Song playbacks demonstrate slower evolution of song discrimination in birds from Amazonia than from temperate North America.

ABSTRACT: Genetic data indicate differences in speciation rate across latitudes, but underlying causes have been difficult to assess because a critical phase of the speciation process is initiated in allopatry, in which, by definition, individuals from different taxa do not interact. We conducted song playback experiments between 109 related pairs of mostly allopatric bird species or subspecies in Amazonia and North America to compare the rate of evolution of male discrimination of songs. Relative to local controls, the number of flyovers and approach to the speaker were higher in Amazonia. We estimate that responses to songs of relatives are being lost about 6 times more slowly in Amazonia than in North America. The slow loss of response holds even after accounting for differences in song frequency

SUBMITTER: Weir JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6804960 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature