Journal articles: 'Zebra finch mating behaviour'

1

Forstmeier, Wolfgang. "Quantitative genetics and behavioural correlates of digit ratio in the zebra finch." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 272, no. 1581 (October 4, 2005): 2641–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3264.

Full text

Abstract:

A recent study on a captive zebra finch population suggested that variation in digit ratio (i.e. the relative length of the second to the fourth toe) might be an indicator of the action of sex steroids during embryo development, as is widely assumed for human digits. Zebra finch digit ratio was found to vary with offspring sex, laying order of eggs within a clutch, and to predict aspects of female mating behaviour. Hence, it was proposed that the measurement of digit ratio would give insights into how an individual's behaviour is shaped by its maternal environment. Studying 500 individuals of a different zebra finch population I set out to: (1) determine the proximate causes of variation in digit ratio by means of quantitative genetics and (2) to search for phenotypic and genetic correlations between digit ratio, sexual behaviour and aspects of fitness. In contrast to the earlier study, I found no sexual dimorphism in digit ratio and no effect of either laying order or experimentally altered hatching order on digit ratio. Instead, I found that variation in digit ratio was almost entirely additive genetic, with heritability estimates ranging from 71 to 84%. The rearing environment (from egg deposition to independence) explained an additional 5–6% of the variation in digit ratio, but there was no indication of any maternal effects transmitted through the egg. I found highly significant phenotypic correlations (and genetic correlations of similar size) between digit ratio and male song rate (positive correlation) as well as between digit ratio and female hopping activity in a choice chamber (negative correlation). Rather surprisingly, the strength of these correlations differed significantly between subsequent generations of the same population, illustrating how quickly such correlations can appear and disappear probably due to genotype–environment interactions.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

2

Pogány, Ákos, Zita Szurovecz, Ernő Vincze, Zoltán Barta, and Tamás Székely. "Mate preference does not influence reproductive motivation and parental cooperation in female zebra finches." Behaviour 151, no. 12-13 (2014): 1885–901. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003221.

Full text

Abstract:

In socially monogamous species, low availability of sexually active unpaired individuals in the local population may constrain mate choice, resulting in mating with sub-optimal partners. Here we experimentally investigate whether female reproductive behaviour is different when paired with a preferred or a non-preferred male in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). First, we assessed female mating preferences using a four-way choice apparatus, then females were caged together with either their preferred or least-preferred male. Female reproductive motivation, assessed by the propensity of laying eggs within two weeks from pairing and clutch mass, did not differ between the two experimental groups. Females responded to mate removal by either increasing their care, so as to compensate for the lost care of their mate, or by significantly reducing incubation. This bimodal response was not explained by mate preference, nevertheless, we found that females with lower baseline (i.e., pre-manipulation) incubation effort were more likely to cease incubation during mate removal. Taken together, we found no evidence that female reproductive behaviour varies along with mate preference.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

3

Clayton, N. S. "The effects of cross-fostering on assortative mating between zebra finch subspecies." Animal Behaviour 40, no. 6 (December 1990): 1102–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80176-9.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

4

Templeton, Jennifer J., D. James Mountjoy, Sarah R. Pryke, and Simon C. Griffith. "In the eye of the beholder: visual mate choice lateralization in a polymorphic songbird." Biology Letters 8, no. 6 (October 3, 2012): 924–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0830.

Full text

Abstract:

Birds choose mates on the basis of colour, song and body size, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying these mating decisions. Reports that zebra finches prefer to view mates with the right eye during courtship, and that immediate early gene expression associated with courtship behaviour is lateralized in their left hemisphere suggest that visual mate choice itself may be lateralized. To test this hypothesis, we used the Gouldian finch, a polymorphic species in which individuals exhibit strong, adaptive visual preferences for mates of their own head colour. Black males were tested in a mate-choice apparatus under three eye conditions: left-monocular, right-monocular and binocular. We found that black male preference for black females is so strongly lateralized in the right-eye/left-hemisphere system that if the right eye is unavailable, males are unable to respond preferentially, not only to males and females of the same morph, but also to the strikingly dissimilar female morphs. Courtship singing is consistent with these lateralized mate preferences; more black males sing to black females when using their right eye than when using their left. Beauty, therefore, is in the right eye of the beholder for these songbirds, providing, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of visual mate choice lateralization.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

