Biology subjects

Vincze, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Vincze, E..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Great tits show serial reversal learning in the perseverance phase but not in the new learning phase

An animal possessing reversal learning ability is capable of unlearning a previously learned association between a stimulus and a reward and learning a new contingency. It is a form of behavioural flexibility which can be advantageous in changing environments. Serial reversal learning occurs when an animals performance improves over repeated reversals of contingencies. In this study, we tested the serial reversal learning ability of great tits (Parus major) in an aviary experiment where they could choose between two laterally positioned locations marked with different symbols. One of the two locations contained hidden food reward, and the side that was rewarding and unrewarding was reversed several times for each bird. We divided the learning process after each reversal into two phases, the perseverance phase and the new learning phase, quantified by the number of visits before and after the first visit to the newly rewarding location respectively. We found that the length of the perseverance phase significantly decreased over repeated reversals. However, there was no corresponding decrease in the length of the new learning phase. This suggests that perseverance and new learning are separate cognitive processes, and that the former may be less challenging than the latter. Initially the birds also showed a colour preference for yellow over blue, but this did not affect their reversal learning ability. The high behavioural flexibility of great tits may help explain their success in exploiting challenging environments. HighlightsO_LIPerseverance of great tits decreases in a serial learning task C_LIO_LINew learning does not become faster after multiple reversals C_LIO_LIPreference for yellow colour over blue in the initial choice C_LI

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2020

Does offspring sex ratio differ between urban and forest populations of great tits (Parus major)?

Since male and female offspring may have different costs and benefits, parents may use sex ratio adjustment to increase their fitness under different environmental conditions. Urban habitats provide poorer conditions for nestling development in many birds. Therefore, we investigated whether great tits (Parus major) produce different brood sex ratios in urban and natural habitats. We determined the sex of nestlings of 126 broods in two urban and two forest habitats between 2012 and 2014 by molecular sexing. We found that brood sex ratio did not differ significantly between urban and forest habitats either at egg-laying or near fledging. Male offspring were larger than females in both habitats. This latter result suggests that male offspring may be more costly to raise than females, yet our findings suggest that urban great tits do not produce more daughters despite the unfavourable breeding conditions. This raises the possibility that other aspects of urban life, such as better post-fledging survival, might favour males and thereby compensate for the extra energetic costs of producing male offspring.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Effects of extreme hot weather on the reproductive output of great tits (Parus major, L.) in urban and natural habitats

Climate change and urbanization are among the most salient human-induced changes affecting Earths biota. Extreme weather events can have high biological impacts and are becoming more frequent recently. In cities, the urban heat island can amplify the intensity and frequency of hot weather events. However, the joint effects of heat events and urban microclimate on wildlife are unclear, as urban populations may either suffer more from increased heat stress or become adapted to warmer temperatures. Here we test whether the effects of hot weather on reproductive success of great tits (Parus major) are exacerbated or dampened in urban environments compared to forest habitats. By studying two urban and two forest populations over six years, we show that 14-16 days-old nestlings have smaller body mass and tarsus length, and suffer increased mortality when they experience a higher number of hot days during the nestling period. The negative effects of hot weather on body mass and survival are significantly stronger in forests than in urban areas, where these effects are dampened or even reversed. These results suggest that urban birds are less vulnerable to extreme hot weather conditions than their non-urban conspecifics, possibly by adaptively evolving or flexibly adjusting nestling physiology to tolerate heat stress, and/or by adjusting parental behavior in response to heat. This finding highlights that endothermic vertebrates may be able to adapt to heat stress, which may help their populations cope with the joint challenges of climate change and urbanization. Significance statementExtreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change and can have substantial effects on reproduction and survival of wild animals. Urban heat island can amplify the frequency of extreme hot weather events, making it potentially more harmful for city-dwelling organisms. Alternatively, urban populations living in warmer environments may adapt to better tolerate heat. We investigated these alternatives by comparing nestling development and survival between urban and forest great tit (Parus major) populations. We found that urban populations are less vulnerable to heat: nestling body mass and survival decreased rapidly with the increasing number of hot days in forests, while these effects were dampened in urban broods. Thus, urban populations may become adapted to better tolerate heat events.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Higher frequency of extra-pair offspring in urban than forest broods of great tits (Parus major)

Urbanization increasingly changes the ecological conditions for wild animal populations, influencing their demography, reproduction, and behaviour. While studies on the ecological consequences of urbanization frequently document a reduced number and poorer body condition of offspring in urban than in non-urban bird populations, consequences for other components of reproduction are rarely investigated. Mating with partners outside the social pair-bond is widespread in birds, and although theory predicts that the occurrence of extra-pair fertilizations (EPF) may be sensitive to the altered ecological conditions of cities, the effect of urbanization on EPF is poorly known. Here we used data from two urban and two forest populations collected over three years to test whether the frequency of extra-pair offspring (EPO) in great tit broods differed between the habitats. We found that significantly more broods contained EPO in urban habitats (48.9 %) than in forests (24.4 %). In broods with EPO, the number and proportion of EPO was similar in urban and forest broods. These results suggest that females that live in urban habitats are more likely to engage in EPF than those living in forests. Urban environments may either 1) provide more spatiotemporal opportunities to EPF because of higher breeding density and lower or more constant caterpillar supply in cities compared to natural habitats, or 2) enhance the benefits of EPF via increased fertility or due to disrupted quality signals caused by anthropogenic pollution. In addition, 3) females with higher propensity to engage in EPF may more likely settle in urban habitats.

ecology↗