![]() 2015), and specifically are a textbook model for the physiology, neurobiology and genetics of the song system ( Haesler et al. 2015), long term effects of early developmental stress ( Spencer et al. Zebra finches have been key in studies on mate choice ( Slater et al. One of the main model bird species is the Australian zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata castanotis), providing the primary avian model organism in laboratory studies world-wide ( Griffith and Buchanan 2010 Griffith et al. The most studied functions of birdsong are mate attraction and territory advertisement, yet song can also have more subtle functions affecting daily behavioral routines and decisions among pair members, the wider neighborhood, and socially relevant individuals in groups ( Snijders and Naguib 2017). This is indeed crucial when assessing which parts of the information emitted by a signaler can be picked up from attenuated and degraded signals after transmission through the environment.Īmong animal signals, vocalizations, and specifically birdsong and calls are among the best-studied communication systems, and insights from birdsong have fundamentally shaped the broader view on the evolution of animal communication ( Searcy and Nowicki 2005). Yet although the active space of a signal is often determined by its amplitude or conspicuousness and the transmission constraints of the physical environment, eventually the sensory and perceptual ability and acuity of the receiver ( Wiley and Richards 1978 Naguib and Wiley 2001 Lohr et al. ![]() 2012), or by seeking display sites that maximize contrast and visibility ( Endler and Théry 1996 Uy and Endler 2004). Some animals maximize their conspicuousness by using elevated display posts, as used for long distance vocalizations ( Sprau et al. Indeed, the active space of a signal ( Brenowitz 1982), the distance over which a signal can function, is key in unraveling the function of a signal, as the signal structure and its information at the distance at which a receiver responds pose a primary selection pressure ( Gerhardt 1994). A key factor for a signal to function is that its coded information reaches the intended receiver. As a consequence, animals produce a striking diversity in signals, from very subtle short-range signals to conspicuous far-ranging displays like many acoustic and visual advertisement signals, adapted to function in the environment in which they have evolved ( Brumm and Naguib 2009). ![]() These integrated findings provide an ecological context for the interpretation of laboratory studies of this species and indicate that the vocal communication distance of the main laboratory species for avian acoustics contrasts strikingly with songbirds that use their song as a long-range advertisement signal.Īnimal communication plays an integral role in life history events, such as finding a partner, defending a territory, or warning for predators ( Searcy and Nowicki 2005 Bradbury and Vehrenkamp 2011). By integrating calibrated sound recordings, sound transmission experiments and social ecology of zebra finches in the wild with insights from hearing physiology we show that wild zebra finch song is a very short-range signal with an audible range of about nine meters and that even the louder distance calls do not carry much farther (up to about fourteen meters). Using data from the wild, we here provide an ecological context for a wealth of laboratory studies. In the wild, however, zebra finch song differs strikingly from songbirds commonly studied in the wild as zebra finch males sing most after mating and in the absence of territoriality. ![]() Among birds, the zebra finch is the prime model organism in bioacoustics, yet almost exclusively studied in the lab. Birdsong is typically seen as a long-range signal functioning in mate attraction and territory defense. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |