1
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Porzio NS, Crottini A, Leite RN, Mota PG. Song determined by phylogeny and body mass in two differently constrained groups of birds: manakins and cardinals. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:109. [PMID: 39160456 PMCID: PMC11331619 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02298-z] [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: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The songs of birds are complex signals that may have several functions and vary widely among species. Different ecological, behavioural and morphological factors, as well as phylogeny, have been associated as predictors of the evolution of song structure. However, the importance of differences in development, despite their relevance, has seldom been considered. Here, we analysed the evolution of song in two families of songbirds that differ in song development, manakins (suboscines) and cardinals (oscines), with their phylogeny, morphology, and ecology. Our results show that song characteristics had higher phylogenetic signal in cardinals than in manakins, suggesting higher evolutionary lability in the suboscines. Body mass was the main predictor of song parameters in manakins, and together with habitat type, had a major effect on cardinals' song structure. Precipitation and altitude were also associated with some song characteristics in cardinals. Our results bring unexpected insights into birdsong evolution, in which non-learners (manakins) revealed greater evolutionary lability than song learners (cardinals).
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália S Porzio
- Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências E Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade Do Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre S/N, 4169- 007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rafael N Leite
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Conservation and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Amazonian Research, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Paulo G Mota
- Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências E Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
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2
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Riede T, Kobrina A, Pasch B. Anatomy and mechanisms of vocal production in harvest mice. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246553. [PMID: 38269528 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246553] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing mechanisms of vocal production provides important insight into the ecology of acoustic divergence. In this study, we characterized production mechanisms of two types of vocalizations emitted by western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis), a species uniquely positioned to inform trait evolution because it is a sister taxon to peromyscines (Peromyscus and Onychomys spp.), which use vocal fold vibrations to produce long-distance calls, but more ecologically and acoustically similar to baiomyines (Baiomys and Scotinomys spp.), which employ a whistle mechanism. We found that long-distance calls (∼10 kHz) were produced by airflow-induced vocal fold vibrations, whereas high-frequency quavers used in close-distance social interactions (∼80 kHz) were generated by a whistle mechanism. Both production mechanisms were facilitated by a characteristic laryngeal morphology. Our findings indicate that the use of vocal fold vibrations for long-distance communication is widespread in reithrodontomyines (Onychomys, Peromyscus, Reithrodontomys spp.) despite overlap in frequency content that characterizes baiomyine whistled vocalizations. The results illustrate how different production mechanisms shape acoustic variation in rodents and contribute to ecologically relevant communication distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Riede
- Department of Physiology, Midwestern University Glendale, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Anastasiya Kobrina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Bret Pasch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
- Wildlife Conservation and Management, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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3
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Amorim MCP. The role of acoustic signals in fish reproductiona). THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:2959-2973. [PMID: 37947394 DOI: 10.1121/10.0022353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper outlines my research path over three decades while providing a review on the role of fish sounds in mate choice and reproduction. It also intends to provide advice to young scientists and point toward future avenues in this field of research. An overview of studies on different fish model species shows that male mating acoustic signals can inform females and male competitors about their size (dominant frequency, amplitude, and sound pulse rate modulation), body condition (calling activity and sound pulse rate), and readiness to mate (calling rate, number of pulses in a sound). At least in species with parental care, such as toadfishes, gobies, and pomacentrids, calling activity seems to be the main driver of reproductive success. Playback experiments ran on a restricted number of species consistently revealed that females prefer vocal to silent males and select for higher calling rates. This personal synthesis concludes with the suggestion to increase knowledge on fish mating signals, especially considering the emerging use of fish sounds to monitor aquatic environments due to increasing threats, like noise pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Clara P Amorim
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal and MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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4
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Holtz MA, Racicot R, Preininger D, Stuckert AMM, Mangiamele LA. Genome assembly of the foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus: a resource for understanding mechanisms of behavior. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad193. [PMID: 37625789 PMCID: PMC10542557 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Elaborate and skilled movements of the body have been selected in a variety of species as courtship and rivalry signals. One roadblock in studying these behaviors has been a lack of resources for understanding how they evolved at the genetic level. The Bornean rock frog (Staurois parvus) is an ideal species in which to address this issue. Males wave their hindlimbs in a "foot-flagging" display when competing for mates. The evolution of foot flagging in S. parvus and other species is accompanied by increases in the expression of the androgen receptor gene within its neuromuscular system, but it remains unclear what genetic or transcriptional changes are associated with this behavioral phenotype. We have now assembled the genome of S. parvus, resulting in 3.98 Gbp of 22,402 contigs with an N50 of 611,229 bp. The genome will be a resource for finding genes related to the physiology underlying foot flagging and to adaptations of the neuromuscular system. As a first application of the genome, we also began work in comparative genomics and differential gene expression analysis. We show that the androgen receptor is diverged from other anuran species, and we identify unique expression patterns of genes in the spinal cord and leg muscle that are important for axial patterning, cell specification and morphology, or muscle contraction. This genome will continue to be an important tool for future -omics studies to understand the evolution of elaborate signaling behaviors in this and potentially related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika A Holtz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01053, USA
| | - Riccardo Racicot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01053, USA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Vienna Zoo, 1130 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Adam M M Stuckert
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01053, USA
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5
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Dos Santos EB, Logue DM, Ball GF, Cornil CA, Balthazart J. Does the syrinx, a peripheral structure, constrain effects of sex steroids on behavioral sex reversal in adult canaries? Horm Behav 2023; 154:105394. [PMID: 37343444 PMCID: PMC10527430 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
We previously confirmed that effects of testosterone (T) on singing activity and on the volume of brain song control nuclei are sexually differentiated in adult canaries: females are limited in their ability to respond to T as males do. Here we expand on these results by focusing on sex differences in the production and performance of trills, i.e., rapid repetitions of song elements. We analyzed >42,000 trills recorded over a period of 6 weeks from 3 groups of castrated males and 3 groups of photoregressed females that received Silastic™ implants filled with T, T plus estradiol or left empty as control. Effects of T on the number of trills, trill duration and percent of time spent trilling were all stronger in males than females. Irrespective of endocrine treatment, trill performance assessed by vocal deviations from the trill rate versus trill bandwidth trade-off was also higher in males than in females. Finally, inter-individual differences in syrinx mass were positively correlated with specific features of trills in males but not in females. Given that T increases syrinx mass and syrinx fiber diameter in males but not in females, these data indicate that sex differences in trilling behavior are related to sex differences in syrinx mass and syrinx muscle fiber diameter that cannot be fully suppressed by sex steroids in adulthood. Sexual differentiation of behavior thus reflects organization not only of the brain but also of peripheral structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ednei B Dos Santos
- GIGA Neurosciences, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liege, Belgium
| | - David M Logue
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- GIGA Neurosciences, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liege, Belgium
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- GIGA Neurosciences, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liege, Belgium.
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6
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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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7
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Dos Santos EB, Logue DM, Ball GF, Cornil CA, Balthazart J. Does the syrinx, a peripheral structure, constrain effects of sex steroids on behavioral sex reversal in adult canaries? BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.19.537462. [PMID: 37131795 PMCID: PMC10153355 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.19.537462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We previously confirmed that effects of testosterone (T) on singing activity and on the volume of brain song control nuclei are sexually differentiated in adult canaries: females are limited in their ability to respond to T as males do. Here we expand on these results by focusing on sex differences in the production and performance of trills, i.e., rapid repetitions of song elements. We analyzed more than 42,000 trills recorded over a period of 6 weeks from 3 groups of castrated males and 3 groups of photoregressed females that received Silasticâ"¢ implants filled with T, T plus estradiol or left empty as control. Effects of T on the number of trills, trill duration and percent of time spent trilling were all stronger in males than females. Irrespective of endocrine treatment, trill performance assessed by vocal deviations from the trill rate versus trill bandwidth trade-off was also higher in males than in females. Finally, inter-individual differences in syrinx mass were positively correlated with trill production in males but not in females. Given that T increases syrinx mass and syrinx fiber diameter in males but not in females, these data indicate that sex differences in trilling behavior are related to sex differences in syrinx mass and syrinx muscle fiber diameter that cannot be fully reversed by sex steroids in adulthood. Sexual differentiation of behavior thus reflects organization not only of the brain but also of peripheral structures.
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8
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Podos J, Webster MS. Ecology and evolution of bird sounds. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1100-R1104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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9
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Xing J, Sainburg T, Taylor H, Gentner TQ. Syntactic modulation of rhythm in Australian pied butcherbird song. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220704. [PMID: 36177196 PMCID: PMC9515642 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The acoustic structure of birdsong is spectrally and temporally complex. Temporal complexity is often investigated in a syntactic framework focusing on the statistical features of symbolic song sequences. Alternatively, temporal patterns can be investigated in a rhythmic framework that focuses on the relative timing between song elements. Here, we investigate the merits of combining both frameworks by integrating syntactic and rhythmic analyses of Australian pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) songs, which exhibit organized syntax and diverse rhythms. We show that rhythms of the pied butcherbird song bouts in our sample are categorically organized and predictable by the song's first-order sequential syntax. These song rhythms remain categorically distributed and strongly associated with the first-order sequential syntax even after controlling for variance in note length, suggesting that the silent intervals between notes induce a rhythmic structure on note sequences. We discuss the implication of syntactic-rhythmic relations as a relevant feature of song complexity with respect to signals such as human speech and music, and advocate for a broader conception of song complexity that takes into account syntax, rhythm, and their interaction with other acoustic and perceptual features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Xing
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tim Sainburg
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hollis Taylor
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy Q. Gentner
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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10
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Dudouit C, Maury C, Bosca J, Bakker A, Gahr M, Aubin T, Rybak F, Geberzahn N. Vocal performance during spontaneous song is equal in male and female European robins. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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11
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Xing J, Sainburg T, Taylor H, Gentner TQ. Syntactic modulation of rhythm in Australian pied butcherbird song. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220704. [PMID: 36177196 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6197494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The acoustic structure of birdsong is spectrally and temporally complex. Temporal complexity is often investigated in a syntactic framework focusing on the statistical features of symbolic song sequences. Alternatively, temporal patterns can be investigated in a rhythmic framework that focuses on the relative timing between song elements. Here, we investigate the merits of combining both frameworks by integrating syntactic and rhythmic analyses of Australian pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) songs, which exhibit organized syntax and diverse rhythms. We show that rhythms of the pied butcherbird song bouts in our sample are categorically organized and predictable by the song's first-order sequential syntax. These song rhythms remain categorically distributed and strongly associated with the first-order sequential syntax even after controlling for variance in note length, suggesting that the silent intervals between notes induce a rhythmic structure on note sequences. We discuss the implication of syntactic-rhythmic relations as a relevant feature of song complexity with respect to signals such as human speech and music, and advocate for a broader conception of song complexity that takes into account syntax, rhythm, and their interaction with other acoustic and perceptual features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Xing
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tim Sainburg
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hollis Taylor
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy Q Gentner
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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12
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Moody NM, Vivlamore EK, Fuxjager MJ. Woodpecker drum evolution: An analysis of covariation in elements of a multicomponent acoustic display among and within species. Evolution 2022; 76:1469-1480. [PMID: 35665503 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Multicomponent signals are found throughout the animal kingdom, but how these elaborate displays evolve and diversify is still unclear. Here, we explore the evolution of the woodpecker drum display. Two components of this territorial sexually selected signal, drum speed and drum length, are used by territory holders to assess the threat level of an intruding drummer. We explore the coevolution of these display components both among and within species. Among species, we find evidence for strong coevolution of drum speed and length. Within species, we find that drum speed and length vary largely independent of each other. However, in some species, there is evidence of covariation in certain portions of the drum length distribution. The observed differences in component covariation at the macro- and microevolutionary scales highlight the importance of studying signal structure both among and within species. In all cases of covariation at both evolutionary scales, the relationship between drum speed and length is positive, indicating mutual elaboration of display components and not a performance trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Moody
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
| | - Emma K Vivlamore
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27101, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
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Chiver I, Ball GF, Lallemand F, Vandries LM, Plumier JP, Cornil CA, Balthazart J. Photoperiodic control of singing behavior and reproductive physiology in male Fife fancy canaries. Horm Behav 2022; 143:105194. [PMID: 35561543 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Temperate-zone birds display marked seasonal changes in reproductive behaviors and the underlying hormonal and neural mechanisms. These changes were extensively studied in canaries (Serinus canaria) but differ between strains. Fife fancy male canaries change their reproductive physiology in response to variations in day length but it remains unclear whether they become photorefractory (PR) when exposed to long days and what the consequences are for gonadal activity, singing behavior and the associated neural plasticity. Photosensitive (PS) male birds that had become reproductively competent (high song output, large testes) after being maintained on short days (SD, 8 L:16D) for 6 months were divided into two groups: control birds remained on SD (SD-PS group) and experimental birds were switched to long days (16 L:8D) and progressively developed photorefractoriness (LD-PR group). During the following 12 weeks, singing behavior (quantitatively analyzed for 3 × 2 hours every week) and gonadal size (repeatedly measured by CT X-ray scans) remained similar in both groups but there was an increase in plasma testosterone and trill numbers in the LD-PR group. Day length was then decreased back to 8 L:16D for LD-PR birds, which immediately induced a cessation of song, a decrease in plasma testosterone concentration, in the volume of song control nuclei (HVC, RA and Area X), in HVC neurogenesis and in aromatase expression in the medial preoptic area. These data demonstrate that Fife fancy canaries readily respond to changes in photoperiod and display a pattern of photorefractoriness following exposure to long days that is associated with marked changes in brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Chiver
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Belgium
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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14
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Schwark RW, Fuxjager MJ, Schmidt MF. Proposing a neural framework for the evolution of elaborate courtship displays. eLife 2022; 11:e74860. [PMID: 35639093 PMCID: PMC9154748 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many vertebrates, courtship occurs through the performance of elaborate behavioral displays that are as spectacular as they are complex. The question of how sexual selection acts upon these animals' neuromuscular systems to transform a repertoire of pre-existing movements into such remarkable (if not unusual) display routines has received relatively little research attention. This is a surprising gap in knowledge, given that unraveling this extraordinary process is central to understanding the evolution of behavioral diversity and its neural control. In many vertebrates, courtship displays often push the limits of neuromuscular performance, and often in a ritualized manner. These displays can range from songs that require rapid switching between two independently controlled 'voice boxes' to precisely choreographed acrobatics. Here, we propose a framework for thinking about how the brain might not only control these displays, but also shape their evolution. Our framework focuses specifically on a major midbrain area, which we view as a likely important node in the orchestration of the complex neural control of behavior used in the courtship process. This area is the periaqueductal grey (PAG), as studies suggest that it is both necessary and sufficient for the production of many instinctive survival behaviors, including courtship vocalizations. Thus, we speculate about why the PAG, as well as its key inputs, might serve as targets of sexual selection for display behavior. In doing so, we attempt to combine core ideas about the neural control of behavior with principles of display evolution. Our intent is to spur research in this area and bring together neurobiologists and behavioral ecologists to more fully understand the role that the brain might play in behavioral innovation and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W Schwark
- Department of Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Marc F Schmidt
- Department of Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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15
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16
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Podos J, Fernández-Vargas M. Mating displays: the interface of mechanism, function and evolution. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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