Abstract
Social experiences can organize physiological, neural, and reproductive function, but there are few experimental preparations that allow one to study the effect individuals have in structuring their social environment. We examined the connections between mechanisms underlying individual behavior and social dynamics in flocks of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater). We conducted targeted inactivations of the neural song control system in female subjects. Playback tests revealed that the lesions affected females' song preferences: lesioned females were no longer selective for high quality conspecific song. Instead, they reacted to all cowbird songs vigorously. When lesioned females were introduced into mixed-sex captive flocks, they were less likely to form strong pair-bonds, and they no longer showed preferences for dominant males. This in turn created a cascade of effects through the groups. Social network analyses showed that the introduction of the lesioned females created instabilities in the social structure: males in the groups changed their dominance status and their courtship patterns, and even the competitive behavior of other female group-mates was affected. These results reveal that inactivation of the song control system in female cowbirds not only affects individual behavior, but also exerts widespread effects on the stability of the entire social system.
Highlights
Songbirds offer a unique opportunity to study social behavior because much is known about the mechanistic control and evolutionary function of their central social trait, their song
Observations in the wild have revealed how song production and song perception relate to reproductive success
We focused on modifying females’ song preferences because of past work indicating that females’ preferences can play subtle, but important roles in affecting male behavior
Summary
Songbirds offer a unique opportunity to study social behavior because much is known about the mechanistic control and evolutionary function of their central social trait, their song. The neural architecture underlying song production has been clearly outlined [1,2]. Observations in the wild have revealed how song production and song perception relate to reproductive success. Males use song to compete with other males and to court females. Females have preferences for songs, which allow them to mate with males who have high heritable fitness [3]. While birdsong research has provided valuable tools and techniques for studying song, the song signal itself, is only one component of a communication network involving many individuals and the relationship between sociality and song can be quite complex [4,5,6]
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