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The role of non-vocal signals on social interactions of the Greater (Tympanuchus cupido) and Lesser (T. pallidicinctus) Prairie-Chickens

Wright, Chelsea Jill
http://orcid.org/0009-0003-8011-1607
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713251950880135

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.
Great and Lesser Prairie-Chickens are part of the genus Tympanuchus, who are known for their rapid foot-stomping behavior that creates a non-vocal drumming noise and their bright bare-part ornaments with ultraviolet reflectance. Both of these non-vocal components are prominent during their courtship displays along with other morphology and vocal traits. Females and other males may use multiple male signals from their display to assess multiple components of the male quality for mate choice and competition purposes. The central theme of this work is to investigate two non-vocal signals under the mechanisms of sexual selection intersexual mate choice and intrasexual competition. Signals are usually only considered under one of the mechanisms, typically intersexual mate choice or their impacts on social behavior has not been considered under any context. In Chapter 2, we investigated if foot-stomping could be integral in the communication of both the Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chicken, by using high-speed video cameras and recorders. We found that foot-stomping rate and duration increased with females' presences and only foot-stomping rate differ between the two species with Greater Prairie-Chickens having a higher rate than Lesser Prairie-Chickens. Since we used high-speed videos, we were able to collect simple kinematic measurements and found that both species are lifting their feet up higher when stomping when females are present. Since there was a difference in foot-stomping features when females were present/absent, in chapter 3 we investigated whether foot-stomping would increase the likelihood of a male to successfully mate, by using discrete choice modeling in Lesser Prairie-Chickens only. We added foot-stomping traits (rate and duration) with other behavioral, morphological, territorial, and color variables to run the discrete choice model. We found males increased their likelihood of successfully mating if they had a larger comb, increased aggressive behavior and foot-stomping rate when females were not present, if they had territories closer to the center of the lek and decrease their foot-stomping duration when females are not present as well. Chapters 2 and 3 were looking at what foot-stomping is signaling, but chapter 4 investigated how males in genus Tympanuchus are able to complete this rapid behavior. We compared the external skeletal features of foot-stompers (males from genus Tympanuchus) and non-foot-stompers (males and females in the family Phasianidae and females from the genus Tympanuchus). We found that foot-stomper have a relatively longer tibiotarsus, and a more robust phalanx than the non-foot-stompers. Another feature that differs between the two groups, were structures that make the intertarsal joint (ankle). With these features alone, can classify a specimen has an individual that can foot-stomp. Another interesting finding was that females from the genus Tympanuchus were sometimes classify has non-foot-stompers from the Phasianidae family, indicating that their skeletal features are more like other non-foot-stomper than their own male counterparts. In Chapter 5, we experimentally reduced the UV components of the air sac and comb to see how this non-vocal signal impacts intrasexual competition. We found that UV-reduced Lesser Prairie-Chicken males had a decrease in aggressive behavior after treatment was applied and there was no impact in Greater Prairie-Chicken behavior after treatments were applied. Collectively, this research advances our understanding of two non-vocal signals and how they impact sexual selection mechanism as a whole and not in isolation.
Ian Hamilton (Advisor)
157 p.
Behaviorial Sciences; Ecology; Evolution and Development; Morphology
Sonation; High-speed video; Sexual selection; Skeletal adaptation; UV-reduction experiment; Bare parts

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wright, C. J. (2024). The role of non-vocal signals on social interactions of the Greater (Tympanuchus cupido) and Lesser (T. pallidicinctus) Prairie-Chickens [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713251950880135

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wright, Chelsea. The role of non-vocal signals on social interactions of the Greater (Tympanuchus cupido) and Lesser (T. pallidicinctus) Prairie-Chickens. 2024. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713251950880135.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wright, Chelsea. "The role of non-vocal signals on social interactions of the Greater (Tympanuchus cupido) and Lesser (T. pallidicinctus) Prairie-Chickens." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713251950880135

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1713251950880135
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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.