Prenatal sound experience affects song preferences in male zebra finches

• DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.008
• Publication Date: 2023-03-11T10:48:40Z
• Authors: Andrew C. Katsis; Andrew T.D. Bennett; Katherine L. Buch...; Sonia Kleindorfer; Mylene M. Mariette
• Keywords: Taeniopygia; Songbird; ZEBRA (computer); Vocal Learning; Canto; Social Preferences

Songbird vocal learning is a popular model for understanding the evolution of complex communication. When multiple tutors are available, juvenile songbirds prefer to learn vocalizations from some over others, their preferences partly guided by postnatal acoustic experience and social interactions. The potential prenatal sound also influence song tutor choice remains largely untested, despite recent evidence that affects other aspects songbird development. Previously, we showed Australian zebra finches, Taeniopygia castanotis, learnt more syllables nonpaternal if they had previously experienced 'heat calls' (parental produced at high ambient temperatures) as embryos. This suggests heat call exposure may trigger changes in offsprings' behaviour or strategy juveniles, thereby indirectly affecting preferences. In this study, tested hypothesis prenatally exposing male finches either calls (treatment) contact (control) then assessing adults. Song were measured four-way apparatus response playback four different individuals: father (paternal song), an unrelated conspecific (nonpaternal song) two heterospecifics (both canaries, Serinus canaria). As expected, subjects attracted songs than canary songs, regardless exposure. addition, altered subjects' preferences: treatment birds preferred father's while control no preference. That long-lasting differences individual preferences, which typically reflective choice, has implications both flexibility soundscapes on phenotypes.