Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Echo

Echo

The human ear cannot distinguish between two sources of sound if they happen to reach within a specific time interval, typically 0.1 seconds apart. More than this, and they are perceived as separate sources.
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case,...

Communication

Communication

Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...

Hearing

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.

Parental Care

Parental Care

Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Seasonal changes in parental hormone levels and their association with mercury contamination in a tropical seabird.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2026

Same author

Facing rising temperatures in urban environments: the role of phenological plasticity in an urban-dwelling passerine, Parus major.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same author

From Soil to Serum: Matrix-Specific Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Accumulation and Potentially Associated Environmental Exposure Determinants in Teenagers Residing near an Industrial Hotspot.

Toxics·2026

Same author

Facing rising temperatures in urban environments: the role of phenological plasticity in an urban-dwelling passerine, Parus major.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same author

Chimpanzees are not more aggressive than bonobos but target sexes differently.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Navigating the unknown: how exploratory traits shape juvenile post-fledging behaviour and survival in gulls.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Published on: June 5, 2016

When ambient noise impairs parent-offspring communication.

Carsten Lucass¹, Marcel Eens¹, Wendt Müller¹

¹Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.

Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)

|March 18, 2016

Summary

Increased ambient noise negatively impacts blue tit parent-offspring communication. Noise pollution reduced parental provisioning rates by interfering with nestling begging signals and parental detection, potentially lowering reproductive success.

Keywords:

Blue tit Chick development Highway noise Missed detections Provisioning

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings

Published on: April 1, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Published on: June 5, 2016

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings

Published on: April 1, 2022

Area of Science:

Ecology
Animal Behavior
Bioacoustics

Background:

Ambient noise pollution is increasing globally, affecting wildlife.
Birds, reliant on vocal communication, are particularly sensitive to noise.
Noise can disrupt territory quality, signal transmission, mate choice, and parental care.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally investigate the impact of highway noise on blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) parent-offspring communication.
To test if noise interferes with acoustic cues of parental arrival and offspring begging.
To determine the consequences of noise on parental provisioning rates.

Main Methods:

Experimental manipulation of the acoustic environment in blue tit nest boxes.
Playback of recorded highway noise versus a control treatment.
Monitoring of parent-offspring interactions, focusing on provisioning rates and communication success.

Main Results:

Blue tit parents significantly reduced provisioning rates in noisy conditions compared to controls.
Nestlings failed to respond to parental arrival more frequently in noisy environments.
Noise likely impairs parent-offspring communication by masking signals and hindering detection.

Conclusions:

Noise pollution significantly disrupts parent-offspring communication in blue tits.
Impaired communication leads to parental underestimation of offspring needs.
Noise-induced communication breakdown is likely to reduce overall reproductive success.