Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

These female rodents are attracted to males with a good sense of rhythm

In the reproductive world of hyraxes, music matters a lot.

Fermin Koop by Fermin Koop
September 14, 2022
in Animals, Environment, News, Science

It’s a known fact that musical talent can be seductive. But singing a ballad or playing an instrument only works if you’re good at it — and it looks like the same rules apply in the animal kingdom. Reproductive success in male rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) is linked to their ability to maintain rhythm during courtship songs. In other words, males who can keep a tune are more likely to be successful in the mating market.

Image credit: The researchers.

The importance of rhythm

Vlad Demartsev, who collected the data on the rock hyraxes while at Israel’s Tel Aviv University, has been studying hyraxes for 20 years. Hyraxes are social mammals with an extensive vocal repertoire that includes many “songs” performed by males. Each song has distinctive elements, which are combined into elaborate vocal displays.

Previous work by Demartsev and his colleagues showed that songs by hyraxes have an acoustic and temporal structure, which reflects signaler quality and social status. They also argued that song progression follows similar patterns to those used in human musical styles, aimed at keeping listeners attending and reaching a climactic ending.

“Their songs have regional dialects so individuals living in proximity sing more similarly to each other. They tend to sing in crescendo (getting louder as the song progresses) and reach peak complexity towards the end of their songs,” Demartsver said. “Rhythm has evolved so that animals that call in groups can better synchronize their songs.”

While they look like rodents, the hyrax actually has similar teeth, toes, and skull structure to that of an elephant — with which they share a common ancestor. Its strong molars grind up tough vegetation and two big incisor teeth grow out to be small tusks. There are three members of the hyrax family: rock, tree, and bush (or yellow-spotted) hyrax.

The rock hyrax is found along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula up to Lebanon. As their name suggests, they like to hang out in areas where there are boulders or rock formations. Their feet are built for rock climbing. The bottom of each foot is bare and has a moist pad that lifts up in the center for a suction effect to cling to most rocks.

They live in colonies of up to 50 individuals, sharing sleeping areas and looking for food together. Although males sign all year, the frequency peaks close and during the mating season in July or August. For males, copulation success depends on individual traits, and for women, on their previous reproductive success and role in the group.

Investigating the role of rhythm in courtship songs, Demartsev and his colleagues looked at the daily morning activities of hyrax communities between 2002 and 2013 in a natural reserve in Israel. They collected information on behaviors and vocalizations and then analyzed genetic information and audio recordings in their laboratory.

The findings showed that hyrax males keep a stable rhythm, with sounds happening at regular intervals. This is known as isochronous rhythm. Lee Koren, a study co-author, said the males who sang more frequently tend to have more surviving offspring. This is because some rhythms and stability are linked to reproductive success, Koren said.

The researchers believe that certain physiological weaknesses could have a negative effect on the ability of hyraxes to produce precise and rhythmic calls. This suggests that male hyrax courtship song rhythm could be an indicator of health and suitability as mates to prospective female partners, they wrote in the journal of Animal Ecology.

Studies have shown rhythm has now been shown to act as an indicator of individual quality in some species, while in others it helps in coordinating signals from different individuals within a group. Looking ahead, Demartsver said it would be “fascinating
to compare animal species who sing individually and species that sing in groups.”

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Rats have a sense of rhythm and they bop to Queen and Lady Gaga
  2. Our sense of smell is just as good as rodents’ or dogs’
  3. Female hummingbirds avoid harassment by looking like males
  4. Deceptive Female Mantises Eat Males Even Without Having Sex
  5. Not so picky and coy after all: Female animals also have mating contests. They’re just more subtle than males
Tags: hyraxe

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW