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Niśkiewicz M, Szymański P, Zampa L, Budka M, Osiejuk TS. Neighbour-stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4252. [PMID: 38378955 PMCID: PMC10879109 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53867-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated within- and between-individual song variation and song-based neighbour-stranger discrimination in a non-learning bird species, the blue-headed wood-dove (Turtur brehmeri), which inhabits lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa. We found that songs of this species are individually specific and have a high potential for use in individual recognition based on the time-frequency pattern of note distribution within song phrases. To test whether these differences affect behaviour, we conducted playback experiments with 19 territorial males. Each male was tested twice, once with the songs of a familiar neighbour and once with the songs of an unfamiliar stranger. We observed that males responded more aggressively to playback of a stranger's songs: they quickly approached close to the speaker and spent more time near it. However, no significant differences between treatments were observed in the vocal responses. In addition, we explored whether responses differed based on the song frequency of the focal male and/or that of the simulated intruder (i.e., playback), as this song parameter is inversely related to body size and could potentially affect males' decisions to respond to other birds. Song frequency parameters (of either the focal male or the simulated intruder) had no effect on the approaching response during playback. However, we found that the pattern of response after playback was significantly affected by the song frequency of the focal male: males with lower-frequency songs stayed closer to the simulated intruder for a longer period of time without singing, while males with higher-frequency songs returned more quickly to their initial song posts and resumed singing. Together, these results depict a consistently strong response to strangers during and after playback that is dependent on a male's self-assessment rather than assessment of a rival's strength based on his song frequency. This work provides the first experimental evidence that doves (Columbidae) can use songs for neighbour-stranger discrimination and respond according to a "dear enemy" scheme that keeps the cost of territory defence at a reasonable level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Niśkiewicz
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Paweł Szymański
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Lia Zampa
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Budka
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Tomasz S Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
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Guo S, Wu W, Liu Y, Kang X, Li C. Effects of Valley Topography on Acoustic Communication in Birds: Why Do Birds Avoid Deep Valleys in Daqinggou Nature Reserve? Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12212896. [PMID: 36359019 PMCID: PMC9655978 DOI: 10.3390/ani12212896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Landscape structure may influence animal acoustic communication. Our playback experiments showed that the acoustic intensity and frequency of bird vocalizations differed between the upper and lower valley. Valley topography on acoustic communication could lead birds to avoid deep valleys. Abstract To investigate the effects of valley topography on the acoustic transmission of avian vocalisations, we carried out playback experiments in Daqinggou valley, Inner Mongolia, China. During the experiments, we recorded the vocalisations of five avian species, the large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler, 1827), common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus Linnaeus, 1758), Eurasian magpie (Pica pica Linnaeus, 1758), Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus Linnaeus, 1758), and meadow bunting (Emberiza cioides Brand, 1843), at transmission distances of 30 m and 50 m in the upper and lower parts of the valley and analysed the intensity, the fundamental frequency (F0), and the first three formant frequencies (F1/F2/F3) of the sounds. We also investigated bird species diversity in the upper and lower valley. We found that: (1) at the distance of 30 m, there were significant differences in F0/F1/F2/F3 in Eurasian magpies, significant differences in F1/F2/F3 in the meadow bunting and Eurasian tree sparrow, and partially significant differences in sound frequency between the upper and lower valley in the other two species; (2) at the distance of 50 m, there were significant differences in F0/F1/F2/F3 in two avian species (large-billed crow and common cuckoo) between the upper and lower valley and partially significant differences in sound frequency between the upper and lower valley in the other three species; (2) there were significant differences in the acoustic intensities of crow, cuckoo, magpie, and bunting calls between the upper and lower valley. (3) Species number and richness were significantly higher in the upper valley than in the lower valley. We suggested that the structure of valley habitats may lead to the breakdown of acoustic signals and communication in birds to varying degrees. The effect of valley topography on acoustic communication could be one reason for animal species avoiding deep valleys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songkai Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenhui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230039, China
| | - Yaxin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xiaofang Kang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Chunwang Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence:
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Moskát C, Hauber ME. Syntax errors do not disrupt acoustic communication in the common cuckoo. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1568. [PMID: 35091655 PMCID: PMC8799703 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05661-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
When acoustic communication signals are distorted, receivers may misunderstand the signal, rendering it ineffective. Common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) are popularly known for the males' simple, two-note advertisement calls, the "cu-coo" used for declaring the male's breeding territories. Cuckoos do not learn their calls (vocal non-learners), so they are expected to have a limited ability to produce different acoustic signals. Nevertheless, male cuckoos appear to make syntax errors (e.g., repeated, reversed, or fragmented elements) even in their simple advertisement calls. We conducted a playback experiment with male cuckoos, broadcasting ten call types, including seven modified calls with errors (e.g. "cu-cu", and "coo-cu") and three natural calls used for comparisons ("cu-coo", "cu-cu-coo", and interspecific control). Male cuckoos responded in a manner suggesting that the presence of the first ("cu") note of the natural 2-note "cu-coo" call in any form or combination yield effective signals. However, through the elevated frequency (by about 200 Hz) and greater speed of the "cu" note, the natural 3-note version "cu-cu-coo" call appears to have gained a novel communicative function in signalling with female cuckoos. Thus, syntax errors in calls with the "cu" element are not responsible for changing the function of the male cuckoos' "cu-coo" call.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Moskát
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, a Joint Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, The Biological Institute, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. st. 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. .,Hungarian Natural History Museum, Baross u. 13., Budapest, 1088, Hungary.
