Estimating heritability of song considering within-individual variance in a wild songbird: The collared flycatcher

Jablonszky, Mónika and Canal, David and Hegyi, Gergely and Herényi, Márton and Laczi, Miklós and Lao, Oscar and Markó, Gábor and Nagy, Gergely and Rosivall, Balázs and Szász, Eszter and Török, János and Zsebők, Sándor and Garamszegi, László Zsolt (2022) Estimating heritability of song considering within-individual variance in a wild songbird: The collared flycatcher. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 10. no.-975687. ISSN 2296-701X

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Abstract

Heritable genetic variation is a prerequisite for adaptive evolution; however, our knowledge about the heritability of plastic traits, such as behaviors, is scarce, especially in wild populations. In this study, we investigated the heritability of song traits in the collared flycatcher ( Ficedula albicollis ), a small oscine passerine with complex songs involved in sexual selection. We recorded the songs of 81 males in a natural population and obtained various measures describing the frequency, temporal organization, and complexity of each song. As we had multiple songs from each individual, we were able to statistically account for the first time for the effect of within-individual variance on the heritability of song. Heritability was calculated from the variance estimates of animal models relying on a genetic similarity matrix based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism screening. Overall, we found small additive genetic variance and heritability values in all song traits, highlighting the role of environmental factors in shaping bird song.

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