Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | The evolution and function of syntax in avian vocalizations |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Anand Krishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research, Karnataka |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | eceb.lab.jncasr@gmail.com |
Equipments : | Desktop Computer
Directional Microphones
Directional Microphones
Desktop Computer
Sound proof acoustic enclosures
Sound recorders
GPS Unit
Laptop Computer
Video camera
Video camera
Sound recorders
GPS Unit
Sound proof acoustic enclosures
Laptop Computer |
Details
Executive Summary : | Bird acoustic signals play a crucial role in communication, courtship, territorial defense, and species recognition. Passerine birds' songs consist of various notes grouped in a specific syntax. However, little research has been conducted on the evolution and function of syntactic structure, which may also be important in recognition. This project aims to combine field and laboratory-based approaches to understand how geographic barriers drive the evolution of song syntactic structure, how syntax functions as an isolating signal in birds, and how syntax communicates identity and behavioral context. The interdisciplinary synthesis, combining behavior and ecology with computational and mathematical analyses, will be useful in understanding fundamental processes in speciation and developing better recognition algorithms based on syntactic structure. Field recordings of four species of the genus Spelaeornis will be conducted in Northeast India, and computational and mathematical tools will be used to analyze the evolution of vocal syntax and its variation between territories and populations. |
Total Budget (INR): | 46,13,840 |
Organizations involved