Male Bird Song Evolves in order to Attract a Female for Mating - Research Paper Example

Further these qualities are also indicators of the physiological characteristics and genotype of the male partner and thus have high likelihood of influencing female choice. However the study of birdsong and its evolutionary significance in influencing female choice is yet at its infancy. Many new aspects are beginning to emerge. Deriving conclusions and making generalization at this stage would be inappropriate and inaccurate. MALE BIRD SONG EVOLVES IN ORDER TO ATTRACT A FEMALE FOR MATING INTRODUCTION Birdsong can be defined as long complex vocalizations produced mainly in breeding season (Catchpole & Slater, 1995).

The best known birds in terms of their singing abilities are oscine birds, also referred to as passerines or perching birds. They belong to the order Passeriformes and are classified on the basis of their unique musculature of the syrinx or the vocal organ (Warner, 1972). In most of the temperate species of passerines, the males are exclusively the singers. The male bird sings either as a means of expression during male-male aggression or for attracting the female (Catchpole & Slater, 1995). .

BACKGROUND Communication is a primary requisite for functional ability. Humans must communicate to form relationships, fulfil their needs, organize and function. Animals communication is essential for food gathering, reproduction and survival; the three basic needs of all animals. However, unlike humans animals do not speak. In fact all animals possess their unique methods of communication (Hauser, 2000). Flowers send signals in form of fragrances and colour at the time of bloom to insects for pollination; meerkats communicate through scent, sounds and body language; lions communicate through body contact and sound, while birds communicate verbally through songs and coos (Rowe & Skelhorn, 2004).

Communication systems, irrespective of nature and origin, comprise of two essential components: signal and tactical design. The signal is an important carrier of information from the sender to the receiver. In researches involving communication, study of nature of signal as an important determinant of its goal is pursued (Rowe & Skelhorn, 2004). The signal evolution is in accordance with the function it is expected to perform. This is termed as strategic component of the signal (Guilford & Dawkins, 1991).

Tactical design encompasses the properties of the communication determined by the transmission characteristics of the environment and the sensory and perceptual abilities of the receiver. To define the latter the term “receiver Psychology” was introduced by Guilford and Dawkins (1991) and was considered a significant determinant of the evolution of signals. Studies on bio-acoustics or animal sounds can be traced back to a research paper published by