BECAS
URSINO Cynthia Alejandra
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Evidence of innate vocal mimicry of host young by the brood-parasitic screaming cowbird
Autor/es:
JUAN MANUEL ROJAS RIPARI; CYNTHIA A. URSINO; REBOREDA, JUAN CARLOS; DE MÁRSICO, MARÍA CECILIA
Lugar:
Nueva Jersey
Reunión:
Congreso; 51th Animal Behavior Society Conference; 2014
Institución organizadora:
Animal Behavior Society
Resumen:
Title
Evidence of innate vocal mimicry of host young by the brood-parasitic
screaming cowbird
Authors
JM Rojas Ripari , C Ursino, JC Reboreda, MC De Mársico
Institution
Departamento de Ecología Genética y Evolución ? IEGEBA (CONICET), FCEN,
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Abstract Body
Young of obligate avian brood parasites, in order to obtain adequate levels of
parental care, must tune their begging into the host?s existing parent-offspring
communication system. The host-specialist screaming cowbird (Molothrus
rufoaxillaris) possesses begging calls that resemble those of its primary host, the
baywing (Agelaioides badius). We studied whether such vocal resemblance
develops innately in screaming cowbird chicks. We used a discriminant function
analysis (DFA) to examine differences in begging call structure among baywing
chicks and screaming cowbird chicks that were either reared by baywings or
experimentally cross-fostered as eggs to a non-host species (Mimus saturninus).
DFA distinguished among these three groups of chicks with 73, 91 and 83%
accuracy, respectively, based on max and min frequency, bandwidth and call
duration Also, we tested the function of parasite?s begging calls using a playback
experiment at baywing nests. Hosts responded similarly to broadcasts of begging
calls of conspecifics and those of screaming cowbirds reared by baywings or M.
saturninus. Our results strongly suggest a genetic basis for host-specific vocal
mimicry in screaming cowbirds.