A global analysis of song frequency in passerines provides no support for the acoustic adaptation hypothesis but suggests a role for sexual selection

Abstract

Many animals use acoustic signals for communication, implying that the properties of these signals can be under strong selection. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis predicts that species living in dense habitats emit lower-frequency sounds than those in open areas, because low-frequency sounds generally propagate further in denser vegetation. Signal frequency may also be under sexual selection, because it correlates with body size and lower-frequency sounds are perceived as more intimidating. Here, we evaluate these hypotheses by analysing variation in peak song frequency across 5,085 passerine species (Passeriformes). A phylogenetically-informed analysis revealed that song frequency decreases with increasing body mass and with male-biased sexual size dimorphism. However, we found no support for the predicted relationship between frequency and habitat. Our results suggest that the global variation in passerine song frequency is mostly driven by natural and sexual selection causing evolutionary shifts in body size rather than by habitat-related selection on sound propagation. Statement of authorshipTA and PM conceived and designed the study with input from all authors. TA and BK coordinated the study. PM collected the song data. MV performed the statistical analyses with input from WF. MB made the figures with help from MV and PM. TP and HB provided bioacoustic expertise. PM drafted the first version of the manuscript. TA, BK and PM revised and finalized the manuscript with input from all authors. Data availability statementThe data used in this study were collected from publicly available databases. All data and computer code used to generate the results, as well as supplementary figures and tables will be freely available at https://osf.io/fa9ky/.