5

Tschirren, Barbara, Erik Postma, Alison N. Rutstein, and Simon C. Griffith. "When mothers make sons sexy: maternal effects contribute to the increased sexual attractiveness of extra-pair offspring." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1731 (September 28, 2011): 1233–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1543.

Full text

Abstract:

Quality differences between offspring sired by the social and by an extra-pair partner are usually assumed to have a genetic basis, reflecting genetic benefits of female extra-pair mate choice. In the zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata ), we identified a colour ornament that is under sexual selection and appears to have a heritable basis. Hence, by engaging in extra-pair copulations with highly ornamented males, females could, in theory, obtain genes for increased offspring attractiveness. Indeed, sons sired by extra-pair partners had larger ornaments, seemingly supporting the genetic benefit hypothesis. Yet, when comparing ornament size of the social and extra-pair partners, there was no difference. Hence, the observed differences most likely had an environmental basis, mediated, for example, via differential maternal investment of resources into the eggs fertilized by extra-pair and social partners. Such maternal effects may (at least partly) be mediated by egg size, which we found to be associated with mean ornament expression in sons. Our results are consistent with the idea that maternal effects can shape sexual selection by altering the genotype–phenotype relationship for ornamentation. They also caution against automatically attributing greater offspring attractiveness or viability to an extra-pair mate's superior genetic quality, as without controlling for differential maternal investment we may significantly overestimate the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

6

Lansverk, Allison L., Katie M. Schroeder, Sarah E. London, Simon C. Griffith, David F. Clayton, and Christopher N. Balakrishnan. "The variability of song variability in zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata ) populations." Royal Society Open Science 6, no. 5 (May 2019): 190273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190273.

Full text

Abstract:

Birdsong is a classic example of a learned social behaviour. Song behaviour is also influenced by genetic factors, and understanding the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences remains a major goal. In this study, we take advantage of captive zebra finch populations to examine variation in a population-level song trait: song variability. Song variability is of particular interest in the context of individual recognition and in terms of the neuro-developmental mechanisms that generate song novelty. We find that the Australian zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata castanotis ( TGC ) maintains higher song diversity than the Timor zebra finch T. g. guttata ( TGG ) even after experimentally controlling for early life song exposure, suggesting a genetic basis to this trait. Although wild-derived TGC were intermediate in song variability between domesticated TGC populations and TGG , the difference between domesticated and wild TGC was not statistically significant. The observed variation in song behaviour among zebra finch populations represents a largely untapped opportunity for exploring the mechanisms of social behaviour.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

7

Gorman, Helen E., and Ruedi G. Nager. "State-dependent incubation behaviour in the zebra finch." Animal Behaviour 65, no. 4 (April 2003): 745–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2003.2120.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

8

Balakrishnan, Christopher N., Charles Chapus, Michael S. Brewer, and David F. Clayton. "Brain transcriptome of the violet-eared waxbill Uraeginthus granatina and recent evolution in the songbird genome." Open Biology 3, no. 9 (September 2013): 130063. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.130063.

Full text

Abstract:

Songbirds are important models for the study of social behaviour and communication. To complement the recent genome sequencing of the domesticated zebra finch, we sequenced the brain transcriptome of a closely related songbird species, the violet-eared waxbill ( Uraeginthus granatina ) . Both the zebra finch and violet-eared waxbill are members of the family Estrildidae, but differ markedly in their social behaviour. Using Roche 454 RNA sequencing, we generated an assembly and annotation of 11 084 waxbill orthologues of 17 475 zebra finch genes (64%), with an average transcript length of 1555 bp. We also identified 5985 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of potential utility for future population genomic studies. Comparing the two species, we found evidence for rapid protein evolution ( ω ) and low polymorphism of the avian Z sex chromosome, consistent with prior studies of more divergent avian species. An intriguing outlier was putative chromosome 4A, which showed a high density of SNPs and low evolutionary rate relative to other chromosomes. Genome-wide ω was identical in zebra finch and violet-eared waxbill lineages, suggesting a similar demographic history with efficient purifying natural selection. Further comparisons of these and other estrildid finches may provide insights into the evolutionary neurogenomics of social behaviour.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

9

Lemon, William C. "Fitness consequences of foraging behaviour in the zebra finch." Nature 352, no. 6331 (July 1991): 153–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/352153a0.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

10

Clay-Ton, N. S. "Song Tutor Choice in Zebra Finches and Bengalese Finches: the Relative Importance of Visual and Vocal Cues." Behaviour 104, no. 3-4 (1988): 281–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853988x00557.

Full text

Abstract:

AbstractThis paper examined the relative importance of visual and vocal cues for song tutor choice. In the first study zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, and Bengalese finches, Lonchura striata, were housed with two song tutors at independence, a zebra finch singing Bengalese finch song and a Bengalese finch singing zebra finch song. All the males tended to learn from the conspecific song tutor, irrespective of whether they had been raised by a pair of conspecifics, the female alone or cross-fostered to a pair of the other species. In the second study zebra finches were housed at independence with two conspecific song tutors, one with a normal song and one which sang Bengalese finch song elements. There was no tendency to learn zebra finch elements which suggests that species-specific elements are not important for song tutor choice in zebra finches. Other vocal differences between the tutors such as length of the song phrase and species-specific call notes might bias learning in favour of the conspecific. Visual differences between the two species, both in appearance and behaviour, seem to be important. Parental cues before independence appear to be relatively uninfluential. However, siblings may be important, both the species and number per clutch: this is a factor which has been overlooked in previous studies of song learning.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

11

DeLeon, Sara, Michael S. Webster, Timothy J. DeVoogd, and André A. Dhondt. "Developmental polychlorinated biphenyl exposure influences adult zebra finch reproductive behaviour." PLOS ONE 15, no. 3 (March 19, 2020): e0230283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230283.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

12

Rogers, Lesley, Adam Koboroff, and Gisela Kaplan. "Lateral Asymmetry of Brain and Behaviour in the Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata." Symmetry 10, no. 12 (December 1, 2018): 679. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/sym10120679.

Full text

Abstract:

Lateralisation of eye use indicates differential specialisation of the brain hemispheres. We tested eye use by zebra finches to view a model predator, a monitor lizard, and compared this to eye use to view a non-threatening visual stimulus, a jar. We used a modified method of scoring eye preference of zebra finches, since they often alternate fixation of a stimulus with the lateral, monocular visual field of one eye and then the other, known as biocular alternating fixation. We found a significant and consistent preference to view the lizard using the left lateral visual field, and no significant eye preference to view the jar. This finding is consistent with specialisation of the left eye system, and right hemisphere, to attend and respond to predators, as found in two other avian species and also in non-avian vertebrates. Our results were considered together with hemispheric differences in the zebra finch for processing, producing, and learning song, and with evidence of right-eye preference in visual searching and courtship behaviour. We conclude that the zebra finch brain has the same general pattern of asymmetry for visual processing as found in other vertebrates and suggest that, contrary to earlier indications from research on lateralisation of song, this may also be the case for auditory processing.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

13

Cate, Carel Ten. "Behaviour-contingent exposure to taped song and zebra finch song learning." Animal Behaviour 42, no. 5 (November 1991): 857–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80131-9.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

14

Woodgate, Joseph L., Andrew T. D. Bennett, Stefan Leitner, Clive K. Catchpole, and Katherine L. Buchanan. "Developmental stress and female mate choice behaviour in the zebra finch." Animal Behaviour 79, no. 6 (June 2010): 1381–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.03.018.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

15

Krause, E. Tobias, Mariam Honarmand, and Marc Naguib. "Zebra finch nestlings beg more under better nutritional conditions." Behaviour 148, no. 11-13 (2011): 1239–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/000579511x600619.

