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Makioka H, Lewis RN, Soma M. The use of artificial songs to assess song recognition in imprinted female songbirds: a concept proposal. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1384794. [PMID: 39295766 PMCID: PMC11408183 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
We propose an experimental paradigm to examine acoustic features responsible for song preference and recognition in songbirds. Song preference in female songbirds is often influenced by early song experience. That is why several Estrildid species, including our subject species, the Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora), are known to show an imprinted preference for their father's songs. After confirming that Java sparrow females preferred their father's song compared to non-imprinted through song playbacks (first step), we repeated the playback tests in the same subjects using synthesized stimuli (second step). To create synthesized stimuli, we removed all the complex frequency modulations and subharmonics from song notes that we used for the first step playback tests to see the effect of spectrometric features on song recognition. The results indicated that females showed higher rate of calling towards synthesized father song stimuli, suggesting that the macroscopic patterns would play more important roles in song recognition than the microscopic acoustic features. Although we looked at spectrometric features and father-imprinted song preference in this study, similar testing can be applied in many ways to test preference for local dialects or subspecies-specific songs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroharu Makioka
- Biosystems Science Course, The Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Rebecca N Lewis
- JSPS International Research Fellow, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masayo Soma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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2
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Méndez JM, Cooper BG, Goller F. Note similarities affect syntactic stability in zebra finches. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024:10.1007/s00359-024-01713-6. [PMID: 39133335 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
The acquisition of an acoustic template is a fundamental component of vocal imitation learning, which is used to refine innate vocalizations and develop a species-specific song. In the absence of a model, birds fail to develop species typical songs. In zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), tutored birds produce songs with a stereotyped sequence of distinct acoustic elements, or notes, which form the song motif. Songs of untutored individuals feature atypical acoustic and temporal structure. Here we studied songs and associated respiratory patterns of tutored and untutored male zebra finches to investigate whether similar acoustic notes influence the sequence of song elements. A subgroup of animals developed songs with multiple acoustically similar notes that are produced with alike respiratory motor gestures. These birds also showed increased syntactic variability in their adult motif. Sequence variability tended to occur near song elements which showed high similarity in acoustic structure and underlying respiratory motor gestures. The duration and depth of the inspirations preceding the syllables where syntactic variation occurred did not allow prediction of the following sequence of notes, suggesting that the varying duration and air requirement of the following expiratory pulse is not predictively encoded in the motor program. This study provides a novel method for calculation of motor/acoustic similarity, and the results of this study suggest that the note is a fundamental acoustic unit in the organization of the motif and could play a role in the neural code for song syntax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge M Méndez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Mankato, MN, USA.
| | - Brenton G Cooper
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Franz Goller
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Institute of Zoophysiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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3
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Kraft FLH, Crino OL, Adeniran-Obey SO, Moraney RA, Clayton DF, George JM, Buchanan KL. Parental developmental experience affects vocal learning in offspring. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13787. [PMID: 38877207 PMCID: PMC11178867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cultural and genetic inheritance combine to enable rapid changes in trait expression, but their relative importance in determining trait expression across generations is not clear. Birdsong is a socially learned cognitive trait that is subject to both cultural and genetic inheritance, as well as being affected by early developmental conditions. We sought to test whether early-life conditions in one generation can affect song acquisition in the next generation. We exposed one generation (F1) of nestlings to elevated corticosterone (CORT) levels, allowed them to breed freely as adults, and quantified their son's (F2) ability to copy the song of their social father. We also quantified the neurogenetic response to song playback through immediate early gene (IEG) expression in the auditory forebrain. F2 males with only one corticosterone-treated parent copied their social father's song less accurately than males with two control parents. Expression of ARC in caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) correlated with father-son song similarity, and patterns of expression levels of several IEGs in caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) in response to father song playback differed between control F2 sons and those with a CORT-treated father only. This is the first study to demonstrate that developmental conditions can affect social learning and neurogenetic responses in a subsequent generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny-Linn H Kraft
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ondi L Crino
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | | | - Raven A Moraney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - David F Clayton
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Julia M George
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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4
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Boerma T, Ter Haar S, Ganga R, Wijnen F, Blom E, Wierenga CJ. What risk factors for Developmental Language Disorder can tell us about the neurobiological mechanisms of language development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105398. [PMID: 37741516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Language is a complex multidimensional cognitive system that is connected to many neurocognitive capacities. The development of language is therefore strongly intertwined with the development of these capacities and their neurobiological substrates. Consequently, language problems, for example those of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), are explained by a variety of etiological pathways and each of these pathways will be associated with specific risk factors. In this review, we attempt to link previously described factors that may interfere with language development to putative underlying neurobiological mechanisms of language development, hoping to uncover openings for future therapeutical approaches or interventions that can help children to optimally develop their language skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessel Boerma
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sita Ter Haar
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Cognitive Neurobiology and Helmholtz Institute, Department of Psychology, Utrecht University/Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rachida Ganga
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elma Blom
- Department of Development and Education of youth in Diverse Societies (DEEDS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Language and Culture, The Arctic University of Norway UiT, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Corette J Wierenga
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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5
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Hutfluss A, Bermúdez-Cuamatzin E, Mouchet A, Briffa M, Slabbekoorn H, Dingemanse NJ. Male song stability shows cross-year repeatability but does not affect reproductive success in a wild passerine bird. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1507-1520. [PMID: 35509187 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13736] [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: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Predictable behaviour (or "behavioural stability") might be favoured in certain ecological contexts, e.g. when representing a quality signal. Costs associated with producing stable phenotypes imply selection should favour plasticity in stability when beneficial. Repeatable among-individual differences in degree of stability are simultaneously expected if individuals differ in ability to pay these costs, or in how they resolve cost-benefit trade-offs. Bird song represents a prime example, where stability may be costly yet beneficial when stable singing is a quality signal favoured by sexual selection. Assuming energetic costs, ecological variation (e.g. in food availability) should result in both within- and among-individual variation in stability. If song stability represents a quality signal, we expect directional selection favouring stable singers. For a three-year period, we monitored 12 nest box plots of great tits Parus major during breeding. We recorded male songs during simulated territory intrusions, twice during their mate's laying stage, and twice during incubation. Each preceding winter, we manipulated food availability. Assuming that stability is costly, we expected food-supplemented males to sing more stable songs. We also expected males to sing more stable songs early in the breeding season (when paternity is not decided), and stable singers to have increased reproductive success. We found strong support for plasticity in stability for two key song characteristics: minimum frequency and phrase length. Males were plastic because they became more stable over the season, contrary to expectations. Food-supplementation did not affect body condition but increased stability in minimum frequency. This treatment effect occurred only in one year, implying that food supplementation affected stability only in interaction with (unknown) year-specific ecological factors. We found no support for directional, correlational, or fluctuating selection on the stability in minimum frequency (i.e., the song trait whose stability exhibited cross-year repeatability): stable singers did not have higher reproductive success. Our findings imply that stability in minimum frequency is not a fitness quality indicator unless males enjoy fitness benefits via pathways not studied here. Future studies should thus address the mechanisms shaping and maintaining individual repeatability of song stability in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hutfluss
