Animals produce a wide array of sounds with highly variable acoustic structures. It is
possible to understand the causes and consequences of this variation across taxa with …

Environmental differences influence the evolutionary divergence of mating signals through
selection acting either directly on signal transmission (“sensory drive”) or because …

Anthropogenic noise affects the behavior of a variety of animal taxa around the world. In
many taxa, minimum frequencies of acoustic signals increase with ambient noise levels, and …

Highlights•I explore two factors that can limit sexual trait elaboration: costs and constraints.•I
discuss operational strategies for identifying constraints on sexual traits.•I propose that costs …

Divergence in sexual signals may drive reproductive isolation between lineages, but
behavioural barriers can weaken in contact zones. Here, we investigate the role of song as a …

Animals modify acoustic communication signals in response to noise pollution, but
consequences of these modifications are unknown. Vocalizations that transmit best in noise …

Sexual selection drives elaboration in animal displays used for competition and courtship,
but this process is opposed by morphological constraints on signal design. How do …

Song production across many songbird species is shaped by largely conserved sets of
constraints associated with song control, production, and perception. This chapter …

Urban environments challenge animals with 2 novel impediments to communication: low-
frequency anthropogenic noise, which masks vocalizations, and large sound-reflecting …

Highlights•We introduce a new method for quantifying vocal performance,'frequency
excursion'.•We apply this method to sample questions about vocal performance in three …