Full text

Abstract:

Abstract Providing parental care involves costs for the parents when investing resources such as food and time to raise their offspring. In many species, offspring communicate their need by begging signals which often are linked to their physiological condition but also may be affected by the expectation they may develop depending on previous parental behaviour. To test whether or not offspring begging is affected by the food quality to which parents have access, we experimentally manipulated the early nutritional conditions of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) nestlings by providing the parents with either a low or a high quality diet. We expected that lower early nutritional conditions increase begging behaviour resulting from a presumed higher nestling need. Yet, the experiments revealed that broods of nestlings begged more intensely when they were raised on a high compared to a low quality diet. Nestlings raised under high quality food conditions may have a higher begging intensity due to their higher need associated with a fast growth trajectory. Likewise, lower begging intensity by nestlings raised on low quality food might result from a general delay in development, or nestlings adjusted their begging to behavioural adjustments made by parents as a response to the different diets. These findings highlight that begging signals can be affected by a complex set of factors and expands the classical view of signalling need. Begging call rates can increase with offspring condition and with their expectations about the quality of food that can be provided by the parents.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

16

Gilbert, L., K. A. Williamson, N. Hazon, and J. A. Graves. "Maternal effects due to male attractiveness affect offspring development in the zebra finch." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 273, no. 1595 (April 11, 2006): 1765–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2006.3520.

Full text

Abstract:

Maternal effects occur when offspring phenotype is influenced by environmental factors experienced by the mother. Mothers are predicted to invest differentially in offspring in ways that will maximize offspring fitness depending on the environment she expects them to encounter. Here, we test for maternal effects in response to mate attractiveness on offspring developmental traits in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata . We controlled for parental genetic quality by manipulating male attractiveness using coloured leg rings and by randomly assigning mating pairs. The potential confounding effect of differential nestling care was controlled for by cross-fostering clutches and by allowing for variance due to foster father attractiveness in general linear models. We found a difference in egg mass investment between attractiveness groups and, importantly, we found that all of the offspring traits we measured varied with the attractiveness of the father. This provides strong evidence for maternal effects in response to mate attractiveness. Furthermore, due to the experiment design, we can conclude that these effects were mediated by differential investment of egg resources and not due to genetic differences or differences in nestling care.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

17

McCowan, Luke S. C., and Simon C. Griffith. "Active but asocial: exploration and activity is linked to social behaviour in a colonially breeding finch." Behaviour 152, no. 9 (2015): 1145–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003272.

Full text

Abstract:

One largely neglected area of personality research is an individual’s propensity to move and feed alongside others. We monitored the foraging behaviour of captive zebra finches in social groups in large enclosures using a PIT-tag system, and also separately assayed activity levels in a home cage with a social partner. We found that more active individuals found novel feeders more quickly (explored faster). Furthermore, we found that more active males fed less socially than inactive males. Our findings suggest that variation in foraging behaviour in the zebra finch is driven by both personality and social factors. This work suggests that degrees of sociality — the intrinsic propensity with which individuals interact and coordinate their activity with other conspecifics — is an important component of personality, and needs to be accounted for in future work.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

18

DALL, SASHA R. X., and MARK S. WITTER. "Feeding interruptions, diurnal mass changes and daily routines of behaviour in the zebra finch." Animal Behaviour 55, no. 3 (March 1998): 715–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/anbe.1997.0749.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

19

Houx, Bart, and Carel Ten Cate. "Do Contingencies with Tutor Behaviour Influence Song Learning in Zebra Finches?" Behaviour 135, no. 5 (1998): 599–614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853998792897932.

Full text

Abstract:

AbstractSocial interaction with a song tutor is often found to be important for the song learning process in songbirds, but the mechanism is still unclear. The main aim of this study is to find indications for contingencies between singing and interactive behaviours, between and within tutors and tutees, which might influence the song learning process of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). To this end we observed the interactions of eleven juvenile zebra finch males with their fathers (the tutors) and their mothers during the sensitive phase for song learning, and examined four different types of possible contingencies. The evidence for these contingencies was not very strong: (1) We found some weak indications that a tutee can anticipate tutor song by preceding tutor behaviour. There were no indications that (2) tutor song is contingent upon subsequent behaviour of the tutor, that (3) juvenile males can control singing of their tutor by preceding operant social behaviour, or that (4) social behaviour of the tutor reinforces singing of the tutee. We found some indications that the juvenile males attend actively to the tutor song. Furthermore, we found that the juvenile males maintained more mutual interactions with their father than with their mother. In general, we did not find any clear relationship between aspects of social interaction and song copying in zebra finches.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

20

Gilby, Amanda J., Mark C. Mainwaring, and Simon C. Griffith. "Incubation behaviour and hatching synchrony differ in wild and captive populations of the zebra finch." Animal Behaviour 85, no. 6 (June 2013): 1329–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.023.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

21

Jones, A. E., and P. J. B. Slater. "The Role of Aggression in Song Tutor Choice in the Zebra Finch: Cause or Effect?" Behaviour 133, no. 1-2 (1996): 103–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853996x00053.

Full text

Abstract:

AbstractYoung male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) normally copy their song from one tutor when given a choice of two. Interaction is known to be a key feature of the learning process and this study examines the way in which one particular type of social behaviour, aggression, may affect tutor choice. Female raised zebra finches were given a choice of two song tutors, which had been pre-selected for differing levels of aggression, during the sensitive phase for song learning. A young bird was significantly more likely to learn from the tutor that was more aggressive to him, as found earlier by Clayton (1987). In addition, behavioural observations suggest that aggression towards the young bird was the cause rather than an effect of tutor choice. There was no significant relationship between the relative level of tutor aggression and the amount of his song copied. Changes in the level of aggression over the tutoring period are also discussed.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

22

Ratcliffe, Laurene M., and Peter T. Boag. "Effects of colour bands on male competition and sexual attractiveness in zebra finches (Poephila guttata)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 65, no. 2 (February 1, 1987): 333–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z87-052.

Full text

Abstract:

Recent work suggests that coloured plastic leg bands may alter the sexual attractiveness and reproductive success of zebra finches (Poephila guttata). For example, males wearing red bands are more attractive to females and have enhanced reproductive success compared with males that have light green bands. Colour bands have been widely used in studies of avian behaviour and therefore could introduce bias if they regularly have a significant impact on social interactions among individuals. We carried out an experiment to assess the proximate effects of colour bands on zebra finch behaviour. Male zebra finches maintained in a large indoor aviary were given either red or light green bands and then scored for their ability to compete for a limited number of nest boxes and to attract females. The same males were randomly reassigned either red or light green bands and tested for their ability to regain boxes and attract new females. We found no correlation between band colour and a male's ability to gain either a nest or female. However, there was an association between male activity level and success. Also, those males that attracted a female in the first part of the experiment were more likely to do so in the second part of the experiment. We conclude that any immediate advantages conferred by attractive band colours may be masked under conditions of strong intermale competition for nests and mates.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

23

Feuth, Enja, Bart Houx, and Carel Ten Cate. "VARIATIONS IN ZEBRA FINCH SONG COPYING: AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH TUTOR SONG QUALITY AND PUPIL BEHAVIOUR." Behaviour 137, no. 10 (2000): 1377–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853900501980.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

24

Forstmeier, Wolfgang, Jakob C. Mueller, and Bart Kempenaers. "A polymorphism in the oestrogen receptor gene explains covariance between digit ratio and mating behaviour." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277, no. 1698 (June 9, 2010): 3353–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.1007.

Full text

Abstract:

In vertebrates, including humans, the relative length of the second to the fourth digit correlates with sex hormone-dependent behavioural, psychological and physiological traits. However, despite a decade of research, the underlying mechanism linking digit ratio to these sex hormone-dependent traits remains unclear. Previous work suggests that during embryo development, circulating levels of plasma androgens or oestrogens may act through their receptors to affect transcription levels of posterior HOX genes in the developing digits, thereby possibly influencing their relative length. The correlation between digit ratio and sex hormone-dependent traits might thus stem from variation in expression or sensitivity of the sex hormone receptors, or from variation in sex hormone levels in the embryo. Here, we show that in a population of 1156 zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata , a polymorphism in the oestrogen receptor α gene (ESR1) explains 11.3 per cent of the variation in digit ratio, and is also associated with male and female-mating behaviour. By contrast, we found no associations between digit ratio or mating behaviours and polymorphisms in the androgen receptor gene. Thus, our results (i) provide an explanation for the observed significant genetic covariance between digit ratio and male and female mating behaviour and (ii) strongly confirm the indicator function of digit ratio through the oestrogen pathway. Finally, we note that the commonly invoked effect of foetal testosterone on human digit ratio seems to be substantially weaker than the effect described here.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

25

Holveck, M. J., and K. Riebel. "Corrigendum to “Preferred songs predict preferred males: consistency and repeatability of zebra finch females across three test contexts” [Animal Behaviour, 74 (2007), 297–309]." Animal Behaviour 99 (January 2015): 145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.10.017.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

26

Mariette, Mylene M., Charlène Cathaud, Rémi Chambon, and Clémentine Vignal. "Juvenile social experience affects pairing success at adulthood: congruence with the loser effect?" Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280, no. 1767 (September 22, 2013): 20131514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.1514.

Full text

Abstract:

Social interactions with adults are often critical for the development of mating behaviours. However, the potential role of other primary social partners such as juvenile counterparts is rarely considered. Most interestingly, it is not known whether interactions with juvenile females improve males’ courtship and whether, similar to the winner and loser effects in a fighting context—outcome of these interactions shapes males’ behaviour in future encounters. We investigated the combined effects of male quality and juvenile social experience on pairing success at adulthood in zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ). We manipulated brood size to alter male quality and then placed males in either same- or mixed-sex juvenile dyads until adulthood. We found that males from reduced broods obtained more copulations and males from mixed-sex dyads had more complete courtships. Furthermore, independent of their quality, males that failed to pair with juvenile females, but not juvenile males, had a lower pairing success at adulthood. Our study shows that negative social experience with peers during adolescence may be a potent determinant of pairing success that can override the effects of early environmental conditions on male attractiveness and thereby supports the occurrence of an analogous process to the loser effect in a mating context.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

27

Klatt, James D., and James L. Goodson. "Oxytocin-like receptors mediate pair bonding in a socially monogamous songbird." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280, no. 1750 (January 7, 2013): 20122396. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.2396.

Full text

Abstract:

Although many species form socially monogamous pair bonds, relevant neural mechanisms have been described for only a single species, the prairie vole ( Microtus ochrogaster ). In this species, pair bonding is strongly dependent upon the nonapeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin, in females and males, respectively. Because monogamy has evolved many times in multiple lineages, data from additional species are required to determine whether similar peptide mechanisms modulate bonding when monogamy evolves independently. Here we test the hypothesis that OT-like receptor activation is required for pair bond formation in the socially monogamous zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata ). Males and females were administered chronic intracerebroventricular infusions of saline or an OT receptor antagonist and were observed twice daily for 3 days in a colony environment. A variety of affiliative, aggressive and other behaviours were quantified. The antagonist produced significant and selective effects on pair bonding (latency to pair; number of sessions paired; stable pairing) and the associated behaviour of allopreening. Importantly, findings for males follow the trends of females; this yields main effects of treatment in two-way ANOVAs, although within-sex analyses are significant only for females. These data provide evidence for both convergent evolution and species diversity in the neuroendocrine mechanisms of pair bonding.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

28

Griffith, Simon C., Mark C. Mainwaring, Enrico Sorato, and Christa Beckmann. "High atmospheric temperatures and ‘ambient incubation’ drive embryonic development and lead to earlier hatching in a passerine bird." Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 2 (February 2016): 150371. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150371.

