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Srigyan M, Samad A, Singh A, Karan J, Chandra A, Sinha PG, Kumar V, Das S, Thomas A, Suyesh R. Vocal repertoire of Microhyla nilphamariensis from Delhi and comparison with closely related M. ornata populations from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16903. [PMID: 38562993 PMCID: PMC10984171 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Advertisement calls in frogs have evolved to be species-specific signals of recognition and are therefore considered an essential component of integrative taxonomic approaches to identify species and delineate their distribution range. The species rich genus Microhyla is a particularly challenging group for species identification, discovery and conservation management due to the small size, conserved morphology and wide distribution of its members, necessitating the need for a thorough description of their vocalization. In this study, we provide quantitative description of the vocal behaviour of Microhyla nilphamariensis, a widely distributed south Asian species, from Delhi, India, based on call recordings of 18 individuals and assessment of 21 call properties. Based on the properties measured acrossed 360 calls, we find that a typical advertisement call of M. nilphamariensis lasts for 393.5 ± 57.5 ms, has 17 pulses on average and produce pulses at rate of 39 pulses/s. The overall call dominant frequency was found to be 2.8 KHz and the call spectrum consisted of two dominant frequency peaks centered at 1.6 KHz and 3.6 KHz, ranging between 1.5-4.1 KHz. Apart from its typical advertisement call, our study also reveals the presence of three 'rare' call types, previously unreported in this species. We describe variability in call properties and discuss their relation to body size and temperature. We found that overall dominant frequency 1 (spectral property) was found to be correlated with body size, while first pulse period (temporal property) was found to be correlated with temperature. Further, we compare the vocal repertoire of M. nilphamariensis with that of the congener Microhyla ornata from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka and also compare the call properties of these two populations of M. ornata to investigate intra-specific call variation. We find statistically significant differentiation in their acoustic repertoire in both cases. Based on 18 call properties (out of 20), individuals of each locality clearly segregate on PCA factor plane forming separate groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) using PCA factors shows 100% classification success with individuals of each locality getting classified to a discrete group. This confirms significant acoustic differentiation between these species as well as between geographically distant conspecifics. The data generated in this study will be useful for comparative bioacoustic analysis of Microhyla species and can be utilized to monitor populations and devise conservation management plan for threatened species in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Srigyan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Abdus Samad
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Singh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jyotsna Karan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Chandra
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Pooja Gokhale Sinha
- Department of Botany, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vineeth Kumar
- Department of Biology, Center for Advanced Learning, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sandeep Das
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, India
- Department of Zoology, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala, India
| | - Ashish Thomas
- Department of Environmental Studies, SGND Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Robin Suyesh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
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2
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Lee N, Vélez A, Bee M. Behind the mask(ing): how frogs cope with noise. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:47-66. [PMID: 36310303 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01586-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Albert Feng was a pioneer in the field of auditory neuroethology who used frogs to investigate the neural basis of spectral and temporal processing and directional hearing. Among his many contributions was connecting neural mechanisms for sound pattern recognition and localization to the problems of auditory masking that frogs encounter when communicating in noisy, real-world environments. Feng's neurophysiological studies of auditory processing foreshadowed and inspired subsequent behavioral investigations of auditory masking in frogs. For frogs, vocal communication frequently occurs in breeding choruses, where males form dense aggregations and produce loud species-specific advertisement calls to attract potential mates and repel competitive rivals. In this review, we aim to highlight how Feng's research advanced our understanding of how frogs cope with noise. We structure our narrative around three themes woven throughout Feng's research-spectral, temporal, and directional processing-to illustrate how frogs can mitigate problems of auditory masking by exploiting frequency separation between signals and noise, temporal fluctuations in noise amplitude, and spatial separation between signals and noise. We conclude by proposing future research that would build on Feng's considerable legacy to advance our understanding of hearing and sound communication in frogs and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Lee
- Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Ave, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA.
| | - Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Mark Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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3
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Simmons AM, Kloepper LN. Variations in advertisement call modulations do not influence vocal interactions in bullfrog choruses. JASA EXPRESS LETTERS 2022; 2:111202. [PMID: 36456365 PMCID: PMC9667906 DOI: 10.1121/10.0015070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Chorusing male bullfrogs naturally vary the number of modulations within their advertisement call notes. A field playback experiment investigated whether these variations affect males' evoked vocal responses. Vocal responses were quantified manually and automatically by quantifying acoustic energy. The numbers of calls, number of notes, latency of response, and detected-note acoustic energy did not vary significantly across playback stimuli for focal males or the entire chorus, suggesting that variations in modulation number do not carry relevant information to males. Future work can determine whether modulation cues may function in sexual selection and affect female response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Megela Simmons
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Laura N Kloepper
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA ,
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Jaya FR, Tanner JC, Whitehead MR, Doughty P, Keogh JS, Moritz CC, Catullo RA. Population genomics and sexual signals support reproductive character displacement in Uperoleia (Anura: Myobatrachidae) in a contact zone. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4527-4543. [PMID: 35780470 PMCID: PMC9542136 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
When closely related species come into contact via range expansion, both may experience reduced fitness as a result of the interaction. Selection is expected to favour traits that minimize costly interspecies reproductive interactions (such as mismating) via a phenomenon called reproductive character displacement (RCD). Research on RCD frequently assumes secondary contact between species, but the geographical history of species interactions is often unknown. Population genomic data permit tests of geographical hypotheses about species origins and secondary contact through range expansion. We used population genomic data from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mitochondrial sequence data, advertisement call data and morphological data to investigate a species complex of toadlets (Uperoleia borealis, U. crassa, U. inundata) from northern Australia. Although the three species of frogs were morphologically indistinguishable in our analysis, we determined that U. crassa and U. inundata form a single species (synonymized here) based on an absence of genomic divergence. SNP data identified the phylogeographical origin of U. crassa as the Top End, with subsequent westward invasion into the range of U. borealis in the Kimberley. We identified six F1 hybrids, all of which had the U. borealis mitochondrial haplotype, suggesting unidirectional hybridization. Consistent with the RCD hypothesis, U. borealis and U. crassa sexual signals differ more in sympatry than in allopatry. Hybrid males have intermediate calls, which probably reduces attractiveness to females. Integrating population genomic data, mitochondrial sequencing, morphology and behavioural approaches provides an unusually detailed collection of evidence for reproductive character displacement following range expansion and secondary contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick R. Jaya
- Australian Institute for Microbiology and InfectionUniversity of Technology SydneyUltimoNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Jessie C. Tanner
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | | | - Paul Doughty
- Western Australian MuseumPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - J. Scott Keogh
- Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Ecology & Evolution, Research School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityActonAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Craig C. Moritz
- Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Ecology & Evolution, Research School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityActonAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Renee A. Catullo
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Ecology & Evolution, Research School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityActonAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
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Li H, Schrode KM, Bee MA. Vocal sacs do not function in multimodal mate attraction under nocturnal illumination in Cope's grey treefrog. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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6
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Tanner JC, Johnson ER, Zuk M. Is plasticity in field cricket mating behaviour mediated by experience of song quality? Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Cruz V, Cruz-Pantoja O, Tremblay R, Acevedo M. Animal trait variation at the within-individual level: erythrocyte size variation and malaria infection in a tropical lizard. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12761. [PMID: 35228904 PMCID: PMC8881909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
High levels of within-individual variation (WIV) in reiterative components in plants such as leaves, flowers, and fruits have been shown to increase individual fitness by multiple mechanisms including mediating interactions with natural enemies. This relationship between WIV and fitness has been studied almost exclusively in plant systems. While animals do not exhibit conspicuous reiterative components, they have traits that can vary at the individual level such as erythrocyte size. It is currently unknown if WIV in animals can influence individual fitness by mediating the outcome of interactions with natural enemies as it has been shown in plants. To address this issue, we tested for a relationship between WIV in erythrocyte size, hemoparasite infection status, and body condition (a proxy for fitness) in a Caribbean anole lizard. We quantified the coefficient of variation of adult erythrocytes size in $n = 95$ infected and $n = 107$ non-infected lizards. We found higher degrees of erythrocyte size variation in infected lizards than in non-infected individuals. However, we found no significant relationship between infection status or erythrocyte size variation, and lizard body condition. These results suggest that higher WIV in erythrocyte size in infected lizards is not necessarily adaptive but likely a consequence of the host response to infection. Many hemoparasites destroy their host cells as part of their life cycle. To compensate, the host lizard may respond by increasing production of erythrocytes resulting in higher WIV. Our results emphasize the need to better understand the role of within-animal variation as a neglected driver or consequence of ecological and evolutionary interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virnaliz Cruz
- School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America,Department of Environmental Science, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Pidras, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | - Omar Cruz-Pantoja
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Rio Pidras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | - Raymond Tremblay
- Department of Biology, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | - Miguel Acevedo
- School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
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9
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Tanner JC, Simmons LW. Spoiled for choice: number of signalers constrains mate choice based on acoustic signals. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab136] [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
Abstract
Animal communication mediates social interactions with important fitness consequences for individuals. Receivers use signals to detect and discriminate among potential mates. Extensive research effort has focused on how receiver behavior imposes selection on signalers and signals. However, animals communicate in socially and physically complex environments with important biotic and abiotic features that are often excluded from controlled laboratory experiments, including noise. “Noise” is any factor that prevents signal detection and discrimination. The noise caused by aggregates of acoustic signalers is a well-known impediment to receivers, but how many individual signalers are required to produce the emergent effects of chorus noise on receiver behavior? In Teleogryllus oceanicus, the Australian field cricket, we assayed female preferences for a temporal property of male advertisement signals, the number of long chirp pulses, using two-, four-, six-, and eight-choice phonotaxis experiments. We found that, as the number of individual signalers increased, receivers became less likely to respond phonotactically and less likely to express their well-documented preference for more long chirp pulses. We found that very few individual signalers can create a sufficiently noisy environment, due either to acoustic interference or choice overload, to substantially impair female preference expression. Our results suggest that receivers may not always be able to express their well-documented mating preferences in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C Tanner
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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Graham ZA, Angilletta MJ. Distinguishing between unreliability and dishonesty: A comparative study of aggressive communication in crayfish. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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Lee N, Christensen-Dalsgaard J, White LA, Schrode KM, Bee MA. Lung mediated auditory contrast enhancement improves the Signal-to-noise ratio for communication in frogs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1488-1498.e4. [PMID: 33667371 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Environmental noise is a major source of selection on animal sensory and communication systems. The acoustic signals of other animals represent particularly potent sources of noise for chorusing insects, frogs, and birds, which contend with a multi-species analog of the human "cocktail party problem" (i.e., our difficulty following speech in crowds). However, current knowledge of the diverse adaptations that function to solve noise problems in nonhuman animals remains limited. Here, we show that a lung-to-ear sound transmission pathway in frogs serves a heretofore unknown noise-control function in vertebrate hearing and sound communication. Inflated lungs improve the signal-to-noise ratio for communication by enhancing the spectral contrast in received vocalizations in ways analogous to signal processing algorithms used in hearing aids and cochlear implants. Laser vibrometry revealed that the resonance of inflated lungs selectively reduces the tympanum's sensitivity to frequencies between the two spectral peaks present in conspecific mating calls. Social network analysis of continent-scale citizen science data on frog calling behavior revealed that the calls of other frog species in multi-species choruses can be a prominent source of environmental noise attenuated by the lungs. Physiological modeling of peripheral frequency tuning indicated that inflated lungs could reduce both auditory masking and suppression of neural responses to mating calls by environmental noise. Together, these data suggest an ancient adaptation for detecting sound via the lungs has been evolutionarily co-opted to create auditory contrast enhancement that contributes to solving a multi-species cocktail party problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Lee
- Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 55057, USA.
| | | | - Lauren A White
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Katrina M Schrode
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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12
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Zhu X, Qiu X, Tang X, Qi Y. Tail display is regulated by anaerobic metabolism in an Asian agamid lizard. Integr Zool 2021; 16:729-740. [PMID: 33733614 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanism underlying signal variation is an important goal in the study of animal communication. Several potential causes have been proposed for signal variation, including environmental noise (e.g. wind, sound), energy limitation, and predation risk, among others, but the physiological control of many signals are often unclear. Here, we examined the correlation between tail display signal variation and energy metabolic activity using an Asian agamid lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Individual tail display signals were observed in the field, and blood lactate concentration as well as 2 energy metabolic enzymes was assayed. Our results showed that average tail coil speed was positively associated with blood lactate concentration, while tail coil duration was negatively associated with LDH activity. We also found that average tail lash speed was positively associated with blood lactate concentration, suggesting that the tail display behavior of P. vlangalii was regulated by anaerobic metabolism. Furthermore, the correlation between tail display behavior and energy metabolism was not sex-dependent. Taken together, our research provides insight into the physiological mechanisms underlying tail display variation in lizards, and suggests that tail display variation likely transmits important information on individual body condition and resource holding potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Qiu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yin Qi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China
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13
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Baugh AT, Gall MD, Silver SC, Bee MA. Moderately elevated glucocorticoids increase mate choosiness but do not affect sexual proceptivity or preferences in female gray treefrogs. Horm Behav 2021; 130:104950. [PMID: 33556376 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are rarely studied in the context of female mate choice, despite the expression of receptors for these products in sexual, sensory and decision-making brain areas. Here we investigated the effects of GC concentrations on three aspects of female sexual behavior in breeding Cope's gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis): proceptivity-a measure of sexual motivation, intraspecific mate preferences, and mate choosiness. To our knowledge this is the first experimental study on the endocrine basis of mate choosiness. We predicted that mate choosiness-forfeiting an initial mate preference to pursue a suddenly more attractive mate-would be particularly impacted by elevated GCs with moderate GC levels associated with greater choosiness. We found support for this predicted inverted-U relationship. Females in the control group (no injection) showed no change in choosiness across timepoints. In contrast, females in the vehicle, Low (20 ng g-1) and High (180 ng g-1) corticosterone groups exhibited a nominal decline in choosiness after injection, suggesting that the experience of injection has little or perhaps slightly suppressive effects on female choosiness. Females in the moderate dose group (60 ng g-1), however, exhibited a significant increase (>100%) in choosiness. Further, we found no effect of elevated GCs on sexual proceptivity or the species-typical preference for longer calls. These findings may reflect a buffering of primary sensory areas in the brain against elevated GCs. The recruitment of other cognitive processes during active decision-making, however, may facilitate GC modulation of mate choosiness, thereby promoting tactical plasticity at this critical life history juncture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Baugh
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
| | - Megan D Gall
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Stewart C Silver
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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14
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Morais AR, Siqueira MN, Márquez R, Bastos RP. Do male Boana goiana (Lutz, 1968) (Anura: Hylidae) discriminate between the calls of neighbours and strangers? BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Neighbour-stranger discrimination is an important mechanism in social behaviour, as it allows the individual to avoid the high energetic costs of repeated agonistic interactions with neighbours. In some anuran species, the owners of territories respond more aggressively towards strangers than neighbours. Here, we investigated whether gladiator frog, Boana goiana, males discriminate between neighbours and strangers. This is a lek-breeding species; therefore, it does not defend fixed territories which are associated with a specific resource. We conducted a playback field experiment with a repeated-measures design, based on three treatments: (i) neighbour’s call in initial position, (ii) stranger’s call in initial position, and (iii) neighbour’s call in new position. We did not observe any systematic modification in the acoustic properties (call duration, dominant frequency, repetition rate) of the advertisement and short aggressive calls of B. goiana males given in response to our playback treatments. Our results indicate that B. goiana males do not exhibit vocally mediated ‘dear enemy’ relationships. We discuss the possible ecological and social factors that may have impeded the evolution of ‘dear enemy’ relationships in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro R. Morais
- Laboratory of Vertebrate Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, Goiano Federal Institute, Campus Rio Verde, Rio Verde, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Mariana N. Siqueira
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Rio Verde University, Rio Verde, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Rafael Márquez
- Fonoteca Zoológica, Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Museum of Natural History (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rogério P. Bastos
- Department of Ecology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
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15
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Tanner JC, Bee MA. Species Recognition Is Constrained by Chorus Noise, but Not Inconsistency in Signal Production, in Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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16
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Tanner JC, Bee MA. Inconsistent sexual signaling degrades optimal mating decisions in animals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax3957. [PMID: 32440536 PMCID: PMC7228747 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Like political stump speeches and product advertisements, animal signals are highly repetitive and function to persuade receivers to adopt behaviors benefiting the signaler. And like potential constituents and consumers, receivers assess signals to inform their behavioral decisions. However, inconsistency in sexual signals is widespread and potentially injects uncertainty into mating decisions. Here, we show that females fail to make optimal mating decisions based on assessments of signal quality due to inconsistency in signal production. Natural levels of inconsistency markedly reduced female preference expression for a nonarbitrary signal of male quality. Inconsistency reshaped preferences even more profoundly than the better-known impediment of ambient noise. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of how inconsistent messaging degrades optimal decision-making in animals, with implications for understanding signal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C. Tanner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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17
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The paradox of hearing at the lek: auditory sensitivity increases after breeding in female gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:629-639. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01354-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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