Journal article
Bluffing in the forest: Neotropical Neomorphus ground-cuckoos and peccaries in a possible case of acoustic mimicry
Journal of avian biology, v 48(11), pp 1471-1474
01 Nov 2017
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Acoustic communication is particularly important in environments such as dense tropical forests, where the dim light constrains the efficacy of visual signals. In these environments, complex species interactions could promote the evolution of acoustic signals and result in intriguing patterns of mimicry and convergence. In the Neotropical region, Neomorphus ground-cuckoos frequently associate with herds of collared peccaries and white-lipped peccaries. Bill clacking behavior in ground-cuckoos closely resembles the sound of teeth clacking in peccaries and these acoustic signals are used in agonistic and foraging contexts in both species. Here we demonstrate that the acoustic characteristics of bill clacking in ground-cuckoos are more similar to teeth clacking of peccaries than to bill clacking of the more closely related Geococcyx roadrunner. We propose that two hypotheses may explain the evolution of the clacking behavior in these taxa. First, because peccaries are known to successfully ward off attacks from large predators to defend their herds, mimicking their clacking can deceive predators, either by triggering clacking from nearby peccaries, or making it appear to the predators that peccaries are present when they are not. Second, ground-cuckoos and peccaries could mutually benefit from the use of similar signals to alert each other of the presence of predators. In this context, ground-cuckoos could serve as sentinels while peccaries could confer protection. We also discuss alternative explanations for this striking acoustic resemblance. Ground-cuckoos and peccaries provide an interesting opportunity to study how an ecological association could foster the evolution of acoustic mimicry.
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Details
- Title
- Bluffing in the forest: Neotropical Neomorphus ground-cuckoos and peccaries in a possible case of acoustic mimicry
- Creators
- Fabio Raposo do Amaral - Universidade Federal de São PauloGabriel Macedo - Universidade Federal de São PauloMarcos Maldonado-Coelho - Universidade Federal de São PauloVitor de Q. Piacentini - Drexel University, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityAlexine Keuroghlian - International Union for Conservation of Nature, Peccary Specialist Group (Brazil, Campo Grande) - IUCNCibele Biondo - Universidade Federal do ABC
- Publication Details
- Journal of avian biology, v 48(11), pp 1471-1474
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 4
- Grant note
- Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) 479760/2012-8 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) 13/50297-0; 16/11439-1 / Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP); Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa e Inovacao do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC) 2011-50143-7; 2011/23155-4; 2013/50297-0; 2016/11439-1 / Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo; Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) DOB 1343578 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Ornithology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000416331100014
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85035762180
- Other Identifier
- 991021876913204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Ornithology