Waas Joseph R, Colgan Patrick W, Boag Peter T
Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
Proc Biol Sci. 2005 Feb 22;272(1561):383-8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2949.
The hypothesis that social stimulation, derived from the presence and activities of conspecifics, can hasten and synchronize breeding in colonies of birds was tested. A modified playback/recorder system was used to continuously exaggerate the amount of colony sound available to zebra finches throughout their courtship period. Males that heard 'sound supplements' generated from their own colony sang more than males in control colonies that did not receive playback; males that heard samples from a different colony, sang at an intermediate level. Females that were exposed to the vocalizations of their mate and playback from a colony other than their own, laid eggs earlier and more synchronously than females in control colonies. Females that heard the vocalizations of their mate along with playback samples generated from their own colony, laid eggs more synchronously but not earlier than control females. Both acoustic treatments caused females to lay larger clutches. Social stimulation influences the breeding schedule and clutch size in zebra finch colonies. If there are advantages associated with these effects, social stimulation may contribute to the maintenance of colonial breeding systems.
源自同种个体的存在和活动的社会刺激能够加速并同步鸟类群体繁殖这一假说得到了验证。一种经过改良的回放/录音系统被用于在整个求偶期持续夸大斑胸草雀所能听到的群体声音的量。听到来自自身群体产生的“声音补充”的雄性比未接受回放的对照群体中的雄性鸣叫得更多；听到来自不同群体样本的雄性，鸣叫水平处于中间状态。暴露于配偶叫声以及来自其自身群体之外的群体回放声音中的雌性，比对照群体中的雌性产卵更早且更同步。听到配偶叫声以及来自自身群体产生的回放样本的雌性，产卵更同步，但并不比对照雌性更早。两种声学处理都使雌性产更大的一窝卵。社会刺激影响斑胸草雀群体的繁殖时间表和窝卵数。如果这些效应存在相关优势，那么社会刺激可能有助于维持群体繁殖系统。
