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Stein RM, Rachlow JL. Acoustic ecology of terrestrial mammals: a new Signaller–Receiver Conceptual Framework. Mamm Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Stein
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
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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.
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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
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Gentry KE, Lewis RN, Glanz H, Simões PI, Nyári ÁS, Reichert MS. Bioacoustics in cognitive research: Applications, considerations, and recommendations. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2020; 11:e1538. [PMID: 32548958 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The multifaceted ability to produce, transmit, receive, and respond to acoustic signals is widespread in animals and forms the basis of the interdisciplinary science of bioacoustics. Bioacoustics research methods, including sound recording and playback experiments, are applicable in cognitive research that centers around the processing of information from the acoustic environment. We provide an overview of bioacoustics techniques in the context of cognitive studies and make the case for the importance of bioacoustics in the study of cognition by outlining some of the major cognitive processes in which acoustic signals are involved. We also describe key considerations associated with the recording of sound and its use in cognitive applications. Based on these considerations, we provide a set of recommendations for best practices in the recording and use of acoustic signals in cognitive studies. Our aim is to demonstrate that acoustic recordings and stimuli are valuable tools for cognitive researchers when used appropriately. In doing so, we hope to stimulate opportunities for innovative cognitive research that incorporates robust recording protocols. This article is categorized under: Neuroscience > Cognition Psychology > Theory and Methods Neuroscience > Behavior Neuroscience > Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Gentry
- Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Rebecca N Lewis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Chester Zoo, Chester, UK
| | - Hunter Glanz
- Statistics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Pedro I Simões
- Departmento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Árpád S Nyári
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael S Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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Charlton BD, Owen MA, Zhou X, Zhang H, Swaisgood RR. Influence of season and social context on male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) vocal behaviour. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225772. [PMID: 31770420 PMCID: PMC6879133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Documenting the different social and behavioural contexts that vocalisations are produced in remains an important step towards understanding the functional relevance of specific call types in a given species’ vocal repertoire. In this study we investigated whether seasonal differences and the presence or absence of male and female conspecifics influence the production of male giant panda vocal signals. To this end, captive male giant pandas were observed during and outside of the breeding season in three social contexts: only male conspecific neighbours, only female conspecific neighbours, and a context with no neighbours. We found that males were more likely to bleat, chirp, honk and moan during the breeding season, and showed a tendency to growl more outside of the reproductive period. The contextual analysis revealed that bleats were more likely to be produced by males when opposite-sexed conspecifics are in close attendance during the breeding season. Conversely, males were more likely to chirp when neighboured by males than females or no neighbours. In addition, males were more likely to honk in the absence of neighbouring conspecifics during the breeding season, raising the possibility that these calls function to signal location and gain the attention of potential mates. Moans were produced more often when male giant pandas had male than female neighbours during the breeding season, which may reflect mild aggression towards these same-sexed rivals, whereas the production of barks and growls did not vary according to season or the sex of conspecific neighbours. Our findings underscore the importance of male giant panda bleats for coordinating reproduction and promoting contact with potential mating partners in this non-gregarious species, and yield fresh insights into the function of male honks that warrant further investigation. They also provide a basis for comparison with free-ranging giant panda vocal behaviour that could potentially inform conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Charlton
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Megan A. Owen
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Xiaoping Zhou
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, China
| | - Ronald R. Swaisgood
