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Matthew J. Fuxjager - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • High‐speed displays encoding motor skill trigger elevated territorial aggression in Downy Woodpeckers
    Functional Ecology, 2017
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    Many species perform social displays that incorporate complex body movements. However, the reason why such exaggerated behavioural signals evolve in the first place is unclear. Recent work posits that physical displays arise in part because they showcase an animal's motor skill—that is, the ability to produce challenging motor acts with great coordination, precision and/or speed. Support for this idea is largely correlational, with few studies attempting to manipulate metrics of motor skill to assess their effect on physical display efficacy. Here, we address this issue in the Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens). Individuals of this species compete for territories through the performance of drums, which are complex displays produced by rapidly hammering the bill against a resonate surface at rates of 16 hits/s. This display is a whole-body endeavour, and its production relies on the ability to swiftly oscillate the head forward and backward at fraction-of-a-second periods. Using a series of playback studies, we expose resident birds to experimentally engineered drums that reflect putative fine-scale differences in the motor command of the head and neck. We show that resident individuals respond more aggressively to drums characterized by a cadence with a 9-ms faster beat speed. These residents even modulate their own drum speed to resemble this high-performance stimulus, although they often fail to reach it. Residents also appear to appraise drum acceleration by listening to the time intervals between successive beats in a single drum, while tracking how these time intervals change as the signal progresses. Our data support a connection between motor skill and the effectiveness of a physical display produced through elaborate body movement. We, therefore, suspect that motor skill is adaptive and evolves in response to selection by competition for effective drum displays. A plain language summary is available for this article.

  • The social context of a territorial dispute differentially influences the way individuals in breeding pairs coordinate their aggressive tactics
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Gloria D. Sanin, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    In diverse species, individuals coordinate behavior to accomplish shared goals or tasks. Such coordination, however, often occurs selectively, and the contextual information animals use to determine when they coordinate and when they do not is unclear. We investigate this issue in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens ) by exploring how individuals within a social breeding pair differentially modulate coordinated aggressive responses during graded simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). Analyses show that resident pairs mount a more robust aggressive response to STIs that represent a greater threat. Moreover, in this social context, pair members produce contact vocalizations in a way that predicts their partner’s aggressive behavior. We also show that, when presented with a low threat, individuals that first respond to intrusions decrease their aggressive output once their partner attends to the stimulus; the partner, in turn, increases their levels of aggressive behavior. This does not occur in high-threat STIs, where both partners maintain high levels of aggression throughout the entire encounter. Together, these results show that individuals within a pair flexibly adjust their aggressive tactics in response to different social competitive contexts, and this includes adjusting the way in which individuals coordinate certain aspects of their agonistic repertoire. We speculate that this ability reflects an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to fine-tune territorial tactics to reduce overall costs of aggression. Significance statement Although research has demonstrated that individuals often coordinate their behavior to accomplish common tasks, little is known about the factors that determine when such coordination occurs and when it does not. We address this issue for the first time in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker by testing how the level of threat associated with a territorial interaction influences the coordination of defensive behavior. We find that, when facing intruders that pose a greater threat, residents adjust levels of aggressive output in response to the number of vocalizations produced by their breeding partner. By contrast, this relationship is not observed when pairs face intruders that pose a relatively lower threat. Our data therefore provide striking evidence that coordination in defensive tactics depends on the residents’ appraisal of the social context, such that fiercer competition is associated with greater behavioral coordination.

  • The social context of a territorial dispute differentially influences the way individuals in breeding pairs coordinate their aggressive tactics
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Gloria D. Sanin, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    In diverse species, individuals coordinate behavior to accomplish shared goals or tasks. Such coordination, however, often occurs selectively, and the contextual information animals use to determine when they coordinate and when they do not is unclear. We investigate this issue in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) by exploring how individuals within a social breeding pair differentially modulate coordinated aggressive responses during graded simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). Analyses show that resident pairs mount a more robust aggressive response to STIs that represent a greater threat. Moreover, in this social context, pair members produce contact vocalizations in a way that predicts their partner’s aggressive behavior. We also show that, when presented with a low threat, individuals that first respond to intrusions decrease their aggressive output once their partner attends to the stimulus; the partner, in turn, increases their levels of aggressive behavior. This does not occur in high-threat STIs, where both partners maintain high levels of aggression throughout the entire encounter. Together, these results show that individuals within a pair flexibly adjust their aggressive tactics in response to different social competitive contexts, and this includes adjusting the way in which individuals coordinate certain aspects of their agonistic repertoire. We speculate that this ability reflects an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to fine-tune territorial tactics to reduce overall costs of aggression. Although research has demonstrated that individuals often coordinate their behavior to accomplish common tasks, little is known about the factors that determine when such coordination occurs and when it does not. We address this issue for the first time in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker by testing how the level of threat associated with a territorial interaction influences the coordination of defensive behavior. We find that, when facing intruders that pose a greater threat, residents adjust levels of aggressive output in response to the number of vocalizations produced by their breeding partner. By contrast, this relationship is not observed when pairs face intruders that pose a relatively lower threat. Our data therefore provide striking evidence that coordination in defensive tactics depends on the residents’ appraisal of the social context, such that fiercer competition is associated with greater behavioral coordination.

Eric R. Schuppe - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • High‐speed displays encoding motor skill trigger elevated territorial aggression in Downy Woodpeckers
    Functional Ecology, 2017
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    Many species perform social displays that incorporate complex body movements. However, the reason why such exaggerated behavioural signals evolve in the first place is unclear. Recent work posits that physical displays arise in part because they showcase an animal's motor skill—that is, the ability to produce challenging motor acts with great coordination, precision and/or speed. Support for this idea is largely correlational, with few studies attempting to manipulate metrics of motor skill to assess their effect on physical display efficacy. Here, we address this issue in the Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens). Individuals of this species compete for territories through the performance of drums, which are complex displays produced by rapidly hammering the bill against a resonate surface at rates of 16 hits/s. This display is a whole-body endeavour, and its production relies on the ability to swiftly oscillate the head forward and backward at fraction-of-a-second periods. Using a series of playback studies, we expose resident birds to experimentally engineered drums that reflect putative fine-scale differences in the motor command of the head and neck. We show that resident individuals respond more aggressively to drums characterized by a cadence with a 9-ms faster beat speed. These residents even modulate their own drum speed to resemble this high-performance stimulus, although they often fail to reach it. Residents also appear to appraise drum acceleration by listening to the time intervals between successive beats in a single drum, while tracking how these time intervals change as the signal progresses. Our data support a connection between motor skill and the effectiveness of a physical display produced through elaborate body movement. We, therefore, suspect that motor skill is adaptive and evolves in response to selection by competition for effective drum displays. A plain language summary is available for this article.

  • The social context of a territorial dispute differentially influences the way individuals in breeding pairs coordinate their aggressive tactics
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Gloria D. Sanin, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    In diverse species, individuals coordinate behavior to accomplish shared goals or tasks. Such coordination, however, often occurs selectively, and the contextual information animals use to determine when they coordinate and when they do not is unclear. We investigate this issue in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens ) by exploring how individuals within a social breeding pair differentially modulate coordinated aggressive responses during graded simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). Analyses show that resident pairs mount a more robust aggressive response to STIs that represent a greater threat. Moreover, in this social context, pair members produce contact vocalizations in a way that predicts their partner’s aggressive behavior. We also show that, when presented with a low threat, individuals that first respond to intrusions decrease their aggressive output once their partner attends to the stimulus; the partner, in turn, increases their levels of aggressive behavior. This does not occur in high-threat STIs, where both partners maintain high levels of aggression throughout the entire encounter. Together, these results show that individuals within a pair flexibly adjust their aggressive tactics in response to different social competitive contexts, and this includes adjusting the way in which individuals coordinate certain aspects of their agonistic repertoire. We speculate that this ability reflects an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to fine-tune territorial tactics to reduce overall costs of aggression. Significance statement Although research has demonstrated that individuals often coordinate their behavior to accomplish common tasks, little is known about the factors that determine when such coordination occurs and when it does not. We address this issue for the first time in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker by testing how the level of threat associated with a territorial interaction influences the coordination of defensive behavior. We find that, when facing intruders that pose a greater threat, residents adjust levels of aggressive output in response to the number of vocalizations produced by their breeding partner. By contrast, this relationship is not observed when pairs face intruders that pose a relatively lower threat. Our data therefore provide striking evidence that coordination in defensive tactics depends on the residents’ appraisal of the social context, such that fiercer competition is associated with greater behavioral coordination.

