1
|
Massenet M, Philippe R, Pisanski K, Arnaud V, Barluet de Beauchesne L, Reynaud K, Mathevon N, Reby D. Puppy whines mediate maternal behavior in domestic dogs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316818121. [PMID: 38768360 PMCID: PMC11145252 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316818121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, offspring vocalizations typically encode information about identity and body condition, allowing parents to limit alloparenting and adjust care. But how do these vocalizations mediate parental behavior in species faced with the problem of rearing not one, but multiple offspring, such as domestic dogs? Comprehensive acoustic analyses of 4,400 whines recorded from 220 Beagle puppies in 40 litters revealed litter and individual (within litter) differences in call acoustic structure. By then playing resynthesized whines to mothers, we showed that they provided more care to their litters, and were more likely to carry the emitting loudspeaker to the nest, in response to whine variants derived from their own puppies than from strangers. Importantly, care provisioning was attenuated by experimentally moving the fundamental frequency (fo, perceived as pitch) of their own puppies' whines outside their litter-specific range. Within most litters, we found a negative relationship between puppies' whine fo and body weight. Consistent with this, playbacks showed that maternal care was stronger in response to high-pitched whine variants simulating relatively small offspring within their own litter's range compared to lower-pitched variants simulating larger offspring. We thus show that maternal care in a litter-rearing species relies on a dual assessment of offspring identity and condition, largely based on level-specific inter- and intra-litter variation in offspring call fo. This dual encoding system highlights how, even in a long-domesticated species, vocalizations reflect selective pressures to meet species-specific needs. Comparative work should now investigate whether similar communication systems have convergently evolved in other litter-rearing species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Massenet
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
| | - Romane Philippe
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
- Laboratoire de Dynamique du Langage, University Lyon 2, CNRS, Lyon69363, France
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław50-527, Poland
| | - Vincent Arnaud
- Département des arts, des lettres et du langage, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QCG7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Lucie Barluet de Beauchesne
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
| | - Karine Reynaud
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Maisons-Alfort94700, France
- Département Physiologie Animale et Systèmes d'Elevage, Unité Mixte de Recherche en Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, Institut National de la Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, University of Tours, Nouzilly37380, France
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
- Institut universitaire de France, Paris75005, France
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Laboratoire Cognition Humaine et Artificielle, Paris-Sciences-Lettres University, Paris75014, France
| | - David Reby
- Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, University of Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Inserm, Saint-Etienne42100, France
- Institut universitaire de France, Paris75005, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Olczak K, Penar W, Nowicki J, Magiera A, Klocek C. The Role of Sound in Livestock Farming-Selected Aspects. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2307. [PMID: 37508083 PMCID: PMC10376870 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142307] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
To ensure the optimal living conditions of farm animals, it is essential to understand how their senses work and the way in which they perceive their environment. Most animals have a different hearing range compared to humans; thus, some aversive sounds may go unnoticed by caretakers. The auditory pathways may act through the nervous system on the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and immune systems. Therefore, noise may lead to behavioral activation (arousal), pain, and sleep disorders. Sounds on farms may be produced by machines, humans, or animals themselves. It is worth noting that vocalization may be very informative to the breeder as it is an expression of an emotional state. This information can be highly beneficial in maintaining a high level of livestock welfare. Moreover, understanding learning theory, conditioning, and the potential benefits of certain sounds can guide the deliberate use of techniques in farm management to reduce the aversiveness of certain events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Olczak
- Department of Horse Breeding, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska St. 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland
| | - Weronika Penar
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 24/28 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Cracow, Poland
| | - Jacek Nowicki
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 24/28 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Cracow, Poland
| | - Angelika Magiera
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 24/28 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Cracow, Poland
| | - Czesław Klocek
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 24/28 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Cracow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Stein RM, Rachlow JL. Acoustic ecology of terrestrial mammals: a new Signaller–Receiver Conceptual Framework. Mamm Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Stein
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1136 Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Laliotis GP, Papadaki K, Bizelis I. Ovine vocal individuality expression by ewes and lambs at a late (40 days) post-partum time point. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:751. [PMID: 36859133 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing the identity of conspecifics is important for survival and social interactions. In sheep, vocal individuality enhances postnatal recognition and strengthens the mother-offspring bond. Although previous studies report vocal individuality in an early postnatal period (3-15 days of life), scarce information exists on whether individuality occurs at a later postnatal time point. The aim of the study was to identify whether individuality in acoustic cues is expressed in ewes' and their lambs' bleats at 40 days post-partum. Dairy ewes (N = 21) and their suckling offspring (n = 30) were isolated separately without hearing or seeing each other, and vocalizations were recorded. Different approaches for estimating individuality on 18 determined acoustic parameters were implemented. All parameters showed individuality, but higher individuality appeared in those related with source and spectral characteristics. A discriminant function analysis showed similar levels of individuality between ewes and lambs, but lower than that reported in an earlier postnatal time, suggesting that ewes and lambs do not need strong individualized cues at the examined time point. In both cases, jitter was the only common parameter, suggesting its importance. Distinctive cues were noted between siblings. Ewes displayed vocal individuality at their dry season (a later time point than suckling period), which was based on amplitude-related acoustic parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George P Laliotis
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Kallirroi Papadaki
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Iosif Bizelis
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Shen L, Gao H, Wu J, Wang G, Liu R, Qi J, Zhang X, Zhang A, Chen L, Zhang Y, Wang C, Qi D, Wang Y, Meng X. Birth-site habitat selection of wild alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) in the northeastern qing-tibetan plateau of China. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01246-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
6
|
Tan X, Li Y, Sun K, Jin L, Feng J. Mutual mother‐pup acoustic identification in Asian particolored bats. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9554. [DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Tan
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Yu Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Keping Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Longru Jin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- College of Life Science Jilin Agricultural University Changchun China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Perroux TA, McElligott AG, Briefer EF. Goat kid recognition of their mothers' calls is not impacted by changes in fundamental frequency or formants. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. A. Perroux
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - A. G. McElligott
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - E. F. Briefer
- Behavioral Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
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]
|
9
|
Humans and Goats: Improving Knowledge for a Better Relationship. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12060774. [PMID: 35327171 PMCID: PMC8944699 DOI: 10.3390/ani12060774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary A good relationship between humans (e.g., farmers, owners) and farm animals is vital for the well-being of both parties: on the one hand, people are satisfied with their work, which becomes less stressful and more profitable, and may receive social benefits in terms of education or animal-assisted therapy; on the other hand, animals are rewarded by the presence of humans and are not afraid of them. Goats have high cognitive and communicative abilities towards humans: recognising these abilities helps humans to work properly on the quality of this relationship that is built from the first hours of the goat kids’ life, thanks to frequent and positive contacts (e.g., stroking, talking in a calm voice). Improving the quality of this relationship is an investment in the future of livestock farming and meets public demands for ethical and sustainable production. This review outlines the characteristics and predisposing factors for the establishment of a good human–goat relationship and for its evaluation. Abstract There is consensus that the quality of the human–animal relationship (HAR) is relevant to guarantee appropriate levels of animal welfare. Given the impact that HAR may have on both goats and human beings, the aim of the present review is to elucidate: (1) how humans and goats communicate; (2) which are the factors affecting human–goat interactions; (3) how we can measure the quality of this relationship. The systematic review led to the selection of 58 relevant articles. Effective human–goat communication takes place by means of visual, tactile and auditory stimuli and, to a less extent, via olfactory and gustative stimuli. Goats have well-developed socio-cognitive abilities and rely on humans to get relevant information. A deep knowledge of goats’ communication means and socio-cognitive abilities may greatly help improving the human–goat relationship. Management practices (e.g., rearing methods, amount and quality of interactions), as well as genetic selection for suitable individual traits, may contribute to improving HAR. Several measures to assess the quality of HAR have been validated, including avoidance in the pen and at the feeding rack and latency to first contact. Finally, farmers’ attitudes and empathy with goats, as well as their motivation to work with animals, should be improved through appropriate training.
Collapse
|
10
|
Lévy F. The Onset of Maternal Behavior in Sheep and Goats: Endocrine, Sensory, Neural, and Experiential Mechanisms. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 27:79-117. [PMID: 36169813 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97762-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In sheep and goats, the onset of maternal behavior at parturition is characterized by a first phase called maternal responsiveness during which the mother is attracted to any newborn. In a second phase, called maternal selectivity, the mother establishes a selective bond with her young so that she only accepts it at suckling. After a description of the behavioral expression of both phases, this chapter reviews the physiological, sensory, and neural mechanisms involved. These two behavioral processes are synchronized with parturition by the vaginocervical stimulation induced by the expulsion of the newborn. Olfactory cues provided by the neonate are involved in maternal responsiveness and selectivity. Oxytocin supported by estrogens is the key factor for maternal responsiveness. The neural network involved in maternal responsiveness is mainly hypothalamic and is different from the circuitry involved in selectivity, which mainly concerns olfactory processing regions. Visual and auditory cues are necessary for offspring recognition at a distance. This multisensory recognition suggests that mothers form a mental image of their young. Maternal experience renders mothers more responsive to maternally relevant physiology and to young-related sensory inputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Lévy
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Volodin IA, Yurlova DD, Ilchenko OG, Vasilieva NA, Volodina EV. Non-individualistic ultrasonic and audible isolation calls throughout ontogeny in a rodent, Eolagurus luteus. Behav Processes 2021; 193:104540. [PMID: 34774667 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104540] [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: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic individuality is present in diverse taxa of mammals and birds, becoming especially prominent in those age groups for which discriminating conspecifics by voice is critically important. This study compares, for the first time, the ontogenetic changes of acoustic individuality of ultrasonic and audible calls (USVs and AUDs) across 12 age-classes (from neonates to adults) in captive yellow steppe lemmings Eolagurus luteus. We found that, in this rodent species, the isolation-induced USVs and AUDs are not individually distinct at any age. We discuss that this result is unusual, because discriminating individuals by individualistic vocal traits may be important for such a social species as yellow steppe lemming. We also discuss the potential role of acoustic individuality in studies including rodent models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 1/12, Moscow 119234, Russia; Department of Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, Moscow 119071, Russia.
| | - Daria D Yurlova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 1/12, Moscow 119234, Russia.
| | - Olga G Ilchenko
- Small Mammals Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow 123242, Russia.
| | - Nina A Vasilieva
- Department of Population Ecology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, Moscow 119071, Russia.
| | - Elena V Volodina
- Department of Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, Moscow 119071, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Papadaki K, Laliotis GP, Bizelis I. Acoustic variables of high-pitched vocalizations in dairy sheep breeds. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
13
|
Orihuela A, Mota-Rojas D, Strappini A, Serrapica F, Braghieri A, Mora-Medina P, Napolitano F. Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Mother-Young Bonding in Buffalo and Other Farm Animals. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071968. [PMID: 34209286 PMCID: PMC8300112 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The present paper reviews the importance of bonding for the survival and well-being in the cow–calf relationship. The review focuses on buffaloes and information from other species is used for comparison or to find more general patterns in the absence of specific sources. Differences between several farm species are also described, focusing on the role played by the sensory stimuli during the sensitive period after birth. How bonding can be classified according to the predominant senses used by different species, the importance of learning (i.e., imprinting) in the development of mother–young relationship, and the neurobiological mechanisms involved are also delineated. Finally, some examples of the main factors that can affect the mother–young relationship in the field are given. By understanding the imprinting at brain level, as well as the relationship with behavior, we gain a deeper insight into the critical role that experience, and environmental factors play in shaping the development of the mother–offspring bond. Abstract In buffaloes and other mammalian farm species, the mother provides food and protection to the young, but she is also the main source of behavioral and social learning for the offspring. It is important that mother and young establish a bond based on a learning mechanism defined as “imprinting” early after parturition during the sensitive period, on which the welfare and survival of the offspring will depend. This review aims to summarize and discuss current knowledge regarding the imprinting process, the neurobiological pathways that are triggered during this sensitive period, and the development of the cow–calf bond. Touch, hearing, vision, and smell seem to be the predominant senses involved during imprinting in buffaloes and other mammalian farm species. In buffalo, bonding is very particular due to the expression of specific behaviors, such as allo-suckling and communal rearing. In general, imprinting and the subsequent bond may be affected by the lack of experience of the mothers or dystocic parturitions, which occur most frequently with male calves and in primiparous dams. The main problems in the development of this process include lack of seeking a protected and isolated place to give birth; moving from the birth-site after parturition; insufficient postpartum care; aversion or aggressiveness towards the newborn, or abandonment of the newborn. The process can develop differently according to the species. However, the correct development of the cow–calf relationship represents, regardless of the species, a key factor for their fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Orihuela
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico;
| | - Ana Strappini
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Animal Science Institute, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile;
| | - Francesco Serrapica
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Universitàdi Napoli Federico II, Via Università100, 80055 Portici, Italy;
| | - Ada Braghieri
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (F.N.)
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Livestock Science Department, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City 54714, Mexico;
| | - Fabio Napolitano
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (F.N.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Laurijs KA, Briefer EF, Reimert I, Webb LE. Vocalisations in farm animals: A step towards positive welfare assessment. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|
15
|
Winblad von Walter L, Forkman B, Högberg M, Hydbring-Sandberg E. The Effect of Mother Goat Presence during Rearing on Kids' Response to Isolation and to an Arena Test. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:575. [PMID: 33672154 PMCID: PMC7926452 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine how early permanent separation, separation during the day only, or full-time access to the mother goat affected goat kids during social isolation with a sudden sound of a dog bark at two weeks and two months, and a novel arena test with a novel object at two months. Kids permanently separated reduced their vocalization earlier and had a higher heart rate before and after dog bark during isolation at two weeks, no effect was found on the daytime separated kids. Daytime separated kids bleated more at two weeks and decreased heart rate after dog barking at two months. Daytime separated kids showed the strongest fear reaction in the arena test, no effect was found on the permanently separated kids. Kids separated early vocalized more before novel object and showed more explorative behavior afterwards. Our study shows different responses in goat kids separated early permanent, daytime separated, or kept full-time with mother, which demonstrates the importance of if and how the mother is present, and the impact of using a wide variety of physiological and behavioral measures when evaluating stress in animal welfare research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise Winblad von Walter
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.H.); (E.H.-S.)
| | - Björn Forkman
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Section of Animal Welfare and Disease Prevention, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
| | - Madeleine Högberg
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.H.); (E.H.-S.)
| | - Eva Hydbring-Sandberg
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.H.); (E.H.-S.)
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rauber R, Manser MB. Effect of group size and experience on the ontogeny of sentinel calling behaviour in meerkats. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
17
|
Li Y, Sun D, Tan X, Chi T, Liu Y, Jin L, Feng J. Isolation calls from twin siblings are similar in the Asian parti-coloured bat, Vespertilio sinensis. BIOACOUSTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2019.1673819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Deyi Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiao Tan
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Tingting Chi
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Longru Jin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Emotion Recognition in Cats. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