| Deciphering information encoded in birdsong: male songbirds with fertile mates respond most strongly to complex, low-amplitude songs used in courtship. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21956026 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Abstract Research on the function of acoustic signals has focused on high-amplitude long-range songs (LRS) and largely ignored low-amplitude songs produced by many species during close-proximity, conspecific interactions. Low-amplitude songs can be structurally identical to LRS (soft LRS), or they can be widely divergent, sharing few spectral and temporal attributes with LRS (short-range song [SRS]). SRS is often more complex than LRS and is frequently sung by males during courtship. To assess function, we performed two playback experiments on males of a socially monogamous songbird. We compared responses of males whose mates were fertile or nonfertile with differences in song structure (SRS vs. LRS and soft LRS), amplitude (SRS and soft LRS vs. LRS), and tempo (slow SRS vs. fast SRS). Males responded more strongly to SRS than to LRS or soft LRS, indicating that song structure had a greater effect on response than song amplitude. SRS tempo did not detectably affect male response. Importantly, males responded more strongly to SRS when their mates were fertile, presumably because hearing SRS can indicate that a male's mate is being courted by an intruding male and a strong response can deter extrapair competitors. We conclude that low-amplitude songs can function in both inter- and intrasexual communication and should receive greater attention in future studies of mate choice and male-male competition. |
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Authors:
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Dustin G Reichard; Rebecca J Rice; Carla C Vanderbilt; Ellen D Ketterson |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article Date: 2011-08-15 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The American naturalist Volume: 178 ISSN: 1537-5323 ISO Abbreviation: Am. Nat. Publication Date: 2011 Oct |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-09-29 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 2984688R Medline TA: Am Nat Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 478-87 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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