ravens produce particular calls (‘haa’, yells); these calls attract other ravens and, thus, have been hypothesized to serve as ‘functionally referential signals’. We here examined whether ravens are able to differentiate between individuals on the basis of these food calls. We first analysed individual differences in call parameters, using 424 food calls recorded from 18 individually marked wild ravens in the Austrian Alps. We then tested 18 captive ravens for recognition of individual differences in food calls with playbacks, using a habituation-dishabituation design. We found evidence that food calls show individual call characteristics in fundamental frequency and intensity-related measurements providing ravens with the opportunity to respond according to these individually distinct features. Furthermore, ravens discriminated between unfamiliar ravens in the habituation-dishabituation experiment, indicating that they may discern individual differences. Our results suggest that raven food calls are individually distinct and that the birds may be capable of differentiating between food-calling individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Boeckle
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria ; Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core facility, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Palmero AM, Illera JC, Laiolo P. Song characterization in the spectacled warbler (Sylvia conspicillata): a circum-Mediterranean species with a complex song structure. BIOACOUSTICS 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2012.668772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Chapter 3: Potential acoustic masking of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) display components by chronic industrial noise. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1525/om.2012.74.1.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Poesel A, Nelson DA. Delayed song maturation and territorial aggression in a songbird. Biol Lett 2012; 8:369-71. [PMID: 22319096 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetries in competitive ability can determine the outcome of social interactions in animals and are often expressed through differences in sexual traits. Competitive ability (resource holding potential, RHP), trait expression and ultimately reproductive success may vary with an individual's age or experience. In some species, reproductively mature males delay acquisition of some adult traits and thereby signal their young age. Theory on animal contests predicts that individuals assess the RHP of an opponent relative to their own, such that escalation is more common between evenly matched opponents. Here, we test predictions from this hypothesis that males respond to a territorial intruder based on their RHP relative to the intruder's RHP. We simulated white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) intruding into the territory of a recruit or return. Playback of a song repertoire simulating a young male (recruit) elicited a weaker response from established territory holders (return), but a stronger response from recruits. Playback of a single song type simulating an older male elicited the opposite responses. This indicates that males distinguished between simulated young and old intruders based on song, and responded differently depending on their own experience. Our study highlights the possibility that receiver as well as sender traits should be considered when interpreting animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Poesel
- EEO Biology, Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Poesel A, Nelson DA, Gibbs HL. Song sharing correlates with social but not extrapair mating success in the white-crowned sparrow. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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36
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Osiejuk TS, Bielecka A, Skierczyński M. What exactly is ‘local song’ in a population of ortolan buntings with a common dialect? J ETHOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-011-0306-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Nelson DA, Poesel A. Does learning produce song conformity or novelty in white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys? Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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39
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MacDougall-Shackleton EA, Stewart KA, Potvin DA, Tennenhouse E. The rich get richer: song complexity predicts song element sharing and song output in song sparrows Melospiza melodia. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Lehongre K, Aubin T, Del Negro C. Influence of social conditions in song sharing in the adult canary. Anim Cogn 2009; 12:823-32. [PMID: 19495816 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0241-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2008] [Revised: 05/13/2009] [Accepted: 05/14/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In songbirds, experience of social and environmental cues during a discrete period after birth may dramatically influence song learning. In the canary, the ability to learn new songs is assumed to persist throughout life. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether social context could guide changes in adult song. Three groups of canaries were kept in different social and temporal conditions. Results showed that the multiple hierarchical levels of the canary song structure were affected by social environment: songs of males housed together for 2 years were more similar than those of males that spent the same time in individual cages in regard to acoustic parameters, syllable repertoire and repertoire of sequences of two-syllable types. However, social housing did not result in the emergence of a group-specific vocal signature within songs. In conclusion, these results suggested that under the influence of social factors, a copying process could allow adult canaries to adjust, at least in part, their songs to those of other individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Lehongre
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de l'Apprentissage, de la Mémoire et de la Communication, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay Cedex, France
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Briefer E, Aubin T, Rybak F. Response to displaced neighbours in a territorial songbird with a large repertoire. Naturwissenschaften 2009; 96:1067-77. [PMID: 19495716 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-009-0567-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2008] [Revised: 05/18/2009] [Accepted: 05/20/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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43
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Chapter 5 Vocal Performance and Sensorimotor Learning in Songbirds. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3454(09)40005-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
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Meitzen J, Thompson CK, Choi H, Perkel DJ, Brenowitz EA. Time course of changes in Gambel's white-crowned sparrow song behavior following transitions in breeding condition. Horm Behav 2009; 55:217-27. [PMID: 19013173 PMCID: PMC2648829 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2008] [Revised: 10/10/2008] [Accepted: 10/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal changes in behavior and in its underlying neural substrate are common across animal taxa. These changes are often triggered by steroid sex hormones. Song in seasonally breeding songbirds provides an excellent example of this phenomenon. In these species, dramatic seasonal changes mediated by testosterone and its metabolites occur in adult song behavior and in the neural circuitry controlling song. While song rate can quickly change in response to seasonal breeding cues, it is unknown how quickly other aspects of song change, particularly the stereotypy of song phonology and syntax. In this study we determined whether and how quickly song rate, phonology, and syntax change in response to breeding and non-breeding physiological cues. We asked these questions using Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), a closed-ended learner with well-characterized changes in the neural circuitry controlling song behavior. We exposed ten photosensitive sparrows to long-day photoperiod and implanted them with subcutaneous testosterone pellets (day 0) to simulate breeding conditions. We continuously recorded song and found that song rate increased quickly, reaching maximum around day 6. The stereotypy of song phonology changed more slowly, reaching maximum by day 10 or later. Song syntax changed minimally after day 6, the earliest time point examined. After 21 days, we transitioned five birds from breeding to non-breeding condition. Song rate declined precipitously. These results suggest that while song rate changes quickly, song phonology changes more slowly, generally following or in parallel with previously investigated changes in the neural substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Meitzen
- Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Plamondon SL, Goller F, Rose GJ. Tutor model syntax influences the syntactical and phonological structure of crystallized songs of white-crowned sparrows. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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