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Zanoli A, Raimondi T, De Gregorio C, Valente D, Carugati F, Torti V, Friard O, Miaretsoa L, Giacoma C, Gamba M. "The song remains the same": not really! Vocal flexibility in the song of the indris. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:2009-2021. [PMID: 37792125 PMCID: PMC10769932 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01826-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
In studying communicative signals, we can think of flexibility as a necessary correlate of creativity. Flexibility enables animals to find practical solutions and appropriate behaviors in mutable situations. In this study, we aimed to quantify the degree of flexibility in the songs of indris (Indri indri), the only singing lemur, using three different metrics: Jaro Distance, normalized diversity, and entropy. We hypothesized that the degree and the co-variation of the flexibility of indris singing together would vary according to their status and sex. We found that dominant females were more flexible than dominant males when concatenating elements into strings (element concatenation). The number of different elements in a song contribution normalized by the contribution length (contribution diversity) of dominant individuals positively co-varied for seven duetting pairs. Non-dominant individuals were more variable in element concatenation than dominant individuals, and they were more diverse in phrase type than dominant females. Independently from sex and status, individual contributions did not differ in entropy (a measure of the predictability of contributions). These results corroborate previous findings regarding the dimorphism by sex and by status of individual contributions to songs. Thus, they shed light on the presence and expression of flexibility in the behavior of a non-human primate species. Indeed, they potentially show an effect of social features in shaping vocal flexibility, which underlies many communication systems, including human language. We speculate that this degree of flexibility may account for creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zanoli
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy.
| | - Teresa Raimondi
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy.
| | - Chiara De Gregorio
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
- Parco Natura Viva Garda Zoological Park, Bussolengo, Verona, Italy
| | - Filippo Carugati
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
| | - Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
| | - Olivier Friard
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
| | - Longondraza Miaretsoa
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
- Groupe d'Étude et de Recherche Sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, Italy
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2
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Malone CL, Rieger NS, Spool JA, Payette A, Riters LV, Marler CA. Behavioral convergence in defense behaviors in pair bonded individuals correlates with neuroendocrine receptors in the medial amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114556. [PMID: 37356669 PMCID: PMC10644349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Monogamous, pair-bonded animals coordinate intra-pair behavior for spatially separated challenges including territorial defense and nest attendance. Paired California mice, a monogamous, territorial and biparental species, approach intruders together or separately, but often express behavioral convergence across intruder challenges. To gain a more systems-wide perspective of potential mechanisms contributing to behavioral convergence across two conspecific intruder challenges, we conducted an exploratory study correlating behavior and receptor mRNA (Days 10 and 17 post-pairing). We examined associations between convergence variability in pair time for intruder-oriented behaviors with a pair mRNA index for oxytocin (OXTR), androgen (AR), and estrogen alpha (ERα) receptors within the medial amygdala (MeA) and the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), brain regions associated with social behavior. An intruder behavior index revealed a bimodal distribution of intruder-related behaviors in Challenge 1 and a unimodal distribution in Challenge 2, suggesting population behavioral convergence, but no significant correlations with neuroendocrine measures. However, OXTR, AR, and ERα mRNA in the MeA were positively associated with convergence in individual intruder-related behaviors, suggesting multiple mechanisms may influence convergence. Mice could also occupy the nest during intruder challenges and convergence in nest attendance was positively correlated with MeA OXTR. At an individual level, nest attendance was positively associated with MeA ERα. Vocalizations were positively associated with AR and ERα mRNA. No positive associations were found in the AON. Overall, neuroendocrine receptors were implicated in convergence of a monogamous pair's defense behavior, highlighting the potential importance of the MeA as part of a circuit underlying convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice L Malone
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Nathaniel S Rieger
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Washington-Seattle, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeremy A Spool
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Alexis Payette
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
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Budka M, Uyeme JE, Osiejuk TS. Females occasionally create duets with males but they never sing solo-year-round singing behaviour in an Afrotropical songbird. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11405. [PMID: 37452177 PMCID: PMC10349113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38552-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of birdsong mainly comes from studies focused on male songs produced in a short breeding period, even though we know that sedentary species sing year-round, female song is quite widespread and many species sing collectively creating duets and choruses. In this study we focused on daily and seasonal changes in singing activity of an endemic, sedentary, duetting, Afrotropical songbird-the Bangwa forest warbler. We collected soundscape recordings in six recording locations and used singing activity index to examine how vocal activity of males and females varies daily and seasonally and how it correlates with the rainfall. We found that Bangwa forest warblers sing year-round, yet they do it more in wet than in dry season. The rapid increase of singing activity occurs after first rain, at the beginning of the rainy season. Males sing significantly more than females. Females never sing solo, however, in 13% of songs they create duets by joining male solos. The pattern of daily singing activity is sex-specific and seasonally variable, with two peaks (dawn and dusk) observed in males and only one in females (dawn). In Bangwa forest warbler male singing behaviour is similar to that of many songbirds, suggesting that territory defence and female attraction as main functions of singing. Females, which create duets and never sing solo may use songs in mate guarding, signalling commitment, resource defence or intersex territory defence. Duets observed year-round may suggest cooperative resource defence. Results of the study show that examining year-round singing behaviour is crucial to fully understand the evolution and functions of male and female songs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Budka
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - John Emenike Uyeme
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Tomasz Stanisław Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61614, Poznań, Poland
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4
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Savagian A, Riehl C. Group chorusing as an intragroup signal in the greater ani, a communally breeding bird. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Savagian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA
| | - Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA
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Vanderhoff EN, Bernal Hoverud N. Perspectives on Antiphonal Calling, Duetting and Counter-Singing in Non-primate Mammals: An Overview With Notes on the Coordinated Vocalizations of Bamboo Rats (Dactylomys spp., Rodentia: Echimyidae). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.906546] [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
Temporally coordinated interactive vocalizations are important means of communication between individuals in various animal taxa. In mammals, interactive calling and singing can be highly synchronized to create either overlapping or antiphonal duets while in others, competitors antagonistically vocalize, engaging in counter-singing. Among non-primate mammals these vocalizations are considered rare and poorly understood. We provide an overview of antiphonal calling, duetting and counter-singing in non-primate mammals. Many of these coordinated vocalizations play a role in social interactions and allow mammals to convey information to other members of the social unit in visually inaccessible environments. South American Bamboo rats Dactylomys spp. are arboreal bamboo specialists found in dense bamboo thickets in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia. These nocturnal rodents are rarely seen but can be easily heard because of their loud and distinctive staccato vocalizations. We provide some evidence that Bamboo rats engage in duetting, and as such they provide another case of a mammalian species, in which to investigate temporally coordinated interactive singing. We urge researchers to work toward common definitions of temporally coordinated vocalizations and to search for more mammals that utilize such vocalizations.
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Rodríguez-Saltos CA, Duque FG, Clarke JA. Precise and nonscalar timing of intervals in a bird vocalization. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Adret P. Developmental Plasticity in Primate Coordinated Song: Parallels and Divergences With Duetting Songbirds. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.862196] [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
Homeothermic animals (birds and mammals) are prime model systems for investigating the developmental plasticity and neural mechanisms of vocal duetting, a cooperative acoustic signal that prevails in family-living and pair-bonded species including humans. This review focuses on the nature of this trait and its nurturing during ontogeny and extending into adulthood. I begin by outlining the underpinning concepts of duet codes and pair-specific answering rules as used by birds to develop their learned coordinated song, driven by a complex interaction between self-generated and socially mediated auditory feedback. The more tractable avian model of duetting helps identify research gaps in singing primates that also use duetting as a type of intraspecific vocal interaction. Nevertheless, it has become clear that primate coordinated song—whether overlapping or antiphonal—is subject to some degree of vocal flexibility. This is reflected in the ability of lesser apes, titi monkeys, tarsiers, and lemurs to adjust the structure and timing of their calls through (1) social influence, (2) coordinated duetting both before and after mating, (3) the repair of vocal mistakes, (4) the production of heterosexual song early in life, (5) vocal accommodation in call rhythm, (6) conditioning, and (7) innovation. Furthermore, experimental work on the neural underpinnings of avian and mammalian antiphonal duets point to a hierarchical (cortico-subcortical) control mechanism that regulates, via inhibition, the temporal segregation of rapid vocal exchanges. I discuss some weaknesses in this growing field of research and highlight prospective avenues for future investigation.
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Williams H, Lachlan RF. Evidence for cumulative cultural evolution in bird song. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200322. [PMID: 34894731 PMCID: PMC8666912 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In studies of cumulative cultural evolution in non-human animals, the focus is most often on incremental changes that increase the efficacy of an existing form of socially learned behaviour, such as the refinement of migratory pathways. In this paper, we compare the songs of different species to describe patterns of evolution in the acoustic structure of bird songs, and explore the question of what building blocks might underlie cumulative cultural evolution of bird song using a comparative approach. We suggest that three steps occurred: first, imitation of independent sounds, or notes, via social learning; second, the formation of categories of note types; and third, assembling note types into sequences with defined structures. Simple sequences can then be repeated to form simple songs or concatenated with other sequences to form segmented songs, increasing complexity. Variant forms of both the notes and the sequencing rules may then arise due to copy errors and innovation. Some variants may become established in the population because of learning biases or selection, increasing signal efficiency, or because of cultural drift. Cumulative cultural evolution of bird songs thus arises from cognitive processes such as vocal imitation, categorization during memorization and learning biases applied to basic acoustic building blocks. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Williams
- Biology Department, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | - Robert F. Lachlan
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, London TW20 0EX, UK
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9
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De Gregorio C, Carugati F, Valente D, Raimondi T, Torti V, Miaretsoa L, Gamba M, Giacoma C. Notes on a tree: reframing the relevance of primate choruses, duets, and solo songs. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2015451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Gregorio
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
| | - Filippo Carugati
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
| | - Daria Valente
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
- Équipe de Neuro-Éthologie Sensorielle (ENES), Centre de Recherche En Neurosciences de Lyon 8 (CRNL), CNRL, INSERM, University of Lyon/Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Teresa Raimondi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
| | - Valeria Torti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
| | - Longondraza Miaretsoa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
| | - Marco Gamba
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino, Italia
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Moskát C, Hauber ME. Male common cuckoos use a three-note variant of their "cu-coo" call for duetting with conspecific females. Behav Processes 2021; 191:104472. [PMID: 34363910 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Duetting is a coordinated form of acoustic communication with participants uttering calls or songs simultaneously and/or sequentially. Duetting is often observed in pair-bonded species, with mated females and males both contributing to the communal vocal output. We observed duetting between the sexes in the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), an obligate brood parasitic species without known pair formation. Specifically, female cuckoos use their sex-specific bubbling calls for duetting, while male cuckoos use a 3-note variant ("cu-cu-coo") of their typical and well-known 2-note ("cu-coo") territorial advertisement calls. The maximum frequency of the elements in the male's 3-note variants was higher relative to the 2-note calls, while durations of both the elements and the inter-element intervals were shorter. The vast majority (95 %) of the 3-note calling was detected together with the bubbling call, implying an intersexual duetting function, with the female calls preceding these male calls in 67 % of cases. The two call types in duetting followed each other rapidly (mean response time of females was 1.30 ± 0.71 SD s, and 0.76 ± 0.53 SD s in males), and typically overlapped with each other (95 %). Frequently (90 %), the male call was repeated 2-3 times, whereas the female call was repeated less frequently (9%). Our results are consistent with a main function of duetting in intersexual communication and coordination between female and male cuckoos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Moskát
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group of the Eötvös Loránd Research Network, A Joint Research Group of the Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. st. 1/C, H‑1117 Budapest, Hungary and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Márk E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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11
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Mondémé C. Why study turn‐taking sequences in interspecies interactions? JOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jtsb.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Mondémé
- CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) École Normale Supérieure de Lyon Lyon France
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12
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Wheeldon A, Szymański P, Budka M, Osiejuk TS. Structure and functions of Yellow-breasted Boubou ( Laniarius atroflavus) solos and duets. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10214. [PMID: 33150091 PMCID: PMC7585374 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Birds have extremely well-developed acoustic communication and have become popular in bioacoustics research. The majority of studies on bird song have been conducted in the temperate zones where usually males of birds sing to attract females and defend territories. In over 360 bird species mostly inhabiting the tropics both males and females sing together in duets. Avian duets are usually formed when a male and female coordinate their songs. We focused on a species with relatively weakly coordinated duets, with male solo as the prevailing vocalisation type. Methods Instead of analysing a set of recordings spread over a long time, we analysed whole day microphone-array recordings of the Yellow-breasted Boubou (Laniarius atroflavus), a species endemic to West African montane rainforests. We described the structure of the solo and duet vocalisations and temporal characteristics of daily activity based on 5,934 vocal bouts of 18 focal pairs and their neighbours. Results Birds had small, sex specific repertoires. All males shared three types of loud whistles functioning as song type repertoires in both solos and duets. Females vocalised with five types of harsh, atonal notes with a more variable and usually lower amplitude. Three of them were produced both as solos and in duets, while two seem to function as alarm and excitement calls given almost exclusively as a solo. Solos were the most common vocalisation mode (75.4%), with males being more vocally active than females. Duets accounted for 24.6% of all vocalisations and in most cases were initiated by males (81%). The majority of duets were simple (85.1%) consisting of a single male and female song type, but altogether 38 unique duet combinations were described. Males usually initiated singing at dawn and for this used one particular song type more often than expected by chance. Male solo and duet activities peaked around dawn, while female solos were produced evenly throughout the day. Discussion Yellow-breasted Boubou is a duetting species in which males are much more vocal than females and duetting is not a dominating type of vocal activity. Duet structure, context and timing of daily production support the joint resource defence hypothesis and mate guarding/prevention hypotheses, however maintaining pair contact also seems to be important. This study provides for the first time the basic quantitative data describing calls, solos and duet songs in the Yellow-breasted Boubou.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amie Wheeldon
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Paweł Szymański
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Budka
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Tomasz S Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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Zhang YS, Ghazanfar AA. A Hierarchy of Autonomous Systems for Vocal Production. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:115-126. [PMID: 31955902 PMCID: PMC7213988 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Vocal production is hierarchical in the time domain. These hierarchies build upon biomechanical and neural dynamics across various timescales. We review studies in marmoset monkeys, songbirds, and other vertebrates. To organize these data in an accessible and across-species framework, we interpret the different timescales of vocal production as belonging to different levels of an autonomous systems hierarchy. The first level accounts for vocal acoustics produced on short timescales; subsequent levels account for longer timescales of vocal output. The hierarchy of autonomous systems that we put forth accounts for vocal patterning, sequence generation, dyadic interactions, and context dependence by sequentially incorporating central pattern generators, intrinsic drives, and sensory signals from the environment. We then show the framework's utility by providing an integrative explanation of infant vocal production learning in which social feedback modulates infant vocal acoustics through the tuning of a drive signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisi S Zhang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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14
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Diniz P, Rech GS, Ribeiro PHL, Webster MS, Macedo RH. Partners coordinate territorial defense against simulated intruders in a duetting ovenbird. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:81-92. [PMID: 31988718 PMCID: PMC6972807 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Duets in breeding pairs may reflect a situation of conflict, whereby an individual answers its partner's song as a form of unilateral acoustic mate guarding or, alternatively, it may reflect cooperation, when individuals share in territory defense or safeguard the partnership. The degree of coordination between the sexes when responding to solo versus paired intruders may elucidate the function of songs in duets. We examined this issue in a study with rufous horneros (Furnarius rufus), a duetting, socially monogamous Neotropical species with low levels of extrapair paternity. We exposed social pairs during the nonbreeding season to playbacks of duets, male solos, female solos, and control heterospecific songs. Partners approached all conspecific stimuli together and responded by singing quickly, at higher rates and by coordinating ~80% of their songs into duets. For both sexes, most response variables (seven of nine) did not vary across conspecific treatments. These results suggest that partners duet and coordinate behaviors to cooperatively defend common territories. However, females spent more time in territorial vigilance, and partners were highly coordinated (correlated responses) in response to duets and female solos in comparison with male solos. This indicates that female intrusions (paired or solo) might be more threatening than male intrusions in the nonbreeding season, especially for territorial females, and that females are less cooperative with their partners in territory defense against male intruders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Diniz
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em EcologiaUniversidade de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
- Departamento de ZoologiaLaboratório de Comportamento AnimalUniversidade de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Gianlucca S. Rech
- Departamento de ZoologiaLaboratório de Comportamento AnimalUniversidade de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Pedro H. L. Ribeiro
- Departamento de ZoologiaLaboratório de Comportamento AnimalUniversidade de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorCornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Regina H. Macedo
- Departamento de ZoologiaLaboratório de Comportamento AnimalUniversidade de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
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Soma M, Iwama M, Nakajima R, Endo R. Early-life lessons of the courtship dance in a dance-duetting songbird, the Java sparrow. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190563. [PMID: 31312504 PMCID: PMC6599803 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Vocal learners, such as songbirds, must practise singing in a developmentally sensitive period to master songs. Yet, knowledge remains limited about the development of visual displays in birds, even when courtship includes well-coordinated vocalizations (songs) and body motions. The Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora) is a species of songbird that exhibits a courtship duet dancing exchange between the sexes, with this behaviour driving mating success. In this study, juvenile male Java sparrows were observed in captivity, showing that they repeatedly practise the courtship dance in their early life. We called it 'practice', as juvenile birds frequently dance towards family members or other juveniles well before sexual maturation. Based on our observation that dance motor performance increased with age, we propose that the practice is needed for motor learning. In addition, it could also be important for establishing vocal-motional coordination or socialization. Older juveniles gradually became capable of singing and dancing simultaneously, and participated in duet dancing more often. We also found that repeated encounters with the same individual promote dance movement. Though our results do not show how much social experiences account for the development of dance communication, early-life dance practising might influence future reproductive success, like song practising does.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayo Soma
- Behavioral Neurobiology Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Midori Iwama
- Behavioral Neurobiology Group, Biosystems Science Course, The Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ryoko Nakajima
- Behavioral Neurobiology Group, Biosystems Science Course, The Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Rika Endo
- Behavioral Neurobiology Group, Biosystems Science Course, The Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Adret P, Dingess KA, Caselli CB, Vermeer J, Martínez JM, Luna Amancio JC, van Kuijk SM, Hernani Lineros LM, Wallace RB, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A. Duetting Patterns of Titi Monkeys (Primates, Pitheciidae: Callicebinae) and Relationships with Phylogeny. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:E178. [PMID: 30322178 PMCID: PMC6211037 DOI: 10.3390/ani8100178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range vocal communication in socially monogamous titi monkeys is mediated by the production of loud, advertising calls in the form of solos, duets, and choruses. We conducted a power spectral analysis of duets and choruses (simply "duets" hereafter) followed by linear discriminant analysis using three acoustic parameters-dominant frequency of the combined signal, duet sequence duration, and pant call rate-comparing the coordinated vocalizations recorded from 36 family groups at 18 sites in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Our analysis identified four distinct duetting patterns: (1) a donacophilus pattern, sensu largo, characteristic of P. donacophilus, P. pallescens, P. olallae, and P. modestus; (2) a moloch pattern comprising P. discolor, P. toppini, P. aureipalatii, and P. urubambensis; (3) a torquatus pattern exemplified by the duet of Cheracebus lucifer; and (4) the distinctive duet of P. oenanthe, a putative member of the donacophilus group, which is characterized by a mix of broadband and narrowband syllables, many of which are unique to this species. We also document a sex-related difference in the bellow-pant phrase combination among the three taxa sampled from the moloch lineage. Our data reveal a presumptive taxonomic incoherence illustrated by the distinctive loud calls of both P. urubambensis and P. oenanthe within the donacophilus lineage, sensu largo. The results are discussed in light of recent reassessments of the callicebine phylogeny, based on a suite of genetic studies, and the potential contribution of environmental influences, including habitat acoustics and social learning. A better knowledge of callicebine loud calls may also impact the conservation of critically endangered populations, such as the vocally distinctive Peruvian endemic, the San Martin titi, P. oenanthe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice Adret
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra 2489, Bolivia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lucero M Hernani Lineros
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra 2489, Bolivia.
- Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz 6042, Bolivia.
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Taking turns across channels: Conversation-analytic tools in animal communication. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:201-209. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Odom KJ, Logue DM, Studds CE, Monroe MK, Campbell SK, Omland KE. Duetting behavior varies with sex, season, and singing role in a tropical oriole (Icterus icterus). Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karan J Odom
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA,
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA,
| | - David M Logue
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada,
| | - Colin E Studds
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA,
| | - Michelle K Monroe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA,
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA, and
| | - Susanna K Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA,
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 North University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kevin E Omland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA,
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Odom KJ, Omland KE. Females and males respond more strongly to duets than to female solos: comparing the function of duet and solo singing in a tropical songbird (Icterus icterus). BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Both females and males of many animals possess elaborate displays, such as solo songs and duets of songbirds. We know little about the function of female song or what selects for duets. To examine their possible functions, we played female solos, duets and a heterospecific control to pairs of troupials (Icterus icterus). Both sexes responded strongly to duets by approaching the playback speaker significantly closer, faster, and more often compared to female solos or the control. Neither sex responded strongly to female solos; troupials approached closer, sang sooner, and duetted more following female solos than the control, but this difference was not significant. Our results indicate that troupial duets pose a greater threat than female solos and female troupial solos are not particularly threatening. Troupial duets may be especially threatening because they indicate the presence of a mated pair, which likely poses a greater territorial threat than lone, unmated birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan J. Odom
- aDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
- bCornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Kevin E. Omland
- aDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
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Rivera-Cáceres KD, Quirós-Guerrero E, Araya-Salas M, Searcy WA. Neotropical wrens learn new duet rules as adults. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20161819. [PMID: 27881746 PMCID: PMC5136587 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although song development in songbirds has been much studied as an analogue of language development in humans, the development of vocal interaction rules has been relatively neglected in both groups. Duetting avian species provide an ideal model to address the acquisition of interaction rules as duet structure involves time and pattern-specific relationships among the vocalizations from different individuals. In this study, we address the development of the most striking properties of duets: the specific answering rules that individuals use to link their own phrase types to those of their partners (duet codes) and precise temporal coordination. By performing two removal experiments in canebrake wrens (Cantorchilus zeledoni), we show that individuals use a fixed phrase repertoire to create new phrase pairings when they acquire a new partner. Furthermore, immediately after pairing, individuals perform duets with poor coordination and poor duet code adherence, but both aspects improve with time. These results indicate that individuals need a learning period to be able to perform well-coordinated duets that follow a consistent duet code. We conclude that both duet coordination and duet code adherence are honest indicators of pair-bond duration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marcelo Araya-Salas
- Laboratorio de Bioacústica, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Sede Rodrigo Facio, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - William A Searcy
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
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