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Alexia Mouchet
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Martinsried, Germany.,Laboratoire Evolution Génomes Comportement et Ecologie (EGCE), UMR Université Paris-Saclay-CNRS-IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mark Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Animal Behaviour Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Hans Slabbekoorn
- Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Martinsried, Germany
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7
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Wang D, Forstmeier W, Farine DR, Maldonado-Chaparro AA, Martin K, Pei Y, Alarcón-Nieto G, Klarevas-Irby JA, Ma S, Aplin LM, Kempenaers B. Machine learning reveals cryptic dialects that explain mate choice in a songbird. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1630. [PMID: 35347115 PMCID: PMC8960899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28881-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Culturally transmitted communication signals - such as human language or bird song - can change over time through cultural drift, and the resulting dialects may consequently enhance the separation of populations. However, the emergence of song dialects has been considered unlikely when songs are highly individual-specific, as in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Here we show that machine learning can nevertheless distinguish the songs from multiple captive zebra finch populations with remarkable precision, and that 'cryptic song dialects' predict strong assortative mating in this species. We examine mating patterns across three consecutive generations using captive populations that have evolved in isolation for about 100 generations. We cross-fostered eggs within and between these populations and used an automated barcode tracking system to quantify social interactions. We find that females preferentially pair with males whose song resembles that of the females' adolescent peers. Our study shows evidence that in zebra finches, a model species for song learning, individuals are sensitive to differences in song that have hitherto remained unnoticed by researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8047, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Adriana A Maldonado-Chaparro
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Katrin Martin
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Yifan Pei
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Gustavo Alarcón-Nieto
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - James A Klarevas-Irby
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8047, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shouwen Ma
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Lucy M Aplin
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
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8
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Sainburg T, Gentner TQ. Toward a Computational Neuroethology of Vocal Communication: From Bioacoustics to Neurophysiology, Emerging Tools and Future Directions. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:811737. [PMID: 34987365 PMCID: PMC8721140 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.811737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently developed methods in computational neuroethology have enabled increasingly detailed and comprehensive quantification of animal movements and behavioral kinematics. Vocal communication behavior is well poised for application of similar large-scale quantification methods in the service of physiological and ethological studies. This review describes emerging techniques that can be applied to acoustic and vocal communication signals with the goal of enabling study beyond a small number of model species. We review a range of modern computational methods for bioacoustics, signal processing, and brain-behavior mapping. Along with a discussion of recent advances and techniques, we include challenges and broader goals in establishing a framework for the computational neuroethology of vocal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sainburg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Timothy Q. Gentner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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9
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McDermott MT, Safran RJ. Sensitive periods during the development and expression of vertebrate sexual signals: A systematic review. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14416-14432. [PMID: 34765116 PMCID: PMC8571593 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many sexually selected traits exhibit phenotypic plasticity. Despite a growing appreciation for the ecological context in which sexual selection occurs, and for the role of plasticity in shaping traits associated with local adaptation and divergence, there is an important gap in knowledge about the onset and duration of plasticity in sexual trait expression. Integrating this temporal dimension of plasticity into models of sexual selection informs our understanding of the information conveyed by sexual traits and our predictions related to trait evolution, and is critical in this time of unprecedented and rapid environmental change. We conducted a systematic review of 869 studies to ask how trait modalities (e.g., visual and chemical) relate to the onset and duration of plasticity in vertebrate sexual signals. We show that this literature is dominated by studies of coloration in birds and fish, and most studies take place during the breeding season. Where possible, we integrate results across studies to link physiology of specific trait modalities with the life stage (e.g., juvenile, breeding, or nonbreeding) during which plasticity occurs in well-studied traits. Limitations of our review included a lack of replication in our dataset, which precluded formal analysis. We argue that the timing of trait plasticity, in addition to environmental context, is critical for determining whether and how various communication signals are associated with ecological context, because plasticity may be ongoing or occur at only one point in an individual's lifetime, and determining a fixed trajectory of trait expression. We advocate for careful consideration of the onset and duration of plasticity when analyzing how environmental variation affects sexual trait expression and associated evolutionary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly T. McDermott
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
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10
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Vernes SC, Kriengwatana BP, Beeck VC, Fischer J, Tyack PL, ten Cate C, Janik VM. The multi-dimensional nature of vocal learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200236. [PMID: 34482723 PMCID: PMC8419582 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
How learning affects vocalizations is a key question in the study of animal communication and human language. Parallel efforts in birds and humans have taught us much about how vocal learning works on a behavioural and neurobiological level. Subsequent efforts have revealed a variety of cases among mammals in which experience also has a major influence on vocal repertoires. Janik and Slater (Anim. Behav.60, 1-11. (doi:10.1006/anbe.2000.1410)) introduced the distinction between vocal usage and production learning, providing a general framework to categorize how different types of learning influence vocalizations. This idea was built on by Petkov and Jarvis (Front. Evol. Neurosci.4, 12. (doi:10.3389/fnevo.2012.00012)) to emphasize a more continuous distribution between limited and more complex vocal production learners. Yet, with more studies providing empirical data, the limits of the initial frameworks become apparent. We build on these frameworks to refine the categorization of vocal learning in light of advances made since their publication and widespread agreement that vocal learning is not a binary trait. We propose a novel classification system, based on the definitions by Janik and Slater, that deconstructs vocal learning into key dimensions to aid in understanding the mechanisms involved in this complex behaviour. We consider how vocalizations can change without learning, and a usage learning framework that considers context specificity and timing. We identify dimensions of vocal production learning, including the copying of auditory models (convergence/divergence on model sounds, accuracy of copying), the degree of change (type and breadth of learning) and timing (when learning takes place, the length of time it takes and how long it is retained). We consider grey areas of classification and current mechanistic understanding of these behaviours. Our framework identifies research needs and will help to inform neurobiological and evolutionary studies endeavouring to uncover the multi-dimensional nature of vocal learning. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja C. Vernes
