Abstract
The concept of modularity has not been fully incorporated into current thinking about the evolution of behavioral complexity. One limiting factor is the paucity of high-quality descriptive data exemplifying the organizational structure of complex behavioral phenotypes in which modular units are likely to exist. In this paper, I describe the courtship ethology of Wahnes’ parotia, Parotia wahnesi, a little known bird of paradise endemic to northeastern Papua New Guinea. This paper builds upon existing and ongoing work on the genus Parotia by describing courtship a way that clearly and comprehensively illustrates ethological structure. Results reveal eleven diagnosable behavior patterns arranged within a seven-level hierarchical structure. Behavior comprises numerous discrete, semi-autonomous, hierarchically arranged units used to form additional units at higher levels of integration. Of the eleven behavior patterns, the three male displays are the most complex. Surprisingly, these displays comprise a similar number of elements as the displays of P. carolae, a species with twice the number of displays in its repertoire. These findings and others support the conclusion that the P. wahnesi courtship phenotype is inherently modular in organizational structure. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive descriptive studies to increasing our understanding of the importance of biological principles, for example modularity, across a wider range of animal biodiversity.
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Acknowledgments
I thank Lisa Dabek and the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Project for providing access to the primary study area. Lisa Dabek, Angie Heath, and Brett W. Benz assisted with data collection on several occasions. Fieldwork was conducted with generous support from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Pacific Biological Foundation. Special thanks to Andy Mack and Deb Wright and the WCS-Papua New Guinea (PNG) program for providing financial and logistical support that make fieldwork possible. Kimberly S. Bostwick, Richard O. Prum, and Town Peterson made valuable comments on the manuscript. Thanks to Thane Pratt and Jared Diamond for access to unpublished observations. Sincere appreciation is given for the landowners who made this study possible by allowing me to work on their land. Special thanks to the government of PNG, the Department of Environment and Conservation, and the National Research Institute for granting permission to conduct research in PNG.
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Scholes, E. Courtship ethology of Wahnes’ parotia Parotia wahnesi (Aves: Paradisaeidae). J Ethol 26, 79–91 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-006-0032-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-006-0032-x