Item Details

abstract

Communication is an important behavior for many species, and is often accomplished via unique acoustic signals. Acoustic signals have been shown to vary over wide latitudinal ranges, but this has not been investigated in the woodpecker, which produces a unique acoustic signal called a drum. This study seeks to identify the patterns of latitudinal variation in woodpecker drumming, with a two-pronged hypothesis. Firstly, that in Eurasia and North America, drum speeds and length were hypothesized to increase alongside latitude due to the condensation of multiple geographical factors that constrain acoustic signals. Meanwhile, in tropical species, it was hypothesized that neither parameter would correlate with latitude due to larger geographical homogeneity in these latitudes. The data collected did not support these hypotheses and instead suggest that latitude is not a good predictor of drum length or speed.

subject

acoustic signal

drumming

latitude

variation

woodpecker

contributor

Vivlamore, Emma Katherine (author)

Milligan, Carol (committee chair)

Fuxjager, Matthew J (committee member)

Ashley-Ross, Miriam (committee member)

date

2019-09-05T08:35:19Z (accessioned)

2019 (issued)

degree

Neuroscience (discipline)

2024-08-15 (liftdate)

embargo

2024-08-15 (terms)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/94305 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

title

Latitudinal Variation in Temporal Drum Parameters of Twelve Widely-Distributed Woodpecker Species

type

Thesis