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Bao W, Kathait A, Li X, Ozaki K, Hanada Y, Thomas A, Carey GJ, Gou J, Davaasuren B, Hasebe M, Holt PI, Pelikan L, Fan Z, Wang S, Xing X. Subspecies Taxonomy and Inter-Population Divergences of the Critically Endangered Yellow-Breasted Bunting: Evidence from Song Variations. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172292. [PMID: 36078012 PMCID: PMC9454650 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting has undergone population collapse globally because of illegal hunting and habitat deterioration. It was listed as critically endangered (CR) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2017 and designated a Class I (highest level) national conservation bird species in China in 2021. Birdsong in the breeding season is the main communicative signal under sexual selection, and song variations have long been considered critical evidence of divergence among subspecies or populations. We compared the songs of 89 males from 18 populations to test subspecies taxonomy. We found that songs of the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola are subspecies specific and that three subspecies can be clearly discriminated by song divergences. Moreover, an analysis of multiple vocal traits supports the claim that insulana is distinct from aureola and ornata. Finally, at the geographic population level, populations can be clearly classified in accordance with the three subspecies, although the aureola population in Xinjiang, China is differentiated from other populations of the same subspecies. The results of this study demonstrate that all populations and subspecies are unique and should be protected to maintain intraspecies song diversity. In addition, several specific populations, such as insulana populations in Japan and the Xinjiang, China population of aureola, need to be paid special attention to prevent the extinction of unique or local taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenshuang Bao
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Atul Kathait
- School of Biosciences, Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon 122103, India
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Kiyoaki Ozaki
- Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Abiko 270-1166, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Jun Gou
- Xinjiang BD Nature Co., Ltd., Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Batmunkh Davaasuren
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 14210, Mongolia
| | | | | | - Lukas Pelikan
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zhongyong Fan
- Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Zhejiang Biodiversity Institute, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Zhejiang Biodiversity Institute, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Xiaoying Xing
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Northeast Asia Biodiversity Research Center, Harbin 150040, China
- Correspondence:
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Properties of an attention-grabbing motion signal: a comparison of tail and body movements in a lizard. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:373-385. [PMID: 35113201 PMCID: PMC9123084 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Animals signals must be detected by receiver sensory systems, and overcome a variety of local ecological factors that could otherwise affect their transmission and reception. Habitat structure, competition, avoidance of unintended receivers and varying environmental conditions have all been shown to influence how animals signal. Environmental noise is also crucial, and animals modify their behavior in response to it. Animals generating movement-based visual signals have to contend with wind-blown plants that generate motion noise and can affect the detection of salient movements. The lizard Amphibolurus muricatus uses tail flicking at the start of displays to attract attention, and we hypothesized that tail movements are ideally suited to this function. We compared visual amplitudes generated by tail movements with push-ups, which are a key component of the rest of the display. We show that tail movement amplitudes are highly variable over the course of the display but consistently greater than amplitudes generated by push-ups and not constrained by viewing position. We suggest that these features, combined with the tail being a light structure that does not compromise other activities, provide an ideal introductory component for attracting attention in the ecological setting in which they are generated.
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