Cultural divergence and morphological variation of isolated remnant populations of the endangered Floreana mockingbird

Abstract

Context: Cultural divergence refers to changes over time in behavioural traits. These cultural changes could have important implications for conservation planning, and impact the success of conservation efforts such as translocations.

Aims: Here, we investigate the extent, and potential impacts, of cultural divergence in two isolated populations of the Floreana mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus) on the Galápagos Islands.

Methods: Using contemporary recordings of vocalisations we test for spatial vocal differentiation between mockingbird populations. Furthermore, we explore the potential drivers of change using morphological measurements and historical recordings of the species.

Key results: We found evidence of spatial and temporal differentiation in vocalisations between the two populations of the Floreana mockingbird. We accurately classified over 75% of the birds to the correct populations based on multivariate measures of audio recordings using canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). We also found significant differences in morphometrics between populations specifically, beak depth was associated with frequency modulation, an acoustic measure that is significantly different between populations. Furthermore, we found evidence of change in the complexity of the vocalisations over a period of 57 years.

Conclusions: Cultural divergence was found in the two remaining populations of this endangered species. Factors such as changes in morphology and cultural drift might have been influenced the change in vocalisation across time and populations.

Implications: We highlight the importance of considering behavioural factors when planning reintroductions of endangered species where there is a need to minimise the risk of assortative mating so as to maximise genetic diversity.