2026/04/15 by Arjen A. W. van der Kamp, Jente Ottenburghs · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior #Avian ecology and behavior #Habitat #Lek mating #Mate choice #Mating #Mating system #Range (aeronautics) #Sexual selection
paper · doi:10.1098/rspb.2025.3150
published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 293(2069) (Royal Society)
openalex created_date 2026/04/15 · openalex publication_date 2026/04/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Bird vocalizations can be influenced by different ecological and evolutionary factors. For example, the 'morphological constraint' hypothesis predicts a negative correlation between body size and song frequency, while the 'acoustic adaptation' hypothesis predicts that organisms in dense habitats sing lower-frequency songs compared with organisms inhabiting more open areas. However, little is known about how song structure is influenced under different lek mating systems. Here, we used 61 cotinga (Aves: Cotingidae) species to investigate fundamental relationships between morphology, ecology and mating system by compiling a dataset on song, morphological and environmental traits as well as different lek mating systems. We found that both peak frequency and frequency range correlate negatively with body size. Moreover, our results suggest a positive (albeit marginally significant) correlation between lek presence and frequency range. Our results thus support the 'morphological constraint' hypothesis, while environmental factors barely influence cotinga songs. These findings suggest that cotinga species are vocally constrained by body size, probably because of the limitation on the sound-producing organs, while evolution might have favoured a broad frequency song in avian lek mating systems.