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Veronika C. Beeck
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter L. Tyack
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Carel ten Cate
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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11
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Morfi V, Lachlan RF, Stowell D. Deep perceptual embeddings for unlabelled animal sound events. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:2. [PMID: 34340499 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Evaluating sound similarity is a fundamental building block in acoustic perception and computational analysis. Traditional data-driven analyses of perceptual similarity are based on heuristics or simplified linear models, and are thus limited. Deep learning embeddings, often using triplet networks, have been useful in many fields. However, such networks are usually trained using large class-labelled datasets. Such labels are not always feasible to acquire. We explore data-driven neural embeddings for sound event representation when class labels are absent, instead utilising proxies of perceptual similarity judgements. Ultimately, our target is to create a perceptual embedding space that reflects animals' perception of sound. We create deep perceptual embeddings for bird sounds using triplet models. In order to deal with the challenging nature of triplet loss training with the lack of class-labelled data, we utilise multidimensional scaling (MDS) pretraining, attention pooling, and a triplet mining scheme. We also evaluate the advantage of triplet learning compared to learning a neural embedding from a model trained on MDS alone. Using computational proxies of similarity judgements, we demonstrate the feasibility of the method to develop perceptual models for a wide range of data based on behavioural judgements, helping us understand how animals perceive sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Morfi
- Machine Listening Lab, Centre for Digital Music (C4DM), Department of Electronic Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert F Lachlan
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Stowell
- Machine Listening Lab, Centre for Digital Music (C4DM), Department of Electronic Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Lewis RN, Soma M, de Kort SR, Gilman RT. Like Father Like Son: Cultural and Genetic Contributions to Song Inheritance in an Estrildid Finch. Front Psychol 2021; 12:654198. [PMID: 34149539 PMCID: PMC8213215 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social learning of vocalizations is integral to song inheritance in oscine passerines. However, other factors, such as genetic inheritance and the developmental environment, can also influence song phenotype. The relative contributions of these factors can have a strong influence on song evolution and may affect important evolutionary processes such as speciation. However, relative contributions are well-described only for a few species and are likely to vary with taxonomy. Using archived song data, we examined patterns of song inheritance in a domestic population of Java sparrows (Lonchura oryzivora), some of which had been cross-fostered. Six-hundred and seventy-six songs from 73 birds were segmented and classified into notes and note subtypes (N = 22,972), for which a range of acoustic features were measured. Overall, we found strong evidence for cultural inheritance of song structure and of the acoustic characteristics of notes; sons’ song syntax and note composition were similar to that of their social fathers and were not influenced by genetic relatedness. For vocal consistency of note subtypes, a measure of vocal performance, there was no apparent evidence of social or genetic inheritance, but both age and developmental environment influenced consistency. These findings suggest that high learning fidelity of song material, i.e., song structure and note characteristics, could allow novel variants to be preserved and accumulate over generations, with implications for evolution and conservation. However, differences in vocal performance do not show strong links to cultural inheritance, instead potentially serving as condition dependent signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca N Lewis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Chester Zoo, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - Masayo Soma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Selvino R de Kort
- Department of Natural Sciences, Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - R Tucker Gilman
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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13
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Crates R, Langmore N, Ranjard L, Stojanovic D, Rayner L, Ingwersen D, Heinsohn R. Loss of vocal culture and fitness costs in a critically endangered songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210225. [PMID: 33726592 PMCID: PMC8059949 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cultures in humans and other species are maintained through interactions among conspecifics. Declines in population density could be exacerbated by culture loss, thereby linking culture to conservation. We combined historical recordings, citizen science and breeding data to assess the impact of severe population decline on song culture, song complexity and individual fitness in critically endangered regent honeyeaters (Anthochaera phrygia). Song production in the remaining wild males varied dramatically, with 27% singing songs that differed from the regional cultural norm. Twelve per cent of males, occurring in areas of particularly low population density, completely failed to sing any species-specific songs and instead sang other species' songs. Atypical song production was associated with reduced individual fitness, as males singing atypical songs were less likely to pair or nest than males that sang the regional cultural norm. Songs of captive-bred birds differed from those of all wild birds. The complexity of regent honeyeater songs has also declined over recent decades. We therefore provide rare evidence that a severe decline in population density is associated with the loss of vocal culture in a wild animal, with concomitant fitness costs for remaining individuals. The loss of culture may be a precursor to extinction in declining populations that learn selected behaviours from conspecifics, and therefore provides a useful conservation indicator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Crates
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Naomi Langmore
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivan's Creek Rd, Acton, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Louis Ranjard
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivan's Creek Rd, Acton, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Laura Rayner
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | | | - Robert Heinsohn
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra 2601, Australia
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14
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Rauber R, Kranstauber B, Manser MB. Call order within vocal sequences of meerkats contains temporary contextual and individual information. BMC Biol 2020; 18:119. [PMID: 32907574 PMCID: PMC7488032 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00847-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to recombine smaller units to produce infinite structures of higher-order phrases is unique to human language, yet evidence of animals to combine multiple acoustic units into meaningful combinations increases constantly. Despite increasing evidence for meaningful call combinations across contexts, little attention has been paid to the potential role of temporal variation of call type composition in longer vocal sequences in conveying information about subtle changes in the environment or individual differences. Here, we investigated the composition and information content of sentinel call sequences in meerkats (Suricata suricatta). While being on sentinel guard, a coordinated vigilance behaviour, meerkats produce long sequences composed of six distinct sentinel call types and alarm calls. We analysed recordings of sentinels to test if the order of the call types is graded and whether they contain additional group-, individual-, age- or sex-specific vocal signatures. RESULTS Our results confirmed that the six distinct types of sentinel calls in addition to alarm calls were produced in a highly graded way, likely referring to changes in the perceived predation risk. Transitions between call types one step up or down the a priory assumed gradation were over-represented, while transitions over two or three steps were significantly under-represented. Analysing sequence similarity within and between groups and individuals demonstrated that sequences composed of the most commonly emitted sentinel call types showed high within-individual consistency whereby adults and females had higher consistency scores than subadults and males respectively. CONCLUSIONS We present a novel type of combinatoriality where the order of the call types contains temporary contextual information, and also relates to the identity of the caller. By combining different call types in a graded way over long periods, meerkats constantly convey meaningful information about subtle changes in the external environment, while at the same time the temporal pattern of the distinct call types contains stable information about caller identity. Our study demonstrates how complex animal call sequences can be described by simple rules, in this case gradation across acoustically distinct, but functionally related call types, combined with individual-specific call patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Rauber
- Animal Behaviour, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa.
| | - Bart Kranstauber
- Animal Behaviour, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marta B Manser
- Animal Behaviour, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Favaro L, Gamba M, Cresta E, Fumagalli E, Bandoli F, Pilenga C, Isaja V, Mathevon N, Reby D. Do penguins' vocal sequences conform to linguistic laws? Biol Lett 2020; 16:20190589. [PMID: 32019463 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Information compression is a general principle of human language: the most frequent words are shorter in length (Zipf's Law of Brevity) and the duration of constituents decreases as the size of the linguistic construct increases (Menzerath-Altmann Law). Vocal sequences of non-human primates have been shown to conform to both these laws, suggesting information compression might be a more general principle. Here, we investigated whether display songs of the African penguin, which mediate recognition, intersexual mate choice and territorial defence, conform with these laws. Display songs are long, loud sequences combining three types of syllables. We found that the shortest type of syllable was the most frequent (with the shortest syllable being repeated stereotypically, potentially favouring signal redundancy in crowded environments). We also found that the average duration of the song's constituents was negatively correlated with the size of the song (a consequence of increasing the relative number of the shortest syllable type, rather than reducing the duration across all syllable types, thus preserving the communication of size-related information in the duration of the longest syllable type). Our results provide the first evidence for conformity to Zipf's and Menzerath-Altmann Laws in the vocal sequences of a non-primate species, indicating that these laws can coexist with selection pressures specific to the species' ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livio Favaro
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM UMR_S 1028, Saint-Etienne, France.,Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Eleonora Cresta
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Fumagalli
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM UMR_S 1028, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - David Reby
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM UMR_S 1028, Saint-Etienne, France
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16
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Lansverk AL, Schroeder KM, London SE, Griffith SC, Clayton DF, Balakrishnan CN. The variability of song variability in zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata) populations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190273. [PMID: 31218064 PMCID: PMC6549970 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Birdsong is a classic example of a learned social behaviour. Song behaviour is also influenced by genetic factors, and understanding the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences remains a major goal. In this study, we take advantage of captive zebra finch populations to examine variation in a population-level song trait: song variability. Song variability is of particular interest in the context of individual recognition and in terms of the neuro-developmental mechanisms that generate song novelty. We find that the Australian zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata castanotis (TGC) maintains higher song diversity than the Timor zebra finch T. g. guttata (TGG) even after experimentally controlling for early life song exposure, suggesting a genetic basis to this trait. Although wild-derived TGC were intermediate in song variability between domesticated TGC populations and TGG, the difference between domesticated and wild TGC was not statistically significant. The observed variation in song behaviour among zebra finch populations represents a largely untapped opportunity for exploring the mechanisms of social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison L. Lansverk
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
- Author for correspondence: Allison L. Lansverk e-mail:
| | | | - Sarah E. London
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Simon C. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David F. Clayton
- Department of Biological & Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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17
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Wilson KM, Tatarenkov A, Burley NT. Early life and transgenerational stressors impact secondary sexual traits and fitness. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kerianne M Wilson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andrey Tatarenkov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Nancy Tyler Burley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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18
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Kriengwatana BP. Learning strategies and the social brain: Missing elements in the link between developmental stress, song and cognition? Integr Zool 2019; 14:158-171. [PMID: 30688022 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bird songs may advertise aspects of cognition because song learning and learning speed in cognitive tasks are both affected by early-life environments. However, such relationships remain ambiguous in the literature. Here, I discuss 2 lines of research that may help to demystify links between song learning and cognition. First, learning strategies should be considered when assessing performance to ensure that individual differences in learning ability are not masked by individual differences in learning strategies. Second, song characteristics should be associated with social behavior because songs have a social purpose and, consequently, should be strongly related at functional and neural levels. Finally, if song learning and cognitive abilities are correlated because they develop concurrently and/or share or compete for the same resources, I discuss ways glucocorticoids may link early-life stress, song learning and cognitive ability, focusing particularly on oxidative stress as a potential mechanism.
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19
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Boogert NJ, Lachlan RF, Spencer KA, Templeton CN, Farine DR. Stress hormones, social associations and song learning in zebra finches. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170290. [PMID: 30104435 PMCID: PMC6107560 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of information provided by others is a common short-cut adopted to inform decision-making. However, instead of indiscriminately copying others, animals are often selective in what, when and whom they copy. How do they decide which 'social learning strategy' to use? Previous research indicates that stress hormone exposure in early life may be important: while juvenile zebra finches copied their parents' behaviour when solving novel foraging tasks, those exposed to elevated levels of corticosterone (CORT) during development copied only unrelated adults. Here, we tested whether this switch in social learning strategy generalizes to vocal learning. In zebra finches, juvenile males often copy their father's song; would CORT-treated juveniles in free-flying aviaries switch to copying songs of other males? We found that CORT-treated juveniles copied their father's song less accurately as compared to control juveniles. We hypothesized that this could be due to having weaker social foraging associations with their fathers, and found that sons that spent less time foraging with their fathers produced less similar songs. Our findings are in line with a novel hypothesis linking early-life stress and social learning: early-life CORT exposure may affect social learning indirectly as a result of the way it shapes social affiliations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje J Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Robert F Lachlan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Karen A Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | | | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell 78315, Germany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78464, Germany
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20
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Bell BA, Phan ML, Meillère A, Evans JK, Leitner S, Vicario DS, Buchanan KL. Influence of early-life nutritional stress on songbird memory formation. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1270. [PMID: 30257911 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, vocal learning enables the production of sexually selected complex songs, dialects and song copy matching. But stressful conditions during development have been shown to affect song production and complexity, mediated by changes in neural development. However, to date, no studies have tested whether early-life stress affects the neural processes underlying vocal learning, in contrast to song production. Here, we hypothesized that developmental stress alters auditory memory formation and neural processing of song stimuli. We experimentally stressed male nestling zebra finches and, in two separate experiments, tested their neural responses to song playbacks as adults, using either immediate early gene (IEG) expression or electrophysiological response. Once adult, nutritionally stressed males exhibited a reduced response to tutor song playback, as demonstrated by reduced expressions of two IEGs (Arc and ZENK) and reduced neuronal response, in both the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) and mesopallium (CMM). Furthermore, nutritionally stressed males also showed impaired neuronal memory for novel songs heard in adulthood. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, that developmental conditions affect auditory memories that subserve vocal learning. Although the fitness consequences of such memory impairments remain to be determined, this study highlights the lasting impact early-life experiences can have on cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Bell
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - M L Phan
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - A Meillère
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - J K Evans
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - S Leitner
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - D S Vicario
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - K L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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21
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Sewall KB, Anderson RC, Soha JA, Peters S, Nowicki S. Early life conditions that impact song learning in male zebra finches also impact neural and behavioral responses to song in females. Dev Neurobiol 2018; 78:10.1002/dneu.22600. [PMID: 29675841 PMCID: PMC6195868 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Early life stressors can impair song in songbirds by negatively impacting brain development and subsequent learning. Even in species in which only males sing, early life stressors might also impact female behavior and its underlying neural mechanisms, but fewer studies have examined this possibility. We manipulated brood size in zebra finches to simultaneously examine the effects of developmental stress on male song learning and female behavioral and neural response to song. Although adult male HVC volume was unaffected, we found that males from larger broods imitated tutor song less accurately. In females, early condition did not affect the direction of song preference: all females preferred tutor song over unfamiliar song in an operant test. However, treatment did affect the magnitude of behavioral response to song: females from larger broods responded less during song preference trials. This difference in activity level did not reflect boldness per se, as a separate measure of this trait did not differ with brood size. Additionally, in females we found a treatment effect on expression of the immediate early gene ZENK in response to tutor song in brain regions involved in song perception (dNCM) and social motivation (LSc.vl, BSTm, TnA), but not in a region implicated in song memory (CMM). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that developmental stressors that impair song learning in male zebra finches also influence perceptual and/or motivational processes in females. However, our results suggest that the learning of tutor song by females is robust to disturbance by developmental stress. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra B. Sewall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Rindy C. Anderson
- Department Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA
| | - Jill A. Soha
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Susan Peters
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stephen Nowicki
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
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22
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de Boer RA, Eens M, Müller W. 'Out of tune': consequences of inbreeding on bird song. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1142. [PMID: 27466453 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of bird song is expected to signal male quality to females. 'Quality' is determined by genetic and environmental factors, but, surprisingly, there is very limited evidence if and how genetic aspects of male quality are reflected in song. Here, we manipulated the genetic make-up of canaries (Serinus canaria) via inbreeding, and studied its effects upon song output, complexity, phonetics and, for the first time, song learning. To this end, we created weight-matched inbred and outbred pairs of male fledglings, which were subsequently exposed to the same tutor male during song learning. Inbreeding strongly affected syllable phonetics, but there were little or no effects on other song features. Nonetheless, females discriminated among inbred and outbred males, as they produced heavier clutches when mated with an outbred male. Our study highlights the importance of song phonetics, which has hitherto often been overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raïssa A de Boer
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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23
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Noguera JC, Metcalfe NB, Monaghan P. Postnatal nutrition influences male attractiveness and promotes plasticity in male mating preferences. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:102. [PMID: 29138966 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1524-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Poor early-life nutrition could reduce adult reproductive success by negatively affecting traits linked to sexual attractiveness such as song complexity. If so, this might favor strategic mate choice, allowing males with less complex songs to tailor their mating tactics to maximize the reproductive benefits. However, this possibility has been ignored in theoretical and empirical studies. By manipulating the micronutrient content of the diet (e.g., low or high) during the postnatal period of male zebra finches, we show for the first time (1) that males reared on a poor (low) micronutrient diet had less complex songs as adults; (2) that these males, in contrast to the high micronutrient diet group, were more selective in their mating strategies, discriminating against those females most likely to reduce their clutch size when paired with males having less complex songs; and (3) that by following different mating strategies, males reared on the contrasting diets obtained similar reproductive benefits. These results suggest that early-life dietary conditions can induce multiple and long-lasting effects on male and female reproductive traits. Moreover, the results seem to reflect a previously unreported case of adaptive plasticity in mate choice in response to a nutritionally mediated reduction in sexual attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- José C Noguera
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Torre CACTI, Universidad de Vigo, As Lagoas Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain.
| | - Neil B Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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24
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Campbell SA, Beck ML, Sewall KB. Hatching asynchrony impacts cognition in male zebra finches. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2017; 327:89-97. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle L. Beck
- Department of Biological Sciences; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg Virginia
| | - Kendra B. Sewall
- Department of Biological Sciences; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg Virginia
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25
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Griffith SC, Crino OL, Andrew SC, Nomano FY, Adkins-Regan E, Alonso-Alvarez C, Bailey IE, Bittner SS, Bolton PE, Boner W, Boogert N, Boucaud ICA, Briga M, Buchanan KL, Caspers BA, Cichoń M, Clayton DF, Derégnaucourt S, Forstmeier W, Guillette LM, Hartley IR, Healy SD, Hill DL, Holveck MJ, Hurley LL, Ihle M, Tobias Krause E, Mainwaring MC, Marasco V, Mariette MM, Martin-Wintle MS, McCowan LSC, McMahon M, Monaghan P, Nager RG, Naguib M, Nord A, Potvin DA, Prior NH, Riebel K, Romero-Haro AA, Royle NJ, Rutkowska J, Schuett W, Swaddle JP, Tobler M, Trompf L, Varian-Ramos CW, Vignal C, Villain AS, Williams TD. Variation in Reproductive Success Across Captive Populations: Methodological Differences, Potential Biases and Opportunities. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon C. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Ondi L. Crino
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Samuel C. Andrew
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Fumiaki Y. Nomano
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior; Cornell University; Ithaca NY USA
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM; Ciudad Real Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - Ida E. Bailey
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | | | - Peri E. Bolton
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Neeltje Boogert
- School of Psychology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | - Ingrid C. A. Boucaud
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Michael Briga
- Behavioural Biology; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Cracow Poland
| | - David F. Clayton
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | | | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | | | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Susan D. Healy
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | - Davina L. Hill
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Marie-Jeanne Holveck
- Institute of Biology; University of Leiden; Leiden The Netherlands
- Biodiversity Research Centre; Earth and Life Institute; Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL); Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - Laura L. Hurley
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Malika Ihle
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | - E. Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry; Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Celle Germany
| | - Mark C. Mainwaring
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Valeria Marasco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Mylene M. Mariette
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong VIC Australia
| | - Meghan S. Martin-Wintle
- Conservation and Research Department; PDXWildlife; Portland OR USA
- Applied Animal Ecology; Institute for Conservation Research; San Diego Zoo Global; Escondido CA USA
| | - Luke S. C. McCowan
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Maeve McMahon
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Ruedi G. Nager
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Marc Naguib
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Animal Sciences; Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø Norway
| | - Dominique A. Potvin
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research; University of Western Ontario; London ON Canada
| | - Nora H. Prior
- Zoology Department; University of British Columbia; Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Ana A. Romero-Haro
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM; Ciudad Real Spain
| | - Nick J. Royle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; University of Exeter; Penryn UK
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Cracow Poland
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Zoological Institute; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - John P. Swaddle
- Biology Department; Institute for Integrative Bird Behaviour Studies; The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg VA USA
| | | | - Larissa Trompf
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Claire W. Varian-Ramos
- Biology Department; Institute for Integrative Bird Behaviour Studies; The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg VA USA
| | - Clémentine Vignal
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Avelyne S. Villain
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences; Simon Fraser University; Burnaby BC Canada
