Species-specific recognition in birds: an experimental investigation of Wilson's storm-petrel (Procellariiformes, Hydrobatidae) by means of digitalized signals

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1669-1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Bretagnolle ◽  
Patrice Robisson
Keyword(s):  
Species Recognition ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Species Specificity ◽  
Modal Frequency ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Physical Features ◽  
Territorial Function ◽  
Isolating Mechanism ◽  
Storm Petrel ◽  
Oceanites Oceanicus

Most acoustic studies on birds dealing with species specificity have concerned the territorial function of the song in passerines. We studied species specificity in a non-passerine bird, Wilson's storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus). Males of this species attract females by uttering a chattering call, which acts as a premating isolating mechanism. We analysed the encoding of species specificity in the call by measuring the variation in its physical features. We then experimented in the field with played-back computer-synthesized signals and identified the relevant cues that elicited species recognition, namely the modal frequency and the durations of both syllable and silence. We relate our results to species specificity in passerines, and emphasize differences in the responses with respect to sex and status of responding birds, the differences being due to the meaning of the species-specific signal for the receiver.

Alerting and Message Components in Songs of Rufous-Sided Towhees

Behaviour ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 76 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 223-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas G. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection Theory ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Defense Responses ◽  
Time Of Arrival ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Narrow Frequency Range ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractIn numerous species of passerine birds the initial few notes of the song have a narrow frequency range and wide temporal spacing when compared with the rest of the song. This structure is well adapted for high detectability when the song is acoustically degraded during passage through the environment. The song of the rufous-sided towhee (Pipilo eythrophtalmus) consists of relatively tonal introductory syllables followed by a complex rapid trill. The trill is capable of carrying more information than the introduction, but is inherently less detectable at a distance owing to degradation by reverberation, amplitude fluctuation, and frequency-dependent attenuation. Signal detection theory predicts that the detectability of the trill will be increased when it is preceded by the introductory syllables, owing to the removal of uncertainty concerning the time of arrival of the signal. This is alerted detection. I performed field experiments using playback of recorded song to towhees to test the hypothesis that these introductory syllables facilitate detection of conspecific song at a distance. Tape recordings of normal and artificially degraded full songs, introduction, and trills were played to territorial male towhees. Normal songs, degraded songs, and normal trills elicited strong territorial defense responses, indicating recognition as adequate species-specific song, and confirming that sufficient information is contained in the trill for species recognition. Degraded trills alone elicited little response. Both normal and degraded introductions also elicited little response, demonstrating that the increased response to a degraded full song over that to a degraded trill is not due to any species-specific characteristics of the introduction, but rather to its function as an alerting stimulus.

scholarly journals Carbohydrate–carbohydrate interaction provides adhesion force and specificity for cellular recognition

2004 ◽  
Vol 165 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Bucior ◽  
Simon Scheuring ◽  
Andreas Engel ◽  
Max M. Burger
Keyword(s):  
Adhesion Force ◽  
Species Specificity ◽  
Live Cells ◽  
Sponge Cell ◽  
Cell Recognition ◽  
Adhesion Forces ◽  
Cellular Recognition ◽  
Strong Adhesion ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Cell Cell

The adhesion force and specificity in the first experimental evidence for cell–cell recognition in the animal kingdom were assigned to marine sponge cell surface proteoglycans. However, the question whether the specificity resided in a protein or carbohydrate moiety could not yet be resolved. Here, the strength and species specificity of cell–cell recognition could be assigned to a direct carbohydrate–carbohydrate interaction. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed equally strong adhesion forces between glycan molecules (190–310 piconewtons) as between proteins in antibody–antigen interactions (244 piconewtons). Quantitative measurements of adhesion forces between glycans from identical species versus glycans from different species confirmed the species specificity of the interaction. Glycan-coated beads aggregated according to their species of origin, i.e., the same way as live sponge cells did. Live cells also demonstrated species selective binding to glycans coated on surfaces. These findings confirm for the first time the existence of relatively strong and species-specific recognition between surface glycans, a process that may have significant implications in cellular recognition.

scholarly journals 46 Species-specificity in metmyoglobin reduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 83-84
Author(s):  
Emily Bechtold ◽  
Surendranath Suman ◽  
Smita Mohanty ◽  
Suman Mazumder ◽  
Sadagopan Krishnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Species Specificity ◽  
Oxidation Reduction ◽  
Oxidation Reduction Potential ◽  
Sarcoplasmic Protein ◽  
Reducing Activity ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Reducing Properties

Abstract Myoglobin is the primary sarcoplasmic protein responsible for meat color. Previous research has reported that myoglobin oxidation is species-specific. Metmyoglobin reducing activity is an inherent property to limit myoglobin oxidation. However, limited research has determined species specificity in metmyoglobin reducing properties. The objective of current study was to compare metmyoglobin reducing properties of eight different species such as beef, porcine, bison, deer, emu, equine, goat, and sheep in vitro. Myoglobin was isolated from eight different species via ammonium sulfate precipitation. The pH of the myoglobin was adjusted by passing through a column pre-calibrated with 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 5.6. All species myoglobin were converted to metmyoglobin, and the metmyoglobin reduction was determined by two different approaches, non-enzymatic metmyoglobin reducing activity (NMRA) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). In the first method, NADH (electron donor), EDTA, and methylene blue (electron carrier), were added in a cuvette and increase in absorbance at 582 nm was monitored using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. In the second method, the ability of the heme to get reduced was determined using an RedoxSys analyzer, in which electron was directly transferred to heme. The NMRA and ORP experiments were replicated five times. The data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS, with species as the fixed effect. There were species-specific differences (P < 0.05) in NMRA and ORP. Bovine myoglobin had the greatest (P < 0.05) NMRA compared with sheep, equine, goat, deer, bison, pork, and emu. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in NMRA among equine, goat, deer, bison, pork, and emu. ORP studies indicated that beef and porcine myoglobins had the greatest ability to get reduced (P < 0.05) compared with other species. Hence, use of different techniques and approaches will help to elucidate the mechanistic basis of metmyoglobin reduction.

How Host Specific Are Herpesviruses? Lessons from Herpesviruses Infecting Wild and Endangered Mammals

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walid Azab ◽  
Anisha Dayaram ◽  
Alex D. Greenwood ◽  
Nikolaus Osterrieder
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
General Concept ◽  
Species Specificity ◽  
Therapeutic Options ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Fatal Disease ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Species Specific

Herpesviruses are ubiquitous and can cause disease in all classes of vertebrates but also in animals of lower taxa, including molluscs. It is generally accepted that herpesviruses are primarily species specific, although a species can be infected by different herpesviruses. Species specificity is thought to result from host-virus coevolutionary processes over the long term. Even with this general concept in mind, investigators have recognized interspecies transmission of several members of the Herpesviridae family, often with fatal outcomes in non-definitive hosts—that is, animals that have no or only a limited role in virus transmission. We here summarize herpesvirus infections in wild mammals that in many cases are endangered, in both natural and captive settings. Some infections result from herpesviruses that are endemic in the species that is primarily affected, and some result from herpesviruses that cause fatal disease after infection of non-definitive hosts. We discuss the challenges of such infections in several endangered species in the absence of efficient immunization or therapeutic options.

The schistosomulum surface antigens ofSchistosoma haematobium

Parasitology ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. G. Simpson ◽  
M. Knight ◽  
P. Hagan ◽  
J. Hodgson ◽  
H. A. Wilkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Surface Antigens ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Species Specificity ◽  
Heterologous Immunity ◽  
Specific Immunity ◽  
Surface Labelling ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Somatic Antigens

Surface antigens ofSchistosoma haematobiumwere identified by125I-surface labelling of schistosomula followed by immunoprecipitation of the solubilized, labelled surfaces. The major antigens, after electrophoresis, formed a continuous smear corresponding to a molecular weight in the range 35–24000; in addition, a 17000 antigen was also identified. These surface antigens, in contrast to somatic antigens, were species-specific, as judged by immunoprecipitation with human anti-S. mansoniserum and serum from mice vaccinated with highly irradiatedS. mansonicercariae.S. haematobiumsurface antigens, however, were recognized to some extent by serum from mice chronically infected withS. mansoni. It is suggested that this cross-reactivity may reflect the heterologous immunity demonstrated experimentally between these two species, whilst the species-specificity of vaccine sera to surface antigens may mirror the highly specific immunity induced by vaccination.

scholarly journals Visual-based male mate preference for conspecific females in mutually ornamented fish: possible importance of species recognition hypothesis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisuke Atsumi ◽  
Osamu Kishida ◽  
Itsuro Koizumi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Social Selection ◽  
Interspecies Interactions ◽  
Tribolodon Hakonensis ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Female Ornamentation ◽  
Male Mate ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
And Behavior

Because sexual selection typically acts on males, evolution of conspicuous ornamentation in females has been understudied. Genetic correlation between sexes and sexual or social selection on females have been proposed to explain female ornamentation, but they cannot fully explain observed patterns in nature such as female ornamentation in non-territorial, promiscuous species. The species recognition hypothesis, which postulates that ornamentation is adaptive because it prevents maladaptive hybridization, might plausibly explain female ornamentation. We examined the possibility of this hypothesis in two sympatric, non-territorial, promiscuous fish species. Both sexes of Tribolodon hakonensis and T. sachalinensis display species-specific conspicuous coloration in the breeding season. We conducted visual-based mate choice experiments using T. hakonensis males and compared their association times between conspecific and heterospecific females. Males spent more time near conspecifics, indicating that T. hakonensis males used visual cues to recognize conspecifics. Because the females presented to the males did not differ in body size, shape and behavior between the two species, the male preference for conspecifics was probably based on the females' nuptial coloration. These results suggest that female ornamentation may evolve or be maintained by not only sexual or social selection within a species but also interspecies interactions (e.g. hybridization).

scholarly journals Neural Basis of Acoustic Species Recognition in a Cryptic Species Complex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saumya Gupta ◽  
Rishi K. Alluri ◽  
Gary J. Rose ◽  
Mark A. Bee
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Temporal Processing ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Species Difference ◽  
Mechanistic Explanation ◽  
Pulse Number ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Cryptic Species Complex ◽  
Species Specific

Sexual traits that promote species recognition are important drivers of reproductive isolation, especially among closely related species. Identifying neural processes that shape species differences in recognition is crucial for understanding the causal mechanisms of reproductive isolation. Temporal patterns are salient features of sexual signals widely used in species recognition by several taxa, including anurans. Recent advances in our understanding of temporal processing by the anuran auditory system provide an opportunity to investigate the neural basis of species-specific recognition. The anuran inferior colliculus (IC) consists of neurons that are selective for temporal features of calls. Of potential relevance are auditory neurons known as interval-counting neurons (ICNs) that are often selective for the pulse rate of conspecific advertisement calls. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ICNs mediate acoustic species recognition by exploiting the known differences in temporal selectivity in two cryptic species of gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis and Hyla versicolor). We examined the extent to which the threshold number of pulses required to elicit behavioral responses from females and neural responses from ICNs was similar within each species but potentially different between the two species. In support of our hypothesis, we found that a species difference in behavioral pulse number thresholds closely matched the species difference in neural pulse number thresholds. However, this relationship held only for ICNs that exhibited band-pass tuning for conspecific pulse rates. Together, these findings suggest that differences in temporal processing of a subset of ICNs provide a mechanistic explanation for reproductive isolation between two cryptic treefrog species.

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