Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Biology

Birds have accents, too: Researchers find cultural change in the dialects of parrots over 22-year period

August 21, 2024
in Biology
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Parent Perceptions of School Meals Influence Student Participation in School Meal Programs
67
SHARES
606
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

JOHNSTOWN, PA – While distinct languages and dialects are common to human societies, most people are unaware that other species may similarly have culturally significant dialects. New research conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and New Mexico State University has revealed the dialects of the yellow-naped amazon parrot in its natural range in Costa Rica over a 22-year span. “Widespread cultural change in declining populations of yellow-naped amazons” can be found in Proceedings of the Royal Society B in their August edition.

Parrots' Original North Call

Credit: Christine Dahlin, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

JOHNSTOWN, PA – While distinct languages and dialects are common to human societies, most people are unaware that other species may similarly have culturally significant dialects. New research conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and New Mexico State University has revealed the dialects of the yellow-naped amazon parrot in its natural range in Costa Rica over a 22-year span. “Widespread cultural change in declining populations of yellow-naped amazons” can be found in Proceedings of the Royal Society B in their August edition.

The research was completed by Dr. Christine Dahlin of Pitt-Johnstown, and Dr. Timothy Wright, Grace Smith-Vidaurre, and Molly K. Genes of New Mexico State University.

Yellow-naped amazons are large parrots that form long-term pair bonds, roost in large flocks at night, and forage in smaller groups during the day. They use a variety of calls that they learn from each other, of which contact calls are the most common. It is these calls that show the distinct geographic differences characteristic of dialects. 

The researchers’ initial surveys, conducted in 1994, showed three acoustically distinct contact types, North, South and Nicaraguan, that were each used in a particular area. In 2005, the researchers resurveyed these areas and found both the acoustic structure and the dialect boundaries to be essentially unchanged. In contrast, their third survey in 2016 showed a very different picture.  In this most recent 11-year span of time, they observed distinct cultural changes. The boundary between the North and South dialects shifted, and new call variants appeared within the area that formerly only used the South dialect. In the North dialect, they observed many more bilingual birds using North and South dialects.  This period was also one of great disruption for the species, as the population declined, clearing of intensive agriculture increased and the IUCN uplisted the species’ status to critically endangered. The observed cultural changes may represent adaptive responses to changing group sizes and patterns of social association.

While further work would be necessary to directly attribute the cultural changes they observed in learned vocalizations to the demographic disruption experienced by this species, this data does emphasize the importance of long-term studies for understanding how culture evolves, and what forces drive this evolution. In addition, their work showcases how the vocal learning ability of parrots may serve an adaptive role in the wild.



Journal

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

DOI

10.1098/rspb.2024.0659

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Widespread cultural change in declining populations of Amazon parrots

Article Publication Date

21-Aug-2024

Share27Tweet17
Previous Post

From genome to grocer’s aisle: decoding the Chinese cherry for firmer fruits

Next Post

Homicide rates are a major factor in the gap between Black and White life expectancy

Related Posts

blank
Biology

Global Insights into Cameroonian Plasmodium falciparum Diversity

August 5, 2025
blank
Biology

Flavor and Bioactive Potential of Roasted Rice Bran Oil

August 5, 2025
blank
Biology

River Pollution Shapes Viral Community Diversity Patterns

August 5, 2025
blank
Biology

Pregnant Roaches Require More Sleep, Just Like Humans

August 5, 2025
blank
Biology

Unveiling NUDIX Hydrolase in Leishmania major

August 5, 2025
blank
Biology

Quinoa Terpenoids Inhibit Breast Cancer Migration via miR-21-5p

August 5, 2025
Next Post
Homicide rates are a major factor in the gap between Black and White life expectancy

Homicide rates are a major factor in the gap between Black and White life expectancy

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27530 shares
    Share 11009 Tweet 6881
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    941 shares
    Share 376 Tweet 235
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    641 shares
    Share 256 Tweet 160
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    506 shares
    Share 202 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    310 shares
    Share 124 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • How Social Support Shapes Kids’ Behaviors via Attention
  • Global Soil Antibiotic Genes Linked to Human Risk
  • GABA Best Detects Early Parkinson’s Changes with RBD
  • Twentieth-Century Geography Shaping Chinese Nation Concept

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,184 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading