Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin
Abstract One of the most studied aspects of animal communication is the acoustic repertoire difference between populations of the same species. While numerous studies have investigated the variability of bottlenose dolphin whistles between populations, very few studies have focused on the signature...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10920-7 |
| _version_ | 1818206666077765632 |
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| author | Gabriella La Manna Nikolina Rako-Gospić Daniela Silvia Pace Silvia Bonizzoni Lucia Di Iorio Lauren Polimeno Francesco Perretti Fabio Ronchetti Giancarlo Giacomini Gianni Pavan Giulia Pedrazzi Helena Labach Giulia Ceccherelli |
| author_facet | Gabriella La Manna Nikolina Rako-Gospić Daniela Silvia Pace Silvia Bonizzoni Lucia Di Iorio Lauren Polimeno Francesco Perretti Fabio Ronchetti Giancarlo Giacomini Gianni Pavan Giulia Pedrazzi Helena Labach Giulia Ceccherelli |
| author_sort | Gabriella La Manna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract One of the most studied aspects of animal communication is the acoustic repertoire difference between populations of the same species. While numerous studies have investigated the variability of bottlenose dolphin whistles between populations, very few studies have focused on the signature whistles alone and the factors underlying differentiation of signature whistles are still poorly understood. Here we describe the signature whistles produced by six distinct geographical units of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea and identify the main determinants of their variability. Particularly, the influence of the region (proxy of genetic distance), the geographic site, and the environmental (sea bottom-related) and demographical (population-related) conditions on the acoustic structure of signature whistles was evaluated. The study provides the first evidence that the genetic structure, which distinguishes the eastern and western Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin populations has no strong influence on the acoustic structure of their signature whistles, and that the geographical isolation between populations only partially affected whistle variability. The environmental conditions of the areas where the whistles developed and the demographic characteristics of the belonging populations strongly influenced signature whistles, in accordance with the “acoustic adaptation hypothesis” and the theory of signature whistle determination mediated by learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:16:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ef46b248c3a94c518752159995e21d2c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:16:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-ef46b248c3a94c518752159995e21d2c2022-12-22T00:38:27ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-05-0112111610.1038/s41598-022-10920-7Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphinGabriella La Manna0Nikolina Rako-Gospić1Daniela Silvia Pace2Silvia Bonizzoni3Lucia Di Iorio4Lauren Polimeno5Francesco Perretti6Fabio Ronchetti7Giancarlo Giacomini8Gianni Pavan9Giulia Pedrazzi10Helena Labach11Giulia Ceccherelli12Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di SassariBlue World Institute of Marine Research and ConservationDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of RomeDolphin Biology and ConservationCNRS Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, UMR 5110, Université de Perpignan Via DomitiaMareTerra Onlus - Environmental Research and ConservationMareTerra Onlus - Environmental Research and ConservationMareTerra Onlus - Environmental Research and ConservationDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of RomeDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CIBRA, University of PaviaDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of RomeMIRACETI, Place des Traceurs de PierresDipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di SassariAbstract One of the most studied aspects of animal communication is the acoustic repertoire difference between populations of the same species. While numerous studies have investigated the variability of bottlenose dolphin whistles between populations, very few studies have focused on the signature whistles alone and the factors underlying differentiation of signature whistles are still poorly understood. Here we describe the signature whistles produced by six distinct geographical units of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea and identify the main determinants of their variability. Particularly, the influence of the region (proxy of genetic distance), the geographic site, and the environmental (sea bottom-related) and demographical (population-related) conditions on the acoustic structure of signature whistles was evaluated. The study provides the first evidence that the genetic structure, which distinguishes the eastern and western Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin populations has no strong influence on the acoustic structure of their signature whistles, and that the geographical isolation between populations only partially affected whistle variability. The environmental conditions of the areas where the whistles developed and the demographic characteristics of the belonging populations strongly influenced signature whistles, in accordance with the “acoustic adaptation hypothesis” and the theory of signature whistle determination mediated by learning.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10920-7 |
| spellingShingle | Gabriella La Manna Nikolina Rako-Gospić Daniela Silvia Pace Silvia Bonizzoni Lucia Di Iorio Lauren Polimeno Francesco Perretti Fabio Ronchetti Giancarlo Giacomini Gianni Pavan Giulia Pedrazzi Helena Labach Giulia Ceccherelli Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin Scientific Reports |
| title | Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin |
| title_full | Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin |
| title_fullStr | Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin |
| title_short | Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin |
| title_sort | determinants of variability in signature whistles of the mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10920-7 |
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