Genetics: Examining the rhythm of bird song | Nature Communications | Nature Portfolio

A paper reports on genes related to the rhythm and tempo of bird songs.Nature CommunicationsPublished in The authors suggested that vocal rhythms in birds may be shaped by two genes (neurexin-1 and coenzyme Q8A) that are also known to affect human vocalizations. There is.

Although bird song includes characteristics that each individual has learned, song rhythm is thought to be an innate trait in most bird species, and is important for sexual selection and species identification. plays a role. However, little is known about the genetic basis of song rhythm.

In this study, Matteo Sebastianelli and his colleagues measured the song rhythms of these birds in areas where hybridization between the Northern and Red-bellied Barbets occurs in both the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Republic of South Africa. did. Sebastianelli and colleagues also conducted a whole-genome analysis of 135 barbets and discovered two genes (neurexin-1 and coenzyme Q8A) that are associated with vocal rhythms in these birds. These genes are also widely associated with language dysfunction in humans. Additionally, in the hybrid zone studied, the researchers observed that the song of the Red-breasted Barbet has a faster tempo and is more stable. This suggests that the rhythm of song plays a role in reproductive isolation, and that female Red-breasted Barbets use this to select a mate of their own species, allowing them to interbreed with Red-breasted Barbets. This suggests that it may be possible to avoid

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-47305-5

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