Exploration behavior differs between Darwin’s finch species and predicts territory defense and hatching success

IF 1.9 2区 生物学 Q3 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Andrew C. Katsis, Diane Colombelli-Négrel, Çağlar Akçay, Lauren K. Common, Jefferson García-Loor, Sonia Kleindorfer
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Abstract

Darwin’s finch species in the Galápagos Islands are famously distinguished by their morphology but less attention has been given to behavioral differences between species. In this study, we compared behavior between four Darwin’s finch species on Floreana Island: small ground finch (Geospiza fuliginosa), medium ground finch (G. fortis), small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus), and medium tree finch (C. pauper). After capturing birds using mist-nets, we measured three behavioral traits: (1) boldness during human handling, (2) exploration in a novel environment, and (3) aggressiveness towards their mirror image. First, we found that ground finches were bolder and more exploratory than tree finches, consistent with their distinct ecological niches on Floreana Island and with the theoretical prediction that diet generalists should be less wary of novelty. Second, we tested the ecological validity of these behavioral variables at the individual level by relating them to territory defense behavior and breeding success. We found that males that were more exploratory in the novel environment also reacted more aggressively to a simulated territory intruder and showed lower offspring hatching success during the breeding season. Hence, our findings support previous work showing behavioral differences between Darwin’s finch species and also suggest pathways by which behavioral differences among individuals might influence fitness.

Significance statement

Closely-related species that overlap in their geographical range may differ in their morphology and/or behavior, allowing them to occupy different ecological niches. In this study, we explored behavioral differences between four Darwin’s finch species on Floreana Island in the Galápagos Archipelago. We found clear interspecies differences in behavior, with the ground finches struggling more often during handling (boldness) and visiting more sectors in a novel environment (exploration) compared to the tree finches. After birds were released, we continued to observe a subset of male finches in the wild. An individual’s exploration behavior significantly predicted both its aggressive response to a territory intruder (simulated using song playback) and offspring hatching success during the breeding season. This suggests that individual differences in exploration behavior can potentially be used as a proxy for territorial behavior in the wild and may also predict fitness outcomes.

Abstract Image

达尔文雀的探索行为因物种而异,可预测领地防御和孵化成功率
摘要 加拉帕戈斯群岛上的达尔文雀物种因其形态而闻名,但人们较少关注物种间的行为差异。在这项研究中,我们比较了弗洛雷纳岛上四种达尔文雀的行为:小地雀(Geospiza fuliginosa)、中地雀(G. fortis)、小树雀(Camarhynchus parvulus)和中树雀(C. pauper)。使用雾网捕获鸟类后,我们测量了三种行为特征:(1)在人类操作时的胆量;(2)在新环境中的探索;(3)对镜像的攻击性。首先,我们发现地雀比树雀更大胆、更善于探索,这与它们在弗洛雷纳岛上不同的生态位相吻合,也符合理论预测,即食性通达者对新事物的警惕性较低。其次,我们将这些行为变量与领地防御行为和繁殖成功率联系起来,检验了它们在个体水平上的生态有效性。我们发现,在新环境中更具探索性的雄性对模拟的领地入侵者的反应也更具攻击性,并且在繁殖季节的后代孵化成功率较低。因此,我们的研究结果支持了之前显示达尔文雀物种间行为差异的工作,同时也提出了个体间行为差异可能影响适应性的途径。 重要意义声明在地理范围上重叠的近缘物种可能在形态和/或行为上存在差异,使它们能够占据不同的生态位。在这项研究中,我们探讨了加拉帕戈斯群岛弗洛雷纳岛上四个达尔文雀物种之间的行为差异。我们发现物种间存在明显的行为差异,与树雀相比,地雀在处理过程中更经常挣扎(大胆),在新环境中拜访更多的区域(探索)。鸟类被释放后,我们继续观察野外雄性雀鸟的子集。个体的探索行为能显著预测其对领地入侵者的攻击性反应(用鸣唱模拟)和繁殖季节的后代孵化成功率。这表明,探索行为的个体差异有可能被用作野外领地行为的替代物,也有可能预测适应性结果。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.90
自引率
8.70%
发文量
146
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: The journal publishes reviews, original contributions and commentaries dealing with quantitative empirical and theoretical studies in the analysis of animal behavior at the level of the individual, group, population, community, and species.
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