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Using Acoustic Data Repositories to Study Vocal Responses to Playback in a Neotropical Songbird. BIRDS 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/birds4010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds may alter song structure in response to territorial challenges to convey information about aggressive intent or fighting ability. Professional and amateur ornithologists upload daily many birdsong recordings into acoustic data repositories, usually scoring whether songs were recorded in response to a conspecific playback or produced spontaneously. We analyzed recordings from these repositories to evaluate if song traits of Rufous-browed Peppershrikes (Cyclarhis gujanensis) vary between playback-elicited songs and spontaneous songs. For each recording after playback, we chose one spatially closer spontaneous recording to avoid geographic bias. Birds recorded after playback produced slightly longer songs than birds that were singing spontaneously. This result was accounted for by increases in the amount of sound and silence within a song after the playback instead of changes in the mean number or duration of elements. Playback did not alter song frequency parameters (bandwidth, minimum, mean, and maximum frequencies) or song rate. These results indicate that song duration might mediate aggressive interactions in Rufous-browed Peppershrikes. Even considering limitations such as unknown playback stimulus identity and possible pseudoreplication, acoustic data repositories give a unique yet unexplored opportunity to gather insights into the evolution of song flexibility during aggressive encounters.
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2
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Wong F, Diamant ES, Walters M, Yeh PJ. No evidence of repeated song divergence across multiple urban and non-urban populations of dark-eyed juncos ( Junco hyemalis) in Southern California. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220178. [PMID: 35991329 PMCID: PMC9382223 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization can affect species communication by introducing new selection pressures, such as noise pollution and different environmental transmission properties. These selection pressures can trigger divergence between urban and non-urban populations. Songbirds rely on vocalizations to defend territories and attract mates. Urban songbirds have been shown in some species and some populations to increase the frequencies, reduce the length and change other temporal features of their songs. This study compares songs from four urban and three non-urban populations of dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) throughout Southern California. We examined song length, trill rate, minimum frequency, maximum frequency, peak frequency and frequency bandwidth. We also compared songs recorded from one urban junco population in San Diego nearly two decades ago with recently collected data in 2018-2020. Over all comparisons, we only found significant differences between UCLA and the 2006/2007 UCSD field seasons in minimum and maximum frequencies. These findings partially support and are partially in contrast to previous urban song studies. As urban areas expand, more opportunities will arise to understand urban song divergence in greater detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felisha Wong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eleanor S. Diamant
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marlene Walters
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pamela J. Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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3
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Wong F, Diamant ES, Walters M, Yeh PJ. No evidence of repeated song divergence across multiple urban and non-urban populations of dark-eyed juncos ( Junco hyemalis) in Southern California. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220178. [PMID: 35991329 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6125253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization can affect species communication by introducing new selection pressures, such as noise pollution and different environmental transmission properties. These selection pressures can trigger divergence between urban and non-urban populations. Songbirds rely on vocalizations to defend territories and attract mates. Urban songbirds have been shown in some species and some populations to increase the frequencies, reduce the length and change other temporal features of their songs. This study compares songs from four urban and three non-urban populations of dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) throughout Southern California. We examined song length, trill rate, minimum frequency, maximum frequency, peak frequency and frequency bandwidth. We also compared songs recorded from one urban junco population in San Diego nearly two decades ago with recently collected data in 2018-2020. Over all comparisons, we only found significant differences between UCLA and the 2006/2007 UCSD field seasons in minimum and maximum frequencies. These findings partially support and are partially in contrast to previous urban song studies. As urban areas expand, more opportunities will arise to understand urban song divergence in greater detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felisha Wong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eleanor S Diamant
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marlene Walters
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pamela J Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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4
