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138 results for “zebra finch”
Data from: Female zebra finches prefer the songs of males who quickly solve a novel foraging task to the songs of males unable to solve the task
Correlative evidence suggests that high problem-solving and foraging abilities in a mate are associated with direct fitness advantages, so it would benefit females to prefer problem-solving males. Recent work has also shown that females of several bird species who directly observe males prefer those that can solve a novel foraging task over those that cannot. In addition to or instead of direct observation of cognitive skills, many species utilize assessment signals when choosing a mate. Here we test whether females can select a problem-solving male over a non-solving male when presented only with a signal known to be used in mate assessment: song. Using an operant conditioning assay, we compared female zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) preference for the songs of males that could quickly solve a novel foraging task to the songs of males that could not solve the task. Females were never housed with the test subject males whose song they heard, and the only information provided about the males was their song. We found that females elicited more songs of problem-solving males than of non-solvers, indicating that song may contain information about a male's ability to solve a novel foraging task and that naïve females prefer the songs of problem-solving males.
Data from: Patterns of call communication between group-housed Zebra finches change during the breeding cycle
Vocal signals such as calls play a crucial role for survival and successful reproduction, especially in group-living animals. However, call interactions and call dynamics within groups remain largely unexplored because their relation to relevant contexts or life-history stages could not be studied with individual-level resolution. Using on-bird microphone transmitters, we recorded the vocalisations of individual zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) behaving freely in social groups, while females and males previously unknown to each other passed through different stages of the breeding cycle. As birds formed pairs and shifted their reproductive status, their call repertoire composition changed. The recordings revealed that calls occurred non-randomly in fine-tuned vocal interactions and decreased within groups while pair-specific patterns emerged. Call-type combinations of vocal interactions changed within pairs and were associated with successful egg-laying, highlighting a potential fitness relevance of calling dynamics in communication systems.
Data from: Intra-ejaculate sperm selection in female zebra finches
Among internal fertilizers, typically fewer than 1% sperm survive the journey through the oviduct. Several studies suggest that the sperm reaching the ovum—the 'fertilizing set'—comprise a non-random sub-population, but the characteristics of this group remain unclear. We tested whether oviductal selection in birds results in a morphologically distinct subset of sperm, by exploiting the fact that the fertilizing set are trapped by the perivitelline layer of the ovum. We show that these sperm have remarkably low morphological variation, as well as smaller head size and greater tail length, compared with those inseminated. Our study shows that the morphological composition of sperm—rather than length alone—influences success in reaching the ovum.
Data from: Mass production of SNP markers in a nonmodel passerine bird through RAD sequencing and contig mapping to the zebra finch genome
Here, we present an adaptation of restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to the Illumina HiSeq2000 technology that we used to produce SNP markers in very large quantities at low cost per unit in the Réunion grey white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus), a nonmodel passerine bird species with no reference genome. We sequenced a set of six pools of 18–25 individuals using a single sequencing lane. This allowed us to build around 600 000 contigs, among which at least 386 000 could be mapped to the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) genome. This yielded more than 80 000 SNPs that could be mapped unambiguously and are evenly distributed across the genome. Thus, our approach provides a good illustration of the high potential of paired-end RAD sequencing of pooled DNA samples combined with comparative assembly to the zebra finch genome to build large contigs and characterize vast numbers of informative SNPs in nonmodel passerine bird species in a very efficient and cost-effective way.
Does the presence of a conspecific increase or decrease fear? Neophobia and habituation in zebra finches
<p>Neophobia, defined as the fear of novelty, can be exhibited when individuals encounter unfamiliar stimuli in their environment. Neophobia has been shown to both increase and decrease when individuals are with conspecifics. An increase in latency to contact new objects can be explained by the negotiation hypothesis which proposes that individuals in groups will negotiate who will approach novelty first, thereby delaying the first contact. This negotiation process could co-occur with and mask a potential effect of risk dilution, where individuals in groups should approach novel objects faster due to lower perceived risk in a social than non-social context. Here, we aim to test the risk dilution hypothesis using an experimental set-up that precluded negotiation among group members by physically separating dyads during social trials. We presented zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia guttata</i>) with different novel objects in both social and non-social contexts. We also repeated the presentation of each object to investigate, for the first time to our knowledge, the effect of social context on the change in neophobia over repeated encounters (<i>i.e.,</i> habituation). We found that social context increased the latency to approach a novel object upon first presentation of objects (<i>i.e., </i>increased neophobia), but these latencies decreased faster over repeated presentations of the objects (<i>i.e., </i>faster habituation) compared to the non-social context. These results do not provide support for the risk dilution hypothesis regarding first encounters with objects (neophobia) but seem to support it over repeated object presentations (habituation). This suggests that the effect of social context is different on neophobia and habituation, possibly because they recruit different cognitive mechanisms. Future studies should investigate the impact of ecological and social conditions on decision-making upon first versus subsequent encounters with a novel object in social animals, as both processes can impact fitness costs and benefits of novelty responses. </p>
Links between personality traits and problem-solving performance in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)
<p><span>Consistent individual differences in behaviour across time or contexts (i.e., personality types) have been found in many species and have implications for fitness. Likewise, individual variation in cognitive abilities has been shown to impact fitness. Cognition and personality are complex, multidimensional traits. However, p</span><span>revious work has generally examined the connection between a single personality trait and a single cognitive ability, yielding equivocal results. Links between personality and cognitive ability suggest that behavioural traits coevolved and highlight their nuanced connections. Here we examined individuals' performance on multiple personality tests and repeated problem-solving tests (each measuring innovative performance). </span>We assessed behavioural traits (dominance, boldness, activity, risk-taking, aggressiveness, and obstinacy) in 41 captive zebra finches. Birds' scores for boldness and obstinacy were consistent over two years. We also examined whether personality correlated with problem-solving performance on repeated tests. Our results indicate that neophobia, dominance, and obstinacy were related to successful solving, and less dominant, more obstinate birds solved the tasks quicker on average. Our results indicate the importance of examining multiple measures over a long period. <span>Future work that identifies links between personality and innovation in non-model organisms may elucidate the coevolution of these two forms of individual differences.</span></p>
Data from: High nest failure in a zebra finch population and persistent predation of a nest by a monitor lizard
<p>Predation is well known to have substantial effects on behaviour and fitness in many animals. In songbirds, nest predation is rarely observed directly, so that research focusses primarily on the consequences of predation and less on the behaviour of the predator. Here, we report predation data in a zebra finch (<em>Taeniopygia catanosis</em>) nest box population, highlighting a 22-min-long sequence, captured on video, of a sand goanna (<em>Varanus gouldii</em>) predating a zebra finch nest in the wild. This monitor lizard appeared to be extremely persistent with climbing and jumping up to the next box nine times, including three successive unsuccessful attempts that lead to a change in approach strategy. It removed all six nestlings from the nest box during those repeated approaches and consumed them. In combination with overall high predation rates in the study population we document here, the findings highlight the role that a single predator species can have on nest success and, thus potentially also breeding decisions and social organisation of the prey population. Specifically so in a species like the zebra finch which synchronises reproductive attempts through the use of social information acquired through nest inspections and which uses social hotspots where they could gather information on changes in local social composition due to the individualised signals they use.</p>
Conservation of mutation and recombination parameters between mammals and zebra finch
<p>This directory contains the codes generated for the article</p>
Data from: Blood mercury levels of zebra finches are heritable: implications for the evolution of mercury resistance
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Data from: Effects of individual-based preferences for colour-banded mates on sex allocation in zebra finches
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Data from: Female zebra finches prefer the songs of males who quickly solve a novel foraging task to the songs of males unable to solve the task
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Data from: Horizontal transmission of the father’s song in the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
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Data from: Mass production of SNP markers in a nonmodel passerine bird through RAD sequencing and contig mapping to the zebra finch genome
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Dietary vitamin E reaches the mitochondria in the flight muscle of zebra finches but only if they exercise
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Data from: High nest failure in a zebra finch population and persistent predation of a nest by a monitor lizard
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Data from: Calling in the heat: the zebra finch ‘incubation call’ depends on heat but not reproductive stage
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Data from: Experimental heatwaves negatively impact sperm quality in the zebra finch
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Links between personality traits and problem-solving performance in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)
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Data from: Foraging zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are public information users rather than conformists
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Data from: Behavioural plasticity under a changing climate; how an experimental local climate affects the nest construction of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
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International Brain Laboratory public data
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OpenNeuro
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