To Become Senders, Songbirds Must be Receivers First
| Autor: | Carlos A. Rodríguez-Saltos |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Male
0106 biological sciences 0301 basic medicine Attractiveness media_common.quotation_subject Plant Science 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Songbirds Courtship 03 medical and health sciences Social experience Animals Learning Juvenile media_common Communication business.industry Social bond Attraction 030104 developmental biology Isolation (psychology) Female Animal Science and Zoology Vocalization Animal Psychology business |
| Zdroj: | Integrative and Comparative Biology. 57:910-919 |
| ISSN: | 1557-7023 1540-7063 |
| Popis: | Courtship signals are attractive; in other words, receivers are motivated to approach courtship signals. Though the concept of a receiver is commonly associated in the literature with that of a mate seeker, young songbirds that are learning to sing by imitating conspecifics are also receivers. Juvenile songbirds are attracted to conspecific songs, which has been shown by juveniles working to hear song in operant chambers. The mechanisms explaining this attraction are poorly understood. Here, I review studies that hint at the mechanisms by which conspecific song becomes attractive. In at least some species, juveniles imitate individuals with which they have a strong social bond, such as the father. Such cases suggest that social reward plays a role in the process of song becoming attractive. In addition, experiments using birds reared in isolation from conspecific song have shown that juveniles imitate songs that have acoustic features that are typically found in conspecific song. Those studies suggest that such features are attractive to juveniles regardless of their social experience. The relative contributions of social reward and species-typical acoustic features to the attractiveness of a song can be determined using methods such as operant conditioning. For example, juvenile songbirds can be given control over the playback of songs that differ in a given attribute, such as acoustic similarity to the song of the father. The juveniles will frequently elicit playback of the songs that are attractive to them. Investigating the mechanisms that contribute to the attractiveness of conspecific song to learners will broaden our understanding of the evolution of song as a courtship signal, because the preferences of learners may ultimately determine what will be sung to potential mates. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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