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Cronin AD, Smit JAH, Muñoz MI, Poirier A, Moran PA, Jerem P, Halfwerk W. A comprehensive overview of the effects of urbanisation on sexual selection and sexual traits. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1325-1345. [PMID: 35262266 PMCID: PMC9541148 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Urbanisation can affect mating opportunities and thereby alter inter- and intra-sexual selection pressures on sexual traits. Biotic and abiotic urban conditions can influence an individual's success in pre- and post-copulatory mating, for example through impacts on mate attraction and mate preference, fertilisation success, resource competition or rival interactions. Divergent sexual selection pressures can lead to differences in behavioural, physiological, morphological or life-history traits between urban and non-urban populations, ultimately driving adaptation and speciation. Most studies on urban sexual selection and mating interactions report differences between urban and non-urban populations or correlations between sexual traits and factors associated with increased urbanisation, such as pollution, food availability and risk of predation and parasitism. Here we review the literature on sexual selection and sexual traits in relation to urbanisation or urban-associated conditions. We provide an extensive list of abiotic and biotic factors that can influence processes involved in mating interactions, such as signal production and transmission, mate choice and mating opportunities. We discuss all relevant data through the lens of two, non-mutually exclusive theories on sexual selection, namely indicator and sensory models. Where possible, we indicate whether these models provide the same or different predictions regarding urban-adapted sexual signals and describe different experimental designs that can be useful for the different models as well as to investigate the drivers of sexual selection. We argue that we lack a good understanding of: (i) the factors driving urban sexual selection; (ii) whether reported changes in traits result in adaptive benefits; and (iii) whether these changes reflect a short-term ecological, or long-term evolutionary response. We highlight that urbanisation provides a unique opportunity to study the process and outcomes of sexual selection, but that this requires a highly integrative approach combining experimental and observational work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Cronin
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Judith A H Smit
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Matías I Muñoz
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Armand Poirier
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Peter A Moran
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Jerem
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
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5
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Gomes L, Solé M, Sousa-Lima RS, Baumgarten JE. Influence of Anthropogenic Sounds on Insect, Anuran and Bird Acoustic Signals: A Meta-Analysis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.827440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication is a way of information exchange between individuals, and it is used by several animal species. Therefore, the detection, recognition and correct understanding of acoustic signals are key factors in effective communication. The priority of acoustic communication is effectiveness rather than perfection, being effective avoids affecting the sound-based communication system of the species. One of the factors that can affect effective communication is the overlap in time and frequency during signal transmission, known as signal masking. One type of sound that can cause masking is anthropogenic noise, which is currently increasing due to urban growth and consequently motorized transportation and machinery. When exposed to anthropogenic noise, animals can use compensatory mechanisms to deal with sound masking, such as the modification of acoustic parameters of their acoustic signal. Here, we performed a meta-analysis investigating whether different taxa have a general tendency for changes in acoustic parameters due to anthropogenic noise, we used taxa and acoustic parameters available in the literature that met the minimum criteria to perform a meta-analysis. We hypothesized that animals exposed to anthropogenic noise use compensation mechanisms, such as changes in dominant, maximum or minimum frequencies, call duration, note duration and call rate to deal with masking. We performed a meta-analysis, which synthesized information from 73 studies comprising 82 species of three taxa: insects, anurans and birds. Our results showed that in the presence of anthropogenic noise, insects did not change the acoustic parameters, while anurans increased call amplitude and birds increased dominant frequency, minimum and maximum frequencies, note duration and amplitude of their songs. The different responses of the groups to anthropogenic noise may be related to their particularities in the production and reception of sound or to the differences in the acoustic parameters considered between the taxa and also the lack of studies in some taxa.
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6
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Dargis L, Benedict L, Najar NA. Female bird song rates do not covary with population density in a North American species. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Dargis
- School of Biological Sciences University of Northern Colorado Greeley Colorado USA
| | - Lauryn Benedict
- Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology University of California Riverside Riverside California USA
| | - Nadje A. Najar
- Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology University of California Riverside Riverside California USA
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7
