Dataset Information

Tap dancers in the wild: field observations of multimodal courtship displays in socially monogamous songbirds.

ABSTRACT: Multimodal signaling systems are shaped not only by a signaler's physical abilities but also by external factors such as the position of signal receivers and the properties of the medium through which the signals are transmitted. To fully understand the evolution and function of multimodal communication, it is essential to investigate the behavior in the wild. Here, I present evidence that socially monogamous songbirds perform complex courtship displays that can produce multimodal and multicomponent signals in wild conditions. Cordon-bleus (Uraeginthus spp.) are socially monogamous songbirds from East Africa. Both sexes of cordon-bleus perform multimodal courtship displays by holding a piece of nest material, bobbing up and down, and singing. My previous laboratory study using high-speed video cameras revealed that courtship bobbing includes multiple rapid steps similar to human tap-dancing, which presumably contributes to producing non-vocal sounds and/or vibrations in addition to visual signals. As a result of field observation and behavioral analysis, I found that wild cordon-bleus perform tap-dance like displays just as captive cordon-bleus. I also observed that wild cordon-bleus produced non-vocal sounds and shook branches during courtship, which can contribute to multimodal signal production (i.e., visual, acoustic, and vibrational signals). My findings imply that the courtship displays of cordon-bleus are an ideal candidate for investigating the role and function of multimodal communication in animals, and demonstrate the importance of further quantitative studies in both laboratory and field.

SUBMITTER: Ota N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7369261 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Tap dancers in the wild: field observations of multimodal courtship displays in socially monogamous songbirds.

Ota Nao N

Die Naturwissenschaften 20200719 4

Multimodal signaling systems are shaped not only by a signaler's physical abilities but also by external factors such as the position of signal receivers and the properties of the medium through which the signals are transmitted. To fully understand the evolution and function of multimodal communication, it is essential to investigate the behavior in the wild. Here, I present evidence that socially monogamous songbirds perform complex courtship displays that can produce multimodal and multicompo ...[more]

PMID: 32686019

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Project description:Female mate choice is thought to be responsible for the evolution of many extravagant male ornaments and displays, but the costs of being too selective may hinder the evolution of choosiness. Selection against choosiness may be particularly strong in socially monogamous mating systems, because females may end up without a partner and forego reproduction, especially when many females prefer the same few partners (frequency-dependent selection). Here, we quantify the fitness costs of having mating preferences that are difficult to satisfy, by manipulating the availability of preferred males. We capitalize on the recent discovery that female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) prefer males of familiar song dialect. We measured female fitness in captive breeding colonies in which one-third of females were given ample opportunity to choose a mate of their preferred dialect (two-thirds of all males; "relaxed competition"), while two-thirds of the females had to compete over a limited pool of mates they preferred (one-third of all males; "high competition"). As expected, social pairings were strongly assortative with regard to song dialect. In the high-competition group, 26% of the females remained unpaired, yet they still obtained relatively high fitness by using brood parasitism as an alternative reproductive tactic. Another 31% of high-competition females paired disassortatively for song dialect. These females showed increased levels of extra-pair paternity, mostly with same-dialect males as sires, suggesting that preferences were not abolished after social pairing. However, females that paired disassortatively for song dialect did not have lower reproductive success. Overall, females in the high-competition group reached equal fitness to those that experienced relaxed competition. Our study suggests that alternative reproductive tactics such as egg dumping can help overcome the frequency-dependent costs of being selective in a monogamous mating system, thereby facilitating the evolution of female choosiness.

Dataset Information

Tap dancers in the wild: field observations of multimodal courtship displays in socially monogamous songbirds.

Publications

Tap dancers in the wild: field observations of multimodal courtship displays in socially monogamous songbirds.

Similar Datasets

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