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Hudson EJ, Creanza N. Modeling how population size drives the evolution of birdsong, a functional cultural trait. Evolution 2022; 76:1139-1152. [PMID: 35403212 PMCID: PMC9324838 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Oscine songbirds have been an important study system for social learning, particularly because their learned songs provide an analog for human languages and music. Here, we propose a different analogy: from an evolutionary perspective, could birds' songs change over time more like arrowheads than arias? Small improvements to a bird's song can lead to large fitness differences for its singer, which could make songs more analogous to human tools than languages. We modify a model of human tool evolution to accommodate cultural evolution of birdsong: each song learner chooses the most skilled available tutor to emulate, and each is more likely to produce an inferior copy than a superior one. Similar to human tool evolution, our model suggests that larger populations of birds could foster improvements in song over time, even when learners restrict their pool of tutors to a subset of individuals in their social network. We also demonstrate that song elements could be simplified instead of lost after population bottlenecks if lower quality traits are easier to imitate than higher quality ones. We show that these processes could plausibly generate empirically observed patterns of song evolution for some song traits, and we make predictions about the types of song elements most likely to be lost when populations shrink. More broadly, we aim to connect the modeling approaches used in human and nonhuman systems, moving toward a cohesive theoretical framework that accounts for both cognitive and demographic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Hudson
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennessee37240,Evolutionary Studies InitiativeVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennessee37240
| | - Nicole Creanza
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennessee37240,Evolutionary Studies InitiativeVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennessee37240
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2
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Gupta S, Alluri RK, Rose GJ, Bee MA. Neural basis of acoustic species recognition in a cryptic species complex. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb243405. [PMID: 34796902 PMCID: PMC10658901 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sexual traits that promote species recognition are important drivers of reproductive isolation, especially among closely related species. Identifying neural processes that shape species differences in recognition is crucial for understanding the causal mechanisms of reproductive isolation. Temporal patterns are salient features of sexual signals that are widely used in species recognition by several taxa, including anurans. Recent advances in our understanding of temporal processing by the anuran auditory system provide an opportunity to investigate the neural basis of species-specific recognition. The anuran inferior colliculus consists of neurons that are selective for temporal features of calls. Of potential relevance are auditory neurons known as interval-counting neurons (ICNs) that are often selective for the pulse rate of conspecific advertisement calls. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ICNs mediate acoustic species recognition by exploiting the known differences in temporal selectivity in two cryptic species of gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis and Hyla versicolor). We examined the extent to which the threshold number of pulses required to elicit behavioral responses from females and neural responses from ICNs was similar within each species but potentially different between the two species. In support of our hypothesis, we found that a species difference in behavioral pulse number thresholds closely matched the species difference in neural pulse number thresholds. However, this relationship held only for ICNs that exhibited band-pass tuning for conspecific pulse rates. Together, these findings suggest that differences in temporal processing of a subset of ICNs provide a mechanistic explanation for reproductive isolation between two cryptic treefrog species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Gupta
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St Paul, MN 55126, USA
| | - Rishi K. Alluri
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gary J. Rose
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St Paul, MN 55126, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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3
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Schield DR, Scordato ESC, Smith CCR, Carter JK, Cherkaoui SI, Gombobaatar S, Hajib S, Hanane S, Hund AK, Koyama K, Liang W, Liu Y, Magri N, Rubtsov A, Sheta B, Turbek SP, Wilkins MR, Yu L, Safran RJ. Sex-linked genetic diversity and differentiation in a globally distributed avian species complex. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2313-2332. [PMID: 33720472 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes often bear distinct patterns of genetic variation due to unique patterns of inheritance and demography. The processes of mutation, recombination, genetic drift and selection also influence rates of evolution on sex chromosomes differently than autosomes. Measuring such differences provides information about how these processes shape genomic variation and their roles in the origin of species. To test hypotheses and predictions about patterns of autosomal and sex-linked genomic diversity and differentiation, we measured population genetic statistics within and between populations and subspecies of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) and performed explicit comparisons between autosomal and Z-linked genomic regions. We first tested for evidence of low Z-linked genetic diversity and high Z-linked population differentiation relative to autosomes, then for evidence that the Z chromosome bears greater ancestry information due to faster lineage sorting. Finally, we investigated geographical clines across hybrid zones for evidence that the Z chromosome is resistant to introgression due to selection against hybrids. We found evidence that the barn swallow mating system, demographic history and linked selection each contribute to low Z-linked diversity and high Z-linked differentiation. While incomplete lineage sorting is rampant across the genome, our results indicate faster sorting of ancestral polymorphism on the Z. Finally, hybrid zone analyses indicate barriers to introgression on the Z chromosome, suggesting that sex-linked traits are important in reproductive isolation, especially in migratory divide regions. Our study highlights how selection, gene flow and demography shape sex-linked genetic diversity and underlines the relevance of the Z chromosome in speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Chris C R Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Javan K Carter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Sidi Imad Cherkaoui
- Ecole Supérieure de Technologie de Khénifra, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Béni-Mellal, Morocco
| | - Sundev Gombobaatar
- National University of Mongolia and Mongolian Ornithological Society, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Said Hajib
- Water and Forests Department, Forest Research Center, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
| | - Saad Hanane
- Water and Forests Department, Forest Research Center, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
| | - Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Najib Magri
- Water and Forests Department, Forest Research Center, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
| | | | - Basma Sheta
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta City, Egypt
| | - Sheela P Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Matthew R Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Liu Yu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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4
