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Mangiamele LA, Dawn A, LeCure KM, Mantica GE, Racicot R, Fuxjager MJ, Preininger D. How new communication behaviors evolve: Androgens as modifiers of neuromotor structure and function in foot-flagging frogs. Horm Behav 2024; 161:105502. [PMID: 38382227 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
How diverse animal communication signals have arisen is a question that has fascinated many. Xenopus frogs have been a model system used for three decades to reveal insights into the neuroendocrine mechanisms and evolution of vocal diversity. Due to the ease of studying central nervous system control of the laryngeal muscles in vitro, Xenopus has helped us understand how variation in vocal communication signals between sexes and between species is produced at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. Yet, it is becoming easier to make similar advances in non-model organisms. In this paper, we summarize our research on a group of frog species that have evolved a novel hind limb signal known as 'foot flagging.' We have previously shown that foot flagging is androgen dependent and that the evolution of foot flagging in multiple unrelated species is accompanied by the evolution of higher androgen hormone sensitivity in the leg muscles. Here, we present new preliminary data that compare patterns of androgen receptor expression and neuronal cell density in the lumbar spinal cord - the neuromotor system that controls the hind limb - between foot-flagging and non-foot-flagging frog species. We then relate our work to prior findings in Xenopus, highlighting which patterns of hormone sensitivity and neuroanatomical structure are shared between the neuromotor systems underlying Xenopus vocalizations and foot-flagging frogs' limb movement and which appear to be species-specific. Overall, we aim to illustrate the power of drawing inspiration from experiments in model organisms, in which the mechanistic details have been worked out, and then applying these ideas to a non-model species to reveal new details, further complexities, and fresh hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States of America.
| | - AllexAndrya Dawn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States of America
| | - Kerry M LeCure
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States of America
| | - Gina E Mantica
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States of America
| | - Riccardo Racicot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States of America
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States of America
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Anderson NK, Preininger D, Fuxjager MJ. Comment on 'Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs'. eLife 2023; 12:e89134. [PMID: 37812202 PMCID: PMC10561974 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Zhao et al. recently reported results which, they claim, suggest that sexual selection produces the multimodal displays seen in little torrent frogs (Amolops torrentis) by co-opting limb movements that originally evolved to support parasite defense (Zhao et al., 2022). Here, we explain why we believe this conclusion to be premature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna ZooViennaAustria
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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3
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Love N, Preininger D, Fuxjager MJ. Social regulation of androgenic hormones and gestural display behavior in a tropical frog. Horm Behav 2023; 155:105425. [PMID: 37683499 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Many animals use forms of gesture and dance to communicate with conspecifics in the breeding season, though the mechanisms of this behavior are rarely studied. Here, we investigate the hormone basis of such visual signal behavior in Bornean rocks frogs (Staurois parvus). Our results show that males aggregating at breeding waterfalls have higher testosterone (T) levels, and we speculate that this hormone increase is caused by social cues associated with sexual competition. To this end, we find that T levels in frogs at the waterfall positively predict the number waving gestures-or "foot flags"-that males perform while competing with rivals. By contrast, T does not predict differences in male calling behavior. In these frogs, vocal displays are used largely as an alert signal to direct a rival's attention to the foot flag; thus, our results are consistent with the view that factors related to reproductive context drive up T levels to mediate displays most closely linked to male-male combat, which in this case is the frog's elaborate gestural routine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nya Love
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, USA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, USA.
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4
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Zigler A, Straw S, Tokuda I, Bronson E, Riede T. Critical calls: Circadian and seasonal periodicity in vocal activity in a breeding colony of Panamanian golden frogs (Atelopus zeteki). PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286582. [PMID: 37590183 PMCID: PMC10434951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) is a critically endangered species and currently is believed to survive and reproduce only in human care. Panamanian golden frog males are considerably vocal which may be an important component in their successful reproduction, though little is currently known about their calls. To better understand the behavior and vocal patterns of this species and to improve breeding efforts in the assurance colony, we employed individual sound recording of male advertisement calls and acoustic monitoring of a breeding colony to investigate variation in the vocal behavior of Panamanian golden frogs. The goal was to capture variability within and among frogs as well as patterns of periodicity over time. First, the advertisement calls from individual male Panamanian golden frogs were recorded, and acoustic parameters were analyzed for individual differences. Results suggest that male advertisement calls demonstrate individual- and population specificity. Second, data collected through a year-long acoustic monitoring of the breeding colony were investigated for circadian and circannual periodicity. Male vocal activity revealed a circadian periodicity entrained by the daily light schedule. Seasonal periodicity was also found with highest vocal activities between December and March. The finding of a seasonal periodicity is worth noting given that the population had been bred for 20 years under constant environmental conditions. Finally, results suggest that vocal activity was responsive to daily animal care activity. Vocal activity decreased substantially when personnel entered the room and engaged in animal husbandry activities. The findings illustrate the usefulness of acoustic monitoring to provide insight into animal behavior in a zoo setting in a key breeding colony of endangered animals, and calling pattern observations may be utilized to modify husbandry practices to improve Panamanian golden frog breeding success and general care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Zigler
- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Straw
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Isao Tokuda
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Ellen Bronson
- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tobias Riede
- Department of Physiology, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, United States of America
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5
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Wilson L, Constantine R, Pine MK, Farcas A, Radford CA. Impact of small boat sound on the listening space of Pempheris adspersa, Forsterygion lapillum, Alpheus richardsoni and Ovalipes catharus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7007. [PMID: 37117196 PMCID: PMC10147705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33684-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors, such as plastics and fishing, are putting coastal habitats under immense pressure. However, sound pollution from small boats has received little attention given the importance of sound in the various life history strategies of many marine animals. By combining passive acoustic monitoring, propagation modelling, and hearing threshold data, the impact of small-boat sound on the listening spaces of four coastal species was determined. Listening space reductions (LSR) were greater for fishes compared to crustaceans, for which LSR varied by day and night, due to their greater hearing abilities. Listening space also varied by sound modality for the two fish species, highlighting the importance of considering both sound pressure and particle motion. The theoretical results demonstrate that boat sound hinders the ability of fishes to perceive acoustic cues, advocating for future field-based research on acoustic cues, and highlighting the need for effective mitigation and management of small-boat sound within coastal areas worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Wilson
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland, 160 Goat Island Road, Leigh, 0985, New Zealand.