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Lachlan RF, van Heijningen CAA, ter Haar SM, ten Cate C. Zebra Finch Song Phonology and Syntactical Structure across Populations and Continents-A Computational Comparison. Front Psychol 2016; 7:980. [PMID: 27458396 PMCID: PMC4935685 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Learned bird songs are often characterized by a high degree of variation between individuals and sometimes between populations, while at the same time maintaining species specificity. The evolution of such songs depends on the balance between plasticity and constraints. Captive populations provide an opportunity to examine signal variation and differentiation in detail, so we analyzed adult male zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) songs recorded from 13 populations across the world, including one sample of songs from wild-caught males in their native Australia. Cluster analysis suggested some, albeit limited, evidence that zebra finch song units belonged to universal, species-wide categories, linked to restrictions in vocal production and non-song parts of the vocal repertoire. Across populations, songs also showed some syntactical structure, although any song unit could be placed anywhere within the song. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant differentiation between populations, but the effect size was very small, and its communicative significance dubious. Our results suggest that variation in zebra finch songs within a population is largely determined by species-wide constraints rather than population-specific features. Although captive zebra finch populations have been sufficiently isolated to allow them to genetically diverge, there does not appear to have been any divergence in the genetically determined constraints that underlie song learning. Perhaps more surprising is the lack of locally diverged cultural traditions. Zebra finches serve as an example of a system where frequent learning errors may rapidly create within-population diversity, within broad phonological and syntactical constraints, and prevent the formation of long-term cultural traditions that allow populations to diverge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F. Lachlan
- Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of LondonLondon, UK
| | - Caroline A. A. van Heijningen
- Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
| | - Sita M. ter Haar
- Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
- Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
| | - Carel ten Cate
- Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
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Kriengwatana B, Spierings MJ, ten Cate C. Auditory discrimination learning in zebra finches: effects of sex, early life conditions and stimulus characteristics. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Kershenbaum A, Blumstein DT, Roch MA, Akçay Ç, Backus G, Bee MA, Bohn K, Cao Y, Carter G, Cäsar C, Coen M, DeRuiter SL, Doyle L, Edelman S, Ferrer-i-Cancho R, Freeberg TM, Garland EC, Gustison M, Harley HE, Huetz C, Hughes M, Bruno JH, Ilany A, Jin DZ, Johnson M, Ju C, Karnowski J, Lohr B, Manser MB, McCowan B, Mercado E, Narins PM, Piel A, Rice M, Salmi R, Sasahara K, Sayigh L, Shiu Y, Taylor C, Vallejo EE, Waller S, Zamora-Gutierrez V. Acoustic sequences in non-human animals: a tutorial review and prospectus. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 91:13-52. [PMID: 25428267 PMCID: PMC4444413 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animal acoustic communication often takes the form of complex sequences, made up of multiple distinct acoustic units. Apart from the well-known example of birdsong, other animals such as insects, amphibians, and mammals (including bats, rodents, primates, and cetaceans) also generate complex acoustic sequences. Occasionally, such as with birdsong, the adaptive role of these sequences seems clear (e.g. mate attraction and territorial defence). More often however, researchers have only begun to characterise - let alone understand - the significance and meaning of acoustic sequences. Hypotheses abound, but there is little agreement as to how sequences should be defined and analysed. Our review aims to outline suitable methods for testing these hypotheses, and to describe the major limitations to our current and near-future knowledge on questions of acoustic sequences. This review and prospectus is the result of a collaborative effort between 43 scientists from the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, signal processing, machine learning, quantitative linguistics, and information theory, who gathered for a 2013 workshop entitled, 'Analysing vocal sequences in animals'. Our goal is to present not just a review of the state of the art, but to propose a methodological framework that summarises what we suggest are the best practices for research in this field, across taxa and across disciplines. We also provide a tutorial-style introduction to some of the most promising algorithmic approaches for analysing sequences. We divide our review into three sections: identifying the distinct units of an acoustic sequence, describing the different ways that information can be contained within a sequence, and analysing the structure of that sequence. Each of these sections is further subdivided to address the key questions and approaches in that area. We propose a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive approach to studying sequences, with the goal of clarifying research terms used in different fields, and facilitating collaboration and comparative studies. Allowing greater interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate the investigation of many important questions in the evolution of communication and sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arik Kershenbaum
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Marie A. Roch
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Çağlar Akçay
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Gregory Backus
- Department of Biomathematics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Cir, Falcon Heights, MN 55108, USA
| | - Kirsten Bohn
- Integrated Science, Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC-4, 351, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Gerald Carter
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Cristiane Cäsar
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Mary’s Quad South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Michael Coen
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, K6/446 Clinical Sciences Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792-4675, USA
| | - Stacy L. DeRuiter
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Laurance Doyle
- Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Shimon Edelman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-7601, USA
| | - Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho
- Department of Computer Science, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, (Catalonia), Calle Jordi Girona, 31, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Todd M. Freeberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Ellen C. Garland
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, Washington 98115, USA
| | - Morgan Gustison
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Heidi E. Harley
- Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
| | - Chloé Huetz
- CNPS, CNRS UMR 8195, Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, Batiments 440-447, Rue Claude Bernard, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Melissa Hughes
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, 66 George St, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Julia Hyland Bruno
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410, USA
| | - Dezhe Z. Jin
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, 104 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802-6300, USA
| | - Michael Johnson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Marquette University, 1515 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Chenghui Ju
- Department of Biology, Queen College, The City Univ. of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, New York 11367, USA
| | - Jeremy Karnowski
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0515, USA
| | - Bernard Lohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Marta B. Manser
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brenda McCowan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, 1 Peter J Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eduardo Mercado
- Department of Psychology; Evolution, Ecology, & Behavior, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Park Hall Room 204, Buffalo, NY 14260-4110, USA
| | - Peter M. Narins
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Alex Piel
- Division of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street Cambridge, CB2 3QG, UK
| | - Megan Rice
- Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia at Athens, 355 S Jackson St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kazutoshi Sasahara
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Laela Sayigh
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 86 Water St, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Yu Shiu
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Charles Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Edgar E. Vallejo
- Department of Computer Science, Monterrey Institute of Technology, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Sara Waller
- Department of Philosophy, Montana State University, 2-155 Wilson Hall, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA
| | - Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, University College London, London WC1H 0AG, UK
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Krause ET, Naguib M. Zebra finch males compensate in plumage ornaments at sexual maturation for a bad start in life. Front Zool 2016; 12 Suppl 1:S11. [PMID: 26816511 PMCID: PMC4722338 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-12-s1-s11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An individual's fitness in part depends on the characteristics of the mate so that sexually attractive ornaments, as signals of quality, are used in mate choice. Often such ornaments develop already early in life and thus are affected by nutritional conditions experienced then. Individuals thus should benefit by compensating as soon as possible for poor initial development of ornaments, to be attractive already at sexual maturity. Here, we tested whether early nutritional stress affects the cheek patch size of male Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), which are important in mate choice, and whether a small cheek patch size early on is compensated at sexual maturation. Furthermore we tested whether exploration behaviour is affected by such a compensation, as shown for other compensatory growth trajectories. Results Zebra finch males which were raised under poorer nutritional conditions initially expressed smaller cheek patches at day 50 post-hatching but then compensated in cheek patch size already at 65 days, i.e. when becoming sexually mature. Furthermore, compensatory growth in cheek patch during adolescence was negatively correlated with activity and exploration behaviour, measured in a novel environment. Conclusion This compensation in cheek patch size benefits male attractiveness but also was related to less exploration behaviour, an established proxy for avian personality traits. We discuss the possibility that compensatory priorities exist so that not all deficits from a bad start are caught-up at the same time. Resource allocation to compensate for poorly expressed traits is likely to have evolved to optimise traits by the time they are most beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University Bielefeld, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Institute of Animal Welfare and Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler Institute, Doernbergstr. 25-27, 29223 Celle, Germany
| | - Marc Naguib
