Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers
Birdsong is regarded as a classic example of a sexually-selected trait and has been primarily studied in systems with male song. Complex solo female song is emerging from the shadows of overlooked phenomena. In males, rearing conditions affect male song complexity, and males with complex songs are o...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2016.00009/full |
| _version_ | 1819120088973836288 |
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| author | Christine eEvans Sonia eKleindorfer |
| author_facet | Christine eEvans Sonia eKleindorfer |
| author_sort | Christine eEvans |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Birdsong is regarded as a classic example of a sexually-selected trait and has been primarily studied in systems with male song. Complex solo female song is emerging from the shadows of overlooked phenomena. In males, rearing conditions affect male song complexity, and males with complex songs are often more successful at mate attraction and territorial defense. Little is known about the ontogeny or function of complex female song. Here we examine song elements in fledgling superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) in relation to the song elements of adult tutors. Male and female superb fairy-wrens produce solo song year-round to defend a territory. We ask if sons and daughters acquire song elements from sex-specific vocal tutors. We found that sons and daughters produced the song elements of their mothers and social fathers, and that sons and daughters had comparable song element repertoires at age 7-10 weeks. We conclude that sons and daughters increase their song element repertoire when vocally imitating elements from several vocal tutors, and that both sexes acquire elements from male and female vocal tutors in this system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T06:15:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7fc5192ac9d9491ab13188fb7381a481 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T06:15:07Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-7fc5192ac9d9491ab13188fb7381a4812022-12-21T18:36:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2016-02-01410.3389/fevo.2016.00009173878Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathersChristine eEvans0Sonia eKleindorfer1Flinders UniversityFlinders UniversityBirdsong is regarded as a classic example of a sexually-selected trait and has been primarily studied in systems with male song. Complex solo female song is emerging from the shadows of overlooked phenomena. In males, rearing conditions affect male song complexity, and males with complex songs are often more successful at mate attraction and territorial defense. Little is known about the ontogeny or function of complex female song. Here we examine song elements in fledgling superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) in relation to the song elements of adult tutors. Male and female superb fairy-wrens produce solo song year-round to defend a territory. We ask if sons and daughters acquire song elements from sex-specific vocal tutors. We found that sons and daughters produced the song elements of their mothers and social fathers, and that sons and daughters had comparable song element repertoires at age 7-10 weeks. We conclude that sons and daughters increase their song element repertoire when vocally imitating elements from several vocal tutors, and that both sexes acquire elements from male and female vocal tutors in this system.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2016.00009/fullbirdsongvocal learningfemale songSuperb fairy-wrenMaluridaevocal tutors |
| spellingShingle | Christine eEvans Sonia eKleindorfer Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution birdsong vocal learning female song Superb fairy-wren Maluridae vocal tutors |
| title | Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers |
| title_full | Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers |
| title_fullStr | Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers |
| title_short | Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers |
| title_sort | superb fairy wren malurus cyaneus sons and daughters acquire song elements of mothers and social fathers |
| topic | birdsong vocal learning female song Superb fairy-wren Maluridae vocal tutors |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2016.00009/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christineeevans superbfairywrenmaluruscyaneussonsanddaughtersacquiresongelementsofmothersandsocialfathers AT soniaekleindorfer superbfairywrenmaluruscyaneussonsanddaughtersacquiresongelementsofmothersandsocialfathers |