| | - Márk E. Hauber
- grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
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Cortés Zulueta C. [About the history of the songs of birds or the songs of birds as history]. HISTORIA, CIENCIAS, SAUDE--MANGUINHOS 2021; 28:17-35. [PMID: 35137858 DOI: 10.1590/s0104-59702021000500009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Just as it is possible to trace a history of the songs of birds, of their reception by human beings, and of how humans relate to them, it is also possible to speculate on whether these songs can function as history, a living, resounding history, to which degree and in which ways. As well as on how that avian story would differ from the human one, or if it could enrich it. Many birds, after all, learn their songs from each other, they build on and complicate them, picking up other sounds they incorporate, human sounds included. Thus, they create soundscapes that are not always in the background: sometimes, they claim their relevance and take the foreground, in history and as history.
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5
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Does song overlap signal aggressiveness? An experimental study with repeated measures in free-ranging great tits. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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6
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Dunlop RA, Noad MJ. The eavesdropping risk of conspicuous sexual signaling in humpback whales. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03048-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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7
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Communication Network Reflects Social Instability in a Wild Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) Population. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00227-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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8
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Deoniziak K, Osiejuk TS. Song-type switching rate in the chaffinch carries a message during simulated intrusion. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2825-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Birds communicate their motivation and willingness to escalate a territorial conflict with a variety of agonistic signals. One of these, song-type switching, has been suggested to be a conventional signal in male–male interactions. However, this behavior does not show a consistent pattern across species. In this study, we asked whether variation in song-switching rate carries a message for song receivers among territorial chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs. Chaffinch song is well described, but only a few studies have focused on the communicative function of song-type switching or bout duration. Using data from playback experiments, we show here that variation in song-type switching rate affects the response of chaffinches. In response to the low switching rate treatment, territorial males began to sing later, produced fewer songs and more rain calls, decreased flight intensity, and spent more time close to the speaker than during playback of songs with a high switching rate. Our results provide strong evidence that the song-type switching rate is an agonistic signal in the chaffinch and that territorial males exhibit a stronger response toward rivals that sing with a lower song-type switching rate. A secondary purpose of our study was to determine the receivers’ response with respect to their own song rate and song repertoire. We found that the reaction of tested males was correlated with their own spontaneous song rate. This implies that a male’s response to stimuli may be predicted on the basis of his own song output.
Significance statement
Using playback experiments, we show that birds’ responses to simulated territorial intrusion vary not only with the type of stimulus but also with the tested males’ spontaneous song output. We found that, from the perspective of the song receiver, variation in switching rate carries a message for territorial chaffinches. Our findings add a new example of agonistic signaling in which territorial males exhibit a stronger response toward rivals singing with lower song-type switching rate, which up to now has only been demonstrated in a few species. Moreover, our results show that a male’s response to playback could be predicted using his song output. This may be associated with motivation and willingness to escalate a conflict and could possibly also indicate a male’s quality.
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Kareklas K, Wilson J, Kunc HP, Arnott G. Signal complexity communicates aggressive intent during contests, but the process is disrupted by noise. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20180841. [PMID: 30991914 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Contestants use displays to signal their aggressive intent and settle disputes before they escalate. For birds, this is often in the form of song, which can vary in structural complexity. The role of song complexity in signalling aggressive intent has not been fully established, and its efficacy could be influenced by background noise levels. Using playback experiments, we found that in European robins, Erithacus rubecula, song complexity signalled sender aggression and affected receiver response. However, increased noise impacted the ability of contestants to adjust response based on opponent song complexity. These findings provide new evidence regarding the use of acoustic signal complexity for assessing opponent aggression and that noise can influence contest behaviour by interrupting this process, which could impose fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyriacos Kareklas
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast , 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL , UK
| | - James Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast , 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL , UK
| | - Hansjoerg P Kunc
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast , 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL , UK
| | - Gareth Arnott
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast , 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL , UK
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Davidson BM, Antonova G, Dlott H, Barber JR, Francis CD. Natural and anthropogenic sounds reduce song performance: insights from two emberizid species. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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Cornell A, Hou JJ, Williams TD. Experimentally increased prebreeding male social behaviour has no effect on female breeding phenology and performance. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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12
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Snijders L, Naguib M. Communication in Animal Social Networks. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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13
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van der Post DJ, Franz M, Laland KN. Skill learning and the evolution of social learning mechanisms. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:166. [PMID: 27553961 PMCID: PMC4995764 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Social learning is potentially advantageous, but evolutionary theory predicts that (i) its benefits may be self-limiting because social learning can lead to information parasitism, and (ii) these limitations can be mitigated via forms of selective copying. However, these findings arise from a functional approach in which learning mechanisms are not specified, and which assumes that social learning avoids the costs of asocial learning but does not produce information about the environment. Whether these findings generalize to all kinds of social learning remains to be established. Using a detailed multi-scale evolutionary model, we investigate the payoffs and information production processes of specific social learning mechanisms (including local enhancement, stimulus enhancement and observational learning) and their evolutionary consequences in the context of skill learning in foraging groups. Results We find that local enhancement does not benefit foraging success, but could evolve as a side-effect of grouping. In contrast, stimulus enhancement and observational learning can be beneficial across a wide range of environmental conditions because they generate opportunities for new learning outcomes. Conclusions In contrast to much existing theory, we find that the functional outcomes of social learning are mechanism specific. Social learning nearly always produces information about the environment, and does not always avoid the costs of asocial learning or support information parasitism. Our study supports work emphasizing the value of incorporating mechanistic detail in functional analyses. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0742-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J van der Post
- Center for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, St Andrews University, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK.
| | - Mathias Franz
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, Berlin, 10315, Germany
| | - Kevin N Laland
- Center for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, St Andrews University, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
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14
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Liu N, Jiang Z, Zhang L, Zhong Z, Ping X, Xu H, Li C. Bioacoustic cues and their relations to dominance rank in Père David’s deer stags. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/an15048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The vocal display of male animals during the breeding season has received particular attention. To find out whether male acoustic signals could be a quality-assessment cue of callers, we conducted a study on Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) characterised by a polygynous mating system and high male–male competition during the rutting season. We investigated the relationship between the stag’s acoustic properties and the dominance rank as an indication of quality. Results showed that (1) there were two types of calls, the common roar and the chasing bark, (2) there was no significant difference between the call duration of the common roar and the chasing bark among different dominance ranks, (3) in the common roar, the value of the fundamental frequency, formant frequencies and formant spacing decreased significantly with the rise of dominance ranks and (4) vocal intensity of the common roar differed significantly among the three dominance ranks such as the harem master, the challengers and the bachelors. Our results suggested that some acoustic features, such as formant frequencies, formant spacing and vocal intensity of the common roar were closely related to the dominance rank and could be effective indicators of male competitive ability.
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15
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Lack of phonotactic preferences of female frogs and its consequences for signal evolution. Behav Processes 2015; 118:76-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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17
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Velásquez NA. Geographic variation in acoustic communication in anurans and its neuroethological implications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 108:167-73. [PMID: 25446892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 08/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Geographic variation of traits may represent the first step for evolutionary divergence potentially leading to speciation. Signals are behavioral traits of particular interest for the study of variation at a geographic scale. The anuran acoustic communication system represents an excellent model for studies of this kind, because their vocalizations play a main role in reproduction and the extant variation in this system may determine the evolution of this group. This review is committed to studies on geographic variation of acoustic communication systems in anurans, focusing on temporal and spectral characteristics of signals, environmental constraints affecting them and sound producing and receiving organs. In addition to the review of the literature on these topics, I highlight the deficit of investigation in some areas and propose alternative directions to overcome these drawbacks. Further, I propose the four-eyed frog, Pleurodema thaul, as an excellent model system to study geographic variation using a wide spectrum of approaches.
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19
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McMullen H, Schmidt R, Kunc HP. Anthropogenic noise affects vocal interactions. Behav Processes 2014; 103:125-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Revised: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Velásquez NA, Opazo D, Díaz J, Penna M. Divergence of acoustic signals in a widely distributed frog: relevance of inter-male interactions. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87732. [PMID: 24489957 PMCID: PMC3905042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergence of acoustic signals in a geographic scale results from diverse evolutionary forces acting in parallel and affecting directly inter-male vocal interactions among disjunct populations. Pleurodema thaul is a frog having an extensive latitudinal distribution in Chile along which males' advertisement calls exhibit an important variation. Using the playback paradigm we studied the evoked vocal responses of males of three populations of P. thaul in Chile, from northern, central and southern distribution. In each population, males were stimulated with standard synthetic calls having the acoustic structure of local and foreign populations. Males of both northern and central populations displayed strong vocal responses when were confronted with the synthetic call of their own populations, giving weaker responses to the call of the southern population. The southern population gave stronger responses to calls of the northern population than to the local call. Furthermore, males in all populations were stimulated with synthetic calls for which the dominant frequency, pulse rate and modulation depth were varied parametrically. Individuals from the northern and central populations gave lower responses to a synthetic call devoid of amplitude modulation relative to stimuli containing modulation depths between 30–100%, whereas the southern population responded similarly to all stimuli in this series. Geographic variation in the evoked vocal responses of males of P. thaul underlines the importance of inter-male interactions in driving the divergence of the acoustic traits and contributes evidence for a role of intra-sexual selection in the evolution of the sound communication system of this anuran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson A. Velásquez
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel Opazo
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javier Díaz
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Penna
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
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Garcia M, Charlton BD, Wyman MT, Fitch WT, Reby D. Do red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) use roar fundamental frequency (F0) to assess rivals? PLoS One 2013; 8:e83946. [PMID: 24386312 PMCID: PMC3875517 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that in humans, male voices are disproportionately lower pitched than female voices, and recent studies suggest that this dimorphism in fundamental frequency (F0) results from both intrasexual (male competition) and intersexual (female mate choice) selection for lower pitched voices in men. However, comparative investigations indicate that sexual dimorphism in F0 is not universal in terrestrial mammals. In the highly polygynous and sexually dimorphic Scottish red deer Cervus elaphus scoticus, more successful males give sexually-selected calls (roars) with higher minimum F0s, suggesting that high, rather than low F0s advertise quality in this subspecies. While playback experiments demonstrated that oestrous females prefer higher pitched roars, the potential role of roar F0 in male competition remains untested. Here we examined the response of rutting red deer stags to playbacks of re-synthesized male roars with different median F0s. Our results show that stags’ responses (latencies and durations of attention, vocal and approach responses) were not affected by the F0 of the roar. This suggests that intrasexual selection is unlikely to strongly influence the evolution of roar F0 in Scottish red deer stags, and illustrates how the F0 of terrestrial mammal vocal sexual signals may be subject to different selection pressures across species. Further investigations on species characterized by different F0 profiles are needed to provide a comparative background for evolutionary interpretations of sex differences in mammalian vocalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Garcia
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Megan T. Wyman
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - W. Tecumseh Fitch
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Reby
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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22
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Barelli C, Mundry R, Heistermann M, Hammerschmidt K. Cues to androgens and quality in male gibbon songs. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82748. [PMID: 24367551 PMCID: PMC3867390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal vocal signals may provide information about senders and mediate important social interactions like sexual competition, territory maintenance and mate selection. Hence, it is important to understand whether vocal signals provide accurate information about animal attributes or status. Gibbons are non-human primates that produce loud, distinctive and melodious vocalizations resembling more those of birds than of other non-human primates. Wild gibbons are characterized by flexibility in social organization (i.e., pairs and multimale units) as well as in mating system (i.e., monogamy and polyandry). Such features make them a suitable model to investigate whether the physiology (hormonal status) and socio-demographic features find their correspondence in the structure of their songs. By combining male solo song recordings, endocrine outputs using non-invasive fecal androgen measures and behavioral observations, we studied 14 groups (10 pair-living, 4 multimale) of wild white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) residing at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. We collected a total of 322 fecal samples and recorded 48 songs from 18 adult animals. Our results confirmed inter-individuality in male gibbon songs, and showed a clear correlation between androgen levels and song structures. Gibbons with higher androgen levels produced calls having higher pitch, and similarly adult individuals produced longer calls than senior males. Thus, it is plausible that gibbon vocalizations provide receivers with information about singers' attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Barelli
- Sezione di Biodiversità Tropicale, MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Trento, Italy
- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (CB); (KH)
| | - Roger Mundry
- Department of Primatology and Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (CB); (KH)
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Linhart P, Jaška P, Petrusková T, Petrusek A, Fuchs R. Being angry, singing fast? Signalling of aggressive motivation by syllable rate in a songbird with slow song. Behav Processes 2013; 100:139-45. [PMID: 24050853 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Syllable rate has been shown to play a role in male-male aggressive interactions and has been proposed to serve as a male quality indicator in several bird species. In those with fast syllable rates, males often increase rates when singing in aggressive context, and respond differently to test stimuli of varying rates. We asked whether the syllable rate fulfils a similar signalling function in the chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), a songbird species with a slow syllable rate. We confronted 36 chiffchaff males with one of three playback types differing in syllable rate: control (non-manipulated rate), fast, or slow (artificially increased and decreased syllable rate, respectively). We recorded tested males' songs and behaviour before and during the experiment. Our results indicate that syllable rate might be an aggressive signal in chiffchaff. Males that physically attacked the loudspeaker during experiments sang faster songs spontaneously, and those that continued singing during the playback responded to fast and non-manipulated stimuli with substantial increase of syllable rate. Indirect evidence further suggests that syllable rate in chiffchaff is unlikely constrained by respiratory demands; thus, we propose that syllable rate in this species functions as a conventional signal of male aggressiveness rather than an index of quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Linhart
- Ethology Department, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Geberzahn N, Aubin T. How a songbird with a continuous singing style modulates its song when territorially challenged. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013; 68:1-12. [PMID: 24436508 PMCID: PMC3889651 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1616-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In songbirds of the temperate zone, often only males sing and their songs serve to attract females and to deter territorial rivals. In many species, males vary certain aspects of their singing behavior when engaged in territorial interactions. Such variation may be an honest signal of the traits of the signaler, such as fighting strength, condition, or aggressive motivation, and may be used by receivers in decisions on whether to retreat or to escalate a fight. This has been studied intensively in species that sing discontinuously, in which songs are alternating with silent pauses. We studied contextual variation in the song of skylarks (Alauda arvensis), a songbird with a large vocal repertoire and a continuous and versatile singing style. We exposed subjects to simulated territorial intrusions by broadcasting conspecific song and recorded their vocal responses. We found that males sing differently if they are singing spontaneously with no other conspecific around than if they are territorially challenged. In this last case, males produced lower-frequency syllables. Furthermore, they increased the sound density of their song: they increased the proportion of sound within song. They seem to do so by singing different elements of their repertoire when singing reactively. Furthermore, they increased the consistency of mean peak frequency: they repeated syllable types with less variability when singing reactively. Such contextual variation suggests that skylarks might use low frequencies, sound density, and song consistency to indicate their competitive potential, and thus, those song features might be important for mutual assessment of competitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Geberzahn
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Neuroscience Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, 91405 Orsay, France
- Equipe Communications Acoustiques, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Centre de Neuroscience Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, Bat. 446, Univ. Paris XI, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Thierry Aubin
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Neuroscience Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, 91405 Orsay, France
- Equipe Communications Acoustiques, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Centre de Neuroscience Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, Bat. 446, Univ. Paris XI, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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25
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Slabbekoorn H. Songs of the city: noise-dependent spectral plasticity in the acoustic phenotype of urban birds. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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26
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Xing XY, Alström P, Yang XJ, Lei FM. Recent northward range expansion promotes song evolution in a passerine bird, the Light-vented Bulbul. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:867-77. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- X. Y. Xing
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
| | - P. Alström
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
- Swedish Species Information Centre; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala Sweden
| | - X. J. Yang
- School of Environmental Studies; China University of Geosciences; Wuhan China
| | - F. M. Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
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Linhart P, Slabbekoorn H, Fuchs R. The communicative significance of song frequency and song length in territorial chiffchaffs. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Francis CD, Ortega CP, Cruz A. Noise pollution filters bird communities based on vocal frequency. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27052. [PMID: 22096517 PMCID: PMC3212537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human-generated noise pollution now permeates natural habitats worldwide, presenting evolutionarily novel acoustic conditions unprecedented to most landscapes. These acoustics not only harm humans, but threaten wildlife, and especially birds, via changes to species densities, foraging behavior, reproductive success, and predator-prey interactions. Explanations for negative effects of noise on birds include disruption of acoustic communication through energetic masking, potentially forcing species that rely upon acoustic communication to abandon otherwise suitable areas. However, this hypothesis has not been adequately tested because confounding stimuli often co-vary with noise and are difficult to separate from noise exposure. Methodology/Principal Findings Using a natural experiment that controls for confounding stimuli, we evaluate whether species vocal features or urban-tolerance classifications explain their responses to noise measured through habitat use. Two data sets representing nesting and abundance responses reveal that noise filters bird communities nonrandomly. Signal duration and urban tolerance failed to explain species-specific responses, but birds with low-frequency signals that are more susceptible to masking from noise avoided noisy areas and birds with higher frequency vocalizations remained. Signal frequency was also negatively correlated with body mass, suggesting that larger birds may be more sensitive to noise due to the link between body size and vocal frequency. Conclusions/Significance Our findings suggest that acoustic masking by noise may be a strong selective force shaping the ecology of birds worldwide. Larger birds with lower frequency signals may be excluded from noisy areas, whereas smaller species persist via transmission of higher frequency signals. We discuss our findings as they relate to interspecific relationships among body size, vocal amplitude and frequency and suggest that they are immediately relevant to the global problem of increases in noise by providing critical insight as to which species traits influence tolerance of these novel acoustics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton D Francis
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America.
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Kirschel ANG, Slabbekoorn H, Blumstein DT, Cohen RE, de Kort SR, Buermann W, Smith TB. TESTING ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESES FOR EVOLUTIONARY DIVERSIFICATION IN AN AFRICAN SONGBIRD: RAINFOREST REFUGIA VERSUS ECOLOGICAL GRADIENTS. Evolution 2011; 65:3162-74. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01386.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Pepperberg IM. Vocal learning in Grey parrots: A brief review of perception, production, and cross-species comparisons. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2010; 115:81-91. [PMID: 20199805 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2009.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2008] [Revised: 11/03/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This chapter briefly reviews what is known-and what remains to be understood-about Grey parrot vocal learning. I review Greys' physical capacities-issues of auditory perception and production-then discuss how these capacities are used in vocal learning and can be recruited for referential communication with humans. I discuss cross-species comparisons where applicable and conclude with a description of recent research that integrates issues of reference, production and perception.
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Geberzahn N, Goymann W, ten Cate C. Threat signaling in female song—evidence from playbacks in a sex-role reversed bird species. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Amy M, Sprau P, de Goede P, Naguib M. Effects of personality on territory defence in communication networks: a playback experiment with radio-tagged great tits. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:3685-92. [PMID: 20591859 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals often differ consistently in behaviour across time and contexts, and such consistent behavioural differences are commonly described as personality. Personality can play a central role in social behaviour both in dyadic interactions and in social networks. We investigated whether explorative behaviour, as proxy of personality of territorial male great tits (Parus major), predicts their own and their neighbours' territorial responses towards simulated intruders. Several weeks prior to playback, subjects were taken from the wild to test their exploratory behaviour in a standard context in the laboratory. Exploratory behaviour provides a proxy of personality along a slow-fast explorer continuum. Upon release, males were radio-tracked and subsequently exposed to interactive playback simulating a more or a less aggressive territorial intruder (by either overlapping or alternating broadcast songs with the subjects' songs). At the same time, we radio-tracked a neighbour of the playback subject. Male vocal responses during playback and spatial movements after playback varied according to male explorative behaviour and playback treatment. Males with lower exploration scores approached the loudspeaker less, and sang more songs, shorter songs and songs with slower element rates than did males with higher exploration scores. Moreover, neighbour responses were related to the explorative behaviour of the subject receiving the playback but not to their own explorative behaviour. Our overall findings reveal for the first time how personality traits affect resource defence within a communication network providing new insights on the cause of variation in resource defence behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Amy
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, NIOO-KNAW, PO Box 40, 6666 ZG Heteren, The Netherlands.
