The Relationship between Habitat and Song in the White-Throated Sparrow

Wasserman, Fred E.

doi:10.2307/1366974

Cited by 38 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Many studies on various species of birds have shown evidence for such intraspecific divergence correlated with the acoustic properties of the habitat (e.g. rufous-collared sparrow: Nottebohm (1975), Handford (1981Handford ( , 1988, Handford & Lougheed (1991), Tubaro et al (1993); white-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis: Wasserman (1979), Waas (1988); great tit, Parus major: Hunter & Krebs (1979); Carolina wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus: Gish & Morton (1981) dinalis: Anderson & Conner (1985); song sparrow: Shy & Morton (1986); rufous-browed peppershrike, Cyclarhis gujanensis: Tubaro & Segura (1995); greenisch warbler, Phylloscopus trochiloides: Irwin (2000); blue tit, Parus caeruleus: , ; little greenbul, Andropadus virens: ; but see Payne 1978;Williams & Slater 1992;Date & Lemon 1993;Doutrelant et al 1999;Naguib et al 2001). Furthermore, some interspecific studies have found evidence suggesting that closely related species have also diverged acoustically in a way that corresponds to the transmission properties of their respective habitats (Acrocephalus warblers: Jilka & Leisler (1974), Heuwinkel (1982); Sylvia warblers: Bergmann (1978); and Darwin's finches: Bowman (1979Bowman ( , 1983).…”

Section: The Role Of Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bird song, ecology and speciation

Slabbekoorn

Smith

2002

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B

485

413

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The study of bird song dialects was once considered the most promising approach for investigating the role of behaviour in reproductive divergence and speciation. However, after a series of studies yielding conflicting results, research in the field slowed significantly. Recent findings, on how ecological factors may lead to divergence in both song and morphology, necessitate a re-examination. We focus primarily on species with learned song, examine conflicting results in the literature and propose some potential new directions for future studies. We believe an integrative approach, including an examination of the role of ecology in divergent selection, is essential for gaining insight into the role of song in the evolution of assortative mating. Habitat-dependent selection on both song and fitness-related characteristics can lead to parallel divergence in these traits. Song may, therefore, provide females with acoustic cues to find males that are most fit for a particular habitat. In analysing the role of song learning in reproductive divergence, we focus on post-dispersal plasticity in a conceptual framework. We argue that song learning may initially constrain reproductive divergence, while in the later stages of population divergence it may promote speciation.

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Section: The Role Of Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bird song, ecology and speciation

Slabbekoorn

Smith

2002

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B

485

413

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“…The best support has come from large-scale studies focusing on broad categories of habitat (e.g., dense forest vs open) for either a variety of species or a single oscine songbird found in a variety of habitats (Chapuis 1971;Morton 1975;Nottebohm 1975;Wasserman 1979;Ryan and Brenowitz 1985;Sorjonen 1986;Handford 1988;Wiley 1991;Tubaro and Segura 1994;Van Buskirk 1997). Studies that have focused on fewer species or tried to explain microstructural differences in long-distance signals have not consistently supported the AAH (Lemon et al 1981;Rothstein and Fleischer 1987;Smith and Yu 1992;Date and Lemon 1993;Williams and Slater 1993;Fotheringham et al 1997;Daniel and Blumstein 1998;Naguib and Wiley 2001; but see Doutrelant and Lambrechts 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can the acoustic adaptation hypothesis predict the structure of Australian birdsong?

Blumstein

Turner

2005

acta ethol

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The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) predicts that long-distance signals will be structured so as to maximize their transmission fidelity. Previous studies testing the hypothesis on birdsong have provided equivocal support. The best support comes from large-scale comparative studies and those studies where habitat is characterized as "open" versus "densely vegetated." In the first case, sufficient statistical power is present to detect even small effects on song structure, whereas in the later case the "effect size" of the habitat may be sufficiently large. Most studies have focused on Holarctic or Neotropical species, which may ultimately share a common evolutionary history. In this study, Australian birds were chosen for a phylogenetically independent test of key predictions of the AAH. Specifically, birds in open habitats were predicted to sing songs with higher frequencies, greater bandwidth, have a greater probability of having overtones, and be emitted at a quicker rate than birds inhabiting densely forested habitats. Acoustic measurements were made on commercially available recordings of 121 species of Australian birds from 41 different families. Analyses controlled for variation explained by body mass (using ANCOVA), and phylogeny (using genus pairs analyses). We found only modest support for the AAH. Our finding that birds in open habitats produced higher frequency vocalizations and greater bandwidth vocalizations is also consistent with hypotheses about signal structure facilitating auditory distance assessment. Forest birds may therefore rely on cues other than frequency-dependent attenuation for ranging.

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“…The idea that characteristics of vocal signals have evolved a form acting to counter ecological impediments to communication has received increasing attention over the past 2 decades. Although most investigators have addressed questions pertinent to the structure of bird song (Morton 1970(Morton , 1975Chappuis 1971;Jilka and Leisler 1974;Nottebohm 1975;Bowman 1979;Hunter and Krebs 1979;Wasserman 1979; Gish and Morton 1981;Brenowitz 1982;Heuwinkel 1982;Wiley and Richards 1982;Shy 1983; Co sen and Falls 1984;McGregor and Falls 1984;McGregor and Krebs 1984;Ryan and Brenowitz 1985) Selection may shape not only signal form (where more reliable or longer-distance transmission of information is advantageous), but also perceptual capabilities (where more complete or accurate reception of information is beneficial). In addition, selection may shape other aspects of communicative behavior, such as the timing of vocalizations or the choice of broadcast sites.…”

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confidence: 99%

Environmental Influences on the Structure of Primate Vocalizations

Brown

Waser

1988

Primate Vocal Communication

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Under natural conditions vocal signals are embedded in background noises, and are degraded by the action of diffraction, reflection, frequency-dependent absorption, and refraction. A fuller appreciation of the evolution of communication systems may be achieved by developing an understanding of the impediments to communication which occur in the natural environment, and investigating possible adaptations in the structure of either productive and receptive systems which may act to counter these impediments. The idea that characteristics of vocal signals have evolved a form acting to counter ecological impediments to communication has received increasing attention over the past 2 decades. Although most investigators have addressed questions pertinent to the structure of bird song (Morton 1970(Morton , 1975Chappuis 1971;Jilka and Leisler 1974;Nottebohm 1975;Bowman 1979;Hunter and Krebs 1979;Wasserman 1979; Gish and Morton 1981;Brenowitz 1982;Heuwinkel 1982;Wiley and Richards 1982;Shy 1983; Co sen and Falls 1984;McGregor and Falls 1984;McGregor and Krebs 1984;Ryan and Brenowitz 1985) Selection may shape not only signal form (where more reliable or longer-distance transmission of information is advantageous), but also perceptual capabilities (where more complete or accurate reception of information is beneficial). In addition, selection may shape other aspects of communicative behavior, such as the timing of vocalizations or the choice of broadcast sites. In this chapter we briefly review some examples of possible environmental effects on perceptual capabilities and calling behavior; we then summarize the results of our studies on the acoustic ecology of equatorial African primate habitats, and fmally describe in more detail our ongoing work focused on how habitat acoustics influence the fidelity of calls broadcast in natural environments.1 Habitat Effects on Perceptual Abilities and Calling Behavior Brown and P.M. Waser (1984) found that arboreal, forest-living blue monkeys are up to 20 dB more sensitive to low-frequency sounds (signals 500 Hz and lower) than are semiterrestrial, more open-country rhesus monkeys. This difference in sensitivity paral-

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The Relationship between Habitat and Song in the White-Throated Sparrow

Cited by 38 publications

References 0 publications

Bird song, ecology and speciation

Bird song, ecology and speciation

Can the acoustic adaptation hypothesis predict the structure of Australian birdsong?

Environmental Influences on the Structure of Primate Vocalizations

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