1
|
The form and function of chimpanzee buttress drumming. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
2
|
Benítez ME, Painter MC, Guisneuf N, Bergman TJ. Answering big questions with small data: the use of field experiments in primate cognition. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
3
|
Taylor D, Clay Z, Dahl CD, Zuberbühler K, Davila-Ross M, Dezecache G. Vocal functional flexibility: what it is and why it matters. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
4
|
Demartsev V, Manser MB, Tattersall GJ. Vocalization associated respiration patterns: thermography-based monitoring and detection of preparation for calling. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274334. [PMID: 35142353 PMCID: PMC8976942 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vocal emission requires coordination with the respiratory system. Monitoring the increase in laryngeal pressure, which is needed for vocal production, allows detection of transitions from quiet respiration to vocalization-supporting respiration. Characterization of these transitions could be used to identify preparation for vocal emission and to examine the probability of it manifesting into an actual vocal production event. Specifically, overlaying the subject's respiration with conspecific calls can highlight events of call initiation and suppression, as a means of signalling coordination and avoiding jamming. Here, we present a thermal imaging-based methodology for synchronized respiration and vocalization monitoring of free-ranging meerkats. The sensitivity of this methodology is sufficient for detecting transient changes in the subject's respiration associated with the exertion of vocal production. The differences in respiration are apparent not only during the vocal output, but also prior to it, marking the potential time frame of the respiratory preparation for calling. A correlation between conspecific calls with elongation of the focal subject's respiration cycles could be related to fluctuations in attention levels or in the motivation to reply. This framework can be used for examining the capability for enhanced respiration control in animals during modulated and complex vocal sequences, detecting ‘failed’ vocalization attempts and investigating the role of respiration cues in the regulation of vocal interactions. Summary: A thermography-based methodology for estimating breathing traces in free-ranging meerkats detects changes in respiration associated with the preparation and with the production of vocal signals by combining respiration monitoring with audio recordings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Demartsev
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Marta B Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Interdisciplinary Center for the Evolution of Language, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kavanagh E, Street SE, Angwela FO, Bergman TJ, Blaszczyk MB, Bolt LM, Briseño-Jaramillo M, Brown M, Chen-Kraus C, Clay Z, Coye C, Thompson ME, Estrada A, Fichtel C, Fruth B, Gamba M, Giacoma C, Graham KE, Green S, Grueter CC, Gupta S, Gustison ML, Hagberg L, Hedwig D, Jack KM, Kappeler PM, King-Bailey G, Kuběnová B, Lemasson A, Inglis DM, Machanda Z, MacIntosh A, Majolo B, Marshall S, Mercier S, Micheletta J, Muller M, Notman H, Ouattara K, Ostner J, Pavelka MSM, Peckre LR, Petersdorf M, Quintero F, Ramos-Fernández G, Robbins MM, Salmi R, Schamberg I, Schoof VAM, Schülke O, Semple S, Silk JB, Sosa-Lopéz JR, Torti V, Valente D, Ventura R, van de Waal E, Weyher AH, Wilke C, Wrangham R, Young C, Zanoli A, Zuberbühler K, Lameira AR, Slocombe K. Dominance style is a key predictor of vocal use and evolution across nonhuman primates. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210873. [PMID: 34350023 PMCID: PMC8316807 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Animal communication has long been thought to be subject to pressures and constraints associated with social relationships. However, our understanding of how the nature and quality of social relationships relates to the use and evolution of communication is limited by a lack of directly comparable methods across multiple levels of analysis. Here, we analysed observational data from 111 wild groups belonging to 26 non-human primate species, to test how vocal communication relates to dominance style (the strictness with which a dominance hierarchy is enforced, ranging from 'despotic' to 'tolerant'). At the individual-level, we found that dominant individuals who were more tolerant vocalized at a higher rate than their despotic counterparts. This indicates that tolerance within a relationship may place pressure on the dominant partner to communicate more during social interactions. At the species-level, however, despotic species exhibited a larger repertoire of hierarchy-related vocalizations than their tolerant counterparts. Findings suggest primate signals are used and evolve in tandem with the nature of interactions that characterize individuals' social relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eithne Kavanagh
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Chaucer Building, 50 Shakespeare St, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Sally E. Street
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Felix O. Angwela
- School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University, PO Box 837, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Thore J. Bergman
- Departments of Psychology, EEB, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maryjka B. Blaszczyk
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Laura M. Bolt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2 L 3G1
| | - Margarita Briseño-Jaramillo
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México (UNAM), Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional Unidad Oaxaca (CIIDIR), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Hornos No. 1003, Col. Noche Buena, Municipio de Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca 71230, Mexico
| | - Michelle Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, 552 University Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210, USA
| | - Chloe Chen-Kraus
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, 10 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Zanna Clay
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Camille Coye
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
- Human and Animal Ethology (EthoS), University of Rennes, Normandie University, CNRS, EthoS - UMR6552, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Alejandro Estrada
- Field Research Station Los Tuxtlas, Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Circuito interior s/n, Ciudad universitaria, Delegacion coyoacan, Mexico City CP 04510, Mexico
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Barbara Fruth
- School of Biological and Environmental Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestraße 5, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Kirsty E. Graham
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Samantha Green
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- UWA Africa Research and Engagement Centre, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Cyril C. Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- UWA Africa Research and Engagement Centre, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Shreejata Gupta
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Morgan L. Gustison
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsey Hagberg
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daniela Hedwig
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Katharine M. Jack
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gillian King-Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Barbora Kuběnová
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Alban Lemasson
- Human and Animal Ethology (EthoS), University of Rennes, Normandie University, CNRS, EthoS - UMR6552, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - David MacGregor Inglis
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Zarin Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 5 The Green, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Andrew MacIntosh
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Bonaventura Majolo
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Brayford Wharf East LN5 7TS, UK
| | - Sophie Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Stephanie Mercier
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi 3115, South Africa
| | - Jérôme Micheletta
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, King Henry I Street, PO1 2DY Portsmouth, UK
- Macaca Nigra Project, Tangkoko Reserve, PO Box 1495, Bitung, Indonesia
| | - Martin Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Hugh Notman
- Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Canada
| | - Karim Ouattara
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Ivory Coast
| | - Julia Ostner
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mary S. M. Pavelka
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Louise R. Peckre
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Megan Petersdorf
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fredy Quintero
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuto Escolar 3000, C.U., 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
- UPIITA, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2580, La Laguna Ticoman, 07340 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Martha M. Robbins
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, 355 S. Jackson Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Isaac Schamberg
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Valérie A. M. Schoof
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Biology, York University, Keele Campus, 4700, Keele Street, Toronto, ON Canada, M3J 1P3
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stuart Semple
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Joan B. Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - J. Roberto Sosa-Lopéz
- CONACYT-Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional Unidad Oaxaca (CIIDIR), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Hornos No. 1003, Col. Noche Buena, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca 71230, Mexico
| | - Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ventura
- Scottish Primate Research Group, Division of Psychology, School of Social and Health Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
| | - Erica van de Waal
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi 3115, South Africa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anna H. Weyher
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 240 Hicks Way #217, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Claudia Wilke
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Richard Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Christopher Young
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, Republic of South Africa
- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystems Research Unit, University of South Africa, Pretoria, Florida 1710, Republic of South Africa
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K6T5
| | - Anna Zanoli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 5 The Green, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, South Street, St. Mary's Quad, South Street, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Adriano R. Lameira
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, South Street, St. Mary's Quad, South Street, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, University Road, Humanities Building, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Katie Slocombe
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Volodin IA, Volodina EV, Frey R. Rutting vocal display in male impala (Aepyceros melampus) and overlap with alarm context. Front Zool 2021; 18:2. [PMID: 33413460 PMCID: PMC7792082 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-020-00383-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rutting vocal display of male impala Aepyceros melampus is unique for its complexity among ruminants. This study investigates bouts of rutting calls produced towards potential mates and rival males by free-ranging male impala in Namibia. In particular, a comparison of male rutting and alarm snorts is conducted, inspired by earlier findings of mate guarding by using alarm snorts in male topi Damaliscus lunatus. RESULTS Rutting male impala produced 4-38 (13.5 ± 6.5) rutting calls per bout. We analyzed 201 bouts, containing in total 2709 rutting calls of five types: continuous roars produced within a single exhalation-inhalation cycle; interrupted roars including few exhalation-inhalation cycles; pant-roars distinctive by a pant-phase with rapidly alternating inhalations and exhalations; usual snorts lacking any roar part; and roar-snorts starting with a short roar part. Bouts mostly started and ended with usual snorts. Continuous roars were the shortest roars. The average duration of the exhalatory phase was longest in the continuous roars and shortest in the pant-roars. The average fundamental frequency (49.7-51.4 Hz) did not differ between roar types. Vocal tract length, calculated by using measurements of the first four vocal tract resonances (formants), ranged within 381-382 mm in all roar types. In the studied male impala, rutting snorts within bouts of rutting calls were longer and had higher values of the upper quartile in the call spectra than alarm snorts produced towards potential danger. CONCLUSIONS Additional inhalations during the emission of the interrupted and pant-roars prolong their duration compared to the continuous roars but do not affect the fundamental frequency or the degree of larynx retraction while roaring. Alarm snorts are separated from one another by large intervals, whereas the intervals between rutting snorts within bouts are short. Sometimes, rutting snorts alternate with roars, whereas alarm snorts do not. Therefore, it is not the acoustic structure of individual snorts but the temporal sequence and the occasional association with another call type that defines snorts as either rutting or alarm snorts. The rutting snorts of male impala may function to attract the attention of receptive females and delay their departure from a male's harem or territory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow, 119234, Russia.
- Department of Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology of Mammals, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Elena V Volodina
- Department of Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology of Mammals, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
| | - Roland Frey
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Grueter CC, Qi X, Zinner D, Bergman T, Li M, Xiang Z, Zhu P, Migliano AB, Miller A, Krützen M, Fischer J, Rubenstein DI, Vidya TNC, Li B, Cantor M, Swedell L. Multilevel Organisation of Animal Sociality. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:834-847. [PMID: 32473744 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Multilevel societies (MLSs), stable nuclear social units within a larger collective encompassing multiple nested social levels, occur in several mammalian lineages. Their architectural complexity and size impose specific demands on their members requiring adaptive solutions in multiple domains. The functional significance of MLSs lies in their members being equipped to reap the benefits of multiple group sizes. Here, we propose a unifying terminology and operational definition of MLS. To identify new avenues for integrative research, we synthesise current literature on the selective pressures underlying the evolution of MLSs and their implications for cognition, intersexual conflict, and sexual selection. Mapping the drivers and consequences of MLS provides a reference point for the social evolution of many taxa, including our own species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cyril C Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Xiaoguang Qi
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, 710069, China.
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus for Primate Cognition, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thore Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Zuofu Xiang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Pingfen Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | | | - Alex Miller
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Michael Krützen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Department for Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - T N C Vidya
- Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bengaluru 560064, India
| | - Baoguo Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, 710069, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Maurício Cantor
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany; Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88048-970, Brazil; Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Pontal do Paraná, 83255-000, Brazil; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Larissa Swedell
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367-1597, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 11367, USA; Anthropology, Biology and Psychology Programs, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Boë LJ, Sawallis TR, Fagot J, Badin P, Barbier G, Captier G, Ménard L, Heim JL, Schwartz JL. Which way to the dawn of speech?: Reanalyzing half a century of debates and data in light of speech science. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw3916. [PMID: 32076631 PMCID: PMC7000245 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw3916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent articles on primate articulatory abilities are revolutionary regarding speech emergence, a crucial aspect of language evolution, by revealing a human-like system of proto-vowels in nonhuman primates and implicitly throughout our hominid ancestry. This article presents both a schematic history and the state of the art in primate vocalization research and its importance for speech emergence. Recent speech research advances allow more incisive comparison of phylogeny and ontogeny and also an illuminating reinterpretation of vintage primate vocalization data. This review produces three major findings. First, even among primates, laryngeal descent is not uniquely human. Second, laryngeal descent is not required to produce contrasting formant patterns in vocalizations. Third, living nonhuman primates produce vocalizations with contrasting formant patterns. Thus, evidence now overwhelmingly refutes the long-standing laryngeal descent theory, which pushes back "the dawn of speech" beyond ~200 ka ago to over ~20 Ma ago, a difference of two orders of magnitude.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Jean Boë
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institute of Engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes, GIPSA-lab, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Joël Fagot
- Brain and Language Research Institute, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France
- Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Badin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institute of Engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes, GIPSA-lab, Grenoble, France
| | - Guillaume Barbier
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institute of Engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes, GIPSA-lab, Grenoble, France
- School of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Lucie Ménard
- Laboratoire de Phonétique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Center for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Louis Heim
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Schwartz
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institute of Engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes, GIPSA-lab, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Faraut L, Fischer J. How life in a tolerant society affects the attention to social information in baboons. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
10
|
Fagot J, Boë LJ, Berthomier F, Claidière N, Malassis R, Meguerditchian A, Rey A, Montant M. The baboon: A model for the study of language evolution. J Hum Evol 2018; 126:39-50. [PMID: 30583843 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Comparative research on the origins of human language often focuses on a limited number of language-related cognitive functions or anatomical structures that are compared across species. The underlying assumption of this approach is that a single or a limited number of factors may crucially explain how language appeared in the human lineage. Another potentially fruitful approach is to consider human language as the result of a (unique) assemblage of multiple cognitive and anatomical components, some of which are present in other species. This paper is a first step in that direction. It focuses on the baboon, a non-human primate that has been studied extensively for years, including several brain, anatomical, cognitive and cultural dimensions that are involved in human language. This paper presents recent data collected on baboons regarding (1) a selection of domain-general cognitive functions that are core functions for language, (2) vocal production, (3) gestural production and cerebral lateralization, and (4) cumulative culture. In all these domains, it shows that the baboons share with humans many cognitive or brain mechanisms which are central for language. Because of the multidimensionality of the knowledge accumulated on the baboon, that species is an excellent nonhuman primate model for the study of the evolutionary origins of language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joël Fagot
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
| | | | | | - Nicolas Claidière
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Raphaelle Malassis
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Adrien Meguerditchian
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud Rey
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Marie Montant
- Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Baboon vocal repertoires and the evolution of primate vocal diversity. J Hum Evol 2018; 126:1-13. [PMID: 30583838 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A remarkable and derived trait of humans is the faculty for language, and considerable research effort has been devoted to understanding the evolution of speech. In contrast to spoken language, which constitutes a (learned) symbolic communication system, the acoustic structure of nonhuman primate vocalizations is largely genetically fixed. Yet, appreciable differences between different genera and species may exist. Environmental conditions, sexual selection, and characteristics of the social system have been invoked to explain these differences. Here, we studied the acoustic variation of call types and vocal repertoires in the genus Papio. Because the genus comprises both stable groups as well as multi-level societies, and reveals striking variation in the degree of aggressiveness from south to north, it constitutes a promising model to assess the link between social system characteristics and vocal communication. We found that, the vocal repertoires of the different species were composed of the same general call types. A quantitative analysis of the acoustic features of the grunts and loud calls of chacma (Papio ursinus), olive (P. anubis), and Guinea (P. papio) baboons showed subtle acoustic differences within call types, however. Social system characteristics did not map onto acoustic variation. We found no correlation between the structure of grunts and geographic distance; the same was true for female loud calls. Only for male loud calls from three populations, call structure varied with geographic distance. Our findings corroborate the view that the structure of nonhuman primate vocalizations is highly conserved, despite the differences in social systems. Apparently, variation in rate and intensity of occurrence of signals, probably due to different behavioral dispositions in species, are sufficient to allow for plasticity at the level of the social relationships, mating patterns, and social organization.
Collapse
|
12
|
Silk JB, Roberts ER, Städele V, Strum SC. To grunt or not to grunt: Factors governing call production in female olive baboons, Papio anubis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204601. [PMID: 30388127 PMCID: PMC6214498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocal signals often play an important role in synchronizing the activities of group members, coordinating decisions about when and where to travel, and facilitating social interactions in which there are potential conflicts of interest. Here, we show that when female olive baboons (Papio anubis) give low amplitude grunts after approaching other females, they are less likely to behave aggressively toward their partners and more likely to handle their partners' infants and interact affiliatively with them. In addition, females are more likely to grunt after they approach lower ranking females than after they approach higher ranking females and are less likely to grunt after they approach their own mothers and daughters than after they approach other females. These patterns, which are strikingly similar to patterns previously reported in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) support the hypothesis that grunts function as signals of benign intent. Moreover, they suggest that actors' decisions about whether to grunt or remain silent are influenced by the social context, particularly their partners' likely response to their approach. Taken together, the patterning of grunts in olive and chacma baboon suggests that these vocalizations play an important in reducing uncertainty about actors' intentions and facilitate nonaggressive social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joan B. Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Institute for Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Eila R. Roberts
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Veronika Städele
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Shirley C. Strum
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya
- African Conservation Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Dal Pesco F, Fischer J. Greetings in male Guinea baboons and the function of rituals in complex social groups. J Hum Evol 2018; 125:87-98. [PMID: 30502900 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ritualized greetings, defined as exchanges of non-aggressive signals, are common among males living in multi-male groups and are thought to balance the trade-offs of male co-residence. While ritualized greetings are widespread in the animal kingdom, the behavioral repertoire described in the genus Papio is exceptional, as it involves potentially harmful behaviors such as genital fondling. Although greetings are one of the most striking male social interactions in baboons, their function is still disputed. We investigated the function of male-male ritualized greeting behavior in wild Guinea baboons. This species lives in multilevel societies where several 'units' comprising a primary male, females with young, and occasionally a secondary male form a 'party', and two to three parties form a gang. Adult males maintain affiliative relationships with preferred male partners whom they support in coalitions, regardless of kinship. We examined the social behavior of 24 adolescent and adult males (∼900 h focal observations) in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal, to test whether greetings reflect relationship quality or function to buffer tension. Greetings were ten times more frequent than aggression and twice as frequent as affiliation. Neither dyadic aggression nor tense context predicted greeting rate, discounting the buffering hypothesis. Greetings occurred almost exclusively between males of the same party, even when other parties were around. Within parties, spatially tolerant partners greeted more frequently but dyads did not greet due to proximity prior to the greeting. Although affiliation did not predict overall greeting rate, intense and potentially costly greetings were more likely between males with stronger affiliative relationships. Greetings in Guinea baboons appear to signal commitment among party members, test relationships among spatially tolerant partners, and accentuate relationship strength among highly affiliated males. Although ritualized baboon greetings lack the symbolic component of human rituals, they appear to serve similar functions, specifically to strengthen in-group affiliation and promote cooperation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Dal Pesco
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany; Department for Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany; Department for Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Fan P, Liu X, Liu R, Li F, Huang T, Wu F, Yao H, Liu D. Vocal repertoire of free-ranging adult golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22869. [PMID: 29767431 PMCID: PMC6032912 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Vocal signaling represents a primary mode of communication for most nonhuman primates. A quantitative description of the vocal repertoire is a critical step in in-depth studies of the vocal communication of particular species, and provides the foundation for comparative studies to investigate the selective pressures in the evolution of vocal communication systems. The present study was the first attempt to establish the vocal repertoire of free-ranging adult golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) based on quantitative methods. During 8 months in Shennongjia National Park, China, we digitally recorded the vocalizations of adult individuals from a provisioned, free-ranging group of R. roxellana across a variety of social-ecological contexts. We identified 18 call types, which were easily distinguishable by ear, visual inspection of spectrograms, and quantitative analysis of acoustic parameters measured from recording samples. We found a great sexual asymmetry in the vocal repertoire size (females produced many more call types than males), likely due to the sex differences in body size and social role. We found a variety of call types that occurred during various forms of agonistic and affiliative interactions at close range. We made inference about the functions of particular call types based on the contexts in which they were produced. Studies on the vocal communication in R. roxellana are particularly valuable since they provide a case about how nonhuman primates, inhabiting forest habitats and forming complex social systems, use their vocalizations to interact with their social and ecological environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Penglai Fan
- Institute of Ecology, College of Life SciencesBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xuecong Liu
- College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ruoshuang Liu
- School of EnvironmentBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Fang Li
- College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | | | - Feng Wu
- Shennongjia National ParkShennongjiaHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Hui Yao
- Shennongjia National ParkShennongjiaHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Dingzhen Liu
- Institute of Ecology, College of Life SciencesBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhu B, Wang J, Sun Z, Yang Y, Wang T, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Cui J. Competitive pressures affect sexual signal complexity in Kurixalus odontotarsus: insights into the evolution of compound calls. Biol Open 2017; 6:1913-1918. [PMID: 29175862 PMCID: PMC5769655 DOI: 10.1242/bio.028928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Male-male vocal competition in anuran species is critical for mating success; however, it is also energetically demanding and highly time-consuming. Thus, we hypothesized that males may change signal elaboration in response to competition in real time. Male serrate-legged small treefrogs (Kurixalus odontotarsus) produce compound calls that contain two kinds of notes, harmonic sounds called ‘A notes’ and short broadband sounds called ‘B notes’. Using male evoked vocal response experiments, we found that competition influences the temporal structure and complexity of vocal signals produced by males. Males produce calls with a higher ratio of notes:call, and more compound calls including more A notes but fewer B notes with contest escalation. In doing so, males minimize the energy costs and maximize the benefits of competition when the level of competition is high. This means that the evolution of sexual signal complexity in frogs may be susceptible to selection for plasticity related to adjusting performance to the pressures of competition, and supports the idea that more complex social contexts can lead to greater vocal complexity. Summary: Competitive pressure influences the temporal structure and complexity of vocal signals. The evolution of sexual signal complexity may be susceptible to selection for plasticity related to adjusting performance to the level of competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jichao Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Zhixin Sun
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Department of Biology, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, Hainan, China
| | - Steven E Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fischer J, Wadewitz P, Hammerschmidt K. Structural variability and communicative complexity in acoustic communication. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
17
|
Vester H, Hallerberg S, Timme M, Hammerschmidt K. Vocal repertoire of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in northern Norway. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 141:4289. [PMID: 28618811 DOI: 10.1121/1.4983685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge of the vocal repertoire of pilot whales is very limited. In this paper, the vocal repertoire of long-finned pilot whales recorded during different encounters in the Vestfjord in northern Norway between November 2006 and August 2010 are described. Sounds were analysed using two different methods: (1) an observer-based audio-visual inspection of FFT-derived spectrograms, with which, besides a general variety of clicks, buzzes, nonharmonic sounds, and whistles, 129 different distinct call types and 25 subtypes were distinguished. These call types included pulsed calls and discrete structured whistles varying from simple to highly complex structures composed of several segments and elements. In addition, ultrasonic whistles previously not described for pilot whales were found. In addition to the diversity of single calls, call sequences consisting of repetitions and combinations of specific call types were recorded and (2) a parametric approach that permitted the confirmation of the high variability in pilot whale call structures was developed. It is concluded that the pilot whale vocal repertoire is among the most complex for the mammalian species and the high structural variability, along with call repetitions and combinations, require a closer investigation to judge their importance for vocal communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heike Vester
- Cognitive Ethology Lab, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Hallerberg
- Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Berliner Tor 21, 20099 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marc Timme
- Network Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Am Fassberg, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Lab, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Paciência F, Baluya D, Mbaryo P, Knauf S, Zinner D. Olive baboons' ( Papio anubis) response towards crowned eagles ( Stephanoaetus coronatus) at Lake Manyara National Park. Primate Biol 2017; 4:101-106. [PMID: 32110697 PMCID: PMC7041538 DOI: 10.5194/pb-4-101-2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we report on two encounters between olive baboons (Papio anubis) and crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) at Lake Manyara National Park, northern Tanzania. During these encounters olive baboons responded by giving alarm calls and all infants and juveniles rushed down from trees seeking cover under bushes or close proximity to adult conspecifics. In one of the events, alarm calls from banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) and rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) most likely triggered alarm calling of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) which in turn prompted baboons to respond with alarm calls as well. In both observations, adult male baboons took the lead in climbing trees, threatening the eagle (staring, yawning, ground slapping) and chasing it away. The reaction of the baboons suggests that crowned eagles pose a threat at least for juvenile baboons at Lake Manyara National Park.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filipa M. D. Paciência
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz
Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Pay Mbaryo
- Tanzania National Parks, P.O. Box 3134, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Sascha Knauf
- Work Group Neglected Tropical Diseases, Pathology Unit, German Primate
Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077
Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz
Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Evidence of a Vocalic Proto-System in the Baboon (Papio papio) Suggests Pre-Hominin Speech Precursors. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169321. [PMID: 28076426 PMCID: PMC5226677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Language is a distinguishing characteristic of our species, and the course of its evolution is one of the hardest problems in science. It has long been generally considered that human speech requires a low larynx, and that the high larynx of nonhuman primates should preclude their producing the vowel systems universally found in human language. Examining the vocalizations through acoustic analyses, tongue anatomy, and modeling of acoustic potential, we found that baboons (Papio papio) produce sounds sharing the F1/F2 formant structure of the human [ɨ æ ɑ ɔ u] vowels, and that similarly with humans those vocalic qualities are organized as a system on two acoustic-anatomic axes. This confirms that hominoids can produce contrasting vowel qualities despite a high larynx. It suggests that spoken languages evolved from ancient articulatory skills already present in our last common ancestor with Cercopithecoidea, about 25 MYA.
Collapse
|
20
|
Fischer J, Kopp GH, Dal Pesco F, Goffe A, Hammerschmidt K, Kalbitzer U, Klapproth M, Maciej P, Ndao I, Patzelt A, Zinner D. Charting the neglected West: The social system of Guinea baboons. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 162 Suppl 63:15-31. [PMID: 28105722 PMCID: PMC6586040 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Primate social systems are remarkably diverse, and thus play a central role in understanding social evolution, including the biological origin of human societies. Although baboons have been prominently featured in this context, historically little was known about the westernmost member of the genus, the Guinea baboon (Papio papio). MATERIAL AND METHODS Here, we summarize the findings from the first years of observations at the field site CRP Simenti in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. RESULTS Guinea baboons reveal a nested multi-level social organization, with reproductive units comprising one "primary" male, one to several females, young, and occasionally "secondary" males at the base of the society. Three to five units form "parties," which team up with other parties to form a "gang." Different gangs have largely overlapping home ranges and agonistic interactions between different parties or gangs are rare. Some but not all strongly socially bonded males are highly related, and population genetic and behavioral evidence indicate female-biased dispersal. Females play an important role in intersexual bond formation and maintenance, and female tenure length varies between a few weeks to several years. DISCUSSION While the social organization resembles that of hamadryas baboons (P. hamadryas), the social structure differs considerably, specifically in terms of low male aggressiveness and female freedom. Despite substantial differences in social organization and social structure, the acoustic structure of Guinea baboon vocalizations does not differ substantially from that of other baboon taxa. With its multi-level organization, stable bonds between males and females, as well as a high-degree of male-male cooperation and tolerance, Guinea baboons constitute an intriguing model for reconstructing human social evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Gisela H. Kopp
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany,Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany,Department of Migration and Immuno‐EcologyMax‐Planck‐Institute for OrnithologyRadolfzellGermany
| | | | - Adeelia Goffe
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | | | - Urs Kalbitzer
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany,Department of Anthropology and ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
| | | | - Peter Maciej
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Ibrahima Ndao
- Direction de Park National de Niokolo KobaTambacoundaSenegal
| | - Annika Patzelt
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
|
22
|
Comparative Analysis of the Vocal Repertoire of Eulemur: A Dynamic Time Warping Approach. INT J PRIMATOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-015-9861-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
23
|
Kopp GH, Fischer J, Patzelt A, Roos C, Zinner D. Population genetic insights into the social organization of Guinea baboons (Papio papio): Evidence for female-biased dispersal. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:878-89. [PMID: 25864569 PMCID: PMC4654240 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in philopatry and dispersal have important consequences on the genetic structure of populations, social groups, and social relationships within groups. Among mammals, male dispersal and female philopatry are most common and closely related taxa typically exhibit similar dispersal patterns. However, among four well-studied species of baboons, only hamadryas baboons exhibit female dispersal, thus differing from their congenerics, which show female philopatry and close-knit female social relationships. Until recently, knowledge of the Guinea baboon social system and dispersal pattern remained sparse. Previous observations suggested that the high degree of tolerance observed among male Guinea baboons could be due to kinship. This led us to hypothesize that this species exhibits male philopatry and female dispersal, conforming to the hamadryas pattern. We genotyped 165 individuals from five localities in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal, at 14 autosomal microsatellite loci and sequenced a fragment of the mitochondrial hypervariable region I (HVRI) of 55 individuals. We found evidence for higher population structuring in males than in females, as expected if males are the more philopatric sex. A comparison of relatedness between male-male and female-female dyads within and among communities did not yield conclusive results. HVRI diversity within communities was high and did not differ between the sexes, also suggesting female gene flow. Our study is the first comprehensive analysis of the genetic population structure in Guinea baboons and provides evidence for female-biased dispersal in this species. In conjunction with their multilevel social organization, this finding parallels the observations for human hunter-gatherers and strengthens baboons as an intriguing model to elucidate the processes that shaped the highly cooperative societies of Homo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gisela H Kopp
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Annika Patzelt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Wadewitz P, Hammerschmidt K, Battaglia D, Witt A, Wolf F, Fischer J. Characterizing Vocal Repertoires--Hard vs. Soft Classification Approaches. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125785. [PMID: 25915039 PMCID: PMC4411004 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the proximate and ultimate causes that shape acoustic communication in animals, objective characterizations of the vocal repertoire of a given species are critical, as they provide the foundation for comparative analyses among individuals, populations and taxa. Progress in this field has been hampered by a lack of standard in methodology, however. One problem is that researchers may settle on different variables to characterize the calls, which may impact on the classification of calls. More important, there is no agreement how to best characterize the overall structure of the repertoire in terms of the amount of gradation within and between call types. Here, we address these challenges by examining 912 calls recorded from wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus). We extracted 118 acoustic variables from spectrograms, from which we constructed different sets of acoustic features, containing 9, 38, and 118 variables; as well 19 factors derived from principal component analysis. We compared and validated the resulting classifications of k-means and hierarchical clustering. Datasets with a higher number of acoustic features lead to better clustering results than datasets with only a few features. The use of factors in the cluster analysis resulted in an extremely poor resolution of emerging call types. Another important finding is that none of the applied clustering methods gave strong support to a specific cluster solution. Instead, the cluster analysis revealed that within distinct call types, subtypes may exist. Because hard clustering methods are not well suited to capture such gradation within call types, we applied a fuzzy clustering algorithm. We found that this algorithm provides a detailed and quantitative description of the gradation within and between chacma baboon call types. In conclusion, we suggest that fuzzy clustering should be used in future studies to analyze the graded structure of vocal repertoires. Moreover, the use of factor analyses to reduce the number of acoustic variables should be discouraged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Wadewitz
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Theoretical Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Demian Battaglia
- Theoretical Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
- Theoretical Neurosciences Group, Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Marseille, France
| | - Annette Witt
- Theoretical Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Theoretical Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
|
26
|
von Merten S, Hoier S, Pfeifle C, Tautz D. A role for ultrasonic vocalisation in social communication and divergence of natural populations of the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus). PLoS One 2014; 9:e97244. [PMID: 24816836 PMCID: PMC4016290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been known that rodents emit signals in the ultrasonic range, but their role in social communication and mating is still under active exploration. While inbred strains of house mice have emerged as a favourite model to study ultrasonic vocalisation (USV) patterns, studies in wild animals and natural situations are still rare. We focus here on two wild derived mouse populations. We recorded them in dyadic encounters for extended periods of time to assess possible roles of USVs and their divergence between allopatric populations. We have analysed song frequency and duration, as well as spectral features of songs and syllables. We show that the populations have indeed diverged in several of these aspects and that USV patterns emitted in a mating context differ from those emitted in same sex encounters. We find that females vocalize not less, in encounters with another female even more than males. This implies that the current focus of USVs being emitted mainly by males within the mating context needs to be reconsidered. Using a statistical syntax analysis we find complex temporal sequencing patterns that could suggest that the syntax conveys meaningful information to the receivers. We conclude that wild mice use USV for complex social interactions and that USV patterns can diverge fast between populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie von Merten
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Svenja Hoier
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Christine Pfeifle
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Diethard Tautz
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| |
Collapse
|