Attending to such cues, and using them to assess the physical attributes and condition both of potential competitors and mates, can have important

implications for the reproductive opportunities and survival of receivers. In addition to static attributes, cues to transient qualities such as emotional or motivation state and dynamic qualities such as reproductive status or dominance rank can also be advertised in the source and filter components of vocal signals. Moreover, there is growing evidence that in some primate species callers are able to produce vocalizations containing information about events or objects KU-57788 price in the external world encoded in their source and filter-related component characteristics. Finally, we have discussed how the inter-individual variation in anatomy/physiology reflected in the acoustic

structure of vocal signals can lead to voice differences between individuals, and more specifically, how identity information can be given by frequency or amplitude contours, as is observed in the identifying whistles, and more generally in the ‘vocal signatures’, of several species. In conclusion, this review has highlighted the important PI3K inhibitor contributions of the source–filter paradigm to understanding mammal vocal communication. Understanding call production mechanisms has enabled the development of a testable framework for the investigation of the origin and function of signals. This conclusion is illustrated in Fig. 5, which provides an overview of the evolutionary feedback loop linking production mechanisms to the acoustic structure of signals and the ultimate effect this has on the perception by, and behaviour

of receivers. Many thanks to Karen McComb and Ben Charlton for their helpful comments on earlier versions of the paper, and to Alan McElligott for his support throughout the writing process. Thanks also to the contributions of Tim Halliday and one anonymous referee. Funded by a BBSRC studentship to the first author. “
“We comprehensively reviewed information on maximum Racecadotril life spans of wild birds (based on banding recoveries) and nine ecological, physiological and behavioral variables that have been hypothesized to affect the evolution of avian life spans. Data on maximum longevities and body masses were available for 936 species, and data on all variables were available for 470 species in 40 families from 15 orders. The Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos), Psittaciformes (parrots) and Procellariiformes (petrels and shearwaters) had the longest mean maximum life spans (>30 years), and the Passeriformes (perching birds), Podicipediformes (grebes) and Piciformes (woodpeckers) had the shortest mean maximum life spans (<10 years).