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Massenet M, Philippe R, Pisanski K, Arnaud V, Barluet de Beauchesne L, Reynaud K, Mathevon N, Reby D. Puppy whines mediate maternal behavior in domestic dogs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316818121. [PMID: 38768360 PMCID: PMC11145252 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316818121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, offspring vocalizations typically encode information about identity and body condition, allowing parents to limit alloparenting and adjust care. But how do these vocalizations mediate parental behavior in species faced with the problem of rearing not one, but multiple offspring, such as domestic dogs? Comprehensive acoustic analyses of 4,400 whines recorded from 220 Beagle puppies in 40 litters revealed litter and individual (within litter) differences in call acoustic structure. By then playing resynthesized whines to mothers, we showed that they provided more care to their litters, and were more likely to carry the emitting loudspeaker to the nest, in response to whine variants derived from their own puppies than from strangers. Importantly, care provisioning was attenuated by experimentally moving the fundamental frequency (fo, perceived as pitch) of their own puppies' whines outside their litter-specific range. Within most litters, we found a negative relationship between puppies' whine fo and body weight. Consistent with this, playbacks showed that maternal care was stronger in response to high-pitched whine variants simulating relatively small offspring within their own litter's range compared to lower-pitched variants simulating larger offspring. We thus show that maternal care in a litter-rearing species relies on a dual assessment of offspring identity and condition, largely based on level-specific inter- and intra-litter variation in offspring call fo. This dual encoding system highlights how, even in a long-domesticated species, vocalizations reflect selective pressures to meet species-specific needs. Comparative work should now investigate whether similar communication systems have convergently evolved in other litter-rearing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Massenet
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
| | - Romane Philippe
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
- Laboratoire de Dynamique du Langage, University Lyon 2, CNRS, Lyon69363, France
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław50-527, Poland
| | - Vincent Arnaud
- Département des arts, des lettres et du langage, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QCG7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Lucie Barluet de Beauchesne
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
| | - Karine Reynaud
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Maisons-Alfort94700, France
- Département Physiologie Animale et Systèmes d'Elevage, Unité Mixte de Recherche en Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, Institut National de la Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, University of Tours, Nouzilly37380, France
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
- Institut universitaire de France, Paris75005, France
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Laboratoire Cognition Humaine et Artificielle, Paris-Sciences-Lettres University, Paris75014, France
| | - David Reby
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
- Institut universitaire de France, Paris75005, France
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MacDonald A, Hebling A, Wei XP, Yackle K. The breath shape controls intonation of mouse vocalizations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.16.562597. [PMID: 37904912 PMCID: PMC10614923 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Intonation in speech is the control of vocal pitch to layer expressive meaning to communication, like increasing pitch to indicate a question. Also, stereotyped patterns of pitch are used to create distinct sounds with different denotations, like in tonal languages and, perhaps, the ten sounds in the murine lexicon. A basic tone is created by exhalation through a constricted laryngeal voice box, and it is thought that more complex utterances are produced solely by dynamic changes in laryngeal tension. But perhaps, the shifting pitch also results from altering the swiftness of exhalation. Consistent with the latter model, we describe that intonation in most vocalization types follows deviations in exhalation that appear to be generated by the re-activation of the cardinal breathing muscle for inspiration. We also show that the brainstem vocalization central pattern generator, the iRO, can create this breath pattern. Consequently, ectopic activation of the iRO not only induces phonation, but also the pitch patterns that compose most of the vocalizations in the murine lexicon. These results reveal a novel brainstem mechanism for intonation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair MacDonald
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Alina Hebling
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Xin Paul Wei
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kevin Yackle
- Department of Physiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
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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.
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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
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Kleisner K, Leongómez JD, Pisanski K, Fiala V, Cornec C, Groyecka-Bernard A, Butovskaya M, Reby D, Sorokowski P, Akoko RM. Predicting strength from aggressive vocalizations versus speech in African bushland and urban communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200403. [PMID: 34719250 PMCID: PMC8558769 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The human voice carries information about a vocalizer's physical strength that listeners can perceive and that may influence mate choice and intrasexual competition. Yet, reliable acoustic correlates of strength in human speech remain unclear. Compared to speech, aggressive nonverbal vocalizations (roars) may function to maximize perceived strength, suggesting that their acoustic structure has been selected to communicate formidability, similar to the vocal threat displays of other animals. Here, we test this prediction in two non-WEIRD African samples: an urban community of Cameroonians and rural nomadic Hadza hunter-gatherers in the Tanzanian bushlands. Participants produced standardized speech and volitional roars and provided handgrip strength measures. Using acoustic analysis and information-theoretic multi-model inference and averaging techniques, we show that strength can be measured from both speech and roars, and as predicted, strength is more reliably gauged from roars than vowels, words or greetings. The acoustic structure of roars explains 40-70% of the variance in actual strength within adults of either sex. However, strength is predicted by multiple acoustic parameters whose combinations vary by sex, sample and vocal type. Thus, while roars may maximally signal strength, more research is needed to uncover consistent and likely interacting acoustic correlates of strength in the human voice. This article is part of the theme issue 'Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Charles University, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Juan David Leongómez
- Human Behaviour Lab (LACH), Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, DC, 110121, Colombia
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Jean Monnet University of Saint-Etienne, 42100, France
- CNRS | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Dynamique du Langage, Université Lyon 2, Lyon, 69363, France
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, 50–527, Poland
| | - Vojtěch Fiala
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Charles University, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Clément Cornec
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Jean Monnet University of Saint-Etienne, 42100, France
| | | | - Marina Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Science, Russia
- Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, 125047, Russia
| | - David Reby
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Jean Monnet University of Saint-Etienne, 42100, France
| | | | - Robert Mbe Akoko
- Department of Communication and Development Studies, University of Bamenda, PO Box 39, Bambili, Bamenda, Cameroon
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Tavernier C, Ahmed S, Houpt KA, Yeon SC. Feline vocal communication. J Vet Sci 2020; 21:e18. [PMID: 32017479 PMCID: PMC7000907 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2020.21.e18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cat vocalizes to communicate with another and express their internal states. The vocal repertoire of the cat is wide and up to 21 different vocalizations have been described in the literatures. But it is more than probable that the repertoire contains more types of vocalizations. An ethogram was created in this paper describing the actual known vocalisations of the domestic cat based on an auditory classification. However, the audiogram allows also a visual classification which can increase the accuracy of vocalization differentiation. The classification can be risky as it is sometimes unclear if different types of vocalizations are produced in different environments or if a unique type of vocalization is used with variation in the acoustic parameters. As an example, isolation calls produced by kittens differ depending on the context. The environment has an important impact on the vocal behaviour and thus feral cats and pet cats vocalize differently. Pet cats are thus able to create an efficient communication with humans thanks to the flexibility of vocalisation behaviours. This review allowed us to create a simple model of the cat vocal repertory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Tavernier
- Université de Rennes 1, Master Ethology "Comportement Animal et Humain", Rennes 35000, France
| | - Sohail Ahmed
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul Wildlife Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Katherine Albro Houpt
- Animal Behavior Clinic, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Seong Chan Yeon
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul Wildlife Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Raine
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Julia Simner
- MULTISENSE Research Lab, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - David Reby
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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Herbst CT, Koda H, Kunieda T, Suzuki J, Garcia M, Fitch WT, Nishimura T. Japanese macaque phonatory physiology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.171801. [PMID: 29615529 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.171801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Although the call repertoire and its communicative function are relatively well explored in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), little empirical data are available on the physics and the physiology of this species' vocal production mechanism. Here, a 6 year old female Japanese macaque was trained to phonate under an operant conditioning paradigm. The resulting 'coo' calls and spontaneously uttered 'growl' and 'chirp' calls were recorded with sound pressure level (SPL) calibrated microphones and electroglottography (EGG), a non-invasive method for assessing the dynamics of phonation. A total of 448 calls were recorded, complemented by ex vivo recordings on an excised Japanese macaque larynx. In this novel multidimensional investigative paradigm, in vivo and ex vivo data were matched via comparable EGG waveforms. Subsequent analysis suggests that the vocal range (range of fundamental frequency and SPL) of the macaque was comparable to that of a 7-10 year old human, with the exception of low intensity chirps, the production of which may be facilitated by the species' vocal membranes. In coo calls, redundant control of fundamental frequency in relation to SPL was also comparable to that in humans. EGG data revealed that growls, coos and chirps were produced by distinct laryngeal vibratory mechanisms. EGG further suggested changes in the degree of vocal fold adduction in vivo, resulting in spectral variation within the emitted coo calls, ranging from 'breathy' (including aerodynamic noise components) to 'non-breathy'. This is again analogous to humans, corroborating the notion that phonation in humans and non-human primates is based on universal physical and physiological principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian T Herbst
- Bioacoustics Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Biology, University Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hiroki Koda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Takumi Kunieda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Juri Suzuki
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Maxime Garcia
- Bioacoustics Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Biology, University Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,ENES Lab, Université Lyon/Saint-Etienne, NEURO-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, 23 rue Paul Michelon, 42023 Saint-Etienne, France
| | - W Tecumseh Fitch
- Bioacoustics Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Biology, University Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Takeshi Nishimura
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
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GARCIA MAXIME, HERBST CHRISTIANT. Excised larynx experimentation: history, current developments, and prospects for bioacoustic research. ANTHROPOL SCI 2018. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.171216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- MAXIME GARCIA
- ENES Lab, Université Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, Saint-Etienne
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Ladich F, Winkler H. Acoustic communication in terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2306-2317. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.132944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Sound propagates much faster and over larger distances in water than in air, mainly because of differences in the density of these media. This raises the question of whether terrestrial (land mammals, birds) and (semi-)aquatic animals (frogs, fishes, cetaceans) differ fundamentally in the way they communicate acoustically. Terrestrial vertebrates primarily produce sounds by vibrating vocal tissue (folds) directly in an airflow. This mechanism has been modified in frogs and cetaceans, whereas fishes generate sounds in quite different ways mainly by utilizing the swimbladder or pectoral fins. On land, vertebrates pick up sounds with light tympana, whereas other mechanisms have had to evolve underwater. Furthermore, fishes differ from all other vertebrates by not having an inner ear end organ devoted exclusively to hearing. Comparing acoustic communication within and between aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates reveals that there is no ‘aquatic way’ of sound communication, as compared with a more uniform terrestrial one. Birds and mammals display rich acoustic communication behaviour, which reflects their highly developed cognitive and social capabilities. In contrast, acoustic signaling seems to be the exception in fishes, and is obviously limited to short distances and to substrate-breeding species, whereas all cetaceans communicate acoustically and, because of their predominantly pelagic lifestyle, exploit the benefits of sound propagation in a dense, obstacle-free medium that provides fast and almost lossless signal transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Ladich
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Hans Winkler
- Konrad Lorenz-Institute of Comparative Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna 1160, Austria
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