1
|
Duengen D, Jadoul Y, Ravignani A. Vocal usage learning and vocal comprehension learning in harbor seals. BMC Neurosci 2024; 25:48. [PMID: 39367300 PMCID: PMC11451073 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-024-00899-4] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Which mammals show vocal learning abilities, e.g., can learn new sounds, or learn to use sounds in new contexts? Vocal usage and comprehension learning are submodules of vocal learning. Specifically, vocal usage learning is the ability to learn to use a vocalization in a new context; vocal comprehension learning is the ability to comprehend a vocalization in a new context. Among mammals, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are good candidates to investigate vocal learning. Here, we test whether harbor seals are capable of vocal usage and comprehension learning. RESULTS We trained two harbor seals to (i) switch contexts from a visual to an auditory cue. In particular, the seals first produced two vocalization types in response to two hand signs; they then transitioned to producing these two vocalization types upon the presentation of two distinct sets of playbacks of their own vocalizations. We then (ii) exposed the seals to a combination of trained and novel vocalization stimuli. In a final experiment, (iii) we broadcasted only novel vocalizations of the two vocalization types to test whether seals could generalize from the trained set of stimuli to only novel items of a given vocal category. Both seals learned all tasks and took ≤ 16 sessions to succeed across all experiments. In particular, the seals showed contextual learning through switching the context from former visual to novel auditory cues, vocal matching and generalization. Finally, by responding to the played-back vocalizations with distinct vocalizations, the animals showed vocal comprehension learning. CONCLUSIONS It has been suggested that harbor seals are vocal learners; however, to date, these observations had not been confirmed in controlled experiments. Here, through three experiments, we could show that harbor seals are capable of both vocal usage and comprehension learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diandra Duengen
- Comparative Bioacoustics Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Zoo Cleves ("Tiergarten Kleve"), 47533, Kleve, Germany.
| | - Yannick Jadoul
- Comparative Bioacoustics Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Leonetti S, Ravignani A, Pouw W. A cross-species framework for classifying sound-movement couplings. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 167:105911. [PMID: 39362418 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
Sound and movement are entangled in animal communication. This is obviously true in the case of sound-constituting vibratory movements of biological structures which generate acoustic waves. A little less obvious is that other moving structures produce the energy required to sustain these vibrations. In many species, the respiratory system moves to generate the expiratory flow which powers the sound-constituting movements (sound-powering movements). The sound may acquire additional structure via upper tract movements, such as articulatory movements or head raising (sound-filtering movements). Some movements are not necessary for sound production, but when produced, impinge on the sound-producing process due to weak biomechanical coupling with body parts (e.g., respiratory system) that are necessary for sound production (sound-impinging movements). Animals also produce sounds contingent with movement, requiring neuro-physiological control regimes allowing to flexibly couple movements to a produced sound, or coupling movements to a perceived external sound (sound-contingent movement). Here, we compare and classify the variety of ways sound and movements are coupled in animal communication; our proposed framework should help structure previous and future studies on this topic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Leonetti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin 10123, Italy; Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy; Comparative Bioacoustics Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, Nijmegen 6525 XD, the Netherlands.
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy; Comparative Bioacoustics Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, Nijmegen 6525 XD, the Netherlands; Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - Wim Pouw
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen 6525 XZ, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hill HMM. "Cooooooommmmmmmeeeeeeeee heeeerrrrrreeeee . . . . Momma dolphin has something to say". Learn Behav 2024; 52:203-204. [PMID: 37670175 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00602-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Mother dolphins shift their signature whistles to higher frequencies and have larger bandwidths when calling to their dependent calves during separations involving stranded health assessments compared with separations when the calf is absent. While this shift may reflect a version of "child-directed communication," more research is needed to understand the parameters and function of this phenomenon.
Collapse
|
4
|
Pardo MA, Fristrup K, Lolchuragi DS, Poole JH, Granli P, Moss C, Douglas-Hamilton I, Wittemyer G. African elephants address one another with individually specific name-like calls. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1353-1364. [PMID: 38858512 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02420-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Personal names are a universal feature of human language, yet few analogues exist in other species. While dolphins and parrots address conspecifics by imitating the calls of the addressee, human names are not imitations of the sounds typically made by the named individual. Labelling objects or individuals without relying on imitation of the sounds made by the referent radically expands the expressive power of language. Thus, if non-imitative name analogues were found in other species, this could have important implications for our understanding of language evolution. Here we present evidence that wild African elephants address one another with individually specific calls, probably without relying on imitation of the receiver. We used machine learning to demonstrate that the receiver of a call could be predicted from the call's acoustic structure, regardless of how similar the call was to the receiver's vocalizations. Moreover, elephants differentially responded to playbacks of calls originally addressed to them relative to calls addressed to a different individual. Our findings offer evidence for individual addressing of conspecifics in elephants. They further suggest that, unlike other non-human animals, elephants probably do not rely on imitation of the receiver's calls to address one another.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Pardo
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Kurt Fristrup
- Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Cynthia Moss
- Amboseli Elephant Research Project, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Save The Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Moran IG, Loo YY, Louca S, Young NBA, Whibley A, Withers SJ, Salloum PM, Hall ML, Stanley MC, Cain KE. Vocal convergence and social proximity shape the calls of the most basal Passeriformes, New Zealand Wrens. Commun Biol 2024; 7:575. [PMID: 38750083 PMCID: PMC11096322 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06253-y] [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: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research on avian vocal learning, we still lack a general understanding of how and when this ability evolved in birds. As the closest living relatives of the earliest Passeriformes, the New Zealand wrens (Acanthisitti) hold a key phylogenetic position for furthering our understanding of the evolution of vocal learning because they share a common ancestor with two vocal learners: oscines and parrots. However, the vocal learning abilities of New Zealand wrens remain unexplored. Here, we test for the presence of prerequisite behaviors for vocal learning in one of the two extant species of New Zealand wrens, the rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris). We detect the presence of unique individual vocal signatures and show how these signatures are shaped by social proximity, as demonstrated by group vocal signatures and strong acoustic similarities among distantly related individuals in close social proximity. Further, we reveal that rifleman calls share similar phenotypic variance ratios to those previously reported in the learned vocalizations of the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata. Together these findings provide strong evidence that riflemen vocally converge, and though the mechanism still remains to be determined, they may also suggest that this vocal convergence is the result of rudimentary vocal learning abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ines G Moran
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand.
| | - Yen Yi Loo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Stilianos Louca
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, 97403-1210, OR, USA
| | - Nick B A Young
- Centre for eResearch, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Annabel Whibley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Sarah J Withers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Priscila M Salloum
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bush Heritage Australia, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Margaret C Stanley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Kristal E Cain
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, Aotearoa New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fandel AD, Silva K, Bailey H. Vocal signatures affected by population identity and environmental sound levels. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299250. [PMID: 38635752 PMCID: PMC11025965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring has improved our understanding of vocalizing organisms in remote habitats and during all weather conditions. Many vocally active species are highly mobile, and their populations overlap. However, distinct vocalizations allow the tracking and discrimination of individuals or populations. Using signature whistles, the individually distinct calls of bottlenose dolphins, we calculated a minimum abundance of individuals, characterized and compared signature whistles from five locations, and determined reoccurrences of individuals throughout the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Chesapeake Bay, USA. We identified 1,888 signature whistles in which the duration, number of extrema, start, end, and minimum frequencies of signature whistles varied significantly by site. All characteristics of signature whistles were deemed important for determining from which site the whistle originated and due to the distinct signature whistle characteristics and lack of spatial mixing of the dolphins detected at the Offshore site, we suspect that these dolphins are of a different population than those at the Coastal and Bay sites. Signature whistles were also found to be shorter when sound levels were higher. Using only the passively recorded vocalizations of this marine top predator, we obtained information about its population and how it is affected by ambient sound levels, which will increase as offshore wind energy is developed. In this rapidly developing area, these calls offer critical management insights for this protected species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amber D. Fandel
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, United States of America
| | - Kirsten Silva
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, United States of America
| | - Helen Bailey
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Griebel U, Oller DK. From emotional signals to symbols. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1135288. [PMID: 38629043 PMCID: PMC11020113 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1135288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The quest for the origins of language is a diverse enterprise, where research from a variety of disciplines brings area-specific ideas and area-specific terminology to bear. This variety often results in misunderstandings and misconceptions about communication in various species. In the present paper, we argue for focus on emotional systems as the primary motivators for social signals in animals in general. This focus can help resolve discrepancies of interpretation among different areas of inquiry and can illuminate distinctions among different social signals as well as their phylogenetic origins in animals and especially in humans. We advocate, following Jaak Panksepp, a view wherein the Seeking System, the endogenous tendency to search and explore, is the most fundamental emotional motivation. The Seeking System forms the basis for flexible, voluntary, and exploratory control of motor systems and makes much of learning possible. The relative lack of vocal learning and expression in nonhuman primates contrasted with extensive vocal learning and expression in humans began, we propose, with the evolution in ancient hominins of a necessary foundation for the many subsequent capabilities required for language. That foundation was, according to the reasoning, naturally selected in the form of neurological connections between the Seeking System and mechanisms of glottal/phonatory control. The new connections allowed ancient hominins to develop flexible, endogenous vocal fitness signals produced at very high rates and including large numbers of discrete syllables, recombinable to form syllable combinations with many prosodic variations. The increasing sociality of hominins supported evolution of massive expansion in the utilization of these flexible vocal forms to allow development of words and sentences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Griebel
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- The Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- The Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - D. Kimbrough Oller
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- The Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- The Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gallo A, De Moura Lima A, Böye M, Hausberger M, Lemasson A. Study of repertoire use reveals unexpected context-dependent vocalizations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:56. [PMID: 38060031 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01884-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Dolphins are known for their complex vocal communication, not least because of their capacity for acoustic plasticity. Paradoxically, we know little about their capacity for flexible vocal use. The difficulty in describing the behaviours performed underwater while vocalizing makes it difficult to analyse the contexts of emissions. Dolphins' main vocal categories are typically considered to be used for scanning the environment (clicks), agonistic encounters (burst pulses) and socio-affiliative interactions (whistles). Dolphins can also combine these categories in mixed vocal emissions, whose use remains unclear. To better understand how vocalizations are used, we simultaneously recorded vocal production and the associated behaviours by conducting underwater observations (N = 479 events) on a group of 7 bottlenose dolphins under human care. Our results showed a non-random association between vocal categories and behavioural contexts. Precisely, clicks were preferentially emitted during affiliative interactions and not during other social/solitary contexts, supporting a possible complementary communicative function. Burst pulses were associated to high arousal contexts (agonistic and social play), pinpointing on their use as an "emotively charged" signal. Whistles were related to solitary swimming and not preferentially produced in any social context. This questions whistles' functions and supports their potential role as a distant contact call. Finally, mixed vocalizations were especially found associated with sexual (bust pulse-whistle-click), solitary play (burst pulse-whistle) and affiliative (click-whistle) behaviours. Depending on the case, their emission seems to confirm, modify or refine the functions of their simple counterparts. These results open up new avenues of research into the contextual use of dolphin acoustic signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gallo
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Animale Et Humaine, Université de Rennes, Université de Caen-Normandie, UMR 6552, Rennes, France.
- UMR 8002, Integrative Center for Neuroscience and Cognition, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France.
- Centre de Recherche Et d'Études Pour L'Animal Sauvage (CREAS), Port Saint Père, France.
| | - Alice De Moura Lima
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Animale Et Humaine, Université de Rennes, Université de Caen-Normandie, UMR 6552, Rennes, France
- Centre de Recherche Et d'Études Pour L'Animal Sauvage (CREAS), Port Saint Père, France
| | - Martin Böye
- Centre de Recherche Et d'Études Pour L'Animal Sauvage (CREAS), Port Saint Père, France
| | - Martine Hausberger
- UMR 8002, Integrative Center for Neuroscience and Cognition, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Alban Lemasson
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Animale Et Humaine, Université de Rennes, Université de Caen-Normandie, UMR 6552, Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rio R. First acoustic evidence of signature whistle production by spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris). Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1915-1927. [PMID: 37676587 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
A dolphin's signature whistle (SW) is a distinctive acoustic signal, issued in a bout pattern of unique frequency modulation contours; it allows individuals belonging to a given group to recognize each other and, consequently, to maintain contact and cohesion. The current study is the first scientific evidence that spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) produce SWs. Acoustic data were recorded at a shallow rest bay called "Biboca", in Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil. In total, 1902 whistles were analyzed; 40% (753/1,902) of them were classified as stereotyped whistles (STW). Based on the SIGID method, 63% (472/753) of all STWs were identified as SWs; subsequently, they were categorized into one of 18 SW types. SWs accounted for 25% (472/1,902) of the acoustic repertoire. External observers have shown near perfect agreement to classify whistles into the adopted SW categorization. Most acoustic and temporal variables measured for SWs showed mean values similar to those recorded in other studies with spinner dolphins, whose authors did not differentiate SWs from non-SWs. Principal component analysis has explained 78% of total SW variance, and it emphasized the relevance of shape/contour and frequency variables to SW variance. This scientific discovery helps improving bioacoustics knowledge about the investigated species. Future studies to be conducted in Fernando de Noronha Archipelago should focus on continuous investigations about SW development and use by S. longirostris, expanding individuals' identifications (Photo ID and SW Noronha Catalog), assessing long-term whistle stability and emission rates, and making mother-offspring comparisons with sex-based differences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raul Rio
- Laboratory of Observational and Bioacoustics Technologies Applied to Biodiversity (TecBio), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Ocean Sound, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Smeele SQ, Senar JC, Aplin LM, McElreath MB. Evidence for vocal signatures and voice-prints in a wild parrot. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230835. [PMID: 37800160 PMCID: PMC10548090 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
In humans, identity is partly encoded in a voice-print that is carried across multiple vocalizations. Other species also signal vocal identity in calls, such as shown in the contact call of parrots. However, it remains unclear to what extent other call types in parrots are individually distinct, and whether there is an analogous voice-print across calls. Here we test if an individual signature is present in other call types, how stable this signature is, and if parrots exhibit voice-prints across call types. We recorded 5599 vocalizations from 229 individually marked monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) over a 2-year period in Barcelona, Spain. We examined five distinct call types, finding evidence for an individual signature in three. We further show that in the contact call, while birds are individually distinct, the calls are more variable than previously assumed, changing over short time scales (seconds to minutes). Finally, we provide evidence for voice-prints across multiple call types, with a discriminant function being able to predict caller identity across call types. This suggests that monk parakeets may be able to use vocal cues to recognize conspecifics, even across vocalization types and without necessarily needing active vocal signatures of identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simeon Q. Smeele
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Lucy M. Aplin
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Mary Brooke McElreath
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Fleishman E, Cholewiak D, Gillespie D, Helble T, Klinck H, Nosal EM, Roch MA. Ecological inferences about marine mammals from passive acoustic data. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1633-1647. [PMID: 37142263 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring on the basis of sound recordings, or passive acoustic monitoring, can complement or serve as an alternative to real-time visual or aural monitoring of marine mammals and other animals by human observers. Passive acoustic data can support the estimation of common, individual-level ecological metrics, such as presence, detection-weighted occupancy, abundance and density, population viability and structure, and behaviour. Passive acoustic data also can support estimation of some community-level metrics, such as species richness and composition. The feasibility of estimation and certainty of estimates is highly context dependent, and understanding the factors that affect the reliability of measurements is useful for those considering whether to use passive acoustic data. Here, we review basic concepts and methods of passive acoustic sampling in marine systems that often are applicable to marine mammal research and conservation. Our ultimate aim is to facilitate collaboration among ecologists, bioacousticians, and data analysts. Ecological applications of passive acoustics require one to make decisions about sampling design, which in turn requires consideration of sound propagation, sampling of signals, and data storage. One also must make decisions about signal detection and classification and evaluation of the performance of algorithms for these tasks. Investment in the research and development of systems that automate detection and classification, including machine learning, are increasing. Passive acoustic monitoring is more reliable for detection of species presence than for estimation of other species-level metrics. Use of passive acoustic monitoring to distinguish among individual animals remains difficult. However, information about detection probability, vocalisation or cue rate, and relations between vocalisations and the number and behaviour of animals increases the feasibility of estimating abundance or density. Most sensor deployments are fixed in space or are sporadic, making temporal turnover in species composition more tractable to estimate than spatial turnover. Collaborations between acousticians and ecologists are most likely to be successful and rewarding when all partners critically examine and share a fundamental understanding of the target variables, sampling process, and analytical methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erica Fleishman
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Danielle Cholewiak
- Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Douglas Gillespie
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9XL, UK
| | - Tyler Helble
- Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, CA, 92152, USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Eva-Marie Nosal
- Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Marie A Roch
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Di Nardo F, De Marco R, Lucchetti A, Scaradozzi D. A WAV file dataset of bottlenose dolphin whistles, clicks, and pulse sounds during trawling interactions. Sci Data 2023; 10:650. [PMID: 37739950 PMCID: PMC10517007 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, interactions between fishing activities and dolphins are cause for concern due to their negative effects on both mammals and fishermen. The recording of acoustic emissions could aid in detecting the presence of dolphins in close proximity to fishing gear, elucidating their behavior, and guiding potential management measures designed to limit this harmful phenomenon. This data descriptor presents a dataset of acoustic recordings (WAV files) collected during interactions between common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and fishing activities in the Adriatic Sea. This dataset is distinguished by the high complexity of its repertoire, which includes various different typologies of dolphin emission. Specifically, a group of free-ranging dolphins was found to emit frequency-modulated whistles, echolocation clicks, and burst pulse signals, including feeding buzzes. An analysis of signal quality based on the signal-to-noise ratio was conducted to validate the dataset. The signal digital files and corresponding features make this dataset suitable for studying dolphin behavior in order to gain a deeper understanding of their communication and interaction with fishing gear (trawl).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Nardo
- Dipartimento di ingegneria dell'informazione, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Rocco De Marco
- Institute of Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (IRBIM), National Research Council (CNR), Ancona, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Lucchetti
- Institute of Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (IRBIM), National Research Council (CNR), Ancona, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - David Scaradozzi
- Dipartimento di ingegneria dell'informazione, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rege-Colt M, Oswald JN, De Weerdt J, Palacios-Alfaro JD, Austin M, Gagne E, Morán Villatoro JM, Sahley CT, Alvarado-Guerra G, May-Collado LJ. Whistle repertoire and structure reflect ecotype distinction of pantropical spotted dolphins in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13449. [PMID: 37596372 PMCID: PMC10439233 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The pantropical spotted dolphin in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is found in two genetically and phenotypically diverged ecotypes, coastal and offshore. These habitats have distinct acoustic characteristics, which can lead to the evolution of distinct acoustic communication. Whistles are sounds widely used by dolphins to mediate species and individual recognition and social interactions. Here, we study the whistle acoustic structure and repertoire diversity of offshore and coastal pantropical spotted dolphins. Our results show that there is significantly more within- and across-group variation in whistle fundamental frequency between ecotypes than between offshore groups and between coastal groups. A Random Forest classification analysis performed with an accuracy of 83.99% and identified duration, peak and minimum frequency as the most informative variables for distinguishing between ecotypes. Overall, coastal spotted dolphins produced significantly shorter whistles that were significantly lower in frequency (peak, minimum and maximum, and start and end) than offshore dolphins. Ecotypes produced whistle repertoires that were similar in diversity, but different in contour composition, with the coastal ecotype producing more upsweep whistles than offshore dolphins. The results of this study suggest that acoustic adaptations to coastal and offshore environments could be important contributors to intraspecific variation of dolphin whistle repertoires.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie N Oswald
- Scottish Oceans Institute, Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY168LB, UK
| | - Joelle De Weerdt
- Association ELI-S, Education, Liberté, Indépendance - Scientifique, Allée de Verdalle 39, 33470, Gujan-Mestras, France
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Maia Austin
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Emma Gagne
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | | | - Gilma Alvarado-Guerra
- Instituto para el Crecimiento Sostenible de la Empresa (ICSEM), C/Hogar Padre Vito Guarato, B1, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Laura J May-Collado
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Jones BL, McClain AM, Sportelli JJ, Le-Bert CR. Return of Sound Production as a Biomarker of Bottlenose Dolphin Emergence from Anesthesia. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2531. [PMID: 37570339 PMCID: PMC10417254 DOI: 10.3390/ani13152531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: When a human or animal is recovering from general anesthesia, their medical team uses several behavioral and physiological parameters to assess their emergence from the unconscious state to complete wakefulness. However, the return of auditory and acoustic behaviors indicative of the complete return of consciousness in humans can be difficult to assess in a completely aquatic non-human mammal. Dolphins produce sound using the nasal system while using both passive auditory and active biological sonar (echolocation) to navigate and interrogate their environment. The sounds generated by dolphins, such as whistles and clicks, however, can be difficult to hear when the animal is submerged. (2) Methods: We implemented a system to audibly and visually (i.e., using spectrograms) monitor the underwater acoustic behavior of dolphins recovering from anesthesia. (3) Results: Eleven of the twelve recorded dolphins began echolocating within 92 min (Mean = 00:43:41 HH:MM:SS) following spontaneous respirations. In all cases, the dolphins echolocated prior to whistling (Mean = 04:57:47). The return of echolocation was significantly correlated to the return of the righting reflex (Mean = 1:13:44), a commonly used behavioral indicator of dolphin emergence. (4) Conclusions: We suggest that acoustic monitoring for the onset of click production may be a useful supplement to the established medical and behavioral biomarkers of restoring consciousness following anesthesia in bottlenose dolphins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L. Jones
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr Ste 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA; (A.M.M.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Abby M. McClain
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr Ste 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA; (A.M.M.); (J.J.S.)
| | - Jessica J. Sportelli
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr Ste 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA; (A.M.M.); (J.J.S.)
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hyacinthe C, Attia J, Schutz E, Lego L, Casane D, Rétaux S. Acoustic signatures in Mexican cavefish populations inhabiting different caves. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289574. [PMID: 37535576 PMCID: PMC10399770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex patterns of acoustic communication exist throughout the animal kingdom, including underwater. The river-dwelling and the Pachón cave-adapted morphotypes of the fish Astyanax mexicanus are soniferous and share a repertoire of sounds. Their function and significance is mostly unknown. Here, we explored whether and how sounds produced by blind cavefishes inhabiting different Mexican caves may vary. We compared "Clicks" and "Serial Clicks" produced by cavefish in six different caves distributed in three mountain ranges in Mexico. We also sampled laboratory-bred cavefish lines originating from four of these caves. Sounds were extracted and analyzed using both a manual method and a machine learning-based automation tool developed in-house. Multi-parametric analyses suggest wild cave-specific acoustic signatures, or "accents". An acoustic code also existed in laboratory cavefish lines, suggesting a genetic basis for the evolution of this trait. The variations in acoustic parameters between caves of origin did not seem related to fish phenotypes, phylogeography or ecological conditions. We propose that the evolution of such acoustic signatures would progressively lead to the differentiation of local accents that may prevent interbreeding and thus contribute to speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carole Hyacinthe
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Blavatnik Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Joël Attia
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, CRNL, CNRS and Université de St Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Elisa Schutz
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, CRNL, CNRS and Université de St Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Lény Lego
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, CRNL, CNRS and Université de St Etienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Didier Casane
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris Cité, UFR Sciences du Vivant, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Rétaux
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sayigh LS, El Haddad N, Tyack PL, Janik VM, Wells RS, Jensen FH. Bottlenose dolphin mothers modify signature whistles in the presence of their own calves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300262120. [PMID: 37364108 PMCID: PMC10318978 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300262120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Human caregivers interacting with children typically modify their speech in ways that promote attention, bonding, and language acquisition. Although this "motherese," or child-directed communication (CDC), occurs in a variety of human cultures, evidence among nonhuman species is very rare. We looked for its occurrence in a nonhuman mammalian species with long-term mother-offspring bonds that is capable of vocal production learning, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Dolphin signature whistles provide a unique opportunity to test for CDC in nonhuman animals, because we are able to quantify changes in the same vocalizations produced in the presence or absence of calves. We analyzed recordings made during brief catch-and-release events of wild bottlenose dolphins in waters near Sarasota Bay, Florida, United States, and found that females produced signature whistles with significantly higher maximum frequencies and wider frequency ranges when they were recorded with their own dependent calves vs. not with them. These differences align with the higher fundamental frequencies and wider pitch ranges seen in human CDC. Our results provide evidence in a nonhuman mammal for changes in the same vocalizations when produced in the presence vs. absence of offspring, and thus strongly support convergent evolution of motherese, or CDC, in bottlenose dolphins. CDC may function to enhance attention, bonding, and vocal learning in dolphin calves, as it does in human children. Our data add to the growing body of evidence that dolphins provide a powerful animal model for studying the evolution of vocal learning and language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laela S. Sayigh
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Falmouth, MA02543
- Hampshire College, Amherst, MA01002
| | - Nicole El Haddad
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Falmouth, MA02543
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Milano Bicocca, Milano20126, Italy
| | - Peter L. Tyack
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Falmouth, MA02543
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent M. Janik
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 8LB, United Kingdom
| | - Randall S. Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL34236
| | - Frants H. Jensen
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Falmouth, MA02543
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde4000, Denmark
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY13244
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wöhle S, Burkhardt E, van Opzeeland I, Schall E. Exploring and verifying the acoustic presence of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) off Elephant Island, Antarctica. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:3301. [PMID: 37318450 DOI: 10.1121/10.0019633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can be used to monitor acoustic presence and behaviour of cetaceans, providing continuous, long-term, and seasonally unbiased data. The efficiency of PAM methods, however, depends on the ability to detect and correctly interpret acoustic signals. The upcall is the most prevalent vocalization of the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) and is commonly used as a basis for PAM studies on this species. However, previous studies report difficulties to distinguish between southern right whale upcalls and similar humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) vocalizations with certainty. Recently, vocalizations comparable to southern right whale upcalls were detected off Elephant Island, Antarctica. In this study, these vocalizations were structurally analyzed, and call characteristics were compared to (a) confirmed southern right whale vocalizations recorded off Argentina and (b) confirmed humpback whale vocalizations recorded in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. Based on call features, detected upcalls off Elephant Island could be successfully attributed to southern right whales. Measurements describing slope and bandwidth were identified as the main differences in call characteristics between species. With the newly gained knowledge from this study, additional data can be analyzed providing further insight into temporal occurrence and migratory behaviour of southern right whales in Antarctic waters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Wöhle
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Elke Burkhardt
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ilse van Opzeeland
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Elena Schall
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Klußmannstraße 3d, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lamoni L, Garland EC, Allen JA, Coxon J, Noad MJ, Rendell L. Variability in humpback whale songs reveals how individuals can be distinctive when sharing a complex vocal display. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:2238. [PMID: 37092914 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Individually distinctive acoustic signals in animal vocal communication are taxonomically widespread, however, the investigation of these signal types in marine mammals has focused only on a few species. Humpback whale songs are a stereotyped, hierarchically structured vocal display performed by males, and hence thought to be sexually selected. Within a population, whales conform to a common version of the song despite the song constantly evolving. While humpback songs have been studied extensively at the population level, individual level variation has been rarely described, with inconclusive results. Here, we quantified inter- and intra-individual variability at different levels in the song hierarchy using songs from 25 singers across two song types from the eastern Australian population song of 2002 (12 singers), and the revolutionary song introduced in 2003 (13 singers). Inter-individual variability was found heterogeneously across all hierarchical levels of the song structure. In addition, distinct and individually specific patterns of song production were consistently recorded across song levels, with clear structural differences between the two song types. These results suggest that within the constraints of song conformity, males can produce individually distinctive patterns that could function as an advertisement to females to convey individual qualities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Lamoni
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution/Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TH, United Kingdom
| | - Ellen C Garland
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution/Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TH, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny A Allen
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Jennifer Coxon
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution/Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Noad
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Luke Rendell
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution/Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TH, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Panova E, Agafonov A. Possible occurrence of contact calls in all‐male groups of free‐ranging beluga whales. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Panova
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| | - A. Agafonov
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Nur Korkmaz B, Diamant R, Danino G, Testolin A. Automated detection of dolphin whistles with convolutional networks and transfer learning. Front Artif Intell 2023; 6:1099022. [PMID: 36776422 PMCID: PMC9909526 DOI: 10.3389/frai.2023.1099022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective conservation of maritime environments and wildlife management of endangered species require the implementation of efficient, accurate and scalable solutions for environmental monitoring. Ecoacoustics offers the advantages of non-invasive, long-duration sampling of environmental sounds and has the potential to become the reference tool for biodiversity surveying. However, the analysis and interpretation of acoustic data is a time-consuming process that often requires a great amount of human supervision. This issue might be tackled by exploiting modern techniques for automatic audio signal analysis, which have recently achieved impressive performance thanks to the advances in deep learning research. In this paper we show that convolutional neural networks can indeed significantly outperform traditional automatic methods in a challenging detection task: identification of dolphin whistles from underwater audio recordings. The proposed system can detect signals even in the presence of ambient noise, at the same time consistently reducing the likelihood of producing false positives and false negatives. Our results further support the adoption of artificial intelligence technology to improve the automatic monitoring of marine ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Burla Nur Korkmaz
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Roee Diamant
- Hatter Department of Marine Technologies, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gil Danino
- Hatter Department of Marine Technologies, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alberto Testolin
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy,Department of Mathematics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy,*Correspondence: Alberto Testolin ✉
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zamorano-Abramson J, Michon M, Hernández-Lloreda MV, Aboitiz F. Multimodal imitative learning and synchrony in cetaceans: A model for speech and singing evolution. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1061381. [PMID: 37138983 PMCID: PMC10150787 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1061381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Multimodal imitation of actions, gestures and vocal production is a hallmark of the evolution of human communication, as both, vocal learning and visual-gestural imitation, were crucial factors that facilitated the evolution of speech and singing. Comparative evidence has revealed that humans are an odd case in this respect, as the case for multimodal imitation is barely documented in non-human animals. While there is evidence of vocal learning in birds and in mammals like bats, elephants and marine mammals, evidence in both domains, vocal and gestural, exists for two Psittacine birds (budgerigars and grey parrots) and cetaceans only. Moreover, it draws attention to the apparent absence of vocal imitation (with just a few cases reported for vocal fold control in an orangutan and a gorilla and a prolonged development of vocal plasticity in marmosets) and even for imitation of intransitive actions (not object related) in monkeys and apes in the wild. Even after training, the evidence for productive or "true imitation" (copy of a novel behavior, i.e., not pre-existent in the observer's behavioral repertoire) in both domains is scarce. Here we review the evidence of multimodal imitation in cetaceans, one of the few living mammalian species that have been reported to display multimodal imitative learning besides humans, and their role in sociality, communication and group cultures. We propose that cetacean multimodal imitation was acquired in parallel with the evolution and development of behavioral synchrony and multimodal organization of sensorimotor information, supporting volitional motor control of their vocal system and audio-echoic-visual voices, body posture and movement integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Zamorano-Abramson
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
- Grupo UCM de Psicobiología Social, Evolutiva y Comparada, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: José Zamorano-Abramson,
| | - Maëva Michon
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Evolutionary Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, Pontificia Universidad Católica de, Santiago, Chile
- Maëva Michon,
| | - Ma Victoria Hernández-Lloreda
- Grupo UCM de Psicobiología Social, Evolutiva y Comparada, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Aboitiz
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Evolutionary Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, Pontificia Universidad Católica de, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Conant PC, Li P, Liu X, Klinck H, Fleishman E, Gillespie D, Nosal EM, Roch MA. Silbido profundo: An open source package for the use of deep learning to detect odontocete whistles. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:3800. [PMID: 36586843 DOI: 10.1121/10.0016631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This work presents an open-source matlab software package for exploiting recent advances in extracting tonal signals from large acoustic data sets. A whistle extraction algorithm published by Li, Liu, Palmer, Fleishman, Gillespie, Nosal, Shiu, Klinck, Cholewiak, Helble, and Roch [(2020). Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Neural Networks, July 19-24, Glasgow, Scotland, p. 10] is incorporated into silbido, an established software package for extraction of cetacean tonal calls. The precision and recall of the new system were over 96% and nearly 80%, respectively, when applied to a whistle extraction task on a challenging two-species subset of a conference-benchmark data set. A second data set was examined to assess whether the algorithm generalized to data that were collected across different recording devices and locations. These data included 487 h of weakly labeled, towed array data collected in the Pacific Ocean on two National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cruises. Labels for these data consisted of regions of toothed whale presence for at least 15 species that were based on visual and acoustic observations and not limited to whistles. Although the lack of per whistle-level annotations prevented measurement of precision and recall, there was strong concurrence of automatic detections and the NOAA annotations, suggesting that the algorithm generalizes well to new data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter C Conant
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA
| | - Pu Li
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA
| | - Xiaobai Liu
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, New York, New York 14850, USA
| | - Erica Fleishman
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Douglas Gillespie
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Eva-Marie Nosal
- Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Marie A Roch
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Watson SK, Filippi P, Gasparri L, Falk N, Tamer N, Widmer P, Manser M, Glock H. Optionality in animal communication: a novel framework for examining the evolution of arbitrariness. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2057-2075. [PMID: 35818133 PMCID: PMC9795909 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A critical feature of language is that the form of words need not bear any perceptual similarity to their function - these relationships can be 'arbitrary'. The capacity to process these arbitrary form-function associations facilitates the enormous expressive power of language. However, the evolutionary roots of our capacity for arbitrariness, i.e. the extent to which related abilities may be shared with animals, is largely unexamined. We argue this is due to the challenges of applying such an intrinsically linguistic concept to animal communication, and address this by proposing a novel conceptual framework highlighting a key underpinning of linguistic arbitrariness, which is nevertheless applicable to non-human species. Specifically, we focus on the capacity to associate alternative functions with a signal, or alternative signals with a function, a feature we refer to as optionality. We apply this framework to a broad survey of findings from animal communication studies and identify five key dimensions of communicative optionality: signal production, signal adjustment, signal usage, signal combinatoriality and signal perception. We find that optionality is widespread in non-human animals across each of these dimensions, although only humans demonstrate it in all five. Finally, we discuss the relevance of optionality to behavioural and cognitive domains outside of communication. This investigation provides a powerful new conceptual framework for the cross-species investigation of the origins of arbitrariness, and promises to generate original insights into animal communication and language evolution more generally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stuart K. Watson
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Piera Filippi
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of PhilosophyUniversity of ZurichZurichbergstrasse 438044ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Luca Gasparri
- Department of PhilosophyUniversity of ZurichZurichbergstrasse 438044ZürichSwitzerland,Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8163 – STL – Savoirs Textes LangageF‐59000LilleFrance
| | - Nikola Falk
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Nicole Tamer
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Paul Widmer
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Marta Manser
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Hans‐Johann Glock
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of PhilosophyUniversity of ZurichZurichbergstrasse 438044ZürichSwitzerland
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Antichi S, Urbán R. J, Martínez-Aguilar S, Viloria-Gómora L. Changes in whistle parameters of two common bottlenose dolphin ecotypes as a result of the physical presence of the research vessel. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14074. [PMID: 36225904 PMCID: PMC9549881 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In the presence of vessels, dolphins have been found to change their habitat, behavior, group composition and whistle repertoire. The modification of the whistle parameters is generally considered to be a response to the engine noise. Little is known about the impact of the physical presence of vessels on dolphin acoustics. Whistle parameters of the coastal and oceanic ecotypes of common bottlenose dolphins in La Paz Bay, Mexico, were measured after the approach of the research vessel and its engine shutdown. Recordings of 10 min were made immediately after turning off the engine. For analysis, these recordings were divided from minute 0 to minute 5, and from minute 5:01 to minute 10. The whistles of the oceanic ecotype showed higher maximum, minimum and peak frequency in the second time interval compared to the first one. The whistle rate decreased in the second time interval. The whistles of the coastal ecotype showed no difference between the two time intervals. The physical presence of the research vessel could have induced a change in the whistle parameters of the oceanic dolphins until habituation to the vessel disturbance. The oceanic ecotype could increase the whistle rate and decrease the whistle frequencies to maintain acoustic contact more frequently and for longer distances. The coastal ecotype, showing no significant changes in the whistle parameters, could be more habituated to the presence of vessels and display a higher tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Antichi
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Jorge Urbán R.
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Sergio Martínez-Aguilar
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Lorena Viloria-Gómora
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Branstetter BK, Sills JM. Mechanisms of auditory masking in marine mammals. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1029-1047. [PMID: 36018474 PMCID: PMC9617968 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01671-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is an increasing threat to marine mammals that rely on sound for communication, navigation, detecting prey and predators, and finding mates. Auditory masking is one consequence of anthropogenic noise, the study of which is approached from multiple disciplines including field investigations of animal behavior, noise characterization from in-situ recordings, computational modeling of communication space, and hearing experiments conducted in the laboratory. This paper focuses on laboratory hearing experiments applying psychophysical methods, with an emphasis on the mechanisms that govern auditory masking. Topics include tone detection in simple, complex, and natural noise; mechanisms for comodulation masking release and other forms of release from masking; the role of temporal resolution in auditory masking; and energetic vs informational masking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian K Branstetter
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, #204, San Diego, CA, 92106, USA.
| | - Jillian M Sills
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sportelli JJ, Jones BL, Ridgway SH. Non-linear phenomena: a common acoustic feature of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus) signature whistles. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2106306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J. Sportelli
- Conservation Biology, Sound and Health, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Brittany L. Jones
- Conservation Biology, Sound and Health, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sam H. Ridgway
- Conservation Biology, Sound and Health, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Selection levels on vocal individuality: strategic use or byproduct. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
28
|
Hamilton RA, Gazda SK, King SL, Stakhammar J, Connor IC. Bottlenose dolphin communication during a role-specialized group foraging task. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104691. [PMID: 35750114 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A division of labor with role specialization is defined as individuals specializing in a subtask during repetitions of a group task. While this behavior is ubiquitous among humans, there are only four candidates found among non-eusocial mammals: lions, mice, chimpanzees, and bottlenose dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins in the Cedar Keys, Florida, engage in role specialized "driver-barrier feeding", where a "driver" dolphin herds mullet towards "barrier" dolphins. Thus trapped, the mullet leap out of the water where the dolphins catch them in air. To investigate whether dolphins use acoustic cues or signals to coordinate this behavior, vocalizations were recorded before and during driver-barrier feeding. Results of fine-scale audio and video analysis during 81 events by 7 different driver individuals suggest that barrier animals coordinate movements during these events by cueing on the driver's echolocation. Analyses of dolphin whistle occurrence before driving events versus another foraging technique, which does not involve role specialization, revealed significantly higher whistle production immediately prior to driver-barrier events. Possible whistle functions include signaling motivation, recruiting individuals to participate, and/or behavioral coordination. While the use of cues and signals is common in humans completing role-specialized tasks, this is the first study to investigate the use of vocalizations in the coordination of a role-specialized behavior in a non-human mammal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Hamilton
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, USA.
| | | | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | - Ichard C Connor
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Andreas J, Beguš G, Bronstein MM, Diamant R, Delaney D, Gero S, Goldwasser S, Gruber DF, de Haas S, Malkin P, Pavlov N, Payne R, Petri G, Rus D, Sharma P, Tchernov D, Tønnesen P, Torralba A, Vogt D, Wood RJ. Toward understanding the communication in sperm whales. iScience 2022; 25:104393. [PMID: 35663036 PMCID: PMC9160774 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Machine learning has been advancing dramatically over the past decade. Most strides are human-based applications due to the availability of large-scale datasets; however, opportunities are ripe to apply this technology to more deeply understand non-human communication. We detail a scientific roadmap for advancing the understanding of communication of whales that can be built further upon as a template to decipher other forms of animal and non-human communication. Sperm whales, with their highly developed neuroanatomical features, cognitive abilities, social structures, and discrete click-based encoding make for an excellent model for advanced tools that can be applied to other animals in the future. We outline the key elements required for the collection and processing of massive datasets, detecting basic communication units and language-like higher-level structures, and validating models through interactive playback experiments. The technological capabilities developed by such an undertaking hold potential for cross-applications in broader communities investigating non-human communication and behavioral research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Andreas
- MIT CSAIL, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gašper Beguš
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael M. Bronstein
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- IDSIA, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
- Twitter, London, UK
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roee Diamant
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Denley Delaney
- Exploration Technology Lab, National Geographic Society, Washington DC, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shane Gero
- Dominica Sperm Whale Project, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shafi Goldwasser
- Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - David F. Gruber
- Department of Natural Sciences, Baruch College and The Graduate Center, PhD Program in Biology, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah de Haas
- Google Research, Mountain View, CA USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Malkin
- Google Research, Mountain View, CA USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Giovanni Petri
- ISI Foundation, Turin, Italy
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniela Rus
- MIT CSAIL, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Dan Tchernov
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pernille Tønnesen
- Marine Bioacoustics Lab, Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Daniel Vogt
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert J. Wood
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Project CETI, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Jones B, Tufano S, Ridgway S. Signature whistles exhibit a 'fade-in' and then 'fade-out' pattern of relative amplitude declination. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104690. [PMID: 35709885 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bottlenose dolphins have individually distinct signature whistles that are characterized by a stereotyped frequency-time contour. Signature whistles are commonly exchanged with short time delays between calls. Dolphin whistles are produced by pressurized nasal sacs that increase and then decrease in pressure over emission. This study found that the relative amplitude modulation pattern over time exhibited the same fade-in and then fade-out pattern in the signature whistles of eight bottlenose dolphins at the Navy in San Diego, CA. Both the initial and final five percent of the whistle's duration also had significantly lower mean relative amplitude than the center five percent. The current analyses of the amplitude-time relationship was then integrated to a previously reported model of the negative relationship between relative log amplitude and log peak frequency. This produced a more robust model for accounting for the predictable aspects of the more broadly non-stereotyped amplitude modulations of signature whistles. Whether dolphins can intentionally manipulate these amplitude features or they are simple by-products of the sound production system, and further whether they are perceived and utilized by receivers, is an exciting area for continued research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Jones
- National Marine Mammal Foundation: 3131, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
| | - Samantha Tufano
- National Marine Mammal Foundation: 3131, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Sam Ridgway
- National Marine Mammal Foundation: 3131, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Song Z, Zhang C, Fu W, Gao Z, Ou W, Zhang J, Zhang Y. Investigation on whistle directivity in the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) through numerical modeling. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:3573. [PMID: 35778211 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Odontocetes have evolved special acoustic structures in the forehead to modulate echolocation and communication signals into directional beams to facilitate feeding and social behaviors. Whistle directivity was addressed for the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) by developing numerical models in the current paper. Directivity was first examined at the fundamental frequency 5 kHz, and simulations were then extended to the harmonics of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 kHz. At 5 kHz, the -3 dB beam widths in the vertical and horizontal planes were 149.3° and 119.4°, corresponding to the directivity indexes (DIs) of 4.4 and 5.4 dB, respectively. More importantly, we incorporated directivity of the fundamental frequency and harmonics to produce an overall beam, resulting in -3 dB beam widths of 77.2° and 62.9° and DIs of 8.2 and 9.7 dB in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively. Harmonics can enhance the directivity of fundamental frequency by 3.8 and 4.3 dB, respectively. These results suggested the transmission system can modulate whistles into directional projection, and harmonics can improve DI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongchang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chuang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Weijie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zhanyuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Wenzhan Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jinhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Determinants of variability in signature whistles of the Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6980. [PMID: 35618794 PMCID: PMC9135725 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10920-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most studied aspects of animal communication is the acoustic repertoire difference between populations of the same species. While numerous studies have investigated the variability of bottlenose dolphin whistles between populations, very few studies have focused on the signature whistles alone and the factors underlying differentiation of signature whistles are still poorly understood. Here we describe the signature whistles produced by six distinct geographical units of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea and identify the main determinants of their variability. Particularly, the influence of the region (proxy of genetic distance), the geographic site, and the environmental (sea bottom-related) and demographical (population-related) conditions on the acoustic structure of signature whistles was evaluated. The study provides the first evidence that the genetic structure, which distinguishes the eastern and western Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin populations has no strong influence on the acoustic structure of their signature whistles, and that the geographical isolation between populations only partially affected whistle variability. The environmental conditions of the areas where the whistles developed and the demographic characteristics of the belonging populations strongly influenced signature whistles, in accordance with the "acoustic adaptation hypothesis" and the theory of signature whistle determination mediated by learning.
Collapse
|
33
|
Bruck JN, Walmsley SF, Janik VM. Cross-modal perception of identity by sound and taste in bottlenose dolphins. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm7684. [PMID: 35584227 PMCID: PMC9116882 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm7684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
While studies have demonstrated concept formation in animals, only humans are known to label concepts to use them in mental simulations or predictions. To investigate whether other animals use labels comparably, we studied cross-modal, individual recognition in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that use signature whistles as labels for conspecifics in their own communication. First, we tested whether dolphins could use gustatory stimuli and found that they could distinguish between water and urine samples, as well as between urine from familiar and unfamiliar individuals. Then, we paired playbacks of signature whistles of known animals with urine samples from either the same dolphin or a different, familiar animal. Dolphins investigated the presentation area longer when the acoustic and gustatory sample matched than when they mismatched. This demonstrates that dolphins recognize other individuals by gustation alone and can integrate information from acoustic and taste inputs indicating a modality independent, labeled concept for known conspecifics.
Collapse
|
34
|
Gauger MFW, Romero-Vivas E, Peck MA, Balart EF, Caraveo-Patiño J. Seasonal and diel influences on bottlenose dolphin acoustic detection determined by whistles in a coastal lagoon in the southwestern Gulf of California. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13246. [PMID: 35607453 PMCID: PMC9123887 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine mammals in subtropical coastal habitats are sentinels of the health of the ecosystem and offer important ecosystem services. They rely on prey that pursues feeding opportunities, while both avoid unfavorable conditions. In many cases, these predator-prey dynamics fluctuate seasonally and are regulated by lunar, tidal, and/or diel cycles (hour). However, these rhythmical patterns may vary under different seasonal conditions. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Ensenada de La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico, were detected acoustically over the course of an annual cycle on 21 separate occasions, covering 640 h from June 2017 to May 2019. The presence of bottlenose dolphins was examined using Generalized Additive Models (GAM) including variables that are related directly to their habitat (direct variables: hour, distance, depth) and to their prey (indirect variables: SST, moon phase and tides). Seasonal differences in the presence of bottlenose dolphins were influenced more by indirect variables (explained deviance: 34.8% vs. 37.7%). Hourly acoustic detections occurred less frequently when SST exceeded 27.4 °C (Aug-End of Nov.) and more frequently at moderate temperatures (22.7 °C to 26.3 °C) in May through July. Moreover, bottlenose dolphins were detected more frequently during waning and new moon phases, at the onset of flood and ebb tides, and during day (04:00 to 20:00). The seasonal differences in acoustic detections rates were highlighted by the global GAM and hierarchical clustering. The strong seasonal pattern indicated possible interactions with rhythmic pattern of bottlenose dolphins. Four candidate variables (SST, moon, tide, and hour) were tested for plausible interaction terms additional to their individual consideration, out of which only hour changed significantly between seasons. The patterns of presence likely increase feeding opportunities or may favor other behaviors such as socializing, resting, or nursing. These might prove responsible for the distinct occurrence and hourly patterns of bottlenose dolphins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco F. W. Gauger
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Eduardo Romero-Vivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Myron A. Peck
- The Netherlands Royal Institute of Sea Research, Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands
| | - Eduardo F. Balart
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| | - Javier Caraveo-Patiño
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste S.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, México
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Vocal Behaviour of a Bottlenose Dolphin Pod During a Deadly Bycatch Event in the Gulf of Catania, Ionian Sea. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10050616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Cetacean bycatch is increasing worldwide and poses a threat to the conservation of several delphinids. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is frequently involved in bycatch incidents, due to its coastal distribution and opportunistic behaviour. The acoustic behaviour of cetaceans during death-related events is a largely unexplored topic. During an acoustic monitoring survey of the bottlenose dolphin population inhabiting the Gulf of Catania (Ionian Sea), we documented the entangling and subsequent death of a sub-adult male in a fishing net. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the vocal behaviour of the pod of bottlenose dolphins during the event. We identified a total of 720 vocalisations in a timespan of 138 min, including 436 signature whistles, 51 non-signature whistles, and 233 burst pulses. We recorded high vocal activity, with a peak characterised by emission rates of 36 signature whistles per minute and 70 burst pulses per minute. Although future studies are required, our results show massive vocal activity during net entangling, characterised by a significant emission of signature whistles and burst pulses, including bray series of gulps and squeaks. Therefore, we suggest that developing tools for automatically detecting the peaks of these sound types could be helpful in recognising bycatch events, in order to better quantify the impact of professional fishing on small cetaceans.
Collapse
|
36
|
Further Reading. Anim Welf 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119857099.furread] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
37
|
Parameterizing animal sounds and motion with animal-attached tags to study acoustic communication. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03154-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Stemming from the traditional use of field observers to score states and events, the study of animal behaviour often relies on analyses of discrete behavioural categories. Many studies of acoustic communication record sequences of animal sounds, classify vocalizations, and then examine how call categories are used relative to behavioural states and events. However, acoustic parameters can also convey information independent of call type, offering complementary study approaches to call classifications. Animal-attached tags can continuously sample high-resolution behavioural data on sounds and movements, which enables testing how acoustic parameters of signals relate to parameters of animal motion. Here, we present this approach through case studies on wild common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Using data from sound-and-movement recording tags deployed in Sarasota (FL), we parameterized dolphin vocalizations and motion to investigate how senders and receivers modified movement parameters (including vectorial dynamic body acceleration, “VeDBA”, a proxy for activity intensity) as a function of signal parameters. We show that (1) VeDBA of one female during consortships had a negative relationship with centroid frequency of male calls, matching predictions about agonistic interactions based on motivation-structural rules; (2) VeDBA of four males had a positive relationship with modulation rate of their pulsed vocalizations, confirming predictions that click-repetition rate of these calls increases with agonism intensity. Tags offer opportunities to study animal behaviour through analyses of continuously sampled quantitative parameters, which can complement traditional methods and facilitate research replication. Our case studies illustrate the value of this approach to investigate communicative roles of acoustic parameter changes.
Significance statement
Studies of animal behaviour have traditionally relied on classification of behavioural patterns and analyses of discrete behavioural categories. Today, technologies such as animal-attached tags enable novel approaches, facilitating the use of quantitative metrics to characterize behaviour. In the field of acoustic communication, researchers typically classify vocalizations and examine usage of call categories. Through case studies of bottlenose dolphin social interactions, we present here a novel tag-based complementary approach. We used high-resolution tag data to parameterize dolphin sounds and motion, and we applied continuously sampled parameters to examine how individual dolphins responded to conspecifics’ signals and moved while producing sounds. Activity intensity of senders and receivers changed with specific call parameters, matching our predictions and illustrating the value of our approach to test communicative roles of acoustic parameter changes. Parametric approaches can complement traditional methods for animal behaviour and facilitate research replication.
Collapse
|
38
|
Linhart P, Mahamoud-Issa M, Stowell D, Blumstein DT. The potential for acoustic individual identification in mammals. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
39
|
Parsons MJG, Lin TH, Mooney TA, Erbe C, Juanes F, Lammers M, Li S, Linke S, Looby A, Nedelec SL, Van Opzeeland I, Radford C, Rice AN, Sayigh L, Stanley J, Urban E, Di Iorio L. Sounding the Call for a Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.810156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic environments encompass the world’s most extensive habitats, rich with sounds produced by a diversity of animals. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an increasingly accessible remote sensing technology that uses hydrophones to listen to the underwater world and represents an unprecedented, non-invasive method to monitor underwater environments. This information can assist in the delineation of biologically important areas via detection of sound-producing species or characterization of ecosystem type and condition, inferred from the acoustic properties of the local soundscape. At a time when worldwide biodiversity is in significant decline and underwater soundscapes are being altered as a result of anthropogenic impacts, there is a need to document, quantify, and understand biotic sound sources–potentially before they disappear. A significant step toward these goals is the development of a web-based, open-access platform that provides: (1) a reference library of known and unknown biological sound sources (by integrating and expanding existing libraries around the world); (2) a data repository portal for annotated and unannotated audio recordings of single sources and of soundscapes; (3) a training platform for artificial intelligence algorithms for signal detection and classification; and (4) a citizen science-based application for public users. Although individually, these resources are often met on regional and taxa-specific scales, many are not sustained and, collectively, an enduring global database with an integrated platform has not been realized. We discuss the benefits such a program can provide, previous calls for global data-sharing and reference libraries, and the challenges that need to be overcome to bring together bio- and ecoacousticians, bioinformaticians, propagation experts, web engineers, and signal processing specialists (e.g., artificial intelligence) with the necessary support and funding to build a sustainable and scalable platform that could address the needs of all contributors and stakeholders into the future.
Collapse
|
40
|
Machado AMS, Cantor M. A simple tool for linking photo-identification with multimedia data to track mammal behaviour. Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00189-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIdentifying individual animals is critical to describe demographic and behavioural patterns, and to investigate the ecological and evolutionary underpinnings of these patterns. The traditional non-invasive method of individual identification in mammals—comparison of photographed natural marks—has been improved by coupling other sampling methods, such as recording overhead video, audio and other multimedia data. However, aligning, linking and syncing these multimedia data streams are persistent challenges. Here, we provide computational tools to streamline the integration of multiple techniques to identify individual free-ranging mammals when tracking their behaviour in the wild. We developed an open-source R package for organizing multimedia data and for simplifying their processing a posteriori—“MAMMals: Managing Animal MultiMedia: Align, Link, Sync”. The package contains functions to (i) align and link the individual data from photographs to videos, audio recordings and other text data sources (e.g. GPS locations) from which metadata can be accessed; and (ii) synchronize and extract the useful multimedia (e.g. videos with audios) containing photo-identified individuals. To illustrate how these tools can facilitate linking photo-identification and video behavioural sampling in situ, we simultaneously collected photos and videos of bottlenose dolphins using off-the-shelf cameras and drones, then merged these data to track the foraging behaviour of individuals and groups. We hope our simple tools encourage future work that extend and generalize the links between multiple sampling platforms of free-ranging mammals, thereby improving the raw material needed for generating new insights in mammalian population and behavioural ecology.
Collapse
|
41
|
Jones B, Tufano S, Daniels R, Mulsow J, Ridgway S. Non-stereotyped amplitude modulation across signature whistle contours. Behav Processes 2021; 194:104561. [PMID: 34838900 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Bottlenose dolphin signature whistles are characterized by distinctive frequency modulation over time. The stable frequency contours of these whistles broadcast individual identity information. Little is known however, about whether or not the amplitude contour is also stereotyped. Here, we examined the relative amplitude-time contour of signature whistle emissions from eight bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program (MMP) in San Diego, CA. The results suggested that unlike the stable frequency-time contour, the amplitude-time contour of signature whistles were largely non-stereotyped, characterized by large variability across multiple whistle emissions. Relative amplitude was negatively related to log peak frequency, with more energy focused in the lower frequency bands. This trend was consistent over all eight dolphins despite having quite different signature whistle contours. This relationship led to the amplitude contours being slightly more stereotyped within than between dolphins. We propose that amplitude across signature whistle emissions may serve as an avenue for encoding additional communicative information. We encourage future studies to incorporate analyses of amplitude contours in addition to frequency contours of signature whistles in order to begin to understand what role it may play in the dolphin communication system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Jones
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
| | - Samantha Tufano
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Risa Daniels
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Jason Mulsow
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Sam Ridgway
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Dr, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Schneider S, Goettlich S, Diercks C, Dierkes PW. Discrimination of Acoustic Stimuli and Maintenance of Graded Alarm Call Structure in Captive Meerkats. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113064. [PMID: 34827796 PMCID: PMC8614505 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Preserving natural behaviors has many advantages for both research and animal welfare. Natural behaviors include producing vocalizations and responding to them. If it can be shown that the natural vocal repertoire is preserved in zoos, studies in zoos may help to expand the knowledge of acoustic behaviors and transfer it to animals in the wild. Once the meaning of diverse vocalizations is known, inferences can be made about an animal’s internal state in order to adapt and improve conditions for animals in zoos. In this paper, a natural and selective response of meerkats to potentially threatening acoustic signals such as the call of a predator is demonstrated. It can be shown that both the graded structure of meerkat alarm calls, which serves to convey the urgency of a dangerous situation, and the natural response to alarm calls are preserved. The obtained findings allow a continuation of the bioacoustic studies known for wild meerkats in zoos. The meerkat’s ability to already recognize acoustic signals as a potential threat may be crucial information for certain husbandry conditions. Vocalizing predators kept or naturally occurring near the meerkat enclosure form one example. The level of stress induced by potential threats and the associated alertness could be determined by using the graded alarm calls as a tool. Abstract Animals living in human care for several generations face the risk of losing natural behaviors, which can lead to reduced animal welfare. The goal of this study is to demonstrate that meerkats (Suricata suricatta) living in zoos can assess potential danger and respond naturally based on acoustic signals only. This includes that the graded information of urgency in alarm calls as well as a response to those alarm calls is retained in captivity. To test the response to acoustic signals with different threat potential, meerkats were played calls of various animals differing in size and threat (e.g., robin, raven, buzzard, jackal) while their behavior was observed. The emitted alarm calls were recorded and examined for their graded structure on the one hand and played back to them on the other hand by means of a playback experiment to see whether the animals react to their own alarm calls even in the absence of danger. A fuzzy clustering algorithm was used to analyze and classify the alarm calls. Subsequently, the features that best described the graded structure were isolated using the LASSO algorithm and compared to features already known from wild meerkats. The results show that the graded structure is maintained in captivity and can be described by features such as noise and duration. The animals respond to new threats and can distinguish animal calls that are dangerous to them from those that are not, indicating the preservation of natural cooperative behavior. In addition, the playback experiments show that the meerkats respond to their own alarm calls with vigilance and escape behavior. The findings can be used to draw conclusions about the intensity of alertness in captive meerkats and to adapt husbandry conditions to appropriate welfare.
Collapse
|
43
|
Oswald JN, Walmsley SF, Casey C, Fregosi S, Southall B, Janik VM. Species information in whistle frequency modulation patterns of common dolphins. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20210046. [PMID: 34482716 PMCID: PMC8419585 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The most flexible communication systems are those of open-ended vocal learners that can acquire new signals throughout their lifetimes. While acoustic signals carry information in general voice features that affect all of an individual's vocalizations, vocal learners can also introduce novel call types to their repertoires. Delphinids are known for using such learned call types in individual recognition, but their role in other contexts is less clear. We investigated the whistles of two closely related, sympatric common dolphin species, Delphinus delphis and Delphinus bairdii, to evaluate species differences in whistle contours. Acoustic recordings of single-species groups were obtained from the Southern California Bight. We used an unsupervised neural network to categorize whistles and compared the resulting whistle types between species. Of the whistle types recorded in more than one encounter, 169 were shared between species and 60 were species-specific (32 D. delphis types, 28 D. bairdii types). Delphinus delphis used 15 whistle types with an oscillatory frequency contour while only one such type was found in D. bairdii. Given the role of vocal learning in delphinid vocalizations, we argue that these differences in whistle production are probably culturally driven and could help facilitate species recognition between Delphinus species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie N. Oswald
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Sam F. Walmsley
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Caroline Casey
- Southall Environmental Associates, 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Selene Fregosi
- Southall Environmental Associates, 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Brandon Southall
- Southall Environmental Associates, 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
- Long Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Vincent M. Janik
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Vocal production learning, the ability to modify the structure of vocalizations as a result of hearing those of others, has been studied extensively in birds but less attention has been given to its occurrence in mammals. We summarize the available evidence for vocal learning in mammals from the last 25 years, updating earlier reviews on the subject. The clearest evidence comes from cetaceans, pinnipeds, elephants and bats where species have been found to copy artificial or human language sounds, or match acoustic models of different sound types. Vocal convergence, in which parameter adjustments within one sound type result in similarities between individuals, occurs in a wider range of mammalian orders with additional evidence from primates, mole-rats, goats and mice. Currently, the underlying mechanisms for convergence are unclear with vocal production learning but also usage learning or matching physiological states being possible explanations. For experimental studies, we highlight the importance of quantitative comparisons of seemingly learned sounds with vocal repertoires before learning started or with species repertoires to confirm novelty. Further studies on the mammalian orders presented here as well as others are needed to explore learning skills and limitations in greater detail. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent M Janik
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Mirjam Knörnschild
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany.,Animal Behavior Lab, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Carouso-Peck S, Goldstein MH, Fitch WT. The many functions of vocal learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200235. [PMID: 34482721 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity to learn novel vocalizations has evolved convergently in a wide range of species. Courtship songs of male birds or whales are often treated as prototypical examples, implying a sexually selected context for the evolution of this ability. However, functions of learned vocalizations in different species are far more diverse than courtship, spanning a range of socio-positive contexts from individual identification, social cohesion, or advertising pair bonds, as well as agonistic contexts such as territorial defence, deceptive alarm calling or luring prey. Here, we survey the diverse usages and proposed functions of learned novel signals, to build a framework for considering the evolution of vocal learning capacities that extends beyond sexual selection. For each function that can be identified for learned signals, we provide examples of species using unlearned signals to accomplish the same goals. We use such comparisons to generate hypotheses concerning when vocal learning is adaptive, given a particular suite of socio-ecological traits. Finally, we identify areas of uncertainty where improved understanding would allow us to better test these hypotheses. Considering the broad range of potential functions of vocal learning will yield a richer appreciation of its evolution than a narrow focus on a few prototypical species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vocal learning in animals and humans'.
Collapse
|
46
|
Meyer J, Magnasco MO, Reiss D. The Relevance of Human Whistled Languages for the Analysis and Decoding of Dolphin Communication. Front Psychol 2021; 12:689501. [PMID: 34621209 PMCID: PMC8490682 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.689501] [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: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans use whistled communications, the most elaborate of which are commonly called "whistled languages" or "whistled speech" because they consist of a natural type of speech. The principle of whistled speech is straightforward: people articulate words while whistling and thereby transform spoken utterances by simplifying them, syllable by syllable, into whistled melodies. One of the most striking aspects of this whistled transformation of words is that it remains intelligible to trained speakers, despite a reduced acoustic channel to convey meaning. It constitutes a natural traditional means of telecommunication that permits spoken communication at long distances in a large diversity of languages of the world. Historically, birdsong has been used as a model for vocal learning and language. But conversely, human whistled languages can serve as a model for elucidating how information may be encoded in dolphin whistle communication. In this paper, we elucidate the reasons why human whistled speech and dolphin whistles are interesting to compare. Both are characterized by similar acoustic parameters and serve a common purpose of long distance communication in natural surroundings in two large brained social species. Moreover, their differences - e.g., how they are produced, the dynamics of the whistles, and the types of information they convey - are not barriers to such a comparison. On the contrary, by exploring the structure and attributes found across human whistle languages, we highlight that they can provide an important model as to how complex information is and can be encoded in what appears at first sight to be simple whistled modulated signals. Observing details, such as processes of segmentation and coarticulation, in whistled speech can serve to advance and inform the development of new approaches for the analysis of whistle repertoires of dolphins, and eventually other species. Human whistled languages and dolphin whistles could serve as complementary test benches for the development of new methodologies and algorithms for decoding whistled communication signals by providing new perspectives on how information may be encoded structurally and organizationally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Meyer
- CNRS, GIPSA-Lab, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Marcelo O. Magnasco
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Diana Reiss
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Souhaut M, Shields MW. Stereotyped whistles in southern resident killer whales. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12085. [PMID: 34532160 PMCID: PMC8404572 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) of the northeast Pacific region use two main types of vocal signals to communicate: discrete calls and whistles. Despite being one of the most-studied cetacean populations in the world, whistles have not been as heavily analyzed due to their relatively low occurrence compared to discrete calls. The aim of the current study is to further investigate the whistle repertoire and characteristics of the Southern Resident killer whale population. Acoustic data were collected between 2006-2007 and 2015-2017 in the waters around San Juan Island, Washington State, USA from boats and from shore. A total of 228 whistles were extracted and analyzed with 53.5% of them found to be stereotyped. Three of the four stereotyped whistles identified by a previous study using recordings from 1979-1982 were still occurring, demonstrating that whistles are stable vocalizations for a period of more than 35 years. The presence of three new stereotyped whistles was also documented. These results demonstrate that whistles share the longevity and vocal tradition of discrete calls, and warrant further study as a key element of Southern Resident killer whale communication and cultural transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Souhaut
- Orca Behavior Institute, Friday Harbor, WA, USA.,Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway, Ireland
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ames AE, Blackwell SB, Tervo OM, Heide-Jørgensen MP. Evidence of stereotyped contact call use in narwhal (Monodon monoceros) mother-calf communication. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254393. [PMID: 34449769 PMCID: PMC8396719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are gregarious toothed whales that strictly reside in the high Arctic. They produce a broad range of signal types; however, studies of narwhal vocalizations have been mostly descriptive of the sounds available in the species’ overall repertoire. Little is known regarding the functions of highly stereotyped mixed calls (i.e., biphonations with both sound elements produced simultaneously), although preliminary evidence has suggested that such vocalizations are individually distinctive and function as contact calls. Here we provide evidence that supports this notion in narwhal mother-calf communication. A female narwhal was tagged as part of larger studies on the life history and acoustic behavior of narwhals. At the time of tagging, it became apparent that the female had a calf, which remained close by during the tagging event. We found that the narwhal mother produced a distinct, highly stereotyped mixed call when separated from her calf and immediately after release from capture, which we interpret as preliminary evidence for contact call use between the mother and her calf. The mother’s mixed call production occurred continually over the 4.2 day recording period in addition to a second prominent but different stereotyped mixed call which we believe belonged to the narwhal calf. Thus, narwhal mothers produce highly stereotyped contact calls when separated from their calves, and it appears that narwhal calves similarly produce distinct, stereotyped mixed calls which we hypothesize also contribute to maintaining mother-calf contact. We compared this behavior to the acoustic behavior of two other adult females without calves, but also each with a unique, stereotyped call type. While we provide additional support for individual distinctiveness across narwhal contact calls, more research is necessary to determine whether these calls are vocal signatures which broadcast identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Audra E. Ames
- Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Outi M. Tervo
- Department of Birds and Mammals, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Birds and Mammals, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen
- Department of Birds and Mammals, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Birds and Mammals, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Bailey H, Fandel AD, Silva K, Gryzb E, McDonald E, Hoover AL, Ogburn MB, Rice AN. Identifying and predicting occurrence and abundance of a vocal animal species based on individually specific calls. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- H. Bailey
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Solomons Maryland 20688 USA
| | - A. D. Fandel
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Solomons Maryland 20688 USA
| | - K. Silva
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Solomons Maryland 20688 USA
| | - E. Gryzb
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Solomons Maryland 20688 USA
| | - E. McDonald
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Solomons Maryland 20688 USA
| | - A. L. Hoover
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Solomons Maryland 20688 USA
| | - M. B. Ogburn
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater Maryland 21037 USA
| | - A. N. Rice
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14850 USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Terranova F, Gnone G, Friard O, Bellingeri M, Giacoma C, Favaro L. Signature whistles of the demographic unit of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting the Eastern Ligurian Sea: characterisation and comparison with the literature. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2021.1936225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- F. Terranova
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - G. Gnone
- Acquario di Genova, Area Porto Antico, Ponte Spinola, Italy
| | - O. Friard
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - M. Bellingeri
- Fondazione Acquario di Genova, Area Porto Antico, Ponte Spinola, Italy
| | - C. Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - L. Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
| |
Collapse
|