Does synchrony require practice? Ontogeny and evolution of duet coordination in birds

• Grant number: 24/13237-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Marco Aurelio Pizo Ferreira
• Grantee: Pedro Diniz Alves
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Duet is the coordination of songs between two individuals and functions in the defense of territories and the social partner. While the structure and function of duets are known in some animal species, information is still scarce regarding ontogeny, the mechanisms that promote synchronization, and the consequences of the degree of synchronization of duet songs for the fitness of the singers. Understanding the development of duetting, for example, can aid in understanding the development of conversation in humans. We propose a project to study the synchrony of vocal duets in birds, focusing on polyphonic duets and using the Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) as the main study model. The project is divided into four parts, each representing a potential scientific article: ontogeny, mechanism, function, and evolution. The project will be developed in collaboration with a team of researchers from national and international institutions to (1) investigate whether duet synchrony requires vocal learning, (2) identify the rules used by birds to synchronize the duet in real-time, (3) investigate the consequences of duet synchrony for communication with rivals, and (4) test potential factors associated with the evolution of duet synchrony in birds.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE-CARVALHO, MARIANA; DINIZ, PEDRO; PIRES JUNIOR, OSMINDO R.; MACEDO, REGINA H.; NARDOTO, GABRIELA B.. Differential effects of foraging strategies on carotenoid-derived plumage color and individual quality in stripe-tailed yellow finches. JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY, v. 2025, n. 2, p. 11-pg., 2025-03-01. (24/13237-3)