Parent – environmental interactions shape acoustic signatures in tree swallows: a cross-fostering experiment.

Jacot, Alain; Reers, Hendrik; Leonard, Marty L.; Horn, Andrew G. (2014). Parent – environmental interactions shape acoustic signatures in tree swallows: a cross-fostering experiment. Journal of avian biology, 45(2), pp. 123-130. Munksgaard 10.1111/j.1600-048X.2013.00201.x

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Acoustic signatures are common components of avian vocalizations and are important for the recognition of individuals and groups. The proximate mechanisms by which these signatures develop are poorly understood, however. The development of acoustic signatures in nestling birds is of particular interest, because high rates of extra-pair paternity or egg dumping can cause nestlings to be unrelated to at least one of the adults that are caring for them. In such cases, nestlings might conceal their genetic origins, by developing acoustic signatures through environmental rather than genetic mechanisms. In a cross-fostering experiment with tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor, we investigated whether brood signatures of nestlings that were about to fledge were attributable to their genetic/maternal origins or to their rearing environment. We found that the calls of cross-fostered nestlings did not vary based on their genetic/maternal origin, but did show some variation based on their rearing environment. Control nestlings that were not swapped, however, showed stronger brood signatures than either experimental group, suggesting that acoustic signatures develop through an interaction between rearing environment and genetic/maternal effects.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE)
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE) > Conservation Biology

UniBE Contributor:

Jacot, Alain

Subjects:

500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
500 Science > 590 Animals (Zoology)

ISSN:

0908-8857

Publisher:

Munksgaard

Language:

English

Submitter:

Olivier Roth

Date Deposited:

30 Mar 2015 11:56

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:44

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/j.1600-048X.2013.00201.x

Web of Science ID:

000332394000002

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.65954

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/65954

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