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Heinen‐Kay JL, Kay AD, Zuk M. How urbanization affects sexual communication. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17625-17650. [PMID: 35003629 PMCID: PMC8717295 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is rapidly altering landscapes worldwide, changing environmental conditions, and creating novel selection pressures for many organisms. Local environmental conditions affect the expression and evolution of sexual signals and mating behaviors; changes in such traits have important evolutionary consequences because of their effect on reproduction. In this review, we synthesize research investigating how sexual communication is affected by the environmental changes associated with urbanization-including pollution from noise, light, and heavy metals, habitat fragmentation, impervious surfaces, urban heat islands, and changes in resources and predation. Urbanization often has negative effects on sexual communication through signal masking, altering condition-dependent signal expression, and weakening female preferences. Though there are documented instances of seemingly adaptive shifts in trait expression, the ultimate impact on fitness is rarely tested. The field of urban evolution is still relatively young, and most work has tested whether differences occur in response to various aspects of urbanization. There is limited information available about whether these responses represent phenotypic plasticity or genetic changes, and the extent to which observed shifts in sexual communication affect reproductive fitness. Our understanding of how sexual selection operates in novel, urbanized environments would be bolstered by more studies that perform common garden studies and reciprocal transplants, and that simultaneously evaluate multiple environmental factors to tease out causal drivers of observed phenotypic shifts. Urbanization provides a unique testing ground for evolutionary biologists to study the interplay between ecology and sexual selection, and we suggest that more researchers take advantage of these natural experiments. Furthermore, understanding how sexual communication and mating systems differ between cities and rural areas can offer insights on how to mitigate negative, and accentuate positive, consequences of urban expansion on the biota, and provide new opportunities to underscore the relevance of evolutionary biology in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justa L. Heinen‐Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulUSA
| | - Adam D. Kay
- Biology DepartmentUniversity of St. ThomasSt. PaulUSA
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulUSA
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8
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Old Brains in Alcohol: The Usability of Legacy Collection Material to Study the Spider Neuroarchitecture. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13110601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Natural history collections include rare and significant taxa that might otherwise be unavailable for comparative studies. However, curators must balance the needs of current and long-term research. Methods of data extraction that minimize the impact on specimens are therefore favored. Micro-CT has the potential to expose new character systems based on internal anatomy to taxonomic and phylogenetic analysis without dissection or thin sectioning for histology. However, commonly applied micro-CT protocols involve critical point drying, which permanently changes the specimen. Here, we apply a minimally destructive method of specimen preparation for micro-CT investigation of spider neuroanatomy suitable for application to legacy specimens in natural history collections. We used two groups of female spiders of the common species Araneus diadematus—freshly captured (n = 11) vs. legacy material between 70 and 90 years old (n = 10)—to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the viability of micro-CT scanning and the impact of aging on their neuroarchitecture. We statistically compared the volumes of the supraesophageal ganglion (syncerebrum) and used 2D geometric morphometrics to analyze variations in the gross shape of the brain. We found no significant differences in the brain shape or the brain volume relative to the cephalothorax size. Nonetheless, a significant difference was observed in the spider size. We considered such differences to be explained by environmental factors rather than preservation artifacts. Comparison between legacy and freshly collected specimens indicates that museum specimens do not degrade over time in a way that might bias the study results, as long as the basic preservation conditions are consistently maintained, and where lapses in preservation have occurred, these can be identified. This, together with the relatively low-impact nature of the micro-CT protocol applied here, could facilitate the use of old, rare, and valuable material from collections in studies of internal morphology.
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Deoniziak K, Osiejuk TS. Seasonality and social factors, but not noise pollution, influence the song characteristics of two leaf warbler species. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257074. [PMID: 34473797 PMCID: PMC8412285 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in the acoustic signalling of animals occupying urban ecosystems is often associated with the masking effects of noise pollution, but the way in which they respond to noise pollution is not straightforward. An increasing number of studies indicate that responses can be case specific, and some species have been found to respond differently to high levels of natural versus anthropogenic noise, as well as different levels of the latter. While the perception of noise between species may vary with its source, amplitude and temporal features, some species may possess broader environmental tolerance to noise pollution, as they use higher frequency vocalizations that are less masked by low-frequency urban noise. In this study, we explored the song variation of two closely related leaf warblers, the Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and the Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, inhabiting urban green spaces and nonurban forests. The main goal of our study was to evaluate the impact of moderate levels of noise pollution on the songs of species which use higher frequency vocalizations and large frequency bandwidth. Previous studies found that the Common Chiffchaff modified their song in response to intense noise pollution, while no such data is available for the Willow Warbler. However, the majority of urban green spaces, which serve as wildlife hot spots in urban environments are usually polluted with moderate noise levels, which may not mask the acoustic signals of species that communicate with higher frequency. We analysed the spectral and temporal song parameters of both warblers and described the ambient noise present in males’ territories. Additionally, we looked at the social and seasonal aspects of bird song, since there is more than just noise in urban ecosystems which may affect acoustic communication. We found no evidence for noise-related bird song divergence in either species, however, we showed that social factors, time of day and season influence certain Common Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler song characteristics. Lack of noise-related bird song divergence may be due to the relatively low variation in its amplitude or other noise features present within the song frequency range of the studied species. Similar results have previously been shown for a few songbird species inhabiting urban ecosystems. Although in many cases such results remain in the shadow of the positive ones, they all contribute to a better understanding of animal communication in urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Deoniziak
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
- Laboratory of Insect Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Tomasz S. Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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10
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Derrberry EP, Luther D. What is known - and not known - about acoustic communication in an urban soundscape. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1783-1794. [PMID: 34124755 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Urban environments have some of the most highly modified soundscapes on the planet, affecting the way many animals communicate using acoustic signals. Communication involves transmission of information via signals, such as bird song, between a signaler and a receiver. Much work has focused on the effects of urbanization on signalers and their signals, yet very little is known about how noise pollution affects receiver behaviors and sensory systems. Here we synthesize key findings to date regarding avian acoustic communication in the urban environment and delineate key gaps in knowledge for future work. We leverage our own work comparing current and historical songs from urban and rural habitats for a subspecies of white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli). We use this system, along with findings from other systems, to answer three key questions in the field: (1) Is song variation consistent with temporal and spatial variation in anthropogenic noise? (2) How are birds adjusting their song to the urban environment? and (3) How does song 'urbanization' affect signal function? Our synthesis illustrates that the adjustments birds make to their songs in noisy environments can improve signal detection, but potentially at the cost of signal function. Many key gaps in knowledge need to be addressed to complete our understanding of how acoustic communication systems evolve in urban areas, specifically in regard to sexual selection and female preference, as well as how receivers perceive signals in an urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Derrberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - David Luther
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030
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11
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Winandy GSM, Félix RP, Sacramento RA, Mascarenhas R, Batalha-Filho H, Japyassú HF, Izar P, Slabbekoorn H. Urban Noise Restricts Song Frequency Bandwidth and Syllable Diversity in Bananaquits: Increasing Audibility at the Expense of Signal Quality. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.570420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise can interfere with animal behavior through masking of acoustic communication. In response to masking, animals may change their acoustic signals as an apparent adjustment strategy, but this may have a drawback on signal quality. Songs and calls may show noise-dependent changes in frequency and duration, which may yield some masking avoidance, but may also constrain other acoustic parameters that might carry information about the sender. In the present study, we investigated whether noise-dependent reduction in frequency bandwidth or song duration restricted syllable diversity or song elaboration in a Neotropical songbird, the bananaquit (Coereba flaveola). We show that bananaquits sing higher frequency songs, of narrower bandwidth, in noisier territories, independent of variation in territory density, without significant variation in song duration. We also show that songs with higher minimum frequencies, narrower bandwidths, and shorter durations have on average a lower number of syllable types and higher syllable rates. This finding is in line with an acoustic restriction and may reflect a functional trade-off between audibility and signal value: higher frequencies may be more audible but less elaborate songs may weaken the message of sender quality. Consequently, noise pollution may not only alter avian communities, but also shape acoustic diversity and processes of sexual selection in urban environments.
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12
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Abstract
Urbanization poses a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. We focused on birds as a well-studied taxon of interest, in order to review literature on traits that influence responses to urbanization. We review 226 papers that were published between 1979 and 2020, and aggregate information on five major groups of traits that have been widely studied: ecological traits, life history, physiology, behavior and genetic traits. Some robust findings on trait changes in individual species as well as bird communities emerge. A lack of specific food and shelter resources has led to the urban bird community being dominated by generalist species, while specialist species show decline. Urbanized birds differ in the behavioral traits, showing an increase in song frequency and amplitude, and bolder behavior, as compared to rural populations of the same species. Differential food resources and predatory pressure results in changes in life history traits, including prolonged breeding duration, and increases in clutch and brood size to compensate for lower survival. Other species-specific changes include changes in hormonal state, body state, and genetic differences from rural populations. We identify gaps in research, with a paucity of studies in tropical cities and a need for greater examination of traits that influence persistence and success in native vs. introduced populations.
