Abstract
The nutritional stress hypothesis explains how learned features of song, such as complexity and local dialect structure, can serve as indicators of male quality of interest to females in mate choice. The link between song and quality comes about because the brain structures underlying song learning largely develop during the first few months post-hatching. During this same period, songbirds are likely to be subject to nutritional and other stresses. Only individuals faring well in the face of stress are able to invest the resources in brain development necessary to optimize song learning. Learned features of song thus become reliable indicators of male quality, with reliability maintained by the developmental costs of song. We review the background and assumptions of the nutritional stress hypothesis, and present new experimental data demonstrating an effect of nestling nutrition on nestling growth, brain development, and song learning, providing support for a key prediction of the hypothesis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1003-1014 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology |
| Volume | 188 |
| Issue number | 11-12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2002 |
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Keywords
- Indicator mechanism
- Neural development
- Nutritional stress
- Sexual selection
- Song learning
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Physiology
- Physiology (medical)
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Neuroscience(all)
Cite this
Brain development, song learning and mate choice in birds : A review and experimental test of the "nutritional stress hypothesis". / Nowicki, S.; Searcy, William; Peters, S.
In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, Vol. 188, No. 11-12, 01.12.2002, p. 1003-1014.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain development, song learning and mate choice in birds
T2 - A review and experimental test of the "nutritional stress hypothesis"
AU - Nowicki, S.
AU - Searcy, William
AU - Peters, S.
PY - 2002/12/1
Y1 - 2002/12/1
N2 - The nutritional stress hypothesis explains how learned features of song, such as complexity and local dialect structure, can serve as indicators of male quality of interest to females in mate choice. The link between song and quality comes about because the brain structures underlying song learning largely develop during the first few months post-hatching. During this same period, songbirds are likely to be subject to nutritional and other stresses. Only individuals faring well in the face of stress are able to invest the resources in brain development necessary to optimize song learning. Learned features of song thus become reliable indicators of male quality, with reliability maintained by the developmental costs of song. We review the background and assumptions of the nutritional stress hypothesis, and present new experimental data demonstrating an effect of nestling nutrition on nestling growth, brain development, and song learning, providing support for a key prediction of the hypothesis.
AB - The nutritional stress hypothesis explains how learned features of song, such as complexity and local dialect structure, can serve as indicators of male quality of interest to females in mate choice. The link between song and quality comes about because the brain structures underlying song learning largely develop during the first few months post-hatching. During this same period, songbirds are likely to be subject to nutritional and other stresses. Only individuals faring well in the face of stress are able to invest the resources in brain development necessary to optimize song learning. Learned features of song thus become reliable indicators of male quality, with reliability maintained by the developmental costs of song. We review the background and assumptions of the nutritional stress hypothesis, and present new experimental data demonstrating an effect of nestling nutrition on nestling growth, brain development, and song learning, providing support for a key prediction of the hypothesis.
KW - Indicator mechanism
KW - Neural development
KW - Nutritional stress
KW - Sexual selection
KW - Song learning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036998954&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036998954&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00359-002-0361-3
DO - 10.1007/s00359-002-0361-3
M3 - Article
VL - 188
SP - 1003
EP - 1014
JO - Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
JF - Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
SN - 0340-7594
IS - 11-12
ER -