期刊
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
卷 288, 期 1947, 页码 -出版社
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0225
关键词
Allee effect; bioacoustics; conservation biology; captive breeding; animal behaviour
资金
- Cumnock Pty Ltd
- Whithehaven Pty Ltd.
- Mohamed Bin Zayed species conservation fund
- New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
- Birding New South Wales
- Hunter Bird Observers Club
- Oatley Flora and Fauna
- BirdLife Australia
This study found that a severe decline in population density is associated with the loss of vocal culture in a wild animal, with concomitant fitness costs for remaining individuals. The decline in song complexity of regent honeyeater further supports the impact of population decline on cultural loss in this species.
Cultures in humans and other species are maintained through interactions among conspecifics. Declines in population density could be exacerbated by culture loss, thereby linking culture to conservation. We combined historical recordings, citizen science and breeding data to assess the impact of severe population decline on song culture, song complexity and individual fitness in critically endangered regent honeyeaters (Anthochaera phrygia). Song production in the remaining wild males varied dramatically, with 27% singing songs that differed from the regional cultural norm. Twelve per cent of males, occurring in areas of particularly low population density, completely failed to sing any species-specific songs and instead sang other species' songs. Atypical song production was associated with reduced individual fitness, as males singing atypical songs were less likely to pair or nest than males that sang the regional cultural norm. Songs of captive-bred birds differed from those of all wild birds. The complexity of regent honeyeater songs has also declined over recent decades. We therefore provide rare evidence that a severe decline in population density is associated with the loss of vocal culture in a wild animal, with concomitant fitness costs for remaining individuals. The loss of culture may be a precursor to extinction in declining populations that learn selected behaviours from conspecifics, and therefore provides a useful conservation indicator.
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