Collaborative Research: Urban-dependent selection on bird song: proximate and ultimate causes, and evolutionary consequences

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Cities are recent environments for most organisms; yet little is known about the adaptations of species that persist in urban settings. A recent surge of interest in acoustic communication in urban contexts highlights a potential adaptation of birds to life in many different cities. These studies have raised several fundamental questions regarding this potential adaptation, which have global applications to studies of animal communication and mate selection. This proposal will address three of these fundamental questions: (1) how are birds adjusting their song to the urban environment?; (2) how has song urbanization affected signal information?; and (3) are urban songs adaptive? To address these questions, this study will employ behavioral, ecological and mechanistic modeling approaches, using an established NSF model organism for behavioral studies, white-crowned sparrows. Meeting the proposal's objectives will transform the state of understanding of urban-dependent selection on mating behaviors and, more broadly, the adaptations of species that persist in urban environments. There are several aspects of the proposed study that should yield broad impacts: (1) broad dissemination of research results through community organizations, local and national museum displays, media outlets, and development of learner-centered teaching modules, (2) research opportunities for students from demographic groups that are under-represented in the sciences, (3) development of a statistical software package for simulating bird song evolution, and a workshop to train scientists, educators, and students in its use, and (4) collaboration and sharing of data with the National Park Service Sound Division, which will help national parks local to this study as well as national parks nationwide with their sound management plans.