Cultural transmission of vocal traditions in cowbirds (Molothrus ater) influences courtship patterns and mate preferences.

Autor: Freeberg TM; Department of Biology, Indiana University, USA. freeberg@bilbo.bio.purdue.edu, King AP, West MJ
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983) [J Comp Psychol] 2001 Jun; Vol. 115 (2), pp. 201-11.
DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.115.2.201
Abstrakt: In this study, the authors tested the cultural transmission of vocal traditions in cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Young cowbirds from a South Dakota (SD) population were housed over winter with adults of the SD population or with adults from an Indiana (IN) population. Song differences between the original SD and IN adult models were acquired by South Dakota culture (SDC) and Indiana culture (INC) males, respectively, and were transmitted to a 2nd cultural generation of birds. During playback tests of SDC and INC songs, SD females gave more copulatory responses to SDC songs. Finally, males with SD-like songs courted SDC females preferentially in breeding season tests, whereas males with IN-like songs courted INC females preferentially. These results indicate that the transmission of vocal traditions plays a fundamental role in the courtship patterns and mating decisions of cowbirds.
Databáze: MEDLINE