The impacts of fine-tuning, phylogenetic distance, and sample size on big-data bioacoustics

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 17(12), P. e0278522 - e0278522

Published: Dec. 7, 2022

Vocalizations in animals, particularly birds, are critically important behaviors that influence their reproductive fitness. While recordings of bioacoustic data have been captured and stored collections for decades, the automated extraction from these has only recently facilitated by artificial intelligence methods. These yet to be evaluated with respect accuracy different automation strategies features. Here, we use a published machine learning framework extract syllables ten bird species ranging phylogenetic relatedness 1 85 million years, compare how influences accuracy. We also evaluate utility applying trained models novel species. Our results indicate model performance is best on conspecifics, progressively decreasing as distance increases between taxa. However, find application multiple distantly related can improve overall levels near training analyzing same When planning big-data bioacoustics studies, care must taken sample design maximize size minimize human labor without sacrificing

Language: Английский

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The macroevolutionary dynamics of mammalian sexual size dimorphism

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 290(2011)

Published: Nov. 15, 2023

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a common phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Mammals are unusual in primarily displaying male-biased SSD, where males of species typically larger than females. The driving factors behind evolution this SSD have been much debated, with popular hypotheses invoking influence mating system and social organization via sexual selection, dietary niche divergence broad-scale correlations body (Rensch's rule). Here, we investigate macroevolutionary origins maintenance among mammals, using phylogenetic general mixed linear models comprehensive global dataset to evaluate diet, mass, seasonality, type. We find that as whole lost at greater rate it gained, female-biased being particularly unstable. Non-monogamous systems, vertebrate prey consumption temperature seasonality correlate while polyandry correlates both types positively correlated mass. This partial contrast predictions Rensch's rule, which predicts would negatively size. Taken together, our results highlight importance considering multiple ecological drivers when evaluating trajectory sex differences

Language: Английский

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Comparison of manual, machine learning, and hybrid methods for video annotation to extract parental care data

Journal of Avian Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2024(3-4)

Published: Dec. 14, 2023

Measuring parental care behaviour in the wild is central to study of animal ecology and evolution, but it often labour‐ time‐intensive. Efficient open‐source tools have recently emerged that allow be quantified from videos using machine learning computer vision techniques, there limited appraisal how these perform compared traditional methods. To gain insight into different methods extracting data taken field, we estimates provisioning rate house sparrows Passer domesticus video recordings. We four methods: manual annotation by experts, crowd‐sourcing, automatic detection based on software DeepMeerkat, a hybrid method. found collected method correlated with expert (r = 0.62) further show are biologically meaningful as they predict brood survival. However, produced largely biased due non‐visitation events, while crowd‐sourcing equivalent annotation. The takes approximately 20% time annotation, making more cost‐effective way collect videos. provide successful case approaches can adopted evaluated pre‐existing dataset, make informed decisions best process datasets. If frameworks produce estimates, encourage researchers adopt approach first preprocess videos, then do save time. As becoming accessible, biologists use cut still get equally accurate results without need develop novel algorithms scratch.

Language: Английский

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Contrasting acoustic-space competition avoidance strategies in Afrotropical forest birds

Animal Behaviour, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 209, P. 191 - 202

Published: Feb. 6, 2024

Acoustic signals are of critical importance to songbirds which rely on them for mate attraction and territorial defence. Interference caused by sounds that overlap in frequency time can disturb or mask signal detection. While species differ their song spectral properties, duration composition, the limited acoustic space may lead evolution behavioural strategies aimed at minimizing competition. Using playback experiments we tested whether tropical forest use temporal avoidance reduce competition space. We focused two with different ranges: green-backed camaroptera, Camaroptera brachyura, a broad-spectrum song, scaly-breasted illadopsis, Illadopsis albipectus, produces narrow-spectrum song. found illadopsis avoided both overlap. By contrast, there was no difference number songs produced between periods silence noise. However, when varied noise, camaroptera increased rate during playbacks noise maximal overlap, suggesting increasing redundancy. Our results show be specific could related range species.

Language: Английский

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Evolution of the syrinx of Apodiformes, including the vocal-learning Trochilidae (Aves: Strisores)

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 202(3)

Published: Feb. 17, 2024

Abstract The vocal organ of birds, the syrinx, represents a key innovation in evolutionary history vertebrate communication. Three major avian clades: passerines, parrots, and hummingbirds, independently acquired both specialized syringeal structures vocal-production learning, between which functional relationship has been proposed but remains poorly understood. In syrinx never studied comparatively alongside non-learning relatives parent clade Strisores. Here we describe anatomy three swift species using enhanced-contrast computed tomography, reveals previously unreported clade. We also tested for correlations acoustic traits sample hummingbirds swifts phylogenetically informed regressions. presents lateral labia located on first pair bronchial half-rings, are present may be ancestral to further enlarged found significantly correlated reduction length their trachea m. tracheolateralis. Acquisition intrinsic muscles loss sternotrachealis muscle co-occur with these shifts. recover significant negative correlation tracheal elongation maximum vocalization frequency, suggesting that shortening facilitated acquisition high-frequency vocalizing.

Language: Английский

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