Full text

Abstract:

Tropical and subtropical species typically experience relatively high atmospheric temperatures during reproduction, and are subject to climate-related challenges that are largely unexplored, relative to more extensive work conducted in temperate regions. We studied the effects of high atmospheric and nest temperatures during reproduction in the zebra finch. We characterized the temperature within nests in a subtropical population of this species in relation to atmospheric temperature. Temperatures within nests frequently exceeded the level at which embryo’s develop optimally, even in the absence of parental incubation. We experimentally manipulated internal nest temperature to demonstrate that an average difference of 6°C in the nest temperature during the laying period reduced hatching time by an average of 3% of the total incubation time, owing to ‘ambient incubation’. Given the avian constraint of laying a single egg per day, the first eggs of a clutch are subject to prolonged effects of nest temperature relative to later laid eggs, potentially increasing hatching asynchrony. While birds may ameliorate the negative effects of ambient incubation on embryonic development by varying the location and design of their nests, high atmospheric temperatures are likely to constitute an important selective force on avian reproductive behaviour and physiology in subtropical and tropical regions, particularly in the light of predicted climate change that in many areas is leading to a higher frequency of hot days during the periods when birds breed.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

29

Neuhaus, P., and K. E. Ruckstuhl. "The link between sexual dimorphism, activity budgets, and group cohesion: the case of the plains zebra (Equus burchelli)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 80, no. 8 (August 1, 2002): 1437–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-126.

Full text

Abstract:

Animals that differ in reproductive status and body size have different needs in terms of foraging and resting. In most social ungulates this leads to sexual segregation, probably because of incompatibilities between the activity budgets of males and females. Since most studies on behavioural differences between the sexes have been done on sexually dimorphic species, we decided to look at a system in which males and females are similar in body size. We studied time budgets, synchrony of behaviour, and bite rates of plains zebras (Equus burchelli) to evaluate the factors that enable these extremely social ungulates to stay in stable mixed-sex family groups throughout the year. As we predicted, time budgets were similar among males, lactating females, pregnant females, and non-reproductive females. Furthermore, we observed close synchronization of behaviours between females that differed in reproductive status and males. Lactating females, however, did take more bites per minute when foraging than either pregnant or non-reproducing females or males. We assume that the higher bite rates of lactating females were due to the extra costs of producing milk for their foal. We concluded that the special harem mating system, and for females the year-round possibility of conceiving, force the animals to synchronize their time budgets, which might be a major reason for the lack of difference in body size between males and females.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

30

"Assortative mating in zebra finch subspecies, Taeniopygia guttata guttata and T. g. castanotis." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 330, no. 1258 (December 29, 1990): 351–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1990.0205.

Full text

Abstract:

There are two subspecies of the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata guttata and Taeniopygia guttata castanotis. T. g. guttata is found on the Lesser Sunda islands in Indonesia and the males differ from their Australian counterparts, T. g. castanotis , in having a thinner breast-band and grey chin and throat instead of the black and white throat bars. The songs of male guttata are longer and sung at a higher frequency than those of male castanotis . In contrast to the substantial differences between the two subspecies, there is little geographic variation with subspecies. In a recent aviary study of the social interactions and pair formation between members of captive colonies of guttata and castanotis , members of the two subspecies were observed to mate assortatively, i.e. guttata and castanotis did not form mixed pairs (Böhner et al . 1984). This raises the question of which cues ensure that the two subspecies are behaviourally isolated and hence mate assortatively. In song playback experiments, females of both subspecies discriminated between guttata and castanotis songs, preferring the songs of males of their own subspecies. In multiple mate choice tests and observations of the same individuals during pair formation in aviaries, male and female guttata and castanotis were found to prefer members of their own subspecies. However, guttata males that were painted to resemble castanotis males were preferred by castanotis females over unpainted guttata males whereas guttata females preferred the unpainted guttata males. In the aviary, the castanotis females paired with painted guttata males and guttata females paired with unpainted guttata males. These findings suggest that differences between the two subspecies in both song and breast-band size could play a role in mate choice and subspecies discrimination, thus leading to assortative mating between the two subspecies in captivity. To assess the importance of early rearing experience on the development of these visual and vocal differences between the two subspecies and its effect on the development of sexual preferences, guttata and castanotis that had been cross-fostered to the other subspecies were compared with those that has been normally raised by members of their own species. When cross-fostered to the other subspecies, castanotis and guttata males resembled their own subspecies in the macrostructural features of song which distinguish the two subspecies' songs. Hybrid males that were raised by one guttata and one castanotis parent have songs that are intermediate between those of guttata and those of castanotis males. These results suggest that rearing experience has little, if any, effect on the development of these macrostructural song differences between the two subspecies. In playback experiments, females preferred the songs of their foster-father’s subspecies, irrespective of whether the songs were from males that had been cross-fostered or normally raised. This indicates that females use these macrostructural differences in song for subspecies discrimination and that female song preferences are learnt. Cross-fostered zebra finches resemble normally raised members of their own subspecies in size and plumage, and hybrids were intermediate. In multiple mate choice tests, females preferred normally raised birds of their own subspecies over those that had been cross-fostered and over those of the other subspecies. Since cross-fostered males do not appear to differ from normally raised birds of the same subspecies in plumage, size or song, these results suggest that females may discriminate between guttata and castanolis males on the basis of behavioural cues. Studies of multiple mate choice and pair formation showed that when both sexes were cross-fostered to the other subspecies mixed pairs ( guttata-castanotis ) were formed, suggesting that early experience with the foster-parents can have an influence on pair formation through sexual imprinting on the parents. However, when one sex is normally raised and the other is cross-fostered, the cross-fostered birds usually pair with members of their own subspecies. This indicates that the likelihood of pairing with the ‘wrong’ subspecies is reduced when cross-fostered individuals interact with members of their own subspecies. This would provide an adaptive mechanism for maintaining behavioural isolation between the two subspecies. Comparing the mate choice during one-way and two-way interaction suggests that normally raised zebra finches choose more often than cross-fostered birds and that, when both sexes are cross-fostered, the prerogative lies with the female.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

31

Martin, Lynn B., Meredith E. Kernbach, and Thomas R. Unnasch. "Distinct effects of acute versus chronic corticosterone exposure on Zebra finch responses to West Nile virus." Conservation Physiology 7, no. 1 (January 1, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coz094.

Full text

Abstract:

Summary statement Stress hormones affect immune responses, behaviour and other host traits that can influence how individual hosts contribute to disease cycles (i.e. competence). We found that differences in the duration of experimental elevations of one hormone, corticosterone, had very different effects on zebra finch responses to West Nile virus. Chronic elevations enabled birds to become infectious and more tolerant of WNV whereas birds experiencing acute elevations generally resembled untreated controls.

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

32

Zachar, Gergely, Catherine Montagnese, Emese A. Fazekas, Róbert G. Kemecsei, Szilvia M. Papp, Fanni Dóra, Éva Renner, András Csillag, Ákos Pogány, and Arpád Dobolyi. "Brain Distribution and Sexually Dimorphic Expression of Amylin in Different Reproductive Stages of the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) Suggest Roles of the Neuropeptide in Song Learning and Social Behaviour." Frontiers in Neuroscience 13 (January 13, 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.01401.

Full text

APA, Harvard, Vancouver, ISO, and other styles

Journal articles on the topic 'Zebra finch mating behaviour'

Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles