A test of the mechanistic process behind the convergent agonistic character displacement hypothesis.

ABSTRACT: In this era of rapid global change, understanding the mechanisms that enable or prevent species from co-occurring has assumed new urgency. The convergent agonistic character displacement (CACD) hypothesis posits that signal similarity enables the co-occurrence of ecological competitors by promoting aggressive interactions that reduce interspecific territory overlap and hence, exploitative competition. In northwestern Switzerland, ca. 10% of Phylloscopus sibilatrix produce songs containing syllables that are typical of their co-occurring sister species, Phylloscopus bonelli ("mixed singers"). To examine whether the consequences of P. sibilatrix mixed singing are consistent with CACD, we combined a playback experiment and an analysis of interspecific territory overlap. A

SUBMITTER: Luepold SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11457480 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature