Faced with environmental change, organisms can persist and flourish through rapid evolutionary responses, phenotypic plasticity, or a combination of the two. We’ve recently been interested in the extent to which anthropogenic change alters mating environments and the consequences of that change for reproductive success and reproductive barriers.
Anthropogenic noise is a major and expanding human-induced global pollutant that can have dramatic physiological and behavioral impacts on animals. We’re investigating the impacts of noise on reproduction and life history in acoustically signaling insects, with a particular focus on whether early exposure to noise facilitates life (and sex) in the noisy city. Much research has focused on whether signalers can improve detection in noisy environments, but less attention has been paid to effects of noise on receivers. In our first set of experiments investigating whether and how noise exposure impacts reproduction, we reared field crickets in masking traffic noise, traffic noise from which frequencies that spectrally overlap with the crickets’ song were removed (non-masking), or silence. Pre-reproductive exposure to traffic noise hindered female location of mates, regardless of the acoustic environment at the time of testing. So early exposure to noise does not improve receiver performance in noisy environments later in life. Further, chronic exposure to noise causes a series of negative compounding effects on life-history, delaying development and reducing adult lifespans. In more recent work we’re investigating broader fitness consequences of developing in noise, including impacts on immunity and investment in reproduction with support from a grant from the Morris Animal Foundation, and taking our questions to the field in the greater Denver area with support from a Jefferson County Open Space grant.
Check out the podcast Robin recorded on our noise pollution work with the Morris Animal Foundation: www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/episode-27-noise-pollution-effect-crickets-podcast
Related publications:
Classen-Rodríguez, L.*, Tinghitella, R.M., Fowler-Finn, K. 2021. Anthropogenic noise affects insect and arachnid behavior, thus changing interactions within and between species. Current Opinion in Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2021.06.005
Murphy, S.M., Vyas, D.K., Hoffman, J.L., Jenck, C.*, Washburn, B.A.*, Hunnicutt, K.E.*, Davidson, A.*, Andersen, J.M.*, Bennet, R.K.*, Gifford, A.~, Herrera, M.~, Lawler, B.~, Lorman, S.~, Peacock, V.~, Walker, L.~, Watkins, E.~, Wilkinson, L.~, Williams, Z.~, Tinghitella, R.M. 2021. Streetlights positively affect the presence of an invasive grass species. Ecology and Evolution. 11: 10320–10326.
Bowen, A.E.**, Gurule-Small, G.A.* & Tinghitella, R.M. 2020. Anthropogenic noise reduces male reproductive investment in an acoustically signaling insect. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 74:103.
Gurule-Small, G.A.* & Tinghitella, R.M. 2019. Life history consequences of developing in anthropogenic noise. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14610
Larson, E.L., Tinghitella, R.M., Taylor, S.A. 2019. Insect hybridization and climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7:348.
Gurule-Small, G.A. & Tinghitella, R.M. 2018. Developmental experience with anthropogenic noise hinders adult mate location in an acoustically signaling invertebrate. Biology Letters. 14: 20170714. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0714.
Murphy, S.M., Battocletti, A.H., Tinghitella, R.M., Wimp, G.M., & Ries, L. 2016. Complex community and evolutionary responses to habitat fragmentation and habitat edges: what can we learn from insect science? Current Opinions in Insect Science. 14:61-65.
Anthropogenic noise is a major and expanding human-induced global pollutant that can have dramatic physiological and behavioral impacts on animals. We’re investigating the impacts of noise on reproduction and life history in acoustically signaling insects, with a particular focus on whether early exposure to noise facilitates life (and sex) in the noisy city. Much research has focused on whether signalers can improve detection in noisy environments, but less attention has been paid to effects of noise on receivers. In our first set of experiments investigating whether and how noise exposure impacts reproduction, we reared field crickets in masking traffic noise, traffic noise from which frequencies that spectrally overlap with the crickets’ song were removed (non-masking), or silence. Pre-reproductive exposure to traffic noise hindered female location of mates, regardless of the acoustic environment at the time of testing. So early exposure to noise does not improve receiver performance in noisy environments later in life. Further, chronic exposure to noise causes a series of negative compounding effects on life-history, delaying development and reducing adult lifespans. In more recent work we’re investigating broader fitness consequences of developing in noise, including impacts on immunity and investment in reproduction with support from a grant from the Morris Animal Foundation, and taking our questions to the field in the greater Denver area with support from a Jefferson County Open Space grant.
Check out the podcast Robin recorded on our noise pollution work with the Morris Animal Foundation: www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/episode-27-noise-pollution-effect-crickets-podcast
Related publications:
Classen-Rodríguez, L.*, Tinghitella, R.M., Fowler-Finn, K. 2021. Anthropogenic noise affects insect and arachnid behavior, thus changing interactions within and between species. Current Opinion in Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2021.06.005
Murphy, S.M., Vyas, D.K., Hoffman, J.L., Jenck, C.*, Washburn, B.A.*, Hunnicutt, K.E.*, Davidson, A.*, Andersen, J.M.*, Bennet, R.K.*, Gifford, A.~, Herrera, M.~, Lawler, B.~, Lorman, S.~, Peacock, V.~, Walker, L.~, Watkins, E.~, Wilkinson, L.~, Williams, Z.~, Tinghitella, R.M. 2021. Streetlights positively affect the presence of an invasive grass species. Ecology and Evolution. 11: 10320–10326.
Bowen, A.E.**, Gurule-Small, G.A.* & Tinghitella, R.M. 2020. Anthropogenic noise reduces male reproductive investment in an acoustically signaling insect. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 74:103.
Gurule-Small, G.A.* & Tinghitella, R.M. 2019. Life history consequences of developing in anthropogenic noise. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14610
Larson, E.L., Tinghitella, R.M., Taylor, S.A. 2019. Insect hybridization and climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7:348.
Gurule-Small, G.A. & Tinghitella, R.M. 2018. Developmental experience with anthropogenic noise hinders adult mate location in an acoustically signaling invertebrate. Biology Letters. 14: 20170714. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0714.
Murphy, S.M., Battocletti, A.H., Tinghitella, R.M., Wimp, G.M., & Ries, L. 2016. Complex community and evolutionary responses to habitat fragmentation and habitat edges: what can we learn from insect science? Current Opinions in Insect Science. 14:61-65.