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13
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Phillips JN, Cooper WJ, Luther DA, Derryberry EP. Territory Quality Predicts Avian Vocal Performance Across an Urban-Rural Gradient. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.587120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activity around the globe is a growing source of selection pressure on animal behavior and communication systems. Some animals can modify their vocalizations to avoid masking from anthropogenic noise. However, such modifications can also affect the salience of these vocalizations in functional contexts such as competition and mate choice. Such is the case in the well-studied Nuttall's white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli), which lives year-round in both urban San Francisco and nearby rural Point Reyes. A performance feature of this species' song is salient in territorial defense, such that higher performance songs elicit stronger responses in simulated territorial intrusions; but songs with lower performance values transmit better in anthropogenic noise. A key question then is whether vocal performance signals male quality and ability to obtain high quality territories in urban populations. We predicted white-crowned sparrows with higher vocal performance will be in better condition and will tend to hold territories with lower noise levels and more species-preferred landscape features. Because white-crowned sparrows are adapted to coastal scrub habitats, we expect high quality territories to contain lower and less dense canopies, less drought, more greenness, and more flat open ground for foraging. To test our predictions, we recorded songs and measured vocal performance and body condition (scaled mass index and fat score) for a set of urban and rural birds (N = 93), as well as ambient noise levels on their territories. Remote sensing metrics measured landscape features of territories, such as drought stress (NDWI), greenness (NDVI), mean canopy height, maximum height, leaf area density (understory and canopy), slope, and percent bare ground for a 50 m radius on each male territory. We did not find a correlation between body condition and performance but did find a relationship between noise levels and performance. Further, high performers held territories with lower canopies and less dense vegetation, which are species-preferred landscape features. These findings link together fundamental aspects of sexual selection in that habitat quality and the quality of sexually selected signals appear to be associated: males that have the highest performing songs are defending territories of the highest quality.
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14
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Reichard DG, Atwell JW, Pandit MM, Cardoso GC, Price TD, Ketterson ED. Urban birdsongs: higher minimum song frequency of an urban colonist persists in a common garden experiment. Anim Behav 2020; 170:33-41. [PMID: 33208979 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Environmental changes caused by urbanization and noise pollution can have profound effects on acoustic communication. Many organisms use higher sound frequencies in urban environments with low-frequency noise, but the developmental and evolutionary mechanisms underlying these shifts are generally unknown. We used a common garden experiment to ask whether changes in minimum song frequency observed 30 years after a songbird colonized an urban environment are a consequence of behavioural flexibility. We captured male juvenile dark-eyed juncos, Junco hyemalis thurberi, from two populations (urban and mountain) soon after they reached independence (aged 25-40 days), raised them in identical indoor aviaries and studied their songs at an age of 3 years. We found that the large population difference in minimum frequency observed in the field persisted undiminished in the common garden despite the absence of noise. We also found some song sharing between the common garden and natal field populations, indicating that early song memorization before capture could contribute to the persistent song differences in adulthood. These results are the first to show that frequency shifts in urban birdsong are maintained in the absence of noise by genetic evolution and/or early life experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin G Reichard
- Department of Zoology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, U.S.A.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, U.S.A
| | | | - Meelyn M Pandit
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, U.S.A.,Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, U.S.A
| | - Gonçalo C Cardoso
- CIBIO-InBIO, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Trevor D Price
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, U.S.A
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15
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Grunst ML, Grunst AS, Pinxten R, Eens M. Anthropogenic noise is associated with telomere length and carotenoid-based coloration in free-living nestling songbirds. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 260:114032. [PMID: 32006886 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that anthropogenic noise has deleterious effects on the behavior and physiology of free-living animals. These effects may be particularly pronounced early in life, when developmental trajectories are sensitive to stressors, yet studies investigating developmental effects of noise exposure in free-living populations remain scarce. To elucidate the effects of noise exposure during development, we examined whether noise exposure is associated with shorter telomeres, duller carotenoid-based coloration and reduced body mass in nestlings of a common urban bird, the great tit (Parus major). We also assessed how the noise environment is related to reproductive success. We obtained long-term measurements of the noise environment, over a ∼24-h period, and characterized both the amplitude (measured by LAeq, LA90, LA10, LAmax) and variance in noise levels, since more stochastic, as well as louder, noise regimes might be more likely to induce stress. In our urban population, noise levels varied substantially, with louder, but less variable, noise characteristic of areas adjacent to a highway. Noise levels were also highly repeatable, suggesting that individuals experience consistent differences in noise exposure. The amplitude of noise near nest boxes was associated with shorter telomeres among smaller, but not larger, brood members. In addition, carotenoid chroma and hue were positively associated with variance in average and maximum noise levels, and average reflectance was negatively associated with variance in background noise. Independent of noise, hue was positively related to telomere length. Nestling mass and reproductive success were unaffected by noise exposure. Results indicate that multiple dimensions of the noise environment, or factors associated with the noise environment, could affect the phenotype of developing organisms, that noise exposure, or correlated variables, might have the strongest effects on sensitive groups of individuals, and that carotenoid hue could serve as a signal of early-life telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, Research Group Didactica, University of Antwerp, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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Provost KL, Mauck WM, Smith BT. Genomic divergence in allopatric Northern Cardinals of the North American warm deserts is linked to behavioral differentiation. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12456-12478. [PMID: 30619558 PMCID: PMC6309012 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Biogeographic barriers are considered important in initiating speciation through geographic isolation, but they rarely indiscriminately and completely reduce gene flow across entire communities. Explicitly demonstrating which factors are associated with gene-flow levels across barriers would help elucidate how speciation is initiated and isolation maintained. Here, we investigated the association of behavioral isolation on population differentiation in Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) distributed across the Cochise Filter Barrier, a region of transitional habitat which separates the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of North America. Using genomewide markers, we modeled demographic history by fitting the data to isolation and isolation-with-migration models. The best-fit model indicated that desert populations diverged in the Pleistocene with low, historic, and asymmetric gene flow across the barrier. We then tested behavioral isolation using reciprocal call-broadcast experiments to compare song recognition between deserts, controlling for song dialect changes within deserts. We found that male Northern Cardinals in both deserts were most aggressive to local songs and failed to recognize across-barrier songs. A correlation of genomic differentiation and strong song discrimination is consistent with a model where speciation is initiated across a barrier and maintained by behavioral isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiya L. Provost
- Department of OrnithologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew York
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew York
- Richard Gilder Graduate SchoolAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew York
| | - William M. Mauck
- Department of OrnithologyAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkNew York
- Present address:
New York Genome CenterNew YorkNew York
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HILL SD, ARYAL A, PAWLEY MDM, JI W. So much for the city: Urban-rural song variation in a widespread Asiatic songbird. Integr Zool 2018; 13:194-205. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D. HILL
- Human-Wildlife Interactions Research Group, Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Achyut ARYAL
- Human-Wildlife Interactions Research Group, Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science; University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
- Department of Forestry and Resource Management; Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology; Rotorua New Zealand
| | - Matthew D. M. PAWLEY
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Weihong JI
- Human-Wildlife Interactions Research Group, Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Massey University; Auckland New Zealand
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Zollinger SA, Slater PJB, Nemeth E, Brumm H. Higher songs of city birds may not be an individual response to noise. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0602. [PMID: 28794216 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been observed in many songbird species that populations in noisy urban areas sing with a higher minimum frequency than do matched populations in quieter, less developed areas. However, why and how this divergence occurs is not yet understood. We experimentally tested whether chronic noise exposure during vocal learning results in songs with higher minimum frequencies in great tits (Parus major), the first species for which a correlation between anthropogenic noise and song frequency was observed. We also tested vocal plasticity of adult great tits in response to changing background noise levels by measuring song frequency and amplitude as we changed noise conditions. We show that noise exposure during ontogeny did not result in songs with higher minimum frequencies. In addition, we found that adult birds did not make any frequency or song usage adjustments when their background noise conditions were changed after song crystallization. These results challenge the common view of vocal adjustments by city birds, as they suggest that either noise itself is not the causal force driving the divergence of song frequency between urban and forest populations, or that noise induces population-wide changes over a time scale of several generations rather than causing changes in individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Anne Zollinger
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Peter J B Slater
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Erwin Nemeth
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.,BirdLife Austria, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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Brumm H, Zollinger SA, Niemelä PT, Sprau P. Measurement artefacts lead to false positives in the study of birdsong in noise. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group Max Planck Institute for Ornithology 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| | - Sue Anne Zollinger
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group Max Planck Institute for Ornithology 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| | - Petri T. Niemelä
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University Munich 82152 Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - Philipp Sprau
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University Munich 82152 Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
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Ríos-Chelén AA, McDonald AN, Berger A, Perry AC, Krakauer AH, Patricelli GL. Do birds vocalize at higher pitch in noise, or is it a matter of measurement? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2243-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Job JR, Kohler SL, Gill SA. Song adjustments by an open habitat bird to anthropogenic noise, urban structure, and vegetation. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
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