| | - Rochelle Constantine
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland, 160 Goat Island Road, Leigh, 0985, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Matthew K Pine
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Adrian Farcas
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
| | - Craig A Radford
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland, 160 Goat Island Road, Leigh, 0985, New Zealand
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6
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Anderson NK, Goodwin SE, Schuppe ER, Dawn A, Preininger D, Mangiamele LA, Fuxjager MJ. Activational vs. organizational effects of sex steroids and their role in the evolution of reproductive behavior: Looking to foot-flagging frogs and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105248. [PMID: 36054981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play an important role in regulation of the vertebrate reproductive phenotype. This is because sex steroids not only activate sexual behaviors that mediate copulation, courtship, and aggression, but they also help guide the development of neural and muscular systems that underlie these traits. Many biologists have therefore described the effects of sex steroid action on reproductive behavior as both "activational" and "organizational," respectively. Here, we focus on these phenomena from an evolutionary standpoint, highlighting that we know relatively little about the way that organizational effects evolve in the natural world to support the adaptation and diversification of reproductive behavior. We first review the evidence that such effects do in fact evolve to mediate the evolution of sexual behavior. We then introduce an emerging animal model - the foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus - that will be useful to study how sex hormones shape neuromotor development necessary for sexual displays. The foot flag is nothing more than a waving display that males use to compete for access to female mates, and thus the neural circuits that control its production are likely laid down when limb control systems arise during the developmental transition from tadpole to frog. We provide data that highlights how sex steroids might organize foot-flagging behavior through its putative underlying mechanisms. Overall, we anticipate that future studies of foot-flagging frogs will open a powerful window from which to see how sex steroids influence the neuromotor systems to help germinate circuits that drive signaling behavior. In this way, our aim is to bring attention to the important frontier of endocrinological regulation of evolutionary developmental biology (endo-evo-devo) and its relationship to behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Sarah E Goodwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Eric R Schuppe
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - AllexAndrya Dawn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America.
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7
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Kernan CE, Jones JS, Robillard T, Schöneich S, ter Hofstede HM. Efficacy constraints on female directional preference stabilize a male call component in a multimodal cricket duet. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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8
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Kundu P, Choi N, Rundus AS, Santer RD, Hebets EA. Uncovering ‘Hidden’ Signals: Previously Presumed Visual Signals Likely Generate Air Particle Movement. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.939133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolf spiders within the genus Schizocosa have become a model system for exploring the form and function of multimodal communication. In terms of male signaling, much past research has focused on the role and importance of dynamic and static visual and substrate-borne vibratory communication. Studies on S. retrorsa, however, have found that female-male pairs were able to successfully mate in the absence of both visual and vibratory stimuli, suggesting a reduced or non-existent role of these signaling modalities in this species. Given these prior findings, it has been suggested that S. retrorsa males may utilize an additional signaling modality during courtship—air particle movement, often referred to as near-field sound—which they likely produce with rapid leg waving and receive using thin filiform sensory hairs called trichobothria. In this study, we tested the role of air-particle movement in mating success by conducting two independent sets of mating trials with randomly paired S. retrorsa females and males in the dark and on granite (i.e., without visual or vibratory signals) in two different signaling environments—(i) without (“No Noise”) and (ii) with (“Noise”) introduced air-particle movement intended to disrupt signaling in that modality. We also ran foraging trials in No Noise/Noise environments to explore the impact of our treatments on overall behavior. Across both mating experiments, our treatments significantly impacted mating success, with more mating in the No Noise signaling environments compared to the Noise environments. The rate of leg waving—a previously assumed visual dynamic movement that has also been shown to be able to produce air particle displacement—was higher in the No Noise than Noise environments. Across both treatments, males with higher rates of leg waving had higher mating success. In contrast to mating trials results, foraging success was not influenced by Noise. Our results indicate that artificially induced air particle movement disrupts successful mating and alters male courtship signaling but does not interfere with a female’s ability to receive and assess the rate of male leg waving.
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9
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Torrent frogs emit acoustic signals of a narrower spectral range in habitats with longer-lasting biotic background noise. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104700. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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10
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Coss DA, Ryan MJ, Page RA, Hunter KL, Taylor RC. Can you hear/see me? Multisensory integration of signals does not always facilitate mate choice. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Females of many species choose mates using multiple sensory modalities. Multimodal noise may arise, however, in dense aggregations of animals communicating via multiple sensory modalities. Some evidence suggests multimodal signals may not always improve receiver decision-making performance. When sensory systems process input from multimodal signal sources, multimodal noise may arise and potentially complicate decision-making due to the demands on cognitive integration tasks. We tested female túngara frog, Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus, responses to male mating signals in noise from multiple sensory modalities (acoustic and visual). Noise treatments were partitioned into three categories: acoustic, visual, and multimodal. We used natural calls from conspecifics and heterospecifics for acoustic noise. Robotic frogs were employed as either visual signal components (synchronous vocal sac inflation with call) or visual noise (asynchronous vocal sac inflation with call). Females expressed a preference for the typically more attractive call in the presence of unimodal noise. However, during multimodal signal and noise treatments (robofrogs employed with background noise), females failed to express a preference for the typically attractive call in the presence of conspecific chorus noise. We found that social context and temporal synchrony of multimodal signaling components are important for multimodal communication. Our results demonstrate that multimodal signals have the potential to increase the complexity of the sensory scene and reduce the efficacy of female decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Coss
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University , Salisbury, MD 21801 , USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78712 , USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón , Republic of Panama
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón , Republic of Panama
| | - Kimberly L Hunter
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University , Salisbury, MD 21801 , USA
| | - Ryan C Taylor
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University , Salisbury, MD 21801 , USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón , Republic of Panama
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11
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James LS, Baier AL, Page RA, Clements P, Hunter KL, Taylor RC, Ryan MJ. Cross-modal facilitation of auditory discrimination in a frog. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220098. [PMID: 35765810 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulation in one sensory modality can affect perception in a separate modality, resulting in diverse effects including illusions in humans. This can also result in cross-modal facilitation, a process where sensory performance in one modality is improved by stimulation in another modality. For instance, a simple sound can improve performance in a visual task in both humans and cats. However, the range of contexts and underlying mechanisms that evoke such facilitation effects remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated cross-modal stimulation in wild-caught túngara frogs, a species with well-studied acoustic preferences in females. We first identified that a combined visual and seismic cue (vocal sac movement and water ripple) was behaviourally relevant for females choosing between two courtship calls in a phonotaxis assay. We then found that this combined cross-modal stimulus rescued a species-typical acoustic preference in the presence of background noise that otherwise abolished the preference. These results highlight how cross-modal stimulation can prime attention in receivers to improve performance during decision-making. With this, we provide the foundation for future work uncovering the processes and conditions that promote cross-modal facilitation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - A Leonie Baier
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Paul Clements
- Henson School of Technology, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Kimberly L Hunter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Ryan C Taylor
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama.,Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
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12
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Zaffaroni-Caorsi V, Both C, Márquez R, Llusia D, Narins P, Debon M, Borges-Martins M. Effects of anthropogenic noise on anuran amphibians. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2070543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Zaffaroni-Caorsi
- Programa de Pós–Graduação em Biologia Animal, Dep. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Ambiente, University of TrentoC3A Centro Agricoltura, Alimenti e, Trento, Italy
| | - Camila Both
- Departamento Interdiscipinar, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Tramandaí, RS, Brazil
| | - Rafael Márquez
- Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSICFonoteca Zoológica. Dept. de Biodiversidad y, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Llusia
- Terrestrial Ecology Group, Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CIBC-UAM)Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y , Madrid, Spain
- Comportamento Animal, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de GoiásLaboratório de Herpetologia e, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Peter Narins
- Departments of Integrative Biology & Physiology, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marina Debon
- Dep. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcio Borges-Martins
- Programa de Pós–Graduação em Biologia Animal, Dep. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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13
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Zhao L, Wang J, Zhang H, Wang T, Yang Y, Tang Y, Halfwerk W, Cui J. Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs. eLife 2022; 11:e76083. [PMID: 35522043 PMCID: PMC9122496 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76083] [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: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals rely on complex signals that target multiple senses to attract mates and repel rivals. These multimodal displays can however also attract unintended receivers, which can be an important driver of signal complexity. Despite being taxonomically widespread, we often lack insight into how multimodal signals evolve from unimodal signals and in particular what roles unintended eavesdroppers play. Here, we assess whether the physical movements of parasite defense behavior increase the complexity and attractiveness of an acoustic sexual signal in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis). Calling males of this species often display limb movements in order to defend against blood-sucking parasites such as frog-biting midges that eavesdrop on their acoustic signal. Through mate choice tests we show that some of these midge-evoked movements influence female preference for acoustic signals. Our data suggest that midge-induced movements may be incorporated into a sexual display, targeting both hearing and vision in the intended receiver. Females may play an important role in incorporating these multiple components because they prefer signals which combine multiple modalities. Our results thus help to understand the relationship between natural and sexual selection pressure operating on signalers and how in turn this may influence multimodal signal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhui Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Haodi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Yue Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Yezhong Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De BoelelaanAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Jianguo Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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14
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Antoniazzi MM, Mailho-Fontana PL, Nomura F, Azevedo HB, Pimenta DC, Sciani JM, Carvalho FR, Rossa-Feres DC, Jared C. Reproductive behaviour, cutaneous morphology, and skin secretion analysis in the anuran Dermatonotus muelleri. iScience 2022; 25:104073. [PMID: 35372815 PMCID: PMC8968045 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104073] [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: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the common poison and mucous glands, some amphibian groups have differentiated glands associated with reproduction and usually present on the male ventral surface. Known as breeding glands or sexually dimorphic skin glands (SDSGs), they are related to intraspecific chemical communication during mating. Until recently, reproduction associated with skin glands was recognized only in salamanders and caecilians and remained unexplored among anurans. The Brazilian microhylid Dermatonotus muelleri (Muller's termite frog) is known for its very toxic skin secretion. Despite the slippery body, the male adheres to the female back during reproduction, as they have differentiated ventral glands. In this paper, we have gathered data proposing an integrative approach correlated with the species' biology and biochemical properties of their skin secretions. Furthermore, we suggest that the adhesion phenomenon is related to arm shortening and rounded body that make amplexus inefficient, although constituting important adaptive factors to life underground. Dermatonotus muelleri mating involves peculiar male adherence to the female’s back Adhesion phenomenon is possibly related to arm shortening and round-shaped body Differentiated adhesive glands are distributed in the male’s anterior ventral skin Male skin secretion contains compounds related to the adhesive properties
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fausto Nomura
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Denise Cerqueira Rossa-Feres
- Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Jared
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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15
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Willink B. How signals interact in multimodal displays: Insights from a robotic frog. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:696-700. [PMID: 35383925 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13668] [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: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
IN FOCUS Caldart, M. V., M. B. dos Santos & G. Machado (2021). Function of a multimodal signal: a multiple hypothesis test using a robot frog Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13620. Animals can communicate using signals perceived by different sensory systems, and many combine multiple sensory modalities in their display repertoires. Why these multimodal displays evolve and how they function to transmit information between individuals are crucial questions in behavioural and evolutionary research. Most empirical studies addressing these questions assume, even if implicitly, that signals of different modalities have independent effects on receiver responses. Nonetheless, the potential for interactions between signals as an explanation for the function of multimodal displays has been recognized for over two decades. Caldart et al. (2021) use a robotic frog and a receiver-based approach to test four alternative hypotheses for the function of multimodal (acoustic + visual) displays in the stream-dwelling frog Crossodactylus schmidti. Their results lend support to an inter-signal interaction mechanism, whereby inclusion of visual signals modifies the context in which an acoustic display is interpreted. In contrast, the results in Caldart et al. (2021) are less consistent with the hypotheses that emphasize the quality-related information encoded in different signal modalities and a hypothesis that focuses on signal transmission across heterogeneous environments. These results showcase how experimental manipulation of different signal modalities and tests of multiple alternative hypotheses are key to clarifying the function of multimodal displays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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16
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Ziermann JM, Fratani J. Fascinating adaptations in amphibians. ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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17
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de Sá FP, Condez TH, Lyra ML, Haddad CFB, Malagoli LR. Unveiling the diversity of Giant Neotropical Torrent frogs (Hylodidae): phylogenetic relationships, morphology, and the description of two new species. SYST BIODIVERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2022.2039318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fábio P. de Sá
- Laboratório de Estudos Cromossômicos (LabEsC), Departamento de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, 13083-862, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, 13506-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana L. Lyra
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, 13506-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Célio F. B. Haddad
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, 13506-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leo R. Malagoli
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, 13506-900, São Paulo, Brazil
- Núcleo São Sebastião, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Fundação para a Conservação e a Produção Florestal do Estado de São Paulo, São Sebastião, 11600-000, São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Mechanisms of multimodality: androgenic hormones and adaptive flexibility in multimodal displays. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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19
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Anderson NK, Gururaja KV, Mangiamele LA, Netoskie EC, Smith S, Fuxjager MJ, Preininger D. Insight into the Evolution of Anuran Foot Flag Displays: A Comparative Study of Color and Kinematics. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/h2020160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K. Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; (NKA) ; and (MJF) . Send reprint requests to NKA
| | - K. V. Gururaja
- Research and Development Center and Science Media Center, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Gubbi Labs, Bengaluru 560012, India;
| | - Lisa A. Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063; (LAM) ; and (SS)
| | - Erin C. Netoskie
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 16652;
| | - Sarah Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063; (LAM) ; and (SS)
| | - Matthew J. Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; (NKA) ; and (MJF) . Send reprint requests to NKA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Vienna Zoo, 1130 Vienna, Austria; Department of Evolutionary Biology, University Vienna, Austria;
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20
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Exploring greetings and leave-takings: communication during arrivals and departures by chimpanzees of the Bossou community, Guinea. Primates 2021; 63:443-461. [PMID: 34787740 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00957-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In human fission-fusion societies, ritualized non-linguistic signal exchanges that include gestures, vocalizations, and facial expressions are regularly observed at both arrivals (greetings) and departures (leave-takings). These communicative events play an important role in the formation and maintenance of social relationships. Wild chimpanzees also form large communities that split into smaller fluid parties during daily activities, with individuals moving freely between them. However, in chimpanzees only greetings have been reported. This study explores signal exchanges in the Bossou chimpanzee community during fissions (departures) and fusions (arrivals) given an individual's social rank, kinship, position as traveller or party-member, the level of potential threat, and the party size and presence of mature males. We analysed three time periods (1993-1994; 2003-2004; 2013-2014) during which the composition and social hierarchy of the community varied. We show that the occurrence and form of communication during fission and fusion events are mediated by social factors, including rank, kinship, and party size and composition. Individuals were more likely to communicate during fusions than during fissions, communication was more likely to be produced towards a higher-ranking individual and to non-kin individuals, but the tendency to communicate in general increased with an increase in social rank. The presence of more individuals, and in particular mature males, decreased the likelihood of communication. Communication during fusions supported patterns reported in previous studies on greetings, and our results support the argument that, if present, leave-takings are not a common feature of chimpanzee social interactions. Current methodological difficulties regarding the function of declarative signals hinder our ability to discriminate potential parting rituals within communication before departures. Given similar methodological difficulties, we also provide a note of caution in the interpretation of all signals produced during fusions as 'greetings'.
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21
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Augusto-Alves G, Dena S, Toledo LF. Acoustic allometry, background stream noise and its relationship with large-bodied and voiceless rheophilic frogs. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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22
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Karlsson ECM, Tay H, Imbun P, Hughes AC. The Kinabalu Recorder, a new passive acoustic and environmental monitoring recorder. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Catharina M. Karlsson
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun PR China
| | | | | | - Alice C. Hughes
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun PR China
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23
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Anderson NK, Schuppe ER, Gururaja KV, Mangiamele LA, Martinez JCC, Priti H, May RV, Preininger D, Fuxjager MJ. A Common Endocrine Signature Marks the Convergent Evolution of an Elaborate Dance Display in Frogs. Am Nat 2021; 198:522-539. [PMID: 34559606 DOI: 10.1086/716213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnrelated species often evolve similar phenotypic solutions to the same environmental problem, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution. But how do these common traits arise? We address this question from a physiological perspective by assessing how convergence of an elaborate gestural display in frogs (foot-flagging) is linked to changes in the androgenic hormone systems that underlie it. We show that the emergence of this rare display in unrelated anuran taxa is marked by a robust increase in the expression of androgen receptor (AR) messenger RNA in the musculature that actuates leg and foot movements, but we find no evidence of changes in the abundance of AR expression in these frogs' central nervous systems. Meanwhile, the magnitude of the evolutionary change in muscular AR and its association with the origin of foot-flagging differ among clades, suggesting that these variables evolve together in a mosaic fashion. Finally, while gestural displays do differ between species, variation in the complexity of a foot-flagging routine does not predict differences in muscular AR. Altogether, these findings suggest that androgen-muscle interactions provide a conduit for convergence in sexual display behavior, potentially providing a path of least resistance for the evolution of motor performance.
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24
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Zhao L, Santos JC, Wang J, Ran J, Tang Y, Cui J. Noise constrains the evolution of call frequency contours in flowing water frogs: a comparative analysis in two clades. Front Zool 2021; 18:37. [PMID: 34348772 PMCID: PMC8336270 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00423-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) states that signals should evolve towards an optimal transmission of the intended information from senders to intended receivers given the environmental constraints of the medium that they traverse. To date, most AAH studies have focused on the effect of stratified vegetation on signal propagation. These studies, based on the AAH, predict that acoustic signals should experience less attenuation and degradation where habitats are less acoustically complex. Here, we explored this effect by including an environmental noise dimension to test some AAH predictions in two clades of widespread amphibians (Bufonidae and Ranidae) that actively use acoustic signals for communication. By using data from 106 species in these clades, we focused on the characterization of the differences in dominant frequency (DF) and frequency contour (i.e., frequency modulation [FM] and harmonic performances) of mating calls and compared them between species that inhabit flowing-water or still-water environments. Results After including temperature, body size, habitat type and phylogenetic relationships, we found that DF differences among species were explained mostly by body size and habitat structure. We also showed that species living in lentic habitats tend to have advertisement calls characterized by well-defined FM and harmonics. Likewise, our results suggest that flowing-water habitats can constrain the evolutionary trajectories of the frequency-contour traits of advertisement calls in these anurans. Conclusions Our results may support AAH predictions in frogs that vocalize in noisy habitats because flowing-water environments often produce persistent ambient noise. For instance, these anurans tend to generate vocalizations with less well-defined FM and harmonic traits. These findings may help us understand how noise in the environment can influence natural selection as it shapes acoustic signals in affected species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00423-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhui Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Plant and Animal Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China.,Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Juan C Santos
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Plant and Animal Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Jianghong Ran
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Yezhong Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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25
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Schou CPE, Levengood AL, Potvin DA. Limited effects of traffic noise on behavioural responses to conspecific mating calls in the eastern sedge frog Litoria fallax. Acta Ethol 2021; 24:217-226. [PMID: 34366558 PMCID: PMC8335461 DOI: 10.1007/s10211-021-00378-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a pervasive environmental feature across both urban and non-urban habitats and presents a novel challenge especially for acoustically communicating species. While it is known that some species adjust acoustic signals to communicate more effectively in noisy habitats, we know very little about how the receivers of these signals might be impacted by anthropogenic noise. Here, we investigated female and male Litoria fallax frogs’ ability to distinguish between high- and low-quality acoustic signals during the presence of background traffic noise and without. We performed a controlled behavioural experiment whereby frogs were presented with simultaneously broadcasted attractive and unattractive calls from opposing directions, once with background traffic noise and once without. We found that females in particular chose the unattractive call significantly more often (and males significantly less often) when noise was being broadcast. This indicates that anthropogenic noise potentially affects receiver responses to acoustic signals, even when calls are not acoustically masked, with potential consequences for maladaptive mating behaviours and population outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine P E Schou
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, QLD Australia
| | - Alexis L Levengood
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, QLD Australia
| | - Dominique A Potvin
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, QLD Australia
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26
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Fröhlich M, Bartolotta N, Fryns C, Wagner C, Momon L, Jaffrezic M, Mitra Setia T, van Noordwijk MA, van Schaik CP. Multicomponent and multisensory communicative acts in orang-utans may serve different functions. Commun Biol 2021; 4:917. [PMID: 34316012 PMCID: PMC8316500 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02429-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
From early infancy, human face-to-face communication is multimodal, comprising a plethora of interlinked communicative and sensory modalities. Although there is also growing evidence for this in nonhuman primates, previous research rarely disentangled production from perception of signals. Consequently, the functions of integrating articulators (i.e. production organs involved in multicomponent acts) and sensory channels (i.e. modalities involved in multisensory acts) remain poorly understood. Here, we studied close-range social interactions within and beyond mother-infant pairs of Bornean and Sumatran orang-utans living in wild and captive settings, to examine use of and responses to multicomponent and multisensory communication. From the perspective of production, results showed that multicomponent acts were used more than the respective unicomponent acts when the presumed goal did not match the dominant outcome for a specific communicative act, and were more common among non-mother-infant dyads and Sumatran orang-utans. From the perception perspective, we found that multisensory acts were more effective than the respective unisensory acts, and were used more in wild compared to captive populations. We argue that multisensory acts primarily facilitate effectiveness, whereas multicomponent acts become relevant when interaction outcomes are less predictable. These different functions underscore the importance of distinguishing between production and perception in studies of communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen Fröhlich
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Caroline Fryns
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Colin Wagner
- DEPE-IPHC - Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurene Momon
- DEPE-IPHC - Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marvin Jaffrezic
- DEPE-IPHC - Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | | | - Carel P van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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27
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James LS, Halfwerk W, Hunter KL, Page RA, Taylor RC, Wilson PS, Ryan MJ. Covariation among multimodal components in the courtship display of the túngara frog. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269203. [PMID: 34142696 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.241661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Communication systems often include a variety of components, including those that span modalities, which may facilitate detection and decision-making. For example, female túngara frogs and fringe-lipped bats generally rely on acoustic mating signals to find male túngara frogs in a mating or foraging context, respectively. However, two additional cues (vocal sac inflation and water ripples) can enhance detection and choice behavior. To date, we do not know the natural variation and covariation of these three components. To address this, we made detailed recordings of calling males, including call amplitude, vocal sac volume and water ripple height, in 54 frogs (2430 calls). We found that all three measures correlated, with the strongest association between the vocal sac volume and call amplitude. We also found that multimodal models predicted the mass of calling males better than unimodal models. These results demonstrate how multimodal components of a communication system relate to each other and provide an important foundation for future studies on how receivers integrate and compare complex displays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Kimberly L Hunter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
| | - Ryan C Taylor
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá.,Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Preston S Wilson
- Applied Research Laboratories and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78713, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
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28
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Smith SM, Eigerman AR, LeCure KM, Kironde E, Privett-Mendoza AG, Fuxjager MJ, Preininger D, Mangiamele LA. Androgen Receptor Modulates Multimodal Displays in the Bornean Rock Frog (Staurois parvus). Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:221-230. [PMID: 34009301 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Multimodal communication is common in the animal kingdom. It occurs when animals display by stimulating two or more receiver sensory systems, and often arises when selection favors multiple ways to send messages to conspecifics. Mechanisms of multimodal display behavior are poorly understood, particularly with respect to how animals coordinate the production of different signals. One important question is whether all components in a multimodal display share an underlying physiological basis, or whether different components are regulated independently. We investigated the influence of androgen receptors (ARs) on the production of both visual and vocal signal components in the multimodal display repertoire of the Bornean rock frog (Staurois parvus). To assess the role of AR in signal production, we treated reproductively active adult males with the antiandrogen flutamide (FLUT) and measured the performance of each component signal in the multimodal display. Our results show that blocking AR inhibited the production of multiple visual signals, including a conspicuous visual signal known as the "foot flag," which is produced by rotating the hind limb above the body. However, FLUT treatment caused no measurable change in vocal signaling behavior, or in the frequency or fine temporal properties of males' calls. Our study, therefore, suggests that activation of AR is not a physiological prerequisite to the coordination of multiple signals, in that it either does not regulate all signaling behaviors in a male's display repertoire or it does so only in a context-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | - Amelia R Eigerman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | - Kerry M LeCure
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | - Eseza Kironde
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, USA
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29
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30
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Hernández-Herrera CI, Pérez-Mendoza HA. Acoustic and morphological variation on two populations of Dryophytes arenicolor in central México. BIOACOUSTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2020.1760937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hibraim A. Pérez-Mendoza
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico
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31
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Zhang F, Yuan C, Feng AS. Female concave‐eared torrent frogs prefer smaller males. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Zhang
- College of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu Anhui China
| | - C. Yuan
- College of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu Anhui China
| | - A. S. Feng
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology & Beckman Institute University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
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32
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Akçay Ç, Beck ML, Sewall KB. Are signals of aggressive intent less honest in urban habitats? Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
How anthropogenic change affects animal social behavior, including communication is an important question. Urban noise often drives shifts in acoustic properties of signals but the consequences of noise for the honesty of signals—that is, how well they predict signaler behavior—is unclear. Here we examine whether honesty of aggressive signaling is compromised in male urban song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Song sparrows have two honest close-range signals: the low amplitude soft songs (an acoustic signal) and wing waves (a visual signal), but whether the honesty of these signals is affected by urbanization has not been examined. If soft songs are less effective in urban noise, we predict that they should predict attacks less reliably in urban habitats compared to rural habitats. We confirmed earlier findings that urban birds were more aggressive than rural birds and found that acoustic noise was higher in urban habitats. Urban birds still sang more soft songs than rural birds. High rates of soft songs and low rates of loud songs predicted attacks in both habitats. Thus, while urbanization has a significant effect on aggressive behaviors, it might have a limited effect on the overall honesty of aggressive signals in song sparrows. We also found evidence for a multimodal shift: urban birds tended to give proportionally more wing waves than soft songs than rural birds, although whether that shift is due to noise-dependent plasticity is unclear. These findings encourage further experimental study of the specific variables that are responsible for behavioral change due to urbanization.
Soft song, the low amplitude songs given in close range interactions, is an honest threat signal in urban song sparrows. Given its low amplitude, soft songs may be a less effective signal in noisy urban habitats. However, we found that soft song remained an honest signal predicting attack in urban habitats. We also found that birds may use more visual signals (rapid fluttering of wings) in urban habitats to avoid masking from acoustic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Çağlar Akçay
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Kampusu, Sariyer Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2125 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Michelle L Beck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2125 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, Rivier University, Nashua, NH, USA
| | - Kendra B Sewall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2125 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Ladich F. Ecology of sound communication in fishes. FISH AND FISHERIES (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2019; 20:552-563. [PMID: 31130820 PMCID: PMC6519373 DOI: 10.1111/faf.12368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Fishes communicate acoustically under ecological constraints which may modify or hinder signal transmission and detection and may also be risky. This makes it important to know if and to what degree fishes can modify acoustic signalling when key ecological factors-predation pressure, noise and ambient temperature-vary. This paper reviews short-time effects of the first two factors; the third has been reviewed recently (Ladich, 2018). Numerous studies have investigated the effects of predators on fish behaviour, but only a few report changes in calling activity when hearing predator calls as demonstrated when fish responded to played-back dolphin sounds. Furthermore, swimming sounds of schooling fish may affect predators. Our knowledge on adaptations to natural changes in ambient noise, for example caused by wind or migration between quiet and noisier habitats, is limited. Hearing abilities decrease when ambient noise levels increase (termed masking), in particular in taxa possessing enhanced hearing abilities. High natural and anthropogenic noise regimes, for example vessel noise, alter calling activity in the field and laboratory. Increases in sound pressure levels (Lombard effect) and altered temporal call patterns were also observed, but no switches to higher sound frequencies. In summary, effects of predator calls and noise on sound communication are described in fishes, yet sparsely in contrast to songbirds or whales. Major gaps in our knowledge on potential negative effects of noise on acoustic communication call for more detailed investigation because fishes are keystone species in many aquatic habitats and constitute a major source of protein for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Ladich
- Department of Behavioural BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
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Elias-Costa AJ, Faivovich J. Convergence to the tiniest detail: vocal sac structure in torrent-dwelling frogs. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Cascades and fast-flowing streams impose severe restrictions on acoustic communication, with loud broadband background noise hampering signal detection and recognition. In this context, diverse behavioural features, such as ultrasound production and visual displays, have arisen in the evolutionary history of torrent-dwelling amphibians. The importance of the vocal sac in multimodal communication is being increasingly recognized, and recently a new vocal sac visual display has been discovered: unilateral inflation of paired vocal sacs. In the diurnal stream-breeding Hylodidae from the Atlantic forest, where it was first described, this behaviour is likely to be enabled by a unique anatomical configuration of the vocal sacs. To assess whether other taxa share this exceptional structure, we surveyed torrent-dwelling species with paired vocal sacs across the anuran tree of life and examined the vocal sac anatomy of exemplar species across 18 families. We found striking anatomical convergence among hylodids and species of the distantly related basal ranid genera Staurois, Huia, Meristogenys and Amolops. Ancestral character state reconstruction identified three new synapomorphies for Ranidae. Furthermore, we surveyed the vocal sac configuration of other anuran species that perform visual displays and report observations on what appears to be unilateral inflation of paired vocal sacs, in Staurois guttatus – an extremely rare behaviour in anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín J Elias-Costa
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ – CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julián Faivovich
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ – CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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35
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Andrade MC. Sexual selection and social context: Web-building spiders as emerging models for adaptive plasticity. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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36
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Patricelli GL, Hebets EA, Mendelson TC. Book review of Prum, R. O. 2018. The evolution of beauty: How Darwin's forgotten theory of mate choice shapes the animal world-and us (2017), Doubleday, 428 pages, ISBN: 9780385537216. Evolution 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gail L. Patricelli
- Department of Evolution and Ecology; University of California; Davis California 95616
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska 68588
| | - Tamra C. Mendelson
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Maryland Baltimore County; Baltimore Maryland 21250
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37
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Starnberger I, Maier PM, Hödl W, Preininger D. Multimodal Signal Testing Reveals Gestural Tapping Behavior in Spotted Reed Frogs. HERPETOLOGICA 2018; 74:127-134. [PMID: 30078848 DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-17-00053.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the majority of anuran species, acoustic signals are the dominant mode of inter- and intrasexual communication. Male calls are always accompanied by the movement of a more or less conspicuous vocal sac-a potential visual cue. Reed frogs possess a striking vocal sac with a colorful patch of gland tissue clearly visible once the vocal sac is inflated during acoustic signaling. To investigate the visual signal function of vocal sac and gular gland, we presented male Spotted Reed Frogs (Hyperolius puncticulatus) with unimodal and multimodal signal playbacks of conspecific rivals in their natural habitat and recorded their behavioral responses. We found no difference in receiver response to unimodal advertisement call stimuli and to multimodal stimulus presentations of calls combined with visual signals of an artificial vocal sac with or without a gular patch, moving synchronously or asynchronously with the call playback. The inflations of a vocal sac with a colorful gular patch did not alter receiver response and neither increase nor decrease signal salience during male-male communication. Interestingly, males frequently displayed a novel hind and front foot-tapping behavior in response to all playbacks. Comparison of male responses to advertisement and aggressive call playbacks showed that Spotted Reed Frogs approached the sound source less during aggressive call presentations. Tapping behavior was not influenced by either call playback. We suggest that the gestural tapping behavior might act as vibrational signal and discuss its potential signal function in male contests and courtship for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Starnberger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Philipp Martin Maier
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Walter Hödl
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
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38
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de Jong K, Amorim MCP, Fonseca PJ, Heubel KU. Noise Affects Multimodal Communication During Courtship in a Marine Fish. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Cummings ME, Endler JA. 25 Years of sensory drive: the evidence and its watery bias. Curr Zool 2018; 64:471-484. [PMID: 30108628 PMCID: PMC6084598 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been 25 years since the formalization of the Sensory Drive hypothesis was published in the American Naturalist (1992). Since then, there has been an explosion of research identifying its utility in contributing to our understanding of inter- and intra-specific variation in sensory systems and signaling properties. The main tenet of Sensory Drive is that environmental characteristics will influence the evolutionary trajectory of both sensory (detecting capabilities) and signaling (detectable features and behaviors) traits in predictable directions. We review the accumulating evidence in 154 studies addressing these questions and categorized their approach in terms of testing for environmental influence on sensory tuning, signal characteristics, or both. For the subset of studies that examined sensory tuning, there was greater support for Sensory Drive processes shaping visual than auditory tuning, and it was more prevalent in aquatic than terrestrial habitats. Terrestrial habitats and visual traits were the prevalent habitat and sensory modality in the 104 studies showing support for environmental influence on signaling properties. An additional 19 studies that found no supporting evidence for environmental influence on signaling traits were all based in terrestrial ecosystems and almost exclusively involved auditory signals. Only 29 studies examined the complete coevolutionary process between sensory and signaling traits and were dominated by fish visual communication. We discuss biophysical factors that may contribute to the visual and aquatic bias for Sensory Drive evidence, as well as biotic factors that may contribute to the lack of Sensory Drive processes in terrestrial acoustic signaling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Cummings
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - John A Endler
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
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40
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Iglesias PP, Soto EM, Soto IM, Colines B, Hasson E. The influence of developmental environment on courtship song in cactophilicDrosophila. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:957-967. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia P. Iglesias
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA); CONICET; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Eduardo M. Soto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA); CONICET; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Ignacio M. Soto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA); CONICET; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Betina Colines
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA); CONICET; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Esteban Hasson
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA); CONICET; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
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41
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Fang K, Zhang B, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Fang G. The first call note of the Anhui tree frog (Rhacophorus zhoukaiya) is acoustically suited for enabling individual recognition. BIOACOUSTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2017.1422805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Fang
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Baowei Zhang
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Steven E. Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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42
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Goutte S, Dubois A, Howard SD, Márquez R, Rowley JJL, Dehling JM, Grandcolas P, Xiong RC, Legendre F. How the environment shapes animal signals: a test of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in frogs. J Evol Biol 2017; 31:148-158. [PMID: 29150984 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Long-distance acoustic signals are widely used in animal communication systems and, in many cases, are essential for reproduction. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) implies that acoustic signals should be selected for further transmission and better content integrity under the acoustic constraints of the habitat in which they are produced. In this study, we test predictions derived from the AAH in frogs. Specifically, we focus on the difference between torrent frogs and frogs calling in less noisy habitats. Torrents produce sounds that can mask frog vocalizations and constitute a major acoustic constraint on call evolution. We combine data collected in the field, material from scientific collections and the literature for a total of 79 primarily Asian species, of the families Ranidae, Rhacophoridae, Dicroglossidae and Microhylidae. Using phylogenetic comparative methods and including morphological and environmental potential confounding factors, we investigate putatively adaptive call features in torrent frogs. We use broad habitat categories as well as fine-scale habitat measurements and test their correlation with six call characteristics. We find mixed support for the AAH. Spectral features of torrent frog calls are different from those of frogs calling in other habitats and are related to ambient noise levels, as predicted by the AAH. However, temporal call features do not seem to be shaped by the frogs' calling habitats. Our results underline both the complexity of call evolution and the need to consider multiple factors when investigating this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Goutte
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Sorbonne Universités, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - A Dubois
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Sorbonne Universités, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - S D Howard
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - R Márquez
- Fonoteca Zoológica, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - J J L Rowley
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J M Dehling
- Institut für Integrierte Naturwissenschaften, Abteilung Biologie, Universität Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
| | - P Grandcolas
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Sorbonne Universités, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - R C Xiong
- College of Biological Science and Technology, Liupanshui Normal University, Liupanshui, China
| | - F Legendre
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Sorbonne Universités, Paris Cedex 05, France
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43
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Schuppe ER, Fuxjager MJ. High‐speed displays encoding motor skill trigger elevated territorial aggression in downy woodpeckers. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Schuppe
- Department of Biology Wake Forest University Winston‐Salem NC USA
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44
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Grafe TU, Tony JA. Temporal variation in acoustic and visual signalling as a function of stream background noise in the Bornean foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.22261/jea.x74qe0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
High background noise can interfere with signal detection and perception. Bornean foot-flagging frogs,Staurois parvus, live along noisy streams and use both acoustic and visual signals to communicate. It remains unclear why acoustic signalling is retained given that visual signalling appears to have clear advantages under these noisy conditions. We hypothesized that temporal dynamics in stream noise have shaped the multimodal communication system inS. parvuswith acoustic signalling at an advantage under more quiet conditions, whereas visual signals will prevail when the noise of rushing water is high after rains. We found that as predicted, maleS. parvusincreased foot flagging and decreased advertisement calling when presented with playbacks of stream noise compared to less noisy pre-playback conditions. Such context-dependent dynamic-selection regimes are recently gaining wider attention and enhance our understanding of the flexibility seen in the use of multimodal signals inS. parvus.
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45
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Fuxjager MJ, Fusani L, Goller F, Trost L, Maat AT, Gahr M, Chiver I, Ligon RM, Chew J, Schlinger BA. Neuromuscular mechanisms of an elaborate wing display in the golden-collared manakin ( Manacus vitellinus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:4681-4688. [PMID: 29061685 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.167270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Many species perform elaborate physical displays to court mates and compete with rivals, but the biomechanical mechanisms underlying such behavior are poorly understood. We address this issue by studying the neuromuscular origins of display behavior in a small tropical passerine bird, the golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus). Males of this species court females by dancing around the forest floor and rapidly snapping their wings together above their back. Using radio-telemetry, we collected electromyographic (EMG) recordings from the three main muscles that control avian forelimb movement, and found how these different muscles are activated to generate various aspects of display behavior. The muscle that raises the wing (supracoracoideus, SC) and the primary muscle that retracts the wing (scapulohumeralis caudalis, SH) were activated during the wing-snap, whereas the pectoralis (PEC), the main wing depressor, was not. SC activation began before wing elevation commenced, with further activation occurring gradually. By contrast, SH activation was swift, starting soon after wing elevation and peaking shortly after the snap. The intensity of this SH activation was comparable to that which occurs during flapping, whereas the SC activation was much lower. Thus, light activation of the SC likely helps position the wings above the back, so that quick, robust SH activation can drive these appendages together to generate the firecracker-like snap sonation. This is one of the first looks at the neuromuscular mechanisms that underlie the actuation of a dynamic courtship display, and it demonstrates that even complex, whole-body display movements can be studied with transmitter-aided EMG techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Goller
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Lisa Trost
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany
| | - Andries Ter Maat
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany
| | - Ioana Chiver
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - R Miller Ligon
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Jennifer Chew
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Barney A Schlinger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
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46
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Insight into the neuroendocrine basis of signal evolution: a case study in foot-flagging frogs. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:61-70. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1218-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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47
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Miles MC, Cheng S, Fuxjager MJ. Biogeography predicts macro-evolutionary patterning of gestural display complexity in a passerine family. Evolution 2017; 71:1406-1416. [PMID: 28240772 PMCID: PMC5485165 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Gestural displays are incorporated into the signaling repertoire of numerous animal species. These displays range from complex signals that involve impressive and challenging maneuvers, to simpler displays or no gesture at all. The factors that drive this evolution remain largely unclear, and we therefore investigate this issue in New World blackbirds by testing how factors related to a species’ geographical distribution and social mating system predict macro‐evolutionary patterns of display elaboration. We report that species inhabiting temperate regions produce more complex displays than species living in tropical regions, and we attribute this to (i) ecological factors that increase the competitiveness of the social environment in temperate regions, and (ii) different evolutionary and geological contexts under which species in temperate and tropical regions evolved. Meanwhile, we find no evidence that social mating system predicts species differences in display complexity, which is consistent with the idea that gestural displays evolve independently of social mating system. Together, these results offer some of the first insight into the role played by geographic factors and evolutionary context in the evolution of the remarkable physical displays of birds and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith C Miles
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109
| | - Samantha Cheng
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109
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48
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Zhao L, Wang J, Yang Y, Zhu B, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Cui J. An exception to the matched filter hypothesis: A mismatch of male call frequency and female best hearing frequency in a torrent frog. Ecol Evol 2016; 7:419-428. [PMID: 28070304 PMCID: PMC5216676 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The matched filter hypothesis proposes that the tuning of auditory sensitivity and the spectral character of calls will match in order to maximize auditory processing efficiency during courtship. In this study, we analyzed the acoustic structure of male calls and both male and female hearing sensitivities in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis), an anuran species who transmits acoustic signals across streams. The results were in striking contradiction to the matched filter hypothesis. Auditory brainstem response results showed that the best hearing range was 1.6–2 kHz consistent with the best sensitive frequency of most terrestrial lentic taxa, yet completely mismatched with the dominant frequency of conspecific calls (4.3 kHz). Moreover, phonotaxis tests show that females strongly prefer high‐frequency (4.3 kHz) over low‐frequency calls (1.6 kHz) regardless of ambient noise levels, although peripheral auditory sensitivity is highest in the 1.6–2 kHz range. These results are consistent with the idea that A. torrentis evolved from nonstreamside species and that high‐frequency calls evolved under the pressure of stream noise. Our results also suggest that female preferences based on central auditory system characteristics may evolve independently of peripheral auditory system sensitivity in order to maximize communication effectiveness in noisy environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhui Zhao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Plant and Animal Ecology College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou Hainan China
| | - Yue Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Bicheng Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Steven E Brauth
- Department of Psychology University of Maryland College Park MD USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Sichuan China
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49
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Bell RD, Roberts JA. Trail-following behavior by males of the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz). J ETHOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-016-0486-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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50
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Hick KG, Doucet SM, Mennill DJ. Tropical wrens rely more on acoustic signals than visual signals for inter- and intraspecific discrimination. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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