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University Bielefeld, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Variable Signals in a Complex World. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Developmental stress and birdsong: integrating signal function and development. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Honarmand M, Riebel K, Naguib M. Nutrition and peer group composition in early adolescence: impacts on male song and female preference in zebra finches. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Kershenbaum A, Garland EC. Quantifying similarity in animal vocal sequences: which metric performs best? Methods Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ellen C. Garland
- School of Biology University of St. Andrews St. Andrews Fife KY16 9TH UK
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ter Haar SM, Kaemper W, Stam K, Levelt CC, ten Cate C. The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:20141860. [PMID: 25320162 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal acquisition in songbirds and humans shows many similarities, one of which is that both involve a combination of experience and perceptual predispositions. Among languages some speech sounds are shared, while others are not. This could reflect a predisposition in young infants for learning some speech sounds over others, which combines with exposure-based learning. Similarly, in songbirds, some sounds are common across populations, while others are more specific to populations or individuals. We examine whether this is also due to perceptual preferences for certain within-species element types in naive juvenile male birds, and how such preferences interact with exposure to guide subsequent song learning. We show that young zebra finches lacking previous song exposure perceptually prefer songs with more common zebra finch song element types over songs with less common elements. Next, we demonstrate that after subsequent tutoring, birds prefer tutor songs regardless of whether these contain more common or less common elements. In adulthood, birds tutored with more common elements showed a higher song similarity to their tutor song, indicating that the early bias influenced song learning. Our findings help to understand the maintenance of similarities and the presence of differences among birds' songs, their dialects and human languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sita M ter Haar
- Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, PO Box 9505, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL), Leiden University, PO Box 9515, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, c/o LUMC, Postzone C2-S, PO Box 9600, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Wiebke Kaemper
- Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, PO Box 9505, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands
| | - Koen Stam
- Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, PO Box 9505, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands
| | - Clara C Levelt
- Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL), Leiden University, PO Box 9515, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, c/o LUMC, Postzone C2-S, PO Box 9600, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Carel ten Cate
- Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, PO Box 9505, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, c/o LUMC, Postzone C2-S, PO Box 9600, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
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Bartsch C, Weiss M, Kipper S. Multiple song features are related to paternal effort in common nightingales. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:115. [PMID: 26084455 PMCID: PMC4471916 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0390-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual ornamentation may be related to the degree of paternal care and the 'good-parent' model predicts that male secondary characters honestly advertise paternal investment. In most birds, males are involved in bringing up the young and successful reproduction highly depends on male contribution during breeding. In passerines, male song is indicative of male attributes and for few species it has been shown that song features also signal paternal investment to females. Males of nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos are famous for their elaborate singing but so far there is only little knowledge on the role of male song in intersexual communication, and it is unknown whether male song predicts male parenting abilities. RESULTS Using RFID technology to record male feeding visits to the nest, we found that nightingale males substantially contribute to chick feeding. Also, we analyzed male nocturnal song with focus on song features that have been shown to signal male quality before. We found that several song features, namely measures of song complexity and song sequencing, were correlated with male feeding rates. Moreover, the combination of these song features had strong predictive power for male contribution to nestling feeding. CONCLUSIONS Since male nightingales are involved in chick rearing, paternal investment might be a crucial variable for female mate choice in this species. Females may assess future paternal care on the basis of song features identified in our study and thus these features may have evolved to signal direct benefits to females. Additionally we underline the importance of multiple acoustic cues for female mating decisions especially in species with complex song such as the nightingale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conny Bartsch
- Animal Behavior Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Michael Weiss
- Department of Exposition, Unit Epidemiology, Statistics and Mathematical Modelling, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Silke Kipper
- Animal Behavior Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany. .,Chair of Zoology, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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Honarmand M, Thompson CK, Schatton A, Kipper S, Scharff C. Early developmental stress negatively affects neuronal recruitment to avian song system nucleus HVC. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:107-18. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 05/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Honarmand
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
| | - Christopher K. Thompson
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience; the Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla California
| | - Adriana Schatton
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
| | - Silke Kipper
- Department of Animal Behavior; Freie Universität; Berlin Germany
- Department of Zoology; Technische Universität München; Munich Germany
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Templeton CN, Laland KN, Boogert NJ. Does song complexity correlate with problem-solving performance in flocks of zebra finches? Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Kriengwatana B, Wada H, Schmidt KL, Taves MD, Soma KK, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Effects of nutritional stress during different developmental periods on song and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in zebra finches. Horm Behav 2014; 65:285-93. [PMID: 24417905 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In songbirds, developmental stress affects song learning and production. Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function resulting in elevated corticosterone (CORT) may contribute to this effect. We examined whether developmental conditions affected the association between adult song and HPA axis function, and whether nutritional stress before and after nutritional independence has distinct effects on song learning and/or vocal performance. Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were raised in consistently high (HH) or low (LL) food conditions until post-hatch day (PHD) 62, or were switched from high to low conditions (HL) or vice versa (LH) at PHD 34. Song was recorded in adulthood. We assessed the response of CORT to handling during development and to dexamethasone (DEX) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenges during adulthood. Song learning and vocal performance were not affected by nutritional stress at either developmental stage. Nutritional stress elevated baseline CORT during development. Nutritional stress also increased rate of CORT secretion in birds that experienced stress only in the juvenile phase (HL group). Birds in the LL group had lower CORT levels after injection of ACTH compared to the other groups, however there was no effect of nutritional stress on the response to DEX. Thus, our findings indicate that developmental stress can affect HPA function without concurrently affecting song.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Kriengwatana
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
| | - H Wada
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - K L Schmidt
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - M D Taves
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - K K Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - S A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Shahbazi M, Jimenez P, Martinez LA, Carruth LL. Effects of housing condition and early corticosterone treatment on learned features of song in adult male zebra finches. Horm Behav 2014; 65:226-37. [PMID: 24492024 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Early developmental stress can have long-term physiological and behavioral effects on an animal. Developmental stress and early corticosterone (Cort) exposure affect song quality in many songbirds. Early housing condition can act as a stressor and affect the growth of nestlings and adult song, and improvements in housing condition can reverse adverse effects of early stress exposure in rodents. However, little is known about this effect in songbirds. Therefore, we took a novel approach to investigate if housing condition can modify the effects of early Cort exposure on adult song in male zebra finches. We manipulated early housing conditions to include breeding in large communal flight cages (FC; standard housing condition; with mixed-sex and mix-aged birds) versus individual breeding cages (IBC, one male-female pair with small, IBC-S, or large clutches, IBC-L) in post-hatch Cort treated male birds. We found that Cort treated birds from IBC-S have higher overall song learning scores (between tutor and pupil) than from FC but there is no difference between these groups in the No-Cort treated birds. When examining the effects of Cort within each housing condition, overall song learning scores decreased in Cort treated birds from flight cages but increased in birds from IBC-S compared to controls. Likewise, the total number of syllables and syllable types increased significantly in Cort treated birds from IBC-S, but decreased in FC-reared birds though this effect was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that the effects of early Cort treatment on learned features of song depend on housing condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahin Shahbazi
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, USA
| | - Pedro Jimenez
- Centro de Investigacion en Reproduccion Animal, CINVESTAV-UAT, Apdo. Postal 62, 90000 Tlaxcala, Tlax., Mexico
| | - Luis A Martinez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Laura L Carruth
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, USA.
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Performance in cognitive and problem-solving tasks in male spotted bowerbirds does not correlate with mating success. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Song performance and elaboration as potential indicators of male quality in Java sparrows. Behav Processes 2013; 99:138-44. [PMID: 23876390 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Bird songs have evolved under sexual selection pressure. Songs include multiple features that are subject to female preference, but recent comparative research has indicated evolutionary tradeoffs between song performance and complexity in some species. Trill, a repetition of the same sound, is a performance-related song trait; higher trill performance can be achieved at the cost of song complexity at the among-species or population level. The aim of this study was to examine whether such tradeoffs also account for within-species variation in Java sparrow songs, which include both multiple trill types and non-trill parts. We found a great individual variation in trill proportion, trill performance, and song complexity. A positive association between trill performance and body size suggested that trills can serve as an indicator of male quality. However, contrary to the tradeoffs predicted by previous studies based on other passerine species, trill performance and song complexity, i.e., note repertoire, were positively correlated: males in better condition can sing songs with larger note repertoires and higher trill performance, which may explain how trills and non-trill notes are both maintained and have co-evolved by sexual selection in Java sparrow songs.
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Grava T, Grava A, Otter KA. Habitat-induced changes in song consistency affect perception of social status in male chickadees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1580-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Conserved mechanisms of vocalization coding in mammalian and songbird auditory midbrain. Hear Res 2013; 305:45-56. [PMID: 23726970 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 03/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The ubiquity of social vocalizations among animals provides the opportunity to identify conserved mechanisms of auditory processing that subserve communication. Identifying auditory coding properties that are shared across vocal communicators will provide insight into how human auditory processing leads to speech perception. Here, we compare auditory response properties and neural coding of social vocalizations in auditory midbrain neurons of mammalian and avian vocal communicators. The auditory midbrain is a nexus of auditory processing because it receives and integrates information from multiple parallel pathways and provides the ascending auditory input to the thalamus. The auditory midbrain is also the first region in the ascending auditory system where neurons show complex tuning properties that are correlated with the acoustics of social vocalizations. Single unit studies in mice, bats and zebra finches reveal shared principles of auditory coding including tonotopy, excitatory and inhibitory interactions that shape responses to vocal signals, nonlinear response properties that are important for auditory coding of social vocalizations and modulation tuning. Additionally, single neuron responses in the mouse and songbird midbrain are reliable, selective for specific syllables, and rely on spike timing for neural discrimination of distinct vocalizations. We propose that future research on auditory coding of vocalizations in mouse and songbird midbrain neurons adopt similar experimental and analytical approaches so that conserved principles of vocalization coding may be distinguished from those that are specialized for each species. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives".
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Cramer ERA. Physically challenging song traits, male quality, and reproductive success in house wrens. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59208. [PMID: 23527137 PMCID: PMC3602011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Physically challenging signals are likely to honestly indicate signaler quality. In trilled bird song two physically challenging parameters are vocal deviation (the speed of sound frequency modulation) and trill consistency (how precisely syllables are repeated). As predicted, in several species, they correlate with male quality, are preferred by females, and/or function in male-male signaling. Species may experience different selective pressures on their songs, however; for instance, there may be opposing selection between song complexity and song performance difficulty, such that in species where song complexity is strongly selected, there may not be strong selection on performance-based traits. I tested whether vocal deviation and trill consistency are signals of male quality in house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), a species with complex song structure. Males' singing ability did not correlate with male quality, except that older males sang with higher trill consistency, and males with more consistent trills responded more aggressively to playback (although a previous study found no effect of stimulus trill consistency on males' responses to playback). Males singing more challenging songs did not gain in polygyny, extra-pair paternity, or annual reproductive success. Moreover, none of the standard male quality measures I investigated correlated with mating or reproductive success. I conclude that vocal deviation and trill consistency do not signal male quality in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R A Cramer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
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Vehrencamp SL, Yantachka J, Hall ML, de Kort SR. Trill performance components vary with age, season, and motivation in the banded wren. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013; 67:409-419. [PMID: 23543812 PMCID: PMC3608479 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic displays with difficult-to-execute sounds are often subject to strong sexual selection, because performance levels are related to the sender's condition or genetic quality. Performance may also vary with age, breeding stage, and motivation related to social context. We focused on within-male variation in four components of trill performance in banded wren (Thryophilus pleurostictus) songs: note consistency, frequency bandwidth, note rate and vocal deviation. The latter is a composite measure reflecting deviation from the performance limit on simultaneously maximizing both frequency bandwidth and note rate. We compared the changes in these song parameters at three time scales: over the course of years, across the breeding season, and at different times of the day with contrasting agonistic contexts. Vocal deviation decreased and note consistency increased over years, suggesting that experience may improve individual proficiency at singing trills. Consistency also increased across the season, confirming that practice is important for this parameter. Although there was no significant seasonal change in vocal deviation, one of its components, note rate, increased during the season. Neither vocal deviation nor consistency varied with agonistic context. However, note rate increased during playback experiments simulating territorial intrusions compared to dawn chorus singing. The magnitude of a male's increase in note rate was positively correlated with his aggressive behavior during the playback experiment. Thus consistency, bandwidth, and vocal deviation indicate age, whereas trill rate flexibly indicates the singer's aggressive motivation. We also found evidence of a within-male trade-off between vocal deviation and consistency.
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Lachlan RF, Nowicki S. How Reliable Is Song Learning Accuracy as a Signal of Male Early Condition? Am Nat 2012; 180:751-61. [DOI: 10.1086/668010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Riebel K, Spierings MJ, Holveck MJ, Verhulst S. Phenotypic plasticity of avian social-learning strategies. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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