Assortative flocking in crossbills and implications for ecological speciation.

ABSTRACT: How reproductive isolation is related to divergent natural selection is a central question in speciation. Here, we focus on several ecologically specialized taxa or 'call types' of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra complex), one of the few groups of birds providing much evidence for ecological speciation. Call types differ in bill sizes and feeding capabilities, and also differ in vocalizations, such that contact calls provide information on crossbill phenotype. We found that two call types of red crossbills were more likely to approach playbacks of their own call type than those of heterotypics, and that their propensity to approach heterotypics decreased with increasing divergence in bill size. Although call similarity also decreased with increasing divergence in bill size, comparisons o

SUBMITTER: Smith JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3441086 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature