Constructing culture in cowbirds (Molothrus ater).

Abstract

In past work, the authors produced divergent patterns of courtship and communication in juvenile male cowbirds (Molothrus ater) by providing them with different social experiences during their 1st year. Here the authors determined whether these different social patterns could be transmitted to new generations of juvenile males. In Experiment 1, the authors exposed groups of juveniles to adult males who differed in the amount of male-male competition they produced. In Experiment 2, they gave groups of juveniles either social access to adult males or only visual and acoustic access to those males. In both experiments, juvenile males developed patterns of courtship and competition similar to those expressed by the adult males with whom they had social contact. The juveniles never had the opportunity to observe some of the adults' behaviors that they came to replicate. This suggests that the role of the adults was to establish the social structure in the groups, modifying juveniles' early social interactions. Juveniles were then "cultured" within these different learning environments, constructing social behavior similar to the adult males' behavior in their 1st year.

Perspectives on observational learning in animals.

“…Although, for a few species of songbird, to a large extent, the development of species-typical song is regulated by maturation and the seasonally fluctuating release of hormones, for others, social interaction plays a large role (Saar, Mitra, Deré-gnaucourt, & Tchernichovski, 2008;White, Gros-Louis, King, Papakhian, & West, 2007). Notably, regional variations in birdsong appear to depend on the bird's early experience with conspecifics (Baptista & Petrinovich, 1984).…”

Orchestration : the movement and vocal behavior of free-ranging Norwegian killer whales (Orcinus orca)

“…Captive experiments allow a controlled demonstration of social transmission and observational learning (e.g., Helfman & Schultz, 1984;Warner, 1988;Galef, 1992;White et al, 2007). Such work, however, tends to be disconnected from the functional contexts of behavior in the wild, which can be difficult to track continuously.…”

“…Other examples include the social transmission of migration routes among wild French grunts (Haemulon flavolineatum, Helfman & Schultz, 1984), mating site preferences among wild bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum, Warner, 1988) and affiliative and competitive behaviors among captive cowbirds (Molothrus ater, White et al, 2007). These species tend to be more tractable for experimental manipulation, observation and interpolation whereas the lack of experimental controls has caused the ape work to remain largely inconclusive.…”

Social Interactions between Adult and Juvenile Striped Cuckoos (Tapera naevia)

“…However, such contact may be important to the development of social communication and sexual preferences in young cuckoos (Sorenson et al 2010, Gersick et al 2012. In Brown-headed Cowbirds, juvenile males model their courtship and communication behaviors on adult males with whom they have interacted (White et al 2007). Sexual imprinting and song development may be of particular importance to the New World Striped Cuckoo (Tapera naevia), as this species engages in duets, a complex vocal behavior that is used to defend territory and coordinate breeding activity in Neotropical birds (Smith and Smith 2000, Topp and Mennill 2008, Koloff and Mennill 2011.…”