Hatching late in the season requires flexibility in the timing of song learning

dc.contributor.authorLeitner, Stefan
dc.contributor.authorTeichel, Johanna
dc.contributor.authorTer Maat, Andries
dc.contributor.authorVoigt, Cornelia
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-15T07:05:10Z
dc.date.issued2015-08
dc.description.abstractMost songbirds learn their songs from adult tutors, who can be their father or other male conspecifics. However, the variables that control song learning in a natural social context are largely unknown. We investigated whether the time of hatching of male domesticated canaries has an impact on their song development and on the neuroendocrine parameters of the song control system. Average age difference between early- and late-hatched males was 50 days with a maximum of 90 days. Song activity of adult tutor males decreased significantly during the breeding season. While early-hatched males were exposed to tutor songs for on average the first 99 days, late-hatched peers heard adult song only during the first 48 days of life. Remarkably, although hatching late in the season negatively affected body condition, no differences between both groups of males were found in song characteristics either in autumn or in the following spring. Similarly, hatching date had no effect on song nucleus size and circulating testosterone levels. Our data suggest that late-hatched males must have undergone accelerated song development. Furthermore, the limited tutor song exposure did not affect adult song organization and song performance.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.embargo2016-08-30
dc.description.librarianhb2016en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://rsbl.royalsocietypublishingen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLeitner, S, Teichel, J, Ter Maat, A & Voigt, C 2015, 'Hatching late in the season requires flexibility in the timing of song learning', Biology Letters, vol. 11, pp. 1-10.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1744-9561 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1744-957X (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1098/rsbl.2015.0522
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/52028
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherThe Royal Societyen_ZA
dc.rights© 2015 The Author(s)en_ZA
dc.subjectVocal learningen_ZA
dc.subjectSong exposureen_ZA
dc.subjectTestosteroneen_ZA
dc.subjectHVCen_ZA
dc.subjectCanaryen_ZA
dc.titleHatching late in the season requires flexibility in the timing of song learningen_ZA
dc.typePostprint Articleen_ZA

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