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Volodin IA, Sibiryakova OV, Vasilieva NA, Volodina EV, Matrosova VA, Garcia AJ, Pérez-Barbería FJ, Gallego L, Landete-Castillejos T. Between-year vocal aging in female red deer (Cervus elaphus). BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:737. [PMID: 30333068 PMCID: PMC6192103 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3833-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Studying animal vocal aging has potential implication in the field of animal welfare and for modeling human voice aging. The objective was to examine, using a repeated measures approach, the between-year changes of weight, social discomfort score (bites of other hinds on hind pelt), body condition score (fat reserves) and acoustic variables of the nasal (closed-mouth) and the oral (open-mouth) contact calls produced by farmed red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus) toward their young. RESULTS Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that with an increase of hind age for 1 year, the acoustic variables of their nasal contact calls (the beginning and maximum fundamental frequencies, the depth of frequency modulation and the peak frequency) decreased, whereas in their oral contact calls only the end fundamental frequency decreased. Duration and power quartiles did not change in any call type. Body weight and body condition score increased between years, whereas discomfort score decreased. Results of this study revealed directly the short-term effects of aging on the acoustics of the nasal contact calls in the same hinds. This study also confirmed that elevated emotional arousal during emission of the oral contact masks the effects of aging on vocalization in female red deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A. Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow, 119991 Russia
- Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow, 123242 Russia
| | - Olga V. Sibiryakova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow, 119991 Russia
| | - Nina A. Vasilieva
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071 Russia
| | - Elena V. Volodina
- Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow, 123242 Russia
| | - Vera A. Matrosova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology RAS, Vavilov str., 32, Moscow, 119991 Russia
| | - Andrés J. Garcia
- Animal Science Tech, Applied to Wildlife Research Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), and Sec. Rec. Cinegéticos, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Francisco J. Pérez-Barbería
- Animal Science Tech, Applied to Wildlife Research Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), and Sec. Rec. Cinegéticos, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Laureano Gallego
- Animal Science Tech, Applied to Wildlife Research Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), and Sec. Rec. Cinegéticos, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Tomás Landete-Castillejos
- Animal Science Tech, Applied to Wildlife Research Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), and Sec. Rec. Cinegéticos, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
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Charlton BD, Martin-Wintle MS, Owen MA, Zhang H, Swaisgood RR. Vocal behaviour predicts mating success in giant pandas. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181323. [PMID: 30473861 PMCID: PMC6227945 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Surprisingly little is known about how mammal vocal signals are used to achieve behavioural synchrony in the lead up to copulation. The ability to signal short-term fluctuations in arousal levels and behavioural intention is likely to be particularly important for synchronizing mating behaviour in asocial species, which must overcome their natural avoidance and aggressive tendencies to mate. Here, we examined vocal behaviour during breeding encounters in captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) to gain a greater understanding of how close-range vocal signalling mediates reproduction in this asocial, and conservation-dependent species. Our results revealed that the occurrence of different giant panda vocalizations and acoustic variation within these calls is predictive of successful encounters leading to copulation, as opposed to unsuccessful encounters that do not. In addition, key differences were detected between vocalizations produced during and just prior to copulation. These findings illustrate that vocal exchanges are crucial for achieving behavioural synchrony and signalling intention to mate in giant pandas, and could also provide a valuable tool for breeding programmes, helping conservation managers to assess the likelihood of breeding introductions leading to copulation or potentially injurious failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Charlton
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA 92027-7000, USA
| | - Meghan S. Martin-Wintle
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA 92027-7000, USA
- PDXWildlife, 9233 SW Brier Pl, Portland, OR 97219, USA
| | - Megan A. Owen
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA 92027-7000, USA
| | - Hemin Zhang
- China Research and Conservation Centre for the Giant Panda, Sichuan province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ronald R. Swaisgood
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, California, CA 92027-7000, USA
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Volodin IA, Sibiryakova OV, Vasilieva NA, Volodina EV, Matrosova VA, Garcia AJ, Pérez-Barbería FJ, Gallego L, Landete-Castillejos T. Old and young female voices: effects of body weight, condition and social discomfort on the vocal aging in red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus). BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In female terrestrial mammals, vocal aging has only been studied in humans and pandas. In cervids displaying convergent sex dimorphism of vocal apparatus with humans, vocal aging is only investigated in males. This cross-sectional study examined acoustic variables of nasal (closed-mouth) and oral (open-mouth) contact calls of 32 farmed Iberian red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) aged of 4-18 years and their relationships with caller´s age, weight, social discomfort score (bites of other hinds on hind pelt) and body condition score (fat reserves). Decrease of fundamental frequency was associated with age in both oral and nasal calls, but more prominently in the nasal calls. An increase in call duration, peak frequency and power quartiles was associated with a higher degree of bites due to social aggression. Weight and body condition weakly influenced acoustic traits. We discuss that vocal aging of hinds parallels that of vocal aging in human females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A. Volodin
- aDepartment of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow 119991, Russia
- bScientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow 123242, Russia
| | - Olga V. Sibiryakova
- aDepartment of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Nina A. Vasilieva
- cSevertsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Elena V. Volodina
- bScientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow 123242, Russia
| | - Vera A. Matrosova
- dEngelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology RAS, Vavilov str., 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Andrés J. Garcia
- eInstituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | | | - Laureano Gallego
- eInstituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
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Effects of free-ranging, semi-captive and captive management on the acoustics of male rutting calls in Siberian wapiti Cervus elaphus sibiricus. MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0322-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dunlop RA. Changes in vocal parameters with social context in humpback whales: considering the effect of bystanders. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:857-870. [PMID: 27217614 PMCID: PMC4859862 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2108-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Many theories and communication models developed from terrestrial studies focus on a simple dyadic exchange between a sender and receiver. During social interactions, the “frequency code” hypothesis suggests that frequency characteristics of vocal signals can simultaneously encode for static signaler attributes (size or sex) and dynamic information, such as motivation or emotional state. However, the additional presence of a bystander may result in a change of signaling behavior if the costs and benefits associated with the presence of this bystander are different from that of a simple dyad. In this study, two common humpback whale social calls (“wops” and “grumbles”) were tested for differences related to group social behavior and the presence of bystanders. “Wop” parameters were stable with group social behavior, but were emitted at lower (14 dB) levels in the presence of a nearby singing whale compared to when a singing whale was not in the area. “Grumbles” were emitted at lower (30–39 Hz) fundamental frequencies in affiliative compared to non-affiliative groups and, in the presence of a nearby singing whale, were also emitted at lower (14 dB) levels. Vocal rates did not significantly change. The results suggest that, in humpbacks, the frequency in certain sound types relates to the social behavior of the vocalizing group, implying a frequency code system. The presence of a nearby audible bystander (a singing whale) had no effect on this frequency code, but by reducing their acoustic level, the signal-to-noise ratio at the singer would have been below 0, making it difficult for the singer to audibly detect the group. Significance statement The frequency, duration, and amplitude parameters of humpback whale social vocalizations were tested between different social contexts: group social behavior (affiliating versus non-affiliating), the presence of a nearby singing whale, and the presence of a nearby non-singing group. “Grumbles” (commonly heard low-frequency unmodulated sounds) frequencies were lower in affiliating groups compared to non-affiliating groups, suggesting a change in group motivation (such as levels of aggression). “Wop” (another common sound type) structure (frequency and duration) was similar in affiliating and non-affiliating groups. In the presence of an audible bystander (a singing whale), both sound types were emitted at similar rates, but much lower amplitudes (14 dB), vastly reducing the detectability of these sounds by the singer. This suggests that these groups were acoustically avoiding the singing whale. They did not, however, acoustically respond to the presence of a nearby non-singing group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Dunlop
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343 Australia
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Zaytseva AS, Volodin IA, Ilchenko OG, Volodina EV. Discomfort-related changes in pup ultrasonic calls of fat-tailed gerbils Pachyuromys duprasi. BIOACOUSTICS 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2016.1164076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra S. Zaytseva
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya A. Volodin
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, Moscow, Russia
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Stephan C, Zuberbühler K. Social familiarity affects Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana diana) alarm call responses in habitat-specific ways. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150639. [PMID: 26998336 PMCID: PMC4785987 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Male Diana monkeys produce loud and acoustically distinct alarm calls to leopards and eagles that propagate over long distances, much beyond the immediate group. Calling is often contagious, with neighbouring males responding to each other's calls, indicating that harem males communicate both to local group members and distant competitors. Here, we tested whether male Diana monkeys responding to each other's alarm calls discriminated familiar from unfamiliar callers in two populations in Taï Forest (Ivory Coast) and on Tiwai Island (Sierra Leone). At both sites, we found specific acoustic markers in male alarm call responses that discriminated familiar from unfamiliar callers, but response patterns were site-specific. On Tiwai Island, males responded to familiar males' eagle alarms with 'standard' eagle alarm calls, whereas unfamiliar males triggered acoustically atypical eagle alarms. The opposite was found in Taï Forest where males responded to unfamiliar males' eagle alarm calls with 'standard' eagle alarms, and with atypical eagle alarms to familiar males' calls. Moreover, only Taï, but not Tiwai, males also marked familiarity with the caller in their leopard-induced alarms. We concluded that male Diana monkeys encode not only predator type but also signaller familiarity in their alarm calls, although in population-specific ways. We explain these inter-site differences in vocal behaviour in terms of differences in predation pressure and population density. We discuss the adaptive function and implications of this behaviour for the origins of acoustic flexibility in primate communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Stephan
- Institute of Biology, Department of Comparative Cognition, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institute of Biology, Department of Comparative Cognition, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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Liu N, Jiang Z, Zhang L, Zhong Z, Ping X, Xu H, Li C. Bioacoustic cues and their relations to dominance rank in Père David’s deer stags. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/an15048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The vocal display of male animals during the breeding season has received particular attention. To find out whether male acoustic signals could be a quality-assessment cue of callers, we conducted a study on Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) characterised by a polygynous mating system and high male–male competition during the rutting season. We investigated the relationship between the stag’s acoustic properties and the dominance rank as an indication of quality. Results showed that (1) there were two types of calls, the common roar and the chasing bark, (2) there was no significant difference between the call duration of the common roar and the chasing bark among different dominance ranks, (3) in the common roar, the value of the fundamental frequency, formant frequencies and formant spacing decreased significantly with the rise of dominance ranks and (4) vocal intensity of the common roar differed significantly among the three dominance ranks such as the harem master, the challengers and the bachelors. Our results suggested that some acoustic features, such as formant frequencies, formant spacing and vocal intensity of the common roar were closely related to the dominance rank and could be effective indicators of male competitive ability.
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Charlton BD, Keating JL, Rengui L, Huang Y, Swaisgood RR. The acoustic structure of male giant panda bleats varies according to intersexual context. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 138:1305-1312. [PMID: 26428769 DOI: 10.1121/1.4928606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although the acoustic structure of mammal vocal signals often varies according to the social context of emission, relatively few mammal studies have examined acoustic variation during intersexual advertisement. In the current study male giant panda bleats were recorded during the breeding season in three behavioural contexts: vocalising alone, during vocal interactions with females outside of peak oestrus, and during vocal interactions with peak-oestrous females. Male bleats produced during vocal interactions with peak-oestrous females were longer in duration and had higher mean fundamental frequency than those produced when males were either involved in a vocal interaction with a female outside of peak oestrus or vocalising alone. In addition, males produced bleats with higher rates of fundamental frequency modulation when they were vocalising alone than when they were interacting with females. These results show that acoustic features of male giant panda bleats have the potential to signal the caller's motivational state, and suggest that males increase the rate of fundamental frequency modulation in bleats when they are alone to maximally broadcast their quality and promote close-range contact with receptive females during the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Charlton
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin (UCD), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jennifer L Keating
- Applied Animal Ecology, San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego, California 92027-7000, USA
| | - Li Rengui
- China Research and Conservation Centre for the Giant Panda, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Huang
- China Research and Conservation Centre for the Giant Panda, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Applied Animal Ecology, San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego, California 92027-7000, USA
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Intrasexual selection drives sensitivity to pitch, formants and duration in the competitive calls of fallow bucks. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:149. [PMID: 26279584 PMCID: PMC4538740 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0429-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mammal vocal parameters such as fundamental frequency (or pitch; fo) and formant dispersion often provide information about quality traits of the producer (e.g. dominance and body size), suggesting that they are sexually selected. However, little experimental evidence exists demonstrating the importance of these cues in intrasexual competition, particularly fo. Male Fallow deer (bucks) produce an extremely low pitched groan. Bucks have a descended larynx and generate fo well below what is expected for animals of their size. Groan parameters are linked to caller dominance, body size and condition, suggesting that groans are the product of sexual selection. Using a playback experiment, we presented bucks with groans that had been manipulated to alter vocal cues to these male characteristics and compared the response to the same, non-modified (natural) groans. Results We experimentally examined the ability of bucks to utilise putative cues to dominance (fo), body size (formant frequencies) and condition (groan duration), when assessing competitors. We found that bucks treated groans with lowered fo (more dominant), and lowered formant frequencies (larger caller) as more threatening. By contrast, groans with raised formant frequencies (smaller caller), and shorter durations (more fatigued caller) were treated as less threatening. Conclusions Our results indicate that intrasexual selection is driving groans to concurrently convey caller dominance, body size and condition. They represent the first experimental demonstration of the importance of fo in male competition in non-human mammals, and show that bucks have advanced perception abilities that allow them to extract information based on relatively small changes in key parameters. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0429-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Neunuebel JP, Taylor AL, Arthur BJ, Egnor SER. Female mice ultrasonically interact with males during courtship displays. eLife 2015; 4:e06203. [PMID: 26020291 PMCID: PMC4447045 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
During courtship males attract females with elaborate behaviors. In mice, these displays include ultrasonic vocalizations. Ultrasonic courtship vocalizations were previously attributed to the courting male, despite evidence that both sexes produce virtually indistinguishable vocalizations. Because of this similarity, and the difficulty of assigning vocalizations to individuals, the vocal contribution of each individual during courtship is unknown. To address this question, we developed a microphone array system to localize vocalizations from socially interacting, individual adult mice. With this system, we show that female mice vocally interact with males during courtship. Males and females jointly increased their vocalization rates during chases. Furthermore, a female's participation in these vocal interactions may function as a signal that indicates a state of increased receptivity. Our results reveal a novel form of vocal communication during mouse courtship, and lay the groundwork for a mechanistic dissection of communication during social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Neunuebel
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, United States
| | - Adam L Taylor
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Ben J Arthur
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - SE Roian Egnor
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
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17
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18
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Pitcher BJ, Briefer EF, Vannoni E, McElligott AG. Fallow bucks attend to vocal cues of motivation and fatigue. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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19
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Volodin IA, Matrosova VA, Volodina EV, Garcia AJ, Gallego L, Márquez R, Llusia D, Beltrán JF, Landete-Castillejos T. Sex and age-class differences in calls of Iberian red deer during the rut: reversed sex dimorphism of pitch and contrasting roars from farmed and wild stags. Acta Ethol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-013-0179-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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20
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Stachowicz JB, Vannoni E, Pitcher BJ, Briefer EF, Geffen E, McElligott AG. Acoustic divergence in the rut vocalizations of Persian and European fallow deer. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. B. Stachowicz
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - E. Vannoni
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - B. J. Pitcher
- Biological and Experimental Psychology; School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - E. F. Briefer
- Biological and Experimental Psychology; School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences; ETH Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
| | - E. Geffen
- Department of Zoology; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - A. G. McElligott
- Biological and Experimental Psychology; School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
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21
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Volodin IA, Sibiryakova OV, Kokshunova LE, Frey R, Volodina EV. Nasal and oral calls in mother and young trunk-nosed saiga antelopes,Saiga tatarica. BIOACOUSTICS 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2013.826598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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22
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Baotic A, Stoeger AS, Li D, Tang C, Charlton BD. The vocal repertoire of infant giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). BIOACOUSTICS 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2013.798744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Baotic
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna ,
Vienna, Austria
- Zoo Vienna (Tiergarten Schoenbrunn) ,
Vienna, Austria
| | - Angela S. Stoeger
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna ,
Vienna, Austria
| | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda ,
Ya'an, P.R. China
| | - Chunxiang Tang
- China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda ,
Ya'an, P.R. China
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23
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Passilongo D, Reby D, Carranza J, Apollonio M. Roaring high and low: composition and possible functions of the Iberian stag's vocal repertoire. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63841. [PMID: 23667678 PMCID: PMC3648515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We provide a detailed description of the rutting vocalisations of free-ranging male Iberian deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus, Hilzheimer 1909), a geographically isolated and morphologically differentiated subspecies of red deer Cervus elaphus. We combine spectrographic examinations, spectral analyses and automated classifications to identify different call types, and compare the composition of the vocal repertoire with that of other red deer subspecies. Iberian stags give bouts of roars (and more rarely, short series of barks) that are typically composed of two different types of calls. Long Common Roars are mostly given at the beginning or at the end of the bout, and are characterised by a high fundamental frequency (F0) resulting in poorly defined formant frequencies but a relatively high amplitude. In contrast, Short Common Roars are typically given in the middle or at the end of the bout, and are characterised by a lower F0 resulting in relatively well defined vocal tract resonances, but low amplitude. While we did not identify entirely Harsh Roars (as described in the Scottish red deer subspecies (Cervus elaphus scoticus)), a small percentage of Long Common Roars contained segments of deterministic chaos. We suggest that the evolution of two clearly distinct types of Common Roars may reflect divergent selection pressures favouring either vocal efficiency in high pitched roars or the communication of body size in low-pitched, high spectral density roars highlighting vocal tract resonances. The clear divergence of the Iberian red deer vocal repertoire from those of other documented European red deer populations reinforces the status of this geographical variant as a distinct subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Passilongo
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
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24
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Visualizing sound emission of elephant vocalizations: evidence for two rumble production types. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48907. [PMID: 23155427 PMCID: PMC3498347 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent comparative data reveal that formant frequencies are cues to body size in animals, due to a close relationship between formant frequency spacing, vocal tract length and overall body size. Accordingly, intriguing morphological adaptations to elongate the vocal tract in order to lower formants occur in several species, with the size exaggeration hypothesis being proposed to justify most of these observations. While the elephant trunk is strongly implicated to account for the low formants of elephant rumbles, it is unknown whether elephants emit these vocalizations exclusively through the trunk, or whether the mouth is also involved in rumble production. In this study we used a sound visualization method (an acoustic camera) to record rumbles of five captive African elephants during spatial separation and subsequent bonding situations. Our results showed that the female elephants in our analysis produced two distinct types of rumble vocalizations based on vocal path differences: a nasally- and an orally-emitted rumble. Interestingly, nasal rumbles predominated during contact calling, whereas oral rumbles were mainly produced in bonding situations. In addition, nasal and oral rumbles varied considerably in their acoustic structure. In particular, the values of the first two formants reflected the estimated lengths of the vocal paths, corresponding to a vocal tract length of around 2 meters for nasal, and around 0.7 meters for oral rumbles. These results suggest that African elephants may be switching vocal paths to actively vary vocal tract length (with considerable variation in formants) according to context, and call for further research investigating the function of formant modulation in elephant vocalizations. Furthermore, by confirming the use of the elephant trunk in long distance rumble production, our findings provide an explanation for the extremely low formants in these calls, and may also indicate that formant lowering functions to increase call propagation distances in this species'.
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25
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Stoeger AS, Baotic A, Li D, Charlton BD. Acoustic Features Indicate Arousal in Infant Giant Panda Vocalisations. Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2012.02080.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela S. Stoeger
- Department of Cognitive Biology; University of Vienna; Vienna; Austria
| | | | - Desheng Li
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda; Ya'an; Sichuan; China
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