Domestication changes innate constraints for birdsong learning

Abstract

Birdsongs are acquired by imitating the sounds produced by conspecifics. Within a species, songs diverge by cultural transmission, but the range of species-specific features is restricted by innate constraints. Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) are a domesticated strain of the wild White-rumped munia (Lonchura striata). The songs of the domesticated strain have more tonal sounds and more variable sequences than those of the wild strain. We compared the features of songs that were produced by normal birds, isolation-reared birds, and cross-fostered birds in both White-rumped munias and Bengalese finches to identify differences in the genetic and environmental factors of their songs. Factor analyses were conducted based on 17 song measurements. We found that isolated songs differed from normal and cross-fostered songs, especially in unstable prosodic features. In addition, there were significant differences in sound property of mean frequency between the two strains regardless of the rearing conditions. Thus, innate constraints that partially determine birdsong phenotypes may be altered through domestication.