Modelling the emergence of synchrony from decentralized rhythmic interactions in animal communication

To communicate, an animal's strategic timing of rhythmic signals is crucial. Evolutionary, game-theoretical, and dynamical systems models can shed light on the interaction between individuals and the associated costs and benefits of signalling at a specific time. Mathematical models that study rhythmic interactions from a strategic or evolutionary perspective are rare in animal communication research. But new inspiration may come from a recent game theory model of how group synchrony emerges from local interactions of oscillatory neurons. In the study, the authors analyse when the benefit of joint synchronization outweighs the cost of individual neurons sending electrical signals to each other. They postulate there is a benefit for pairs of neurons to fire together and a cost for a neuron to communicate. The resulting model delivers a variant of a classical dynamical system, the Kuramoto model. Here, we present an accessible overview of the Kuramoto model and evolutionary game theory, and of the 'oscillatory neurons' model. We interpret the model's results and discuss the advantages and limitations of using this particular model in the context of animal rhythmic communication. Finally, we sketch potential future directions and discuss the need to further combine evolutionary dynamics, game theory and rhythmic processes in animal communication studies

Environmental control on the end of the Dolomia Principale/Hauptdolomit depositional system in the central Alps: Coupling sea-level and climate changes

The Norian in the Western Tethys is characterised by the deposition of early-dolomitised inner platform facies (Dolomia Principale/Hauptdolomit, DP/HD), bordered on the landward side by terrigenous coastal deposits (Keuper) and on the seaward side by calcareous backreef and reefal facies (Dachstein Limestone) passing basinward to open-sea sediments (Hallstatt facies). The inner carbonate platform is locally (Lombardy Basin, Carnic Alps, Central Austroalpine) dissected by normal faults leading to the development of intraplatform troughs. Close to the Norian-Rhaetian boundary, sedimentation records an abrupt environmental change both on platform top and basins all over the Western Tethys (e.g. Western Carpathians, Transdanubian Range, Alps, Central Apennine). The top of the Dolomia Principale locally emerged, reflecting a major eustatic sea-level fall. Emersion is recorded in favourable settings by the development of polycyclic paleosols up to 30 m thick. In the Norian intraplatform basins, the succession is capped by 4 to 8 m of thin-bedded, fine-grained limestones yielding abundant remnants of fishes and terrestrial reptiles. Fossil concentration as well as sedimentological features is indicative of reduced sedimentation rates due to decreased carbonate production, induced by the emersion of the platform top. The sea-level fall was followed by deposition of mixed fine-grained siliciclastic-carbonate successions (e.g. Riva di Solto Shale, Kossen beds, "Rhaetavicula contorta beds", Fatra Formation). Stratigraphic evidence indicates a dry climate in the Western Tethys during the Norian, as indicated by the presence of evaporites (Burano, Apennine) and arid to semi-arid coastal to playa settings (Upper Keuper, Germany). In contrast, the basal layers of the basinal shales show evidence of wet climate. The end of the Norian depositional system records two different phenomena: (1) an important sea-level fall was responsible for the emersion of the platform top and deposition of a condensed horizon in the basins: and (2) transition from dry to humid climate. The observed evolution is explained with a global cooling which caused the rapid sea-level fall responsible for the abrupt end of the DP/HD depositional system and the shift of the boundary between arid and temperate climate belts, which modified the distribution and amount of rainfall, triggering the deposition of shales along the Western Tethys margin

STRATIGRAPHIC AND PALEOGEOGRAPHIC EVOLUTION OF A CARBONATE PLATFORM IN AN EXTENSIONAL TECTONIC REGIME: THE EXAMPLE OF THE DOLOMIA PRINCIPALE IN LOMBARDY (ITALY)

Stratigraphic and sedimentologic studies of the norian succession outcropping in rhe Lombardy Basin allowed the reconstruction of the paleogeographic and strucural evolution oi this area, 1) restricted lagoon and tidal flat are the most common deposits ar the Carnian-Norian boundary (Lower Member of the Dolomia Principale); 2) these are overlain by a thick inner platform succession organized in shallowing upwards cycles (lower Dolomia Principale), with the exception of Idro Lake area where intraplatform basin already generated; 3) the overlying middle-upper Dolomia Principale is dissected by synsedimentary faults with subsequent widespread development of intraplatform basin, margin, and slope facies with marked asymmetric distribution; the inner platform was locally emerged; 4) in the uppermost Dolomia Principale buildup margins become more abundant and the platform partially prograded on the basins; 5) at last the platform drowns and terrigenous sedimentation becomes prevalent (Riva di Solto Shales). The drowning of the platform is favoured by the lack of carbonate production, due to clay pollution and climatic changes in an area with high subsidence rates. The observed asymmetric distribution of buildup margins and fault-scarp related breccias, which outcrop on the western side of the basins west of Iseo Lake and bounding the eastern side of the basins east of Iseo Lake, allows us to propose a model of norian ensialic asymmetric rifting for the Lombardy Basin. This asymmetric rifting could be explained by interpreting the Lombardy Basin as a pull-apart basin, linked to transtension with E-W trending faults

PyGellermann: a Python tool to generate pseudorandom series for human and non-human animal behavioural experiments

Objective Researchers in animal cognition, psychophysics, and experimental psychology need to randomise the presentation order of trials in experimental sessions. In many paradigms, for each trial, one of two responses can be correct, and the trials need to be ordered such that the participant's responses are a fair assessment of their performance. Specifically, in some cases, especially for low numbers of trials, randomised trial orders need to be excluded if they contain simple patterns which a participant could accidentally match and so succeed at the task without learning.Results We present and distribute a simple Python software package and tool to produce pseudorandom sequences following the Gellermann series. This series has been proposed to pre-empt simple heuristics and avoid inflated performance rates via false positive responses. Our tool allows users to choose the sequence length and outputs a.csv file with newly and randomly generated sequences. This allows behavioural researchers to produce, in a few seconds, a pseudorandom sequence for their specific experiment. PyGellermann is available at https://github.com/YannickJad oul/PyGellermann

THE MIDDLE TRIASSIC OF THE BREMBANA VALLEY: PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE ESINO PLATFORM (Bergamasc Alps)

The stratigraphy and paleogeography of the ladinian Esino Limestone outcropping in Valle Brembana-Valle Parina, have been integrated with the biostratigraphic analysis of cephalopod fauna. A complex internal structure of the upper anisian-ladinian Esino carbonate platform has been identified. Six different lithozones have been recognized, they record the stratigraphic-paleogeographic evolution of the Esino Limestone. This carbonate platform developed through three stages: 1) construction of a lower edifice (Late Anisian-? Early Ladinian) representing the first phase of carbonate piatform diffusion on structural highs, which were already the site of carbonate deposition during the Middle Anisian (peritidal dolomites of the Angolo Limestone); 2) buildup of the carbonate complex (main edifice). In this second phase (Early Ladinian-Late Ladinian p.p.) the most important one, the platform growth took place by prevalent aggradation; 3) development of the upper edifice and progradation of the piatform in the Late Ladinian. In this third phase, inner plarform facies with diagenetic caps at the top of peritidal cycles are common. The buildup developed in the second phase yields bioclastic packstones with ammonoids, gastropods, echinoderms, and bivalves clustered within lithozone 4 and in the proximity of the southern margin of the platform in Val Parina. Studies in progress of ammonoids and gastropods allowed for the recognition of different fossil assemblages which date from Early Ladinian to Late Ladinian. A few problematic ammonoid assemblage of probably Early Ladinian age, has been found in a stratigraphic level above the base of the Esino Limestone

Introducing Parselmouth: A Python interface to Praat

This paper introduces Parselmouth, an open-source Python library that facilitates access to core functionality of Praat in Python, in an efficient and programmer-friendly way. We introduce and motivate the package, and present simple usage examples. Specifically, we focus on applications in data visualisation, file manipulation, audio manipulation, statistical analysis, and integration of Parselmouth into a Python-based experimental design for automated, in-the-loop manipulation of acoustic data. Parselmouth is available at https://github.com/YannickJadoul/Parselmouth

Large-scale progradation, demise and rebirth of a high-relief carbonate platform (Triassic, Lombardy Southern Alps, Italy)

The Upper Anisian to Early Carnian succession of the Middle Val Brembana-Pegherolo Massif (Central Southern Alps of Italy) records a complete depositional cycle from platform inception to growth, demise and rebirth. The depositional architecture of this system reflects different evolutionary stages: an inception stage which postdates a previous drowning of an Anisian carbonate platform with progradation of the carbonate platform from the nucleation areas, an aggradational stage with increasing water depth in the basins, a progradational stage where steep slopes composed of margin-derived breccias develop and a final crisis corresponding to the subaerial exposure of the platform top, followed by the deposition of shales in the basin before the rebirth of a different type of carbonate factory. The record of this evolution reflects the effects of the change in accommodation space (interplay of subsidence and eustacy), which controls the type and storage sites of the sediments produced by the carbonate factory. The effects of the changes in accommodation space are recorded in the shallow water platform as well as in the intraplatform basins, where the sediments, delivered at different rates from the platform top are stored. As a consequence, the aggradational stage corresponds to reduced sedimentation in the basins (i.e. sediments are stored on the platform top) whereas during progradation resedimented limestones are more common in the basin. Subaerial exposure rapidly halted the carbonate production on the platform top, while a major input of shales (probably reflecting a climate change and/or lowering of the base level) is recorded in the basin, where shales onlap the slope of the previous carbonate system. The rebirth of the carbonate factory after subaerial exposure of the platform top is characterized by a different composition of the carbonate factory, probably reflecting changes of the environmental conditions. The step-by-step recording of the evolution of the carbonate system represents a unique opportunity to record a seismic-scale complete evolutionary cycle of a carbonate system in its different sub-environments, from the platform top to the basin