  • The social context of a territorial dispute differentially influences the way individuals in breeding pairs coordinate their aggressive tactics
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Gloria D. Sanin, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    In diverse species, individuals coordinate behavior to accomplish shared goals or tasks. Such coordination, however, often occurs selectively, and the contextual information animals use to determine when they coordinate and when they do not is unclear. We investigate this issue in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) by exploring how individuals within a social breeding pair differentially modulate coordinated aggressive responses during graded simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). Analyses show that resident pairs mount a more robust aggressive response to STIs that represent a greater threat. Moreover, in this social context, pair members produce contact vocalizations in a way that predicts their partner’s aggressive behavior. We also show that, when presented with a low threat, individuals that first respond to intrusions decrease their aggressive output once their partner attends to the stimulus; the partner, in turn, increases their levels of aggressive behavior. This does not occur in high-threat STIs, where both partners maintain high levels of aggression throughout the entire encounter. Together, these results show that individuals within a pair flexibly adjust their aggressive tactics in response to different social competitive contexts, and this includes adjusting the way in which individuals coordinate certain aspects of their agonistic repertoire. We speculate that this ability reflects an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to fine-tune territorial tactics to reduce overall costs of aggression. Although research has demonstrated that individuals often coordinate their behavior to accomplish common tasks, little is known about the factors that determine when such coordination occurs and when it does not. We address this issue for the first time in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker by testing how the level of threat associated with a territorial interaction influences the coordination of defensive behavior. We find that, when facing intruders that pose a greater threat, residents adjust levels of aggressive output in response to the number of vocalizations produced by their breeding partner. By contrast, this relationship is not observed when pairs face intruders that pose a relatively lower threat. Our data therefore provide striking evidence that coordination in defensive tactics depends on the residents’ appraisal of the social context, such that fiercer competition is associated with greater behavioral coordination.

Gloria D. Sanin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • The social context of a territorial dispute differentially influences the way individuals in breeding pairs coordinate their aggressive tactics
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Gloria D. Sanin, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    In diverse species, individuals coordinate behavior to accomplish shared goals or tasks. Such coordination, however, often occurs selectively, and the contextual information animals use to determine when they coordinate and when they do not is unclear. We investigate this issue in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens ) by exploring how individuals within a social breeding pair differentially modulate coordinated aggressive responses during graded simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). Analyses show that resident pairs mount a more robust aggressive response to STIs that represent a greater threat. Moreover, in this social context, pair members produce contact vocalizations in a way that predicts their partner’s aggressive behavior. We also show that, when presented with a low threat, individuals that first respond to intrusions decrease their aggressive output once their partner attends to the stimulus; the partner, in turn, increases their levels of aggressive behavior. This does not occur in high-threat STIs, where both partners maintain high levels of aggression throughout the entire encounter. Together, these results show that individuals within a pair flexibly adjust their aggressive tactics in response to different social competitive contexts, and this includes adjusting the way in which individuals coordinate certain aspects of their agonistic repertoire. We speculate that this ability reflects an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to fine-tune territorial tactics to reduce overall costs of aggression. Significance statement Although research has demonstrated that individuals often coordinate their behavior to accomplish common tasks, little is known about the factors that determine when such coordination occurs and when it does not. We address this issue for the first time in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker by testing how the level of threat associated with a territorial interaction influences the coordination of defensive behavior. We find that, when facing intruders that pose a greater threat, residents adjust levels of aggressive output in response to the number of vocalizations produced by their breeding partner. By contrast, this relationship is not observed when pairs face intruders that pose a relatively lower threat. Our data therefore provide striking evidence that coordination in defensive tactics depends on the residents’ appraisal of the social context, such that fiercer competition is associated with greater behavioral coordination.

  • The social context of a territorial dispute differentially influences the way individuals in breeding pairs coordinate their aggressive tactics
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Eric R. Schuppe, Gloria D. Sanin, Matthew J. Fuxjager
    Abstract:

    In diverse species, individuals coordinate behavior to accomplish shared goals or tasks. Such coordination, however, often occurs selectively, and the contextual information animals use to determine when they coordinate and when they do not is unclear. We investigate this issue in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) by exploring how individuals within a social breeding pair differentially modulate coordinated aggressive responses during graded simulated territorial intrusions (STIs). Analyses show that resident pairs mount a more robust aggressive response to STIs that represent a greater threat. Moreover, in this social context, pair members produce contact vocalizations in a way that predicts their partner’s aggressive behavior. We also show that, when presented with a low threat, individuals that first respond to intrusions decrease their aggressive output once their partner attends to the stimulus; the partner, in turn, increases their levels of aggressive behavior. This does not occur in high-threat STIs, where both partners maintain high levels of aggression throughout the entire encounter. Together, these results show that individuals within a pair flexibly adjust their aggressive tactics in response to different social competitive contexts, and this includes adjusting the way in which individuals coordinate certain aspects of their agonistic repertoire. We speculate that this ability reflects an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to fine-tune territorial tactics to reduce overall costs of aggression. Although research has demonstrated that individuals often coordinate their behavior to accomplish common tasks, little is known about the factors that determine when such coordination occurs and when it does not. We address this issue for the first time in the highly territorial Downy Woodpecker by testing how the level of threat associated with a territorial interaction influences the coordination of defensive behavior. We find that, when facing intruders that pose a greater threat, residents adjust levels of aggressive output in response to the number of vocalizations produced by their breeding partner. By contrast, this relationship is not observed when pairs face intruders that pose a relatively lower threat. Our data therefore provide striking evidence that coordination in defensive tactics depends on the residents’ appraisal of the social context, such that fiercer competition is associated with greater behavioral coordination.

Theresa M. Burg - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Genetic Signals of Demographic Expansion in Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) after the Last North American Glacial Maximum
    PloS one, 2012
    Co-Authors: Paulo C. Pulgarín-r, Theresa M. Burg
    Abstract:

    The glacial cycles of the Pleistocene have been recognized as important, large-scale historical processes that strongly influenced the demographic patterns and genetic structure of many species. Here we present evidence of a postglacial expansion for the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), a common member of the forest bird communities in North America with a continental distribution. DNA sequences from the mitochondrial tRNA-Lys, and ATPase 6 and 8 genes, and microsatellite data from seven variable loci were combined with a species distribution model (SDM) to infer possible historical scenarios for this species after the last glacial maximum. Analyses of Downy Woodpeckers from 23 geographic areas suggested little differentiation, shallow genealogical relationships, and limited population structure across the species' range. Microsatellites, which have higher resolution and are able to detect recent differences, revealed two geographic groups where populations along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains (Montana, Utah, Colorado, and southern Alberta) were genetically isolated from the rest of the sampled populations. Mitochondrial DNA, an important marker to detect historical patterns, recovered only one group. However, populations in Idaho and southeast BC contained high haplotype diversity and, in general were characterized by the absence of the most common mtDNA haplotype. The SDM suggested several areas in the southern US as containing suitable Downy Woodpecker habitat during the LGM. The lack of considerable geographic structure and the starburst haplotype network, combined with several population genetic tests, suggest a scenario of demographic expansion during the last part of Pleistocene and early Holocene.

  • Genetic Signals of Demographic Expansion in Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) after the Last North American Glacial Maximum
    2012
    Co-Authors: Paulo C. Pulgarı́n-r, Theresa M. Burg
    Abstract:

    The glacial cycles of the Pleistocene have been recognized as important, large-scale historical processes that strongly influenced the demographic patterns and genetic structure of many species. Here we present evidence of a postglacial expansion for the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), a common member of the forest bird communities in North America with a continental distribution. DNA sequences from the mitochondrial tRNA-Lys, and ATPase 6 and 8 genes, and microsatellite data from seven variable loci were combined with a species distribution model (SDM) to infer possible historical scenarios for this species after the last glacial maximum. Analyses of Downy Woodpeckers from 23 geographic areas suggested little differentiation, shallow genealogical relationships, and limited population structure across the species’ range. Microsatellites, which have higher resolution and are able to detect recent differences, revealed two geographic groups where populations along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains (Montana, Utah, Colorado, and southern Alberta) were genetically isolated from the rest of the sampled populations. Mitochondrial DNA, an important marker to detect historical patterns, recovered only one group. However, populations in Idaho and southeast BC contained high haplotype diversity and, in general were characterized by the absence of the most common mtDNA haplotype. The SDM suggested several areas in the southern US as containing suitable Downy Woodpecker habitat during the LGM. The lack of considerable geographic structure and the starburst haplotype network, combined with several population genetic tests

Fuxjager, Matthew J - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Data from: High-speed displays encoding motor skill trigger elevated territorial aggression in Downy Woodpeckers
    2017
    Co-Authors: Schuppe, Eric R, Fuxjager, Matthew J
    Abstract:

    1) Many species perform social displays that incorporate complex body movements. However, the reason why such exaggerated behavioral signals evolve in the first place is unclear. 2) Recent work posits that physical displays arise in part because they showcase an animal’s motor skill—that is, the ability to produce challenging motor acts with great coordination, precision, and/or speed. Support for this idea is largely correlational, with few studies attempting to manipulate metrics of motor skill to assess their effect on physical display efficacy. 3) Here, we address this issue in the Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens). Individuals of this species compete for territories through the performance of drums, which are complex displays produced by rapidly hammering the bill against a resonate surface at rates of 16 hits sec-1. This display is a whole-body endeavor, and its production relies on the ability to swiftly oscillate the head forward and backward at fraction-of-a-second periods. 4) Using a series of playback studies, we expose resident birds to experimentally engineered drums that reflect putative fine-scale differences in the motor command of the head and neck. We show that resident individuals respond more aggressively to drums characterized by a cadence with a 9-msec faster beat speed. These residents even modulate their own drum speed to resemble this high-performance stimulus, although they often fail to reach it. Residents also appear to appraise drum acceleration by listening to the time intervals between successive beats in a single drum, while tracking how these time intervals change as the signal progresses. 5) Our data support a connection between motor skill and the effectiveness of a physical display produced through elaborate body movement. We therefore suspect that motor skill is adaptive and evolves in response to selection by competition for effective drum displays