Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals
Bird song is often cited as a classic example of a sexually-selected ornament, in part because historically it has been considered a primarily male trait. Recent evidence that females also sing in many songbird species and that sexual dimorphism in song is often the result of losses in females rathe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2015.00040/full |
| _version_ | 1818548909166821376 |
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| author | J. Jordan Price |
| author_facet | J. Jordan Price |
| author_sort | J. Jordan Price |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bird song is often cited as a classic example of a sexually-selected ornament, in part because historically it has been considered a primarily male trait. Recent evidence that females also sing in many songbird species and that sexual dimorphism in song is often the result of losses in females rather than gains in males therefore appears to challenge our understanding of the evolution of bird song through sexual selection. Here I propose that these new findings do not necessarily contradict previous research, but rather they disagree with some of our assumptions about the evolution of sexual dimorphisms in general and female song in particular. These include misconceptions that current patterns of elaboration and diversity in each sex reflect past rates of change and that levels of sexual dimorphism necessarily reflect levels of sexual selection. Using New World blackbirds (Icteridae) as an example, I critically evaluate these past assumptions in light of new phylogenetic evidence. Understanding the mechanisms underlying such sexually dimorphic traits requires a clear understanding of their evolutionary histories. Only then can we begin to ask the right questions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:26:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-286954c4cc074974ade9feadf9437ff8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:26:32Z |
| publishDate | 2015-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-286954c4cc074974ade9feadf9437ff82022-12-22T00:31:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2015-04-01310.3389/fevo.2015.00040136948Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signalsJ. Jordan Price0St. Mary's College of MarylandBird song is often cited as a classic example of a sexually-selected ornament, in part because historically it has been considered a primarily male trait. Recent evidence that females also sing in many songbird species and that sexual dimorphism in song is often the result of losses in females rather than gains in males therefore appears to challenge our understanding of the evolution of bird song through sexual selection. Here I propose that these new findings do not necessarily contradict previous research, but rather they disagree with some of our assumptions about the evolution of sexual dimorphisms in general and female song in particular. These include misconceptions that current patterns of elaboration and diversity in each sex reflect past rates of change and that levels of sexual dimorphism necessarily reflect levels of sexual selection. Using New World blackbirds (Icteridae) as an example, I critically evaluate these past assumptions in light of new phylogenetic evidence. Understanding the mechanisms underlying such sexually dimorphic traits requires a clear understanding of their evolutionary histories. Only then can we begin to ask the right questions.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2015.00040/fullphylogenySexual selectionsexual dimorphismsexual dichromatismancestralfemale song |
| spellingShingle | J. Jordan Price Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution phylogeny Sexual selection sexual dimorphism sexual dichromatism ancestral female song |
| title | Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals |
| title_full | Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals |
| title_fullStr | Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals |
| title_short | Rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals |
| title_sort | rethinking our assumptions about the evolution of bird song and other sexually dimorphic signals |
| topic | phylogeny Sexual selection sexual dimorphism sexual dichromatism ancestral female song |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2015.00040/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jjordanprice rethinkingourassumptionsabouttheevolutionofbirdsongandothersexuallydimorphicsignals |