Gail Patricelli - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Gail Patricelli
Evidencia Experimental de los Efectos de Ruido Antropogénico Crónico sobre la Abundancia de Centrocercus urophasianus en Leks
Conservation Biology, 2012
Wildlife Biology, Jun 5, 2017
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
The American Naturalist, Jul 1, 2019
We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applic... more We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. This HMM can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal's display bouts and their within-bout display rates. We highlight the HMM's ability to estimate changes in animals' display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from male greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Male display effort was modeled across three sites in two experimental treatments (robotic female simulating interested or uninterested behavior) and in the presence or absence of live females. Across contexts, we show that sage grouse males primarily adjust their bout lengths rather than their within-bout display rates. Males' responses to female behavior were correlated with male mating success: males with more matings showed high display persistence regardless of female behavior, while males with fewer matings tended to invest selectively in females that were already showing interest in mating. Additionally, males with higher mating success responded more to the presence of a female than males with fewer matings did. We conclude with suggestions for adapting our HMM approach for use in other animal systems.
Variable Signals in a Complex World
Advances in The Study of Behavior, 2016
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013
Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads... more Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads decrease reproductive success and biodiversity and increase physiological stress. Although the consequences of roads on individuals and communities have been well described, the mechanisms through which roads affect birds remain largely unexplored. Here, we examine one mechanism through which roads could affect birds: traffic noise. We exposed nestling mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) to experimentally elevated traffic noise for five days during the nestling period. Following exposure to traffic noise we measured nestling stress physiology, immune function, body size, condition, and survival. Based on prior studies, we expected the traffic noise treatment to result in elevated stress hormones (glucocorticoids), and declines in immune function, body size, condition and survival. Surprisingly, nestlings exposed to traffic noise had lower glucocorticoid levels and improved condition relative to control nests. These results indicate that traffic noise does affect physiology and development in white-crowned sparrows, but not at all as predicted. Therefore, when evaluating the mechanisms through which roads affect avian populations other factors (e.g. edge effects, pollution, and mechanical vibration) may be more important than traffic noise in explaining elevated nestling stress responses in this species.
FCM concentrations from control and noise-treated groups
<p>Data shown (A) pooled by season and (B) for mid and late season samples. Horizontal line... more <p>Data shown (A) pooled by season and (B) for mid and late season samples. Horizontal line represents the median value, box ends represent upper and lower quartiles, whiskers represent maximum and minimum values and open circles represent outliers. Plots present measured FCM values, not model output, which is presented in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0050462#pone-0050462-t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>.</p
Data from: Hidden Markov models reveal tactical adjustment of temporally-clustered courtship displays in response to the behaviors of a robotic female
We present a statistical approach—a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)—that is broadly applic... more We present a statistical approach—a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)—that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally-clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. This HMM can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal’s display bouts and also their within-bout display rates. We highlight the HMM’s ability to estimate changes in animals’ display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Male display effort was modeled across three sites in two experimental treatments (robotic female simulating interested or uninterested behavior) and in the presence or absence of live females. Across contexts, we show that sage-grouse males primarily adjust their bout lengths, rather than their within-bout display rates. Males’ responses to female behavior were correlated with male mating success: males with more matings showed high display persistence regardless of female behavior, while males with fewer matings tended to invest selectively in females that were already showing interest in mating. Additionally, males with higher mating success responded more to female presence versus absence. We conclude with suggestions for adapting our HMM approach for use in other animal systems
signals enhance the efficiency of mate assessment in satin bowerbirds
Current tests of the bright male hypothesis focus on assays of adult disease resistance and their... more Current tests of the bright male hypothesis focus on assays of adult disease resistance and their relation to male trait development and female choice. We suggest that if parasites have significant harmful effects on juvenile stages of a host, then females selecting males that effectively signal juvenile parasite resistance may gain a significant ''good genes'' benefit. Currently, there is no information on juvenile and adult infection or resistance in the same male and whether adult male displays signal juvenile parasite resistance. In the present study, we measure infection of the ectoparasitic louse, Myrsidea ptilonorhynchi, in individual male satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) both as juveniles and nine or more years later as adults. We test hypotheses that examine the role of juvenile parasite infection in mediating sexual selection. We found that (1) juvenile infection is higher than adult infection in the same individuals, (2) adult males able to hold display sites have lower juvenile infection, and (3) juvenile and adult infection in the same individuals are not significantly correlated. In addition, comparisons among a larger set of individuals from a single year show that blood and ectoparasite infections are highly correlated, and both decrease with male age and are inversely related to male courtship success. These results, combined with the evidence that females mate exclusively with bower-holding males support the hypothesis that females use adult male display traits to identify males with a high level of juvenile disease resistance. We suggest that effective tests of the bright male hypothesis should include (1) assessment of infection resistance in both subadult and adult life history stages, (2) tests of whether differences in age-specific resistance are indicated in adult male displays, and (3) tests to determine if females attend to these traits in mate choice. Although these requirements increase the difficulty of testing the bright male hypothesis, they are necessary for a more accurate assessment of the effects of parasites on male display and female choice.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2021
Remotely sensed land cover datasets have been increasingly employed in studies of wildlife habita... more Remotely sensed land cover datasets have been increasingly employed in studies of wildlife habitat use. However, meaningful interpretation of these datasets is dependent on how accurately they estimate habitat features that are important to wildlife. We evaluated the accuracy of the GAP dataset, which is commonly used to classify broad cover categories (e.g., vegetation communities) and LANDFIRE datasets, which classifies narrower cover categories (e.g., plant species) and structural features of vegetation. To evaluate accuracy, we compared classification of cover types and estimates of percent cover and height of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) derived from GAP and LANDFIRE datasets to field-collected data in winter habitats used by greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Accuracy was dependent on the type of dataset used as well as the spatial scale (point, 500-m, and 1-km) and biological level (community versus dominant species) investigated. GAP datasets had the highest overall classification accuracy of broad sagebrush cover types (49.8%) compared to LANDFIRE datasets for narrower cover types (39.1% community-level; 31.9% species-level). Percent cover and height were not accurately estimated in the LANDFIRE dataset. Our results suggest that researchers must be cautious when applying GAP or LANDFIRE datasets to classify narrow categories of land cover types or to predict percent cover or height of sagebrush within sagebrush-dominated landscapes. We conclude that ground-truthing is critical for successful application of land cover datasets in landscape-scale evaluations and management planning, particularly when wildlife use relatively rare habitat types compared to what is available.
Overview of a workshop to expand the use of emerging technology to understand the ecology of grouse in a changing climate
We held a workshop related to the use of emerging technology to understand the ecology of grouse ... more We held a workshop related to the use of emerging technology to understand the ecology of grouse on 03 September 2015 from 08:00 to 17:30 at the Reykjavik Family Park and Zoo, Reykjavik, Iceland as part of the 13th International Grouse Symposium. Our overall objective was to translate technological advances in remote sensing, rapid biochemical assays, and robotics to resource managers for improved understanding, monitoring, and management of wildlife habitat and behavior in a changing climate. The workshop included seminars and hands-on demonstrations of equipment used to collect, analyze, interpret, and share data related to monitoring and predicting how grouse interact with their environment. Professors Jennifer S. Forbey (Boise State University), Gail Patricelli (University of California, Davis), and Donna Delparte (Idaho State University) chaired the workshop, which was funded by a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Sessions in the workshop were led by a team of fa...
Variable Signals in a Complex World
Advances in the Study of Behavior, 2016
The American Naturalist, 2019
We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applic... more We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. This HMM can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal's display bouts and their within-bout display rates. We highlight the HMM's ability to estimate changes in animals' display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from male greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Male display effort was modeled across three sites in two experimental treatments (robotic female simulating interested or uninterested behavior) and in the presence or absence of live females. Across contexts, we show that sage grouse males primarily adjust their bout lengths rather than their within-bout display rates. Males' responses to female behavior were correlated with male mating success: males with more matings showed high display persistence regardless of female behavior, while males with fewer matings tended to invest selectively in females that were already showing interest in mating. Additionally, males with higher mating success responded more to the presence of a female than males with fewer matings did. We conclude with suggestions for adapting our HMM approach for use in other animal systems.
Wildlife Biology, 2017
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
Studies have found that some birds use vocalizations with higher minimum frequency in noisy areas... more Studies have found that some birds use vocalizations with higher minimum frequency in noisy areas. Minimum frequency is often measured by visual inspection of spectrograms (Bby-eye practice^(BEP)), which is prone to bias, e.g., if low-frequency components are masked by noise. We tested for this bias by comparing measurements of minimum frequency obtained with the BEP for the same set of red-winged blackbird vocalizations (songs and two call types Bchecks^and Bcheers^) played back under ambient, medium, and high noise conditions using a dual playback experiment where both vocalizations and noise were introduced. We compared BEP measurements to those obtained from power spectrum analyses using a preset amplitude threshold (Bthreshold method^(TM)). The BEP was biased when measuring the minimum frequencies of songs and checks, which are masked by noise, but not when measuring cheers, which are higher pitched and thus not masked. Measures using the TM were not affected by Keywords Noise . Bird song . Pitch . Minimum frequency .
Behavioral Ecology, 2014
In typically outbreeding species, females can avoid a reduction in offspring fitness by choosing ... more In typically outbreeding species, females can avoid a reduction in offspring fitness by choosing unrelated sires. However, the kin selection model of mate choice suggests that it may be adaptive to mate with relatives to gain inclusive fitness benefits, especially in lekking species. Several studies have shown that females tend to mate with relatives, but the detailed behavioral data necessary to determine whether this reflects an active preference is difficult to acquire. We test the hypotheses that females actively preferred or avoided relatives in mate choice in satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus), a lekking species in which comprehensive observations of natural mate choice were obtained using automated video cameras positioned at bowers. We identified specific males that were sampled by individual females and assessed whether relatedness influenced their acceptance or rejection as mates. We found no consistent effect of relatedness on mate choice across years or among multiple stages of mate choice. In 2 of 6 years, females copulated with relatives at or above the half-sibling level significantly more often than expected, but this was attributed to females searching for mates in areas populated by relatives, and not to an active preference for relatives. Furthermore, we found no evidence for inbreeding avoidance through mate choice discrimination or sex-biased dispersal.
Journal of Experimental Biology, 2017
ABSTRACTMales in many species compete intensely for access to females. In order to minimize costl... more ABSTRACTMales in many species compete intensely for access to females. In order to minimize costly interactions, they can assess their rivals’ competitive abilities by evaluating traits and behaviors. We know little about how males selectively direct their attention to make these assessments. Using Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) as a model system, we examined how males visually assess their competitors by continuously tracking the gaze of freely moving peacocks during the mating season. When assessing rivals, peacocks selectively gazed toward the lower display regions of their rivals, including the lower eyespot and fishtail feathers, dense feathers, body and wings. Their attention was modified based on the rivals’ behavior such that they spent more time looking at rivals when rivals were shaking their wings and moving. The results indicate that peacocks selectively allocate their attention during rival assessment. The gaze patterns of males assessing rivals were largely similar to...
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2016
Animal communication has multiple dimensions of complexity-signals may be variable over time and ... more Animal communication has multiple dimensions of complexity-signals may be variable over time and space; signals may have multiple components interacting with each other and with the receivers' perceptual and cognitive systems; and signalers and receivers may adjust their behavior with changes in their environment. There is an increasing appreciation that understanding animal communication-especially the diversity of signal form-requires us to examine complexity per se. We review recent methods and conceptual frameworks that address the complexity of communication with a specific focus on new developments in quantifying and explaining signal variation, new advances in understanding receiver psychology, including perceptual and cognitive biases, and new unifying frameworks, such as systems theory, which provide a holistic view of complex communication systems.
Ornithological Monographs, 2012
Anthropogenic noise can limit the ability of birds to communicate by masking their acoustic signa... more Anthropogenic noise can limit the ability of birds to communicate by masking their acoustic signals. Masking, which reduces the distance over which the signal can be perceived by a receiver, is frequency dependent, so the different notes of a single song may be masked to different degrees. We analyzed the individual notes of mating vocalizations produced by Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and noise from natural gas infrastructure to quantify the potential for such noise to mask Greater Sage-Grouse vocalizations over both long and short distances. We found that noise produced by natural gas infrastructure was dominated by low frequencies, with substantial overlap in frequency with Greater Sage-Grouse acoustic displays. Such overlap predicted substantial masking, reducing the active space of detection and discrimination of all vocalization components, and particularly affecting low-frequency and low-amplitude notes. Such masking could increase the difficulty of mate assessment for lekking Greater Sage-Grouse. We discuss these results in relation to current stipulations that limit the proximity of natural gas infrastructure to leks of this species on some federal lands in the United States. Significant impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse populations have been measured at noise levels that predict little or no masking. Thus, masking is not likely to be the only mechanism of noise impact on this species, and masking analyses should therefore be used in combination with other methods to evaluate stipulations and predict the effects of noise exposure.
Evidencia Experimental de los Efectos de Ruido Antropogénico Crónico sobre la Abundancia de Centrocercus urophasianus en Leks
Conservation Biology, 2012
Wildlife Biology, Jun 5, 2017
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
The American Naturalist, Jul 1, 2019
We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applic... more We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. This HMM can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal's display bouts and their within-bout display rates. We highlight the HMM's ability to estimate changes in animals' display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from male greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Male display effort was modeled across three sites in two experimental treatments (robotic female simulating interested or uninterested behavior) and in the presence or absence of live females. Across contexts, we show that sage grouse males primarily adjust their bout lengths rather than their within-bout display rates. Males' responses to female behavior were correlated with male mating success: males with more matings showed high display persistence regardless of female behavior, while males with fewer matings tended to invest selectively in females that were already showing interest in mating. Additionally, males with higher mating success responded more to the presence of a female than males with fewer matings did. We conclude with suggestions for adapting our HMM approach for use in other animal systems.
Variable Signals in a Complex World
Advances in The Study of Behavior, 2016
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013
Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads... more Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads decrease reproductive success and biodiversity and increase physiological stress. Although the consequences of roads on individuals and communities have been well described, the mechanisms through which roads affect birds remain largely unexplored. Here, we examine one mechanism through which roads could affect birds: traffic noise. We exposed nestling mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) to experimentally elevated traffic noise for five days during the nestling period. Following exposure to traffic noise we measured nestling stress physiology, immune function, body size, condition, and survival. Based on prior studies, we expected the traffic noise treatment to result in elevated stress hormones (glucocorticoids), and declines in immune function, body size, condition and survival. Surprisingly, nestlings exposed to traffic noise had lower glucocorticoid levels and improved condition relative to control nests. These results indicate that traffic noise does affect physiology and development in white-crowned sparrows, but not at all as predicted. Therefore, when evaluating the mechanisms through which roads affect avian populations other factors (e.g. edge effects, pollution, and mechanical vibration) may be more important than traffic noise in explaining elevated nestling stress responses in this species.
FCM concentrations from control and noise-treated groups
<p>Data shown (A) pooled by season and (B) for mid and late season samples. Horizontal line... more <p>Data shown (A) pooled by season and (B) for mid and late season samples. Horizontal line represents the median value, box ends represent upper and lower quartiles, whiskers represent maximum and minimum values and open circles represent outliers. Plots present measured FCM values, not model output, which is presented in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0050462#pone-0050462-t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>.</p
Data from: Hidden Markov models reveal tactical adjustment of temporally-clustered courtship displays in response to the behaviors of a robotic female
We present a statistical approach—a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)—that is broadly applic... more We present a statistical approach—a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)—that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally-clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. This HMM can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal’s display bouts and also their within-bout display rates. We highlight the HMM’s ability to estimate changes in animals’ display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Male display effort was modeled across three sites in two experimental treatments (robotic female simulating interested or uninterested behavior) and in the presence or absence of live females. Across contexts, we show that sage-grouse males primarily adjust their bout lengths, rather than their within-bout display rates. Males’ responses to female behavior were correlated with male mating success: males with more matings showed high display persistence regardless of female behavior, while males with fewer matings tended to invest selectively in females that were already showing interest in mating. Additionally, males with higher mating success responded more to female presence versus absence. We conclude with suggestions for adapting our HMM approach for use in other animal systems
signals enhance the efficiency of mate assessment in satin bowerbirds
Current tests of the bright male hypothesis focus on assays of adult disease resistance and their... more Current tests of the bright male hypothesis focus on assays of adult disease resistance and their relation to male trait development and female choice. We suggest that if parasites have significant harmful effects on juvenile stages of a host, then females selecting males that effectively signal juvenile parasite resistance may gain a significant ''good genes'' benefit. Currently, there is no information on juvenile and adult infection or resistance in the same male and whether adult male displays signal juvenile parasite resistance. In the present study, we measure infection of the ectoparasitic louse, Myrsidea ptilonorhynchi, in individual male satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) both as juveniles and nine or more years later as adults. We test hypotheses that examine the role of juvenile parasite infection in mediating sexual selection. We found that (1) juvenile infection is higher than adult infection in the same individuals, (2) adult males able to hold display sites have lower juvenile infection, and (3) juvenile and adult infection in the same individuals are not significantly correlated. In addition, comparisons among a larger set of individuals from a single year show that blood and ectoparasite infections are highly correlated, and both decrease with male age and are inversely related to male courtship success. These results, combined with the evidence that females mate exclusively with bower-holding males support the hypothesis that females use adult male display traits to identify males with a high level of juvenile disease resistance. We suggest that effective tests of the bright male hypothesis should include (1) assessment of infection resistance in both subadult and adult life history stages, (2) tests of whether differences in age-specific resistance are indicated in adult male displays, and (3) tests to determine if females attend to these traits in mate choice. Although these requirements increase the difficulty of testing the bright male hypothesis, they are necessary for a more accurate assessment of the effects of parasites on male display and female choice.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2021
Remotely sensed land cover datasets have been increasingly employed in studies of wildlife habita... more Remotely sensed land cover datasets have been increasingly employed in studies of wildlife habitat use. However, meaningful interpretation of these datasets is dependent on how accurately they estimate habitat features that are important to wildlife. We evaluated the accuracy of the GAP dataset, which is commonly used to classify broad cover categories (e.g., vegetation communities) and LANDFIRE datasets, which classifies narrower cover categories (e.g., plant species) and structural features of vegetation. To evaluate accuracy, we compared classification of cover types and estimates of percent cover and height of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) derived from GAP and LANDFIRE datasets to field-collected data in winter habitats used by greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Accuracy was dependent on the type of dataset used as well as the spatial scale (point, 500-m, and 1-km) and biological level (community versus dominant species) investigated. GAP datasets had the highest overall classification accuracy of broad sagebrush cover types (49.8%) compared to LANDFIRE datasets for narrower cover types (39.1% community-level; 31.9% species-level). Percent cover and height were not accurately estimated in the LANDFIRE dataset. Our results suggest that researchers must be cautious when applying GAP or LANDFIRE datasets to classify narrow categories of land cover types or to predict percent cover or height of sagebrush within sagebrush-dominated landscapes. We conclude that ground-truthing is critical for successful application of land cover datasets in landscape-scale evaluations and management planning, particularly when wildlife use relatively rare habitat types compared to what is available.
Overview of a workshop to expand the use of emerging technology to understand the ecology of grouse in a changing climate
We held a workshop related to the use of emerging technology to understand the ecology of grouse ... more We held a workshop related to the use of emerging technology to understand the ecology of grouse on 03 September 2015 from 08:00 to 17:30 at the Reykjavik Family Park and Zoo, Reykjavik, Iceland as part of the 13th International Grouse Symposium. Our overall objective was to translate technological advances in remote sensing, rapid biochemical assays, and robotics to resource managers for improved understanding, monitoring, and management of wildlife habitat and behavior in a changing climate. The workshop included seminars and hands-on demonstrations of equipment used to collect, analyze, interpret, and share data related to monitoring and predicting how grouse interact with their environment. Professors Jennifer S. Forbey (Boise State University), Gail Patricelli (University of California, Davis), and Donna Delparte (Idaho State University) chaired the workshop, which was funded by a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Sessions in the workshop were led by a team of fa...
Variable Signals in a Complex World
Advances in the Study of Behavior, 2016
The American Naturalist, 2019
We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applic... more We present a statistical approach-a custom-built hidden Markov model (HMM)-that is broadly applicable to the analysis of temporally clustered display events, as found in many animals, including birds, orthopterans, and anurans. This HMM can simultaneously estimate both the expected lengths of each animal's display bouts and their within-bout display rates. We highlight the HMM's ability to estimate changes in animals' display effort over time and across different social contexts, using data from male greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Male display effort was modeled across three sites in two experimental treatments (robotic female simulating interested or uninterested behavior) and in the presence or absence of live females. Across contexts, we show that sage grouse males primarily adjust their bout lengths rather than their within-bout display rates. Males' responses to female behavior were correlated with male mating success: males with more matings showed high display persistence regardless of female behavior, while males with fewer matings tended to invest selectively in females that were already showing interest in mating. Additionally, males with higher mating success responded more to the presence of a female than males with fewer matings did. We conclude with suggestions for adapting our HMM approach for use in other animal systems.
Wildlife Biology, 2017
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
Studies have found that some birds use vocalizations with higher minimum frequency in noisy areas... more Studies have found that some birds use vocalizations with higher minimum frequency in noisy areas. Minimum frequency is often measured by visual inspection of spectrograms (Bby-eye practice^(BEP)), which is prone to bias, e.g., if low-frequency components are masked by noise. We tested for this bias by comparing measurements of minimum frequency obtained with the BEP for the same set of red-winged blackbird vocalizations (songs and two call types Bchecks^and Bcheers^) played back under ambient, medium, and high noise conditions using a dual playback experiment where both vocalizations and noise were introduced. We compared BEP measurements to those obtained from power spectrum analyses using a preset amplitude threshold (Bthreshold method^(TM)). The BEP was biased when measuring the minimum frequencies of songs and checks, which are masked by noise, but not when measuring cheers, which are higher pitched and thus not masked. Measures using the TM were not affected by Keywords Noise . Bird song . Pitch . Minimum frequency .
Behavioral Ecology, 2014
In typically outbreeding species, females can avoid a reduction in offspring fitness by choosing ... more In typically outbreeding species, females can avoid a reduction in offspring fitness by choosing unrelated sires. However, the kin selection model of mate choice suggests that it may be adaptive to mate with relatives to gain inclusive fitness benefits, especially in lekking species. Several studies have shown that females tend to mate with relatives, but the detailed behavioral data necessary to determine whether this reflects an active preference is difficult to acquire. We test the hypotheses that females actively preferred or avoided relatives in mate choice in satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus), a lekking species in which comprehensive observations of natural mate choice were obtained using automated video cameras positioned at bowers. We identified specific males that were sampled by individual females and assessed whether relatedness influenced their acceptance or rejection as mates. We found no consistent effect of relatedness on mate choice across years or among multiple stages of mate choice. In 2 of 6 years, females copulated with relatives at or above the half-sibling level significantly more often than expected, but this was attributed to females searching for mates in areas populated by relatives, and not to an active preference for relatives. Furthermore, we found no evidence for inbreeding avoidance through mate choice discrimination or sex-biased dispersal.
Journal of Experimental Biology, 2017
ABSTRACTMales in many species compete intensely for access to females. In order to minimize costl... more ABSTRACTMales in many species compete intensely for access to females. In order to minimize costly interactions, they can assess their rivals’ competitive abilities by evaluating traits and behaviors. We know little about how males selectively direct their attention to make these assessments. Using Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) as a model system, we examined how males visually assess their competitors by continuously tracking the gaze of freely moving peacocks during the mating season. When assessing rivals, peacocks selectively gazed toward the lower display regions of their rivals, including the lower eyespot and fishtail feathers, dense feathers, body and wings. Their attention was modified based on the rivals’ behavior such that they spent more time looking at rivals when rivals were shaking their wings and moving. The results indicate that peacocks selectively allocate their attention during rival assessment. The gaze patterns of males assessing rivals were largely similar to...
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2016
Animal communication has multiple dimensions of complexity-signals may be variable over time and ... more Animal communication has multiple dimensions of complexity-signals may be variable over time and space; signals may have multiple components interacting with each other and with the receivers' perceptual and cognitive systems; and signalers and receivers may adjust their behavior with changes in their environment. There is an increasing appreciation that understanding animal communication-especially the diversity of signal form-requires us to examine complexity per se. We review recent methods and conceptual frameworks that address the complexity of communication with a specific focus on new developments in quantifying and explaining signal variation, new advances in understanding receiver psychology, including perceptual and cognitive biases, and new unifying frameworks, such as systems theory, which provide a holistic view of complex communication systems.
Ornithological Monographs, 2012
Anthropogenic noise can limit the ability of birds to communicate by masking their acoustic signa... more Anthropogenic noise can limit the ability of birds to communicate by masking their acoustic signals. Masking, which reduces the distance over which the signal can be perceived by a receiver, is frequency dependent, so the different notes of a single song may be masked to different degrees. We analyzed the individual notes of mating vocalizations produced by Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and noise from natural gas infrastructure to quantify the potential for such noise to mask Greater Sage-Grouse vocalizations over both long and short distances. We found that noise produced by natural gas infrastructure was dominated by low frequencies, with substantial overlap in frequency with Greater Sage-Grouse acoustic displays. Such overlap predicted substantial masking, reducing the active space of detection and discrimination of all vocalization components, and particularly affecting low-frequency and low-amplitude notes. Such masking could increase the difficulty of mate assessment for lekking Greater Sage-Grouse. We discuss these results in relation to current stipulations that limit the proximity of natural gas infrastructure to leks of this species on some federal lands in the United States. Significant impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse populations have been measured at noise levels that predict little or no masking. Thus, masking is not likely to be the only mechanism of noise impact on this species, and masking analyses should therefore be used in combination with other methods to evaluate stipulations and predict the effects of noise exposure.