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Verzijden MN, van Heusden J, Bouton N, Witte F, ten Cate C, Slabbekoorn H. Sounds of male Lake Victoria cichlids vary within and between species and affect female mate preferences. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Proppe DS, Sturdy CB. The effect of schedules of reinforcement on the composition of spontaneous and evoked black-capped chickadee calls. J Exp Biol 2009; 212:3016-25. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.031724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Songbirds often modify elements of their songs or calls in particular social situations (e.g. song matching, flock convergence, etc.) but whether adult individuals also make vocal modifications in response to abiotic environmental factors (e.g. food availability) is relatively unknown. In the present study we test whether two different schedules of food reinforcement,fixed ratio continuous reinforcement and variable ratio partial reinforcement,cause adult black-capped chickadees to change the structure of their chick-a-dee calls. We also examine how these calls differ in two contexts:being alone versus when experiencing an alarming event. Wild-caught black-capped chickadees were housed in isolation to prevent social interaction and recorded weekly for seven weeks. Baseline recordings on week one show that calls given alone differed from those given during an alarming event in both note type composition and frequency (i.e. pitch). Calls also changed over time between birds on the two different schedules of reinforcement. In addition,birds on different reinforcement schedules responded differently during the two recording conditions. Our results suggest that call characteristics can be modified rapidly and may reflect abiotic environmental conditions. If call structure varies consistently with particular abiotic environmental conditions, much can be gained from bioacoustic analyses of calls from wild birds. However, vocal patterns must be consistent across dialects, and we must disentangle vocal changes due to the abiotic environment from those due to social interaction. Further research is needed from natural populations and across multiple regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren S. Proppe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada, T6G 2R3
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36
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Females alter their song when challenged in a sex-role reversed bird species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009; 64:193-204. [PMID: 19946649 PMCID: PMC2779343 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0836-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2009] [Revised: 07/16/2009] [Accepted: 07/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong serves to attract mates and to deter territorial rivals. Even though song is not restricted to males, this dual function has almost exclusively been demonstrated for male song. To test the generality of hypotheses on birdsong, we investigated female song in the sex-role reversed, classically polyandrous African black coucal (Centropus grillii) in the context of female-female competition. We compared spontaneously vocalizing females with females vocally responding to a playback simulating a conspecific intruder. Females changed vocal parameters in response to playbacks: They lowered the pitch of their vocalizations and enhanced the duration of song elements when being challenged. Also, the composition of the vocalizations was altered. There was no significant correlation between pitch and body size parameters in spontaneous song, but there was for response songs, with larger females having a lower pitch. These changes in vocal properties suggest that the vocalizations are important for mutual assessment of competitive abilities in females. Our findings confirm the general role of intrasexual competition in vocal communication of birds. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0836-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Ballentine B. The ability to perform physically challenging songs predicts age and size in male swamp sparrows, Melospiza georgiana. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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de Kort SR, Eldermire ERB, Valderrama S, Botero CA, Vehrencamp SL. Trill consistency is an age-related assessment signal in banded wrens. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:2315-21. [PMID: 19324742 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Older males tend to have a competitive advantage over younger males in sexual selection. Therefore, it is expected that signals used in sexual selection change with age. Although song repertoire size in songbirds is often mentioned as an age-related trait, many species, including the banded wren (Thryothorus pleurostictus), do not increase their repertoires after the first year. Here, we show that banded wrens reproduce the trill notes in their songs with less variability between them (i.e. more consistently) when they grow older. In a playback experiment, we also show that banded wrens discriminate between younger and older birds based on structural aspects of their song. In a second experiment, banded wrens also respond differentially to natural songs versus songs with artificially enhanced consistency. We argue that consistency in trill note reproduction may be achieved through practice. Sexual selection in the form of male-male competition may therefore operate on a phenotypic trait, the expression of which is enhanced by practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selvino R de Kort
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
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den Hartog PM, Slabbekoorn H, Ten Cate C. Male territorial vocalizations and responses are decoupled in an avian hybrid zone. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2008; 363:2879-89. [PMID: 18508751 PMCID: PMC2606739 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A core area of speciation research concerns the coevolution of species-specific signals and the selective sensitivity to such signals. Signals and responses to them should be tuned to each other, to be effective in intraspecific communication. Hybrid zones are ideal to study the presence of such 'behavioural coupling' and the mechanisms governing it, and this has rarely been done. Our study examines acoustic signals of males and their response to them in the context of territorial interactions in a natural hybrid zone between two dove species, Streptopelia vinacea and Streptopelia capicola. Male signals are important in hybrid zone dynamics as they are essential for territory establishment, which is crucial for successful reproduction. We tested whether the response of individual male hybrids is linked to how similar their own signal is to the playback signal. We did not find evidence for behavioural coupling. The combined evidence from the low level of response to hybrid and heterospecific signals outside the hybrid zone and a lack of coupling within the hybrid zone suggests that perceptual learning may explain our results. Learning to respond to locally abundant signals may be the best individual strategy and is likely to contribute to the maintenance of a hybrid zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula M den Hartog
- Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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40
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Holveck MJ, Vieira de Castro AC, Lachlan RF, ten Cate C, Riebel K. Accuracy of song syntax learning and singing consistency signal early condition in zebra finches. Behav Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arn078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Schmidt R, Kunc HP, Amrhein V, Naguib M. Aggressive responses to broadband trills are related to subsequent pairing success in nightingales. Behav Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arn021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Slabbekoorn H, Ripmeester EAP. Birdsong and anthropogenic noise: implications and applications for conservation. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:72-83. [PMID: 17784917 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03487.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 284] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The dramatic increase in human activities all over the world has caused, on an evolutionary time scale, a sudden rise in especially low-pitched noise levels. Ambient noise may be detrimental to birds through direct stress, masking of predator arrival or associated alarm calls, and by interference of acoustic signals in general. Two of the most important functions of avian acoustic signals are territory defence and mate attraction. Both of these functions are hampered when signal efficiency is reduced through rising noise levels, resulting in direct negative fitness consequences. Many bird species are less abundant near highways and studies are becoming available on reduced reproductive success in noisy territories. Urbanization typically leads to homogenization of bird communities over large geographical ranges. We review current evidence for whether and how anthropogenic noise plays a role in these patterns of decline in diversity and density. We also provide details of a case study on great tits (Parus major), a successful urban species. Great tits show features that other species may lack and make them unsuitable for city life. We hypothesize that behavioural plasticity in singing behaviour may allow species more time to adapt to human-altered environments and we address the potential for microevolutionary changes and urban speciation in European blackbirds (Turdus merula). We conclude by providing an overview of mitigating measures available to abate noise levels that are degrading bird breeding areas. Bird conservationists probably gain most by realizing that birds and humans often benefit from the same or only slightly modified measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Slabbekoorn
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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43
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Segregation of information in a complex acoustic signal: individual and dialect identity in white-crowned sparrow song. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Mager JN, Walcott C, Piper WH. Male common loons, Gavia immer, communicate body mass and condition through dominant frequencies of territorial yodels. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Hardouin LA, Reby D, Bavoux C, Burneleau G, Bretagnolle V. Communication of Male Quality in Owl Hoots. Am Nat 2007; 169:552-62. [PMID: 17427124 DOI: 10.1086/512136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2006] [Accepted: 11/17/2006] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of communication through intrasexual selection is expected to lead signalers to transmit honest information on their fighting ability. Here we studied the information encoded in the acoustic structure of the territorial calls of a nocturnal raptor. During territorial contests, male scops owls give hoots composed of a downward frequency shift followed by a stable plateau. We found that the frequency of the hoot was negatively correlated with the body weight of the vocalizer. We shifted the frequency contour of natural hoots in order to create resynthesized calls corresponding to individuals of varying body weight and used these stimuli in playback experiments simulating an intrusion into the territory of established breeders. Territory owners responded less intensely when they heard hoots simulating heavier intruders, and males with heavier apparent weight tended to give hoots with a lower plateau in response to playbacks simulating heavier intruders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc A Hardouin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique--Unité Propre de Recherche 1934, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
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Illes AE, Hall ML, Vehrencamp SL. Vocal performance influences male receiver response in the banded wren. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:1907-12. [PMID: 16822751 PMCID: PMC1634778 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In a variety of songbirds the production of trilled song elements is constrained by a performance tradeoff between how fast a bird can repeat trill units (trill rate) and the range of frequencies each unit can span (frequency bandwidth). High-performance trills serve as an assessment signal for females, but little is known about the signal value of vocal performance for male receivers. We investigated the relationship between trill rate and frequency bandwidth in banded wren (Thryothorus pleurostictus) songs. Trilled song elements showed the same performance tradeoff found in other passerines and individuals differed in performance of some trill types. We tested the hypothesis that males of this species assess each other based on trill performance with a two-speaker experiment, in which territory owners were presented with alternating renditions of the same song type manipulated to differ in trill rate. Subjects were significantly more likely to approach the faster trill stimulus first. However, subjects that received trill types closer to the performance limit spent less time close to the fast speaker. Our results show that male banded wrens discriminate and respond differently to songs based on their vocal performance. Thus, performance of physically challenging songs may be important in intra- as well as inter-sexual assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anya E Illes
- Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
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48
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Leitão A, ten Cate C, Riebel K. Within-song complexity in a songbird is meaningful to both male and female receivers. Anim Behav 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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