The vocal repertoire of feathertail gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus) and how macrocomparisons can shape future research on acoustic communication in mammals Kobé Martin A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science University of New South Wales March 2019 Thesis / Dissertation Sheet Surname/Family Name : Martin Given Name/s : Kobe Abbreviation for degree as given in the University : PhD calendar Faculty : Science School : Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences Thesis Title : The vocal repertoire of feathertail gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus) and how macrocomparisons can shape future research on acoustic communication in mammals Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) Australia is home to the largest diversity of marsupial mammals in the world. It also has one of the highest extinction rates of animals in the world. The use of acoustics in environmental monitoring is growing in popularity, and it is important to have a solid knowledge of the acoustic repertoires of those species at risk from urbanisation and deforestation in order to be able to monitor them in the wild. The aim of this thesis was to add to our knowledge of the gliding marsupials by describing the vocal repertoire of the smallest gliding marsupial, the feathertail glider, and using macrocomparative techniques to determine where they fit in the broad scale of mammalian acoustic communication. This was the first acoustic description of the feathertail glider’s vocal repertoire, and the first description of ultrasonic vocalisation for gliding marsupials. I found that feathertail gliders produce a diverse and highly complex vocal repertoire which is representative of their social lifestyle. The frequencies of their vocalisations are also well matched to their hearing sensitivity. I found that a subset of their ultrasonic call types was produced purely in the ultrasonic range, whereas two of the broadband call types extended from the audible to the ultrasonic range. The calls produced in the ultrasonic range are highly stereotyped, making them ideal for potential use in passive acoustic monitoring of the species. A macrocomparison of the vocalisation frequencies of 193 species, and the hearing limits of 126 species of mammals found that body size and environment had a large influence on the limits a species communicates at. Aquatic species utilise higher frequency vocalisations and hearing than terrestrial species of similar body mass, demonstrating that the divergence of signal frequencies in mammals has arisen from the need to adapt to their environment. The results of these macrocomparison studies have extended our knowledge of the influence of life history traits on the acoustic communication of mammals, a topic of increasing interest and importance in an increasingly noisy world. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation. I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). ............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ Signature Witness Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: i Originality Statement ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed ....................................................... Date .......................................................... ii Copyright Statement ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ....................................................... Date .......................................................... Authenticity Statement ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ....................................................... Date .......................................................... iii INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure. Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if: • The student contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the “primary author”, ie. the student was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and preparation of the work for publication • The student has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator. • The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not. This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication ☐ (if this box is checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has been documented in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement (if this box is ☒ checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) ☐ incorporated into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I declare that: • I have complied with the Thesis Examination Procedure • where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis. Name Signature Date (dd/mm/yy) Kobe Martin 18/03/19 i ‘And hearing is special among senses. Sound can travel a long way. It will propagate through anything – the ground, water. It works at night, and goes around corners.’ - Seth Horowitz iv For my parents, who encouraged me to follow my dreams, always. v Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Tracey for all her help and guidance throughout my thesis journey. You believed in my dream project, and taught me how to embrace the change when it didn’t go exactly as planned; and turned into something even better. I have you to thank for so many of the amazing opportunities I experienced throughout my candidature. To my co-supervisor Lisa, thank you for stepping in in my times of need and offering words of encouragement and advice. I owe massive thanks to the members of the Mammal Lab both past and present for providing feedback on draft manuscripts and presentations, for all our lunch dates and the occasional lab field trip. Marlee, Alicia, Naysa, Ricardo, Gary, Cat, Dani, Sarah, Kate, Nahal, Adelaide and Annie, thank you. Even though a lot of the data never made it into the thesis, I was lucky to work with some amazing people at zoos and aquariums, bush care groups and national parks; Rob, Wendy, Vanessa, Ryan, Tony, Greg, Nat and Jennifer from Taronga Zoo Sydney and