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Hebets EA, Bern M, McGinley RH, Roberts A, Kershenbaum A, Starrett J, Bond JE. Sister species diverge in modality-specific courtship signal form and function. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:852-871. [PMID: 33520171 PMCID: PMC7820158 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relative importance of different sources of selection (e.g., the environment, social/sexual selection) on the divergence or convergence of reproductive communication can shed light on the origin, maintenance, or even disappearance of species boundaries. Using a multistep approach, we tested the hypothesis that two presumed sister species of wolf spider with overlapping ranges and microhabitat use, yet differing degrees of sexual dimorphism, have diverged in their reliance on modality-specific courtship signaling. We predicted that male Schizocosa crassipalpata (no ornamentation) rely predominantly on diet-dependent vibratory signaling for mating success. In contrast, we predicted that male S. bilineata (black foreleg brushes) rely on diet-dependent visual signaling. We first tested and corroborated the sister-species relationship between S. crassipalpata and S. bilineata using phylogenomic scale data. Next, we tested for species-specific, diet-dependent vibratory and visual signaling by manipulating subadult diet and subsequently quantifying adult morphology and mature male courtship signals. As predicted, vibratory signal form was diet-dependent in S. crassipalpata, while visual ornamentation (brush area) was diet-dependent in S. bilineata. We then compared the species-specific reliance on vibratory and visual signaling by recording mating across artificially manipulated signaling environments (presence/absence of each modality in a 2 × 2 full factorial design). In accordance with our diet dependence results for S. crassipalpata, the presence of vibratory signaling was important for mating success. In contrast, the light and vibratory environment interacted to influence mating success in S. bilineata, with vibratory signaling being important only in the absence of light. We found no differences in overall activity patterns. Given that these species overlap in much of their range and microhabitat use, we suggest that competition for signaling space may have led to the divergence and differential use of sensory modalities between these sister species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitch Bern
- University of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNEUSA
| | | | - Andy Roberts
- The Ohio State University at Newark CampusNewarkOHUSA
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5
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Garcia M, Theunissen F, Sèbe F, Clavel J, Ravignani A, Marin-Cudraz T, Fuchs J, Mathevon N. Evolution of communication signals and information during species radiation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4970. [PMID: 33009414 PMCID: PMC7532446 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18772-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Communicating species identity is a key component of many animal signals. However, whether selection for species recognition systematically increases signal diversity during clade radiation remains debated. Here we show that in woodpecker drumming, a rhythmic signal used during mating and territorial defense, the amount of species identity information encoded remained stable during woodpeckers’ radiation. Acoustic analyses and evolutionary reconstructions show interchange among six main drumming types despite strong phylogenetic contingencies, suggesting evolutionary tinkering of drumming structure within a constrained acoustic space. Playback experiments and quantification of species discriminability demonstrate sufficient signal differentiation to support species recognition in local communities. Finally, we only find character displacement in the rare cases where sympatric species are also closely related. Overall, our results illustrate how historical contingencies and ecological interactions can promote conservatism in signals during a clade radiation without impairing the effectiveness of information transfer relevant to inter-specific discrimination. Animal signals often encode information on the emitter’s species identity. Using woodpecker drumming as a model, here the authors show that limited signal divergence during a clade radiation does not impair species discrimination, as long as the signals are adapted to local ecological requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Garcia
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, CNRS, INSERM, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France. .,Animal Behaviour, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Frédéric Theunissen
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA.,Department of Psychology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Frédéric Sèbe
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, CNRS, INSERM, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Julien Clavel
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France.,University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Thibaut Marin-Cudraz
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, CNRS, INSERM, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Jérôme Fuchs
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité ISYEB, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, CNRS, INSERM, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France. .,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
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6
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Wilkins MR, Odom KJ, Benedict L, Safran RJ. Analysis of female song provides insight into the evolution of sex differences in a widely studied songbird. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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7
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Geographically well-distributed citizen science data reveals range-wide variation in the chipping sparrow's simple song. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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8
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Kirschel ANG, Nwankwo EC, Seal N, Grether GF. Time spent together and time spent apart affect song, feather colour and range overlap in tinkerbirds. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Most studies on the processes driving evolutionary diversification highlight the importance of genetic drift in geographical isolation and natural selection across ecological gradients. Direct interactions among related species have received much less attention, but they can lead to character displacement, with recent research identifying patterns of displacement attributed to either ecological or reproductive processes. Together, these processes could explain complex, trait-specific patterns of diversification. Few studies, however, have examined the possible effects of these processes together or compared the divergence in multiple traits between interacting species among contact zones. Here, we show how traits of two Pogoniulus tinkerbird species vary among regions across sub-Saharan Africa. However, in addition to variation between regions consistent with divergence in refugial isolation, both song and morphology diverge between the species where they coexist. In West Africa, where the species are more similar in plumage, there is possible competitive or reproductive exclusion. In Central and East Africa, patterns of variation are consistent with agonistic character displacement. Molecular analyses support the hypothesis that differences in the age of interaction among regions can explain why species have evolved phenotypic differences and coexist in some regions but not others. Our findings suggest that competitive interactions between species and the time spent interacting, in addition to the time spent in refugial isolation, play important roles in explaining patterns of species diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N G Kirschel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel C Nwankwo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nadya Seal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gregory F Grether
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Demko AD, Sosa-López JR, Mennill DJ. Subspecies discrimination on the basis of acoustic signals: a playback experiment in a Neotropical songbird. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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