The Progressive Loss of Syntactical Structure in Bird Song along an Island Colonization Chain
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Cultural transmission can increase the flexibility of behavior, such as bird song. Nevertheless, this flexibility often appears to be constrained, sometimes by preferences for learning certain traits over others, a phenomenon known as "biased" learning or transmission. The sequential colonization of the Atlantic Islands by the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) provides a unique model system in which to investigate how the variability of a cultural trait has evolved. We used novel computational methods to analyze chaffinch song from twelve island and continental populations and to infer patterns of evolution in song structure. We found that variability of the subunits within songs ("syllables") differed moderately between populations but was not predicted by whether the population was continental or not. In contrast, we found that the sequencing of syllables within songs ("syntax") was less structured in island than continental populations and in fact decreased significantly after each colonization. Syntactical structure was very clear in the mainland European populations but was almost entirely absent in the most recently colonized island, Gran Canaria. Our results suggest that colonization leads to the progressive loss of a species-specific feature of song, syntactical structure.
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Other systems, such as cowbird or sparrow song dialects, reveal slower, generational changes.
“Other systems, such as cowbird or sparrow song dialects, reveal slower, generational changes”
From Listening forward: emerging roles of bioacoustics in ecology, evolution, and conservation (2026) · cites this paper as Lachlan et al. 2013
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Berger, A. N., Ye, W. Y., Kondo, T., Gumbi, B. C., Clark, C. J., & Polly Campbell, A. (2025) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2025.123234 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Han, P., Yang, Y., Kajanus, M. H., Lu, W. P., Chen, Q. M., Ding, P., & Si, X. (2025) · Journal of Animal Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2656.70185 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Island-mainland song divergence is decoupled from genetic and geographic distance in silvereyes
Robert, M., Radu, A., Dudgeon, C. L., & Potvin, D. A. (2026) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/arag032 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Diblíková, L., Pipek, P., Vosolsobě, S., Petrusek, A., & Petrusková, T. (2023) · Avian Research · doi:10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100115 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Island evolutionary syndromes in—and involving—plants
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0011 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The human transformation of island ecosystems
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0013 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The natural laboratory paradigm
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0001 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Social Learning and Culture in Birds (class Aves)
Aplin, L. M. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198869252.013.26 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Whistle structure variation between two sympatric dolphin species in the Gulf of California
Antichi, S., Rege‐Colt, M., Austin, M., May-Collado, L. J., Carlón-Beltrán, Ó., Jorge Urbán, R., Martínez‐Aguilar, S., & Gómora, L. V. (2024) · Hydrobiologia · doi:10.1007/s10750-024-05675-3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Decoding the chaffinch “rain” call: a female-directed alarm call?
de Framond, L., Müller, R., Comin, A., & Brumm, H. (2025) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/araf039 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
DISSECTING IMPLICIT MEANING IN TEMBANG DOLANAN: A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Abdullah, A. A., Muhid, A., & Rangga Sa’adillah, S. A. P. (2021) · LiNGUA Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa dan Sastra · doi:10.18860/ling.v16i1.10247 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
(2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.002.0003 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
African Chaffinch (Fringilla spodiogenys)
Mlodinow, S. G., Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2024) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.afrcha1.01.1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Listening forward: emerging roles of bioacoustics in ecology, evolution, and conservation
Zsebők, S. (2026) · Biologia Futura · doi:10.1007/s42977-026-00322-5
Illera, J. C., Spurgin, L. G., Rodríguez-Expósito, E., Nogales, M., & Rando, J. C. (2016)
Island evolutionary syndromes in animals
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0010
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0003
Meeting the conservation challenge
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0015
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0005
Island types, origins, and dynamics
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0002
Extending the timescale: island biodynamics in response to island geodynamics
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0007
Anthropogenic extinction on islands: a synthesis
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0014
Colonization, evolutionary change, and speciation
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0008
Assembly rules for island metacommunities
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0006
The application of island theory to fragmented landscapes
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0012
(2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.002.0004
Evolutionary diversification across islands and archipelagos
Whittaker, R. J., Fernández‐Palacios, J. M., & Matthews, T. J. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198868569.003.0009
Azores Chaffinch (Fringilla moreletti)
Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2023) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.comcha16.01
Canary Islands Chaffinch (Fringilla canariensis)
Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2023) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.caicha1.01
Madeira Chaffinch (Fringilla maderensis)
Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2023) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.comcha17.01
African Chaffinch (Fringilla spodiogenys)
Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2023) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.afrcha1.01
Canary Islands Chaffinch (Fringilla canariensis)
Mlodinow, S. G., Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2024) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.caicha1.01.1
Azores Chaffinch (Fringilla moreletti)
Mlodinow, S. G., Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2024) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.comcha16.01.1
Madeira Chaffinch (Fringilla maderensis)
Mlodinow, S. G., Clement, P. A. R., Kirwan, G. M., & Hansasuta, C. (2024) · Birds of the World · doi:10.2173/bow.comcha17.01.1
Acoustic signalling and subspecies divergence in two Australasian treecreepers (Climacteridae)
Doohan, B. (2024) · Queensland University of Technology · doi:10.5204/thesis.eprints.247481
- Authors
- Lachlan, R. F., Verzijden, M. N., Bernard, C. S., Jonker, P.-P., Koese, B., Jaarsma, S., Spoor, W., Slater, P. J. B., & ten Cate, C.
- Affiliations
- Leiden University (NL)
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Lachlan, Robert F.
- Venue
- Current Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-10
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 19
- Pages
- 1896-1901
- ISSN
- 0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2056019246
- Cited by
- 114
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 4.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Keywords
- bird song, common chaffinch, cultural transmission, biased learning, song syntax, song evolution, island colonization, Atlantic islands, Gran Canaria, song variability
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Learning, Population, Species Specificity, Vocalization, Animal, Finches
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