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12 March 2014 Geographic variation in songs of the Common Yellowthroat
Rachel T. Bolus
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Abstract

The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) exhibits widespread geographic variation in plumage, morphology, migratory behavior, and song. In addition, researchers recently found evidence that the Common Yellowthroat has three genetically distinct groups across its North American range: eastern, western, and southwestern. These groups are more genetically similar to other Geothlypis species than to each other, which suggests relatively long-term isolation. I hypothesized that geographic variation in song behavior should reflect these genetic differences. To test this hypothesis, I examined spatial patterns of variation in both note types and acoustic characteristics of song. Consistent with the hypothesis, I found significant differences among the three groups, particularly in frequency measures, internote duration, notes per phrase, and note elaborateness. Within the eastern and western groups, I also found significant song differences among historically recognized subspecies. When comparing western and eastern subspecies, I found different latitudinal trends, even though subspecies found at similar latitudes that exhibit similar migratory behavior might be expected to have similar song characteristics. Two possible explanations for this lack of convergence are (1) stochastic changes in song in isolated populations and (2) nonlatitudinal dissimilarities in habitat, including transmission properties or effects on morphological evolution, that drive song divergence. Without excluding other explanations, I found evidence of an effect of morphological divergence: Subspecies with larger bills sang songs with lower frequencies. Overall, the geographic variation in the songs of the Common Yellowthroat demonstrates that multiple evolutionary processes interact to shape birdsong, and that the importance of each of these processes and their interactions varies among populations.

Rachel T. Bolus "Geographic variation in songs of the Common Yellowthroat," The Auk 131(2), 175-185, (12 March 2014). https://doi.org/10.1642/AUK-12-187.1
Received: 3 December 2013; Accepted: 1 December 2013; Published: 12 March 2014
KEYWORDS
BIRDSONG
evolution
geographic variation
Geothlypis trichas
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