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Songbirds learn songs least degraded by environmental transmission.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Peters, S; Derryberry, EP; Nowicki, S
Published in: Biology letters
October 2012

Communication depends on accurate reception of signals by receivers, and selection acts on signals to transmit efficiently through the environment. Although learnt signals, such as birdsong, vary in their transmission properties through different habitats, few studies have addressed the role of cultural selection in driving acoustic adaptation. Here, we present a test of the hypothesis that song-learning birds choose to copy songs that are less degraded by transmission through the environment, using swamp sparrows (Melospiza georgiana) as our study species. We found that all subjects discriminated between undegraded and naturally degraded song models, and learnt only from undegraded song models, demonstrating a role for cultural selection in acoustic adaptation of learnt signals.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Biology letters

DOI

EISSN

1744-957X

ISSN

1744-9561

Publication Date

October 2012

Volume

8

Issue

5

Start / End Page

736 / 739

Related Subject Headings

  • Vocalization, Animal
  • Sparrows
  • Songbirds
  • Models, Biological
  • Male
  • Learning
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Environment
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Communication
 

Citation

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Peters, S., Derryberry, E. P., & Nowicki, S. (2012). Songbirds learn songs least degraded by environmental transmission. Biology Letters, 8(5), 736–739. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0446
Peters, Susan, Elizabeth P. Derryberry, and Stephen Nowicki. “Songbirds learn songs least degraded by environmental transmission.Biology Letters 8, no. 5 (October 2012): 736–39. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0446.
Peters S, Derryberry EP, Nowicki S. Songbirds learn songs least degraded by environmental transmission. Biology letters. 2012 Oct;8(5):736–9.
Peters, Susan, et al. “Songbirds learn songs least degraded by environmental transmission.Biology Letters, vol. 8, no. 5, Oct. 2012, pp. 736–39. Epmc, doi:10.1098/rsbl.2012.0446.
Peters S, Derryberry EP, Nowicki S. Songbirds learn songs least degraded by environmental transmission. Biology letters. 2012 Oct;8(5):736–739.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biology letters

DOI

EISSN

1744-957X

ISSN

1744-9561

Publication Date

October 2012

Volume

8

Issue

5

Start / End Page

736 / 739

Related Subject Headings

  • Vocalization, Animal
  • Sparrows
  • Songbirds
  • Models, Biological
  • Male
  • Learning
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Environment
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Communication