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posted by mrpg on Monday May 06 2024, @10:10AM   Printer-friendly

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-baby-bird-cars.html

[...] Bird embryos develop outside the mother's body and can be artificially incubated, so it is possible to manipulate an embryo's experience without manipulating the mother.

The research team, led by Dr. Alizée Meillère and Dr. Mylene Mariette from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University (Australia) and Doñana Biological Station (Spain), took advantage of this by playing sounds to the eggs of an Australian native bird, the zebra finch.

They discovered that—under otherwise optimal incubation conditions—eggs are less likely to hatch when exposed to traffic noise for five days before hatching, than when exposed to the species native song.

"Both traffic noise and song were played at the same moderate amplitude—65 decibels, which is similar to a conversation level—but something about the acoustic characteristics of the noise caused embryonic death," said Dr. Mariette.

[...] "Nestlings exposed to noise rather than song were slower to grow and showed more severe signs of cellular damage," said Dr. Mariette. "These negative effects were the result of both previous noise exposure before hatching and current exposure during the nestling stage."

More information: Alizée Meillère et al, Pre- and postnatal noise directly impairs avian development, with fitness consequences, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.ade5868

Mylene M. Mariette, Developmental programming by prenatal sounds: insights into possible mechanisms, Journal of Experimental Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246696

Hans Slabbekoorn, A sound beginning of life starts before birth, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp1664 , www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp1664


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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Monday May 06 2024, @07:05PM (2 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 06 2024, @07:05PM (#1355983) Journal

    Close the roadways near the nesting areas to enable more birds to hatch and develop properly. If anyone complains, direct them to alternate routes or point them to Google maps.

    Start a government funded research project to develop an acoustic system that beams 'negative' or acoustic energy that cancels out the traffic sounds. Similar to how nose counselling headphones work.

    Require all 2027 vehicles be engineered to keep all mechanical sounds inside the passenger compartment and quiet outside the vehicle.

    Enlist the government printing office to print out extraordinarily massive numbers of very small bird sized pamphlets to inform birds of better nesting locations. What could go wrong?

    Raise awareness with free bumper stickers prompting other drivers to honk if you support baby birds.

    Create a write in poll on SN soliciting more potential solutions.

    --
    Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor, but because we cannot satisfy the rich.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 06 2024, @09:54PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 06 2024, @09:54PM (#1355992)

      > nose counselling headphones

      My runny nose needs some counseling, where can I purchase this product(??)

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 07 2024, @07:28AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 07 2024, @07:28AM (#1356004)

        Use a wall of death. Good for running.

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