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24 results for “fairy-wrens”
Male fairy-wrens produce and maintain vibrant breeding colours irrespective of individual quality
<p>Conspicuous colours may signal individual quality if high-quality individuals produce more elaborate colours or have a greater capacity to invest in colour maintenance. We investigate these hypotheses using repeated within-individual observations and experimentally-induced colour production in a wild bird, the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). Male superb fairy-wrens undergo an annual moult from brown, non-breeding plumage to an ultraviolet-blue and black breeding plumage. Colour maintenance is especially relevant for this species because structural, ultraviolet-blue plumage colours are particularly susceptible to fading. Further, only the most sexually attractive males moult to breeding plumage early (before spring) and thereby keep their colours for an extended time before the breeding season. Our results show that (i) sexually attractive, early-moulting males do not have higher quality breeding colours and (ii) breeding colours are not impacted by experimentally inducing males to moult early and while in low body condition. We found that (iii) breeding colours do not fade but remain consistent or become more saturated within individuals over time. Despite this, (iv) males do not spend more time preening while in breeding plumage. Instead, males keep their colours in pristine condition by re-moulting parts of their breeding plumage throughout the breeding season, suggesting an alternative, potential cost of maintaining ornamental colours. We conclude that variation in structural breeding colours is unlikely to indicate individual quality in superb fairy-wrens.</p>
Data from: Geographic patterns of song variation in four species of Malurus fairy-wrens
Geographic variation in song is widespread among birds, particularly in species that learn vocalizations. The relationship between geographic distance and song variation is likely related to the degree of isolation between populations. To assess this effect of geographic isolation on song divergence, we examined patterns of geographic song variation in four species of Australian fairy-wrens (Malurus), two with suspected histories of geographic isolation and two without. Song variation in all four species was consistent with patterns of isolation by distance, and allopatric subspecies in two species were more divergent in song than predicted by distance alone. Each species' pattern was unique, and some interspecific variation could not be explained by geographic distance. These results indicate that patterns of geographic variation can be influenced by more than geographic distance and historical isolation alone. We suggest that morphological constraints, environmental influences, and sexual selection may all contribute to the variation observed for each species.
Data from: Which plumage patches provide information about condition and success in a female fairy-wren?
<p>Recent evidence suggests that female ornaments can commonly act as signals. However, how signaling functions might be affected by the tendency for reduced ornament elaboration in relation to males is less well understood. We address this in mutually ornamented purple-crowned fairy-wrens. We investigated putatively ornamental (tail, ear coverts, crown) and non-ornamental (throat, back) plumage patches in females and compared our findings to previous studies in males. Both sexes have brown backs, buff-white throats, and turquoise-blue tails (bluer in males), while ear coverts are rufous in females and black in males. Both sexes also have a seasonal crown (slate-grey in females, black-and-purple in males). Dominant (breeder) females expressed more complete and greyer (more ornamented) crowns, although variation in coloration should not be discriminable by individuals. Unexpectedly, subordinates showed more colorful (saturated) rufous ear coverts, which should be discriminable. Condition dependence was only evident for crown completeness (% slate-grey cover). Females with more reddish-brown backs were more reproductively successful. Variation in plumage characteristics did not explain differential allocation by mates or chances of gaining dominance. Our outcomes were not entirely consistent with findings in males. The most notable disparity was for the crown, a signal used in male-male competition that in females seems to be expressed as an incomplete version of the male crown that is not associated with fitness benefits. Our study shows that in a species, multiple traits can vary in their information content and that female ornaments can sometimes be less informative than in males, even those that are produced seasonally.</p>
Data from: Genome of an iconic Australian bird: High-quality assembly and linkage map of the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)
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Data from: Geographic patterns of song variation in four species of Malurus fairy-wrens
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Male fairy-wrens produce and maintain vibrant breeding colours irrespective of individual quality
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Data from: Which plumage patches provide information about condition and success in a female fairy-wren?
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Data from: Ageing and senescence across reproductive traits and survival in superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus)
Why do senescence rates of fitness-related traits often vary dramatically? By considering the full ageing trajectories of multiple traits we can better understand how a species' life-history shapes the evolution of senescence within a population. Here, we examined age-related changes in sex-specific survival, reproduction, and several components of reproduction using a long-term study of a cooperatively-breeding songbird, the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). We compared ageing patterns between traits by estimating standardized rates of maturation, the age of onset of senescence, and rates of senescence, while controlling for confounding factors reflecting individual variability in life-history. We found striking differences in ageing and senescence patterns between survival and reproduction, as well as between reproductive traits. In both sexes, survival started to decline from maturity onwards. In contrast, all reproductive traits showed improvements into early adulthood, and many showed little or no evidence of senescence. In females, despite senescence in clutch size, number of offspring surviving to independence did not decline in late life, possibly due to improvements in maternal care with age. Superb fairy-wrens have exceptionally high levels of extra-group paternity, and male extra-group reproductive success showed much greater changes with age than did within-group reproductive success, suggesting that male reproductive ageing is driven by sexual selection. We discuss how the superb fairy-wrens' complex life history may contribute to the disparate ageing patterns across different traits.
Data from: Song recognition and heterospecific associations between two fairy-wren species (Maluridae)
Although heterospecific associations beneficial to one or both species involved (e.g. commensalisms or mutualisms) are common, it is generally assumed that interactions between species are transient and not particular to individuals. However, long-term interactions between individuals of different species do occur. In such heterospecific social groups, discrimination between heterospecific individuals may be beneficial, allowing individuals to direct beneficial or aggressive behaviors towards appropriate targets. Here we describe heterospecific groups composed of splendid and variegated fairy-wrens (Malurus splendens and M. lamberti) and provide the first experimental evidence that recognition of heterospecific group members occurs across species. In these species, family groups live on overlapping territories and co-defend shared territories against both heterospecific and conspecific intruders. Individuals on shared territories were frequently observed traveling and foraging together. Socially dominant males of both species responded more aggressively to songs of neighboring and foreign heterospecific fairy-wrens than they did to those of their co-resident heterospecifics. Although splendid fairy-wrens did not change their behavior when associating with heterospecifics, variegated fairy-wrens spent more time foraging, were less vigilant, had greater first-nest fledging success, and fewer extra-group young. These findings suggest heterospecific associations between these two species benefit the variegated fairy-wren. Our findings are novel and show that recognition and discrimination among individuals, often considered a prerequisite for conspecific cooperation, can occur across species.
Data from: Male and female helper effects on maternal investment and adult survival in red-winged fairy-wrens
Despite its importance for the evolution of cooperative breeding, it has proven difficult to determine whether helpers improve their recipients' fitness. Helpers affect fitness in multiple ways, both positive and negative, but their effects can also be concealed through reduced maternal investment. Furthermore, determining the direction of causation is difficult, as helper presence may indicate a productive territory, rather than high productivity indicating an effect of help. In cooperatively breeding red-winged fairy-wrens (Malurus elegans) groups reduce care when they have male helpers, but groups with female helpers do not, so nestlings receive more food. Thus our predictions vary with helper sex rather than helper number, and by studying within-group changes with regard to group composition we separate phenotypically plastic responses from among-group correlations. Females did not reduce egg size in response to an increasing number of female helpers. However, more male or female helpers allowed females to lay larger clutches and more female helpers reduced re-nesting intervals. There was mixed support for a benefit of load lightening: Helpers, but not breeders, gained survival benefits with increasing number of male helpers. However, helper survival decreased with the number of female helpers, suggesting that increased competition counterbalanced these male helper benefits. We also found consistent among-group differences, which would have erroneously been interpreted as helper effects had we not disentangled the within-group changes with regard to group composition. This study highlights the importance of assessing carers' benefits in relation to both group composition and size, and of investigating the within-individual plastic response of helper effects.
Data from: Egg size investment in superb fairy-wrens: helper effects are modulated by climate
Natural populations might exhibit resilience to changing climatic conditions if they already show adaptive flexibility in their reproductive strategies. In cooperative breeders, theory predicts that mothers with helpers should provide less care when environmental conditions are favourable, but maintain high investment when conditions are challenging. Here, we test for evidence of climate-mediated flexibility in maternal investment in the cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus. We focus on egg size because in this species egg size influences offspring size, and females reduce egg investment when there are helpers at the nest. We report that females lay larger eggs during dry, hot conditions. However, the effect of temperature is modulated by the presence of helpers: the average egg size of females with helpers is reduced during cooler conditions but increased during hot conditions relative to females without helpers. This appears to reflect plasticity in egg investment rather than among female differences. Analysis of maternal survival suggests that helped females are better able to withstand the costs of breeding in hot conditions than females without helpers. Our study suggests that females can use multiple, independent cues to modulate egg investment flexibly in a variable environment.
Data from: Territory configuration moderates the frequency of extra-group mating in superb fairy-wrens
The frequency of extra-pair paternity (EPP) in socially monogamous birds varies substantially between and within species, but ecological drivers of this variation remain poorly understood. Habitat configuration could influence EPP by moderating access to extra-pair mates, because species occupying territories in a clustered 'honeycomb' configuration have a larger pool of potential extra-group mates in their immediate neighbourhood than those living in linearly arranged territories (e.g. along narrow strips of riparian or fragmented habitat). We exploited variation in the spatial arrangement of territories due to anthropogenic modification of habitat of the cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus to test whether habitat configuration influenced the frequency of EPP. In this species, most paternity is obtained by males outside the social group (extra-group paternity, EGP). We found that the frequency of EGP among groups living in linear strips of roadside vegetation (41% of 44 offspring) was lower than it was for groups living in clustered territories within continuous habitat (59% of 70 offspring). Differences in group size and pair relatedness did not explain differences in EGP associated with territory configuration, though the frequency of EGP was negatively correlated with pair relatedness. Our finding suggests that territory configuration can influence rates of EGP and that anthropogenic habitat fragmentation has the potential to limit access to extra-pair mates, affecting mating systems and ultimately fitness.
Data from: Egg size investment in superb fairy-wrens: helper effects are modulated by climate
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No evidence for an adaptive role of early molt into breeding plumage in a female fairy-wren
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Data from: Superb fairy-wrens respond more to alarm calls from mate and kin compared to unrelated individuals
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Data from: Ageing and senescence across reproductive traits and survival in superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus)
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Data from: Song recognition and heterospecific associations between two fairy-wren species (Maluridae)
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Data from: A superb solo, or a deviant duet? Overlapping songs in superb fairy-wrens
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Data from: Territory configuration moderates the frequency of extra-group mating in superb fairy-wrens
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Data from: Male and female helper effects on maternal investment and adult survival in red-winged fairy-wrens
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