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Sierro J, de Kort SR, Hartley IR. Sexual selection for both diversity and repetition in birdsong. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3600. [PMID: 37328501 PMCID: PMC10275917 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39308-5] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
From fiddler crabs to humans, animals perform repetitive displays showing neuromotor skill and vigour. Consistent repetition of identical notes (vocal consistency) facilitates the assessment of neuromotor skills and is important in communication in birds. Most birdsong research has focused on song diversity as a signal of individual quality, which seems contradictory as repetition is extremely common in most species. Here we show that consistent repetition within songs is positively correlated with reproductive success in male blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). A playback experiment shows that females are sexually aroused by male songs with high levels of vocal consistency, which also peaks seasonally during the fertile period of the female, supporting the role of vocal consistency in mate choice. Male vocal consistency also increases with subsequent repetitions of the same song type (a warm-up effect) which conflicts with the fact that females habituate to repeated song, showing decreased arousal. Importantly, we find that switching song types elicits significant dishabituation within the playback, supporting the habituation hypothesis as an evolutionary mechanism driving song diversity in birds. An optimal balance between repetition and diversity may explain the singing style of many bird species and displays of other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Sierro
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
| | - Selvino R de Kort
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
| | - Ian R Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
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Clark DL, Macedonia JM, Neyer EE, Mish AME, Rowe JW, Valle CA. Display Responses of Galápagos Lava Lizards ( Microlophus bivittatus) to Manipulation of Male Shoulder Epaulets on Conspecific-Mimicking Robots. HERPETOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - John W. Rowe
- Department of Biolog Alma College Alma MI 48801 USA
| | - Carlos A. Valle
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Campus Cumbayá Av. Diego de Robles S/N e Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
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Abstract
AbstractThe evolution of male-male aggression is of interest because at its extreme it can be very energetically costly, leave males vulnerable to preadtors, and give rise to weaponry such as exaggerated traits. In grasshoppers (Acrididae), one group stands out as exceptionally aggressive, the skyhoppers (Kosciuscola) in which males bite, kick, mandible flare, and wrestle each other for access to females or when females are laying eggs. In this study we asked whether there is variation in aggressive behaviour among four skyhopper species and aimed to determine whether the traits used in fighting bear signatures of sexual selection in their size, variability, and allometric scaling. We found clear differences in the numbers and types of aggressive behaviours among species. Kosciuscola tristis and K. usitatus were the most aggressive, K. cognatus was the least aggressive, and K. tristis was the only species that performed the ‘mandible flare’ behaviour. Mandible size was larger among the three species that showed aggressive behaviour, all except K. cognatus, and was negatively allometric for all species possibly suggesting a functional size constraint. Pronotum size was different among most species and K. tristis’ pronotum was the largest and borderline positively allometric perhaps suggesting that pronotum size is related to aggressive behaviour but the nature of that relationship remains obscured. Our study suggests that further work investigates skyhoppers’ aggressive behaviour and how it varies with ecology, and paves the way for establishing them as a model system in the evolution of aggressive behaviour.
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Mancero EJ, Valle CA, Rowe JW, Moore JA, Clark DL. Sexual Selection in San Cristóbal Lava Lizards (Microlophus bivittatus): A Test of Male Body Size Using Lizard Robots. HERPETOLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-20-00058] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Emilio J. Mancero
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Campus Cumbayá, Avenida Diego de Robles S/N e Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Carlos A. Valle
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Campus Cumbayá, Avenida Diego de Robles S/N e Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - John W. Rowe
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Moore
- Biology Department, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
| | - David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
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Nelson CM, Ord TJ. Identifying potential cues of species identity in complex animal signals. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Cannibalism in Microlophus Lizards. J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1670/20-132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Macedonia JM, Clark DL, Fonley MR. Analysis of Bobbing Displays in the Grahami Series Anoles from Jamaica and Grand Cayman. HERPETOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS 2021. [DOI: 10.1655/herpmonographs-d-20-00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
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Ord TJ, Klomp DA, Summers TC, Diesmos A, Ahmad N, Das I. Deep-time convergent evolution in animal communication presented by shared adaptations for coping with noise in lizards and other animals. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1750-1761. [PMID: 34196091 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13773] [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] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Convergence in communication appears rare compared with other forms of adaptation. This is puzzling, given communication is acutely dependent on the environment and expected to converge in form when animals communicate in similar habitats. We uncover deep-time convergence in territorial communication between two groups of tropical lizards separated by over 140 million years of evolution: the Southeast Asian Draco and Caribbean Anolis. These groups have repeatedly converged in multiple aspects of display along common environmental gradients. Robot playbacks to free-ranging lizards confirmed that the most prominent convergence in display is adaptive, as it improves signal detection. We then provide evidence from a sample of the literature to further show that convergent adaptation among highly divergent animal groups is almost certainly widespread in nature. Signal evolution is therefore curbed towards the same set of adaptive solutions, especially when animals are challenged with the problem of communicating effectively in noisy environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J Ord
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Danielle A Klomp
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas C Summers
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arvin Diesmos
- Herpetology Section, Zoology Division, National Museum of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines
| | - Norhayati Ahmad
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Indraneil Das
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
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Carvalho ALG, Jeckel AM, Nisa C, Luna MC, Piantoni C. A novel epidermal gland type in lizards (α-gland): structural organization, histochemistry, protein profile and phylogenetic origins. Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Chemical signalling is an essential component of the communication system of lizards, and epidermal glands are responsible for producing semiochemicals that regulate many behavioural interactions. Two types of epidermal glands have been previously described for lizards: follicular and generation glands. Generation glands are characterized by the aggregation of novel glandular cell types in the epithelium and the lack of a lumen or external pore. Despite the fact that several subtypes of generation glands have been recognized over the years, the morphology, taxonomic distribution, function and evolutionary origins of generation glands remain nearly unexplored in Neotropical clades. Here, we describe a novel escutcheon-type generation gland (‘α-gland’) for lizards of the South American family Tropiduridae, characterize its structural and ultrastructural organization, and study the homology of the constituent parts in a phylogenetic framework. The α-glands emerged in the ancestor of Eurolophosaurus, Plica, Strobilurus, Tropidurus and Uracentron, and are found in at least 39 species with diverse ecological habits. We preliminarily analysed the protein profile of α-glands and discovered differential expression of protein components between sexes. Our investigations change the general view about epidermal gland homology, leading us to argue that generation and follicular glands are possibly more closely related functionally and evolutionarily than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- André L G Carvalho
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, Travessa, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriana M Jeckel
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, Travessa, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carolina Nisa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, Travessa, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - María Celeste Luna
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’. Av. Ángel Gallardo, Buenos Aires, DJR, Argentina
| | - Carla Piantoni
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, Travessa, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Dufour CMS, Clark DL, Herrel A, Losos JB. Recent biological invasion shapes species recognition and aggressive behaviour in a native species: A behavioural experiment using robots in the field. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1604-1614. [PMID: 32221966 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Invasive species are a world-wide threat to biodiversity. Yet, our understanding of biological invasions remains incomplete, partly due to the difficulty of tracking and studying behavioural interactions in recently created species interactions. We tested whether the interactions between the recently introduced invasive lizard Anolis cristatellus and the native Anolis oculatus in Dominica have led to changes in species recognition and aggressive behaviour of the native species. The use of realistic robots allowed us to test the behavioural response of 131 A. oculatus males towards relevant and controlled conspecific versus heterospecific stimuli, directly in the field and in two contexts (allopatry vs. sympatry). Our results show that species recognition evolved prior to sympatry in A. oculatus. Moreover, interspecific competition resulted in an increase in the time spent displaying and a divergence in the aggressive behaviour of the native species towards conspecifics versus heterospecifics. Inherent species recognition and higher aggressive behaviour may limit species coexistence as they are expected to favour A. oculatus during territorial interactions with A. cristatellus. While more studies are needed to understand the causes of these behavioural shifts and their consequences on long-term species coexistence, the present study highlights the role of behaviour as a first response to interspecific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M S Dufour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Anthony Herrel
- Département 'Adaptations du vivant', UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jonathan B Losos
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Macedonia JM, Clark DL, Fonley MR, Centurione I, Rowe JW, Valle CA. Analysis of Bobbing Displays in Four Species of Galápagos Lava Lizards Using Conventional and Novel Quantitative Methods. HERPETOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-19-00015.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | | | | | - John W. Rowe
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | - Carlos A. Valle
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador
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Clark DL, Macedonia JM, Rowe JW, Austin MR, Centurione IM, Valle CA. Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus bivittatus) respond dynamically to displays from interactive conspecific robots. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2732-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Baeckens S, Driessens T, Van Damme R. The brown anole dewlap revisited: do predation pressure, sexual selection, and species recognition shape among-population signal diversity? PeerJ 2018; 6:e4722. [PMID: 29761044 PMCID: PMC5947042 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal signalling structures are amongst the most variable characteristics, as they are subjected to a diversity of selection pressures. A well-known example of a diverse signalling system in the animal kingdom is the dewlap of Anolis lizards. Dewlap characteristics can vary remarkably among and within species, and also between sexes. Although a considerable amount of studies have attempted to disentangle the functional significance of the staggering dewlap diversity in Anolis, the underlying evolutionary processes remain elusive. In this study, we focus on the contribution of biotic selective pressures in shaping geographic variation in dewlap design (size, colour, and pattern) and dewlap display behaviour at the intraspecific level. Notably, we have tried to replicate and extend previously reported results hereof in both sexes of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei). To do this, we assembled a dataset consisting of 17 A. sagrei heterogeneous island populations from the Caribbean and specifically tested whether predation pressure, sexual selection, or species recognition could explain interpopulational variation in an array of dewlap characteristics. Our findings show that in neither males nor females estimates of predation pressure (island size, tail break frequency, model attack rate, presence of predatory Leiocephalus lizards) or sexual selection (sexual size dimorphism) could explain variation in dewlap design. We did find that A. sagrei males from larger islands showed higher dewlap display intensities than males from smaller islands, but the direct connection with predation pressure remains ambiguous and demands further investigation. Last, we could show indirect support for species recognition only in males, as they are more likely to have a 'spotted' dewlap pattern when co-occurring with a higher number of syntopic Anolis species. In conclusion, we found overall limited support for the idea that the extensive interpopulational variability in dewlap design and use in A. sagrei is mediated by variation in their biotic environment. We propose a variety of conceptual and methodological explanations for this unexpected finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Baeckens
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tess Driessens
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Raoul Van Damme
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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Clark DL, Macedonia JM, Rowe JW, Kamp K, Valle CA. Responses of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Microlophus bivittatus) to Manipulation of Female Nuptial Coloration on Lizard Robots. HERPETOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-16-00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | | | - John W. Rowe
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | - Kendall Kamp
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | - Carlos A. Valle
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Campus Cumbayá Av. Diego de Robles S/N e Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
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Clark DL, Macedonia JM, Gillingham JC, Rowe JW, Kane HJ, Valle CA. Why Does Conspecific Display Recognition Differ Among Species of Galápagos Lava Lizards? A Test Using Lizard Robots. HERPETOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-15-00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | | | - James C. Gillingham
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - John W. Rowe
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | | | - Carlos A. Valle
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Campus Cumbayá Av. Diego de Robles S/N e Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
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Frohnwieser A, Murray JC, Pike TW, Wilkinson A. Using robots to understand animal cognition. J Exp Anal Behav 2016; 105:14-22. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - John C. Murray
- School of Computer Science; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
| | - Thomas W. Pike
- School of Life Sciences; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
| | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences; University of Lincoln; Lincoln UK
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