Article Summary 1

1. Complete reference in APA format:

Luther, D. A., & Derryberry, E. P. (2012). Birdsongs keep pace with city life: Changes in song over
time in an urban songbird affects communication. Animal Behaviour, 83(4), 1059-1066.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.01.034
2. Purpose:
To determine the effects of ambient noise in urban environments on bird communication over
time and how birdsongs adapt to these environmental changes.
3. Hypothesis:
The evolution of birdsongs of the white-crowned sparrow is positively correlated with changes
in noise pollution in San Francisco, and this evolution has changed how the songs stand out
amongst the urban, ambient noise.
4. Sample Characteristics:
This study analyzes male white-crowned sparrows located in San Francisco that sang songs in
the ‘San Francisco’ dialect. 8 birds were studied in 1969 and 12 birds were studied in 2005.
5. Research Measures:
Different recording equipment used in 1969 and 2005, but both were consistent in sound quality
and how they were digitized. Measured 18 characteristics of the songs, such as minimum,
maximum, and dominant frequencies and durations of parts of the songs. Tested changes in day-
to-night noise levels and levels of traffic around the Golden Gate Bridge to urban noise over
time. Did playback experiments which involved playing a number of songs from 1969 and 2005
with a speaker for 2 minutes at a time. Six measures were recorded observing the response of the
birds to each song such how fast they reacted and proximity to the speaker.
6. Summary of results in point form:
- Notes in the songs did not change. Minimum frequency increased from 1969-2005.
- Significant increase in traffic and ambient noise levels from 1969-2005.
- All birds responded to both current and historical songs, but the response to the current
songs were much faster, frequent, and went closer to the speaker.
- No correlation between noise levels during the playback and the response from birds.
7. Conclusions:
In San Francisco, noise levels and the minimum frequency of bird songs have increased over
the same time period. There is a stronger response to current songs than historical songs because
they contrast more with urban noises than the historical songs do, and so there are negative
consequences for birds that have not adapted their songs to more urban environments.
8. Future Direction for research:
In this study, the characteristics of the songs were not manipulated. Aside from the changes
minimum frequency changes, the duration of the song and the trill note decreased. It is possible
that birds could have been responding to these changes instead. Digitally synthesized songs
could be used in future experiments to test this.
9. Limitations of this study:
As mentioned, there were other variables that changed in the songs that could be affecting the
response of the birds. Familiarity to those songs could also have influenced the response.
10. Implications for research:
The urban expansion of humans makes it more difficult for birds to perceive their songs, forcing
them to adapt over time. This can be an issue for birds trying to communicate for mating or
defense purposes. Noise pollution could be harmfully affecting many other animals as well.
 Article Summary 2

1. Complete reference in APA format:

Pongrácz, P., Szapu, J. S., & Faragó, T. (2019). Cats (felis silvestris catus) read human gaze for
referential information. Intelligence, 74, 43-52.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1016/j.intell.2018.11.001
2. Purpose:
To examine the understanding of human communication and the effects of ostensive signaling
on domestic cats and see if they will follow gazing cues successfully.
3. Hypothesis:
The cats will show a similar sensitivity to gazing and ostensive cues from humans as dogs do.
4. Sample Characteristics:
Tested 41 mixed breed companion cats living with owners of varying gender and age, with an
average age of 5.5 years. Subjects had to pass 2 of 3 tests involving responding to name calling,
allowing themselves to be pet, and eating food from bowls presented to them.
5. Research Measures:
Pre-training done to establish trust between experimenter and subjects, and present possible
food reward. In the experiment, two bowls were used, and food is put in one with the subject not
knowing which one had food. The experimenter drew the cat’s attention to them, and then
provided a gazing cue (momentary gazing for half and dynamic gazing for the other half) to the
bowl with food. Then, for half of the trials ostensive signaling such as name-calling and common
cat calls were used, while for the other half non-ostensive signaling through clicking noises were
used. A total of 24 trials were done with each subject and recorded with two video cameras.
Variables recorded were 1. If the trial was a success or not (If cat chose the correct bowl) 2.
Time it took for the cat to make eye contact with the experimenter.
6. Summary of results in point form:
- Overall success rate was 70.42%.
- No significant correlation between success rates and the type of gazing or ostension.
- Younger cats were found to be more successful than older cats.
- There was a lower latency of contact when ostensive cues were used vs non-ostensive.
7. Conclusions:
Cats were shown to be able to follow gazing cues from a stranger in the similar successfully
capacity that dogs can, as was predicted. However, vocal ostensive cues did not improve the
success rate for cats, which is unlike how dogs would be affected.
8. Future Direction for research:
In the study, the age of the subject was shown to be a significant variable in the results despite
not being the focus of the experiment. Future research could be done to analyze the correlation
between age and response to ostensive cues in cats.
9. Limitations of this study:
The study did not provide a definitive explanation for why cats did not have higher success
rates with ostensive cues, possibly because variable was not controlled for, but rather combined
with the gazing cue variable. It was noted that it was possible that the success rate of the cats
may have already plateaued and so the ostensive cues did not provide improvement on top of the
gazing cues, but if the ostensive cues were observed separately, results could differ greatly.
10. Implications for research:
Evolutionarily, some basic social skills develop even in solitary species like cats. The study
shows that there are other species that are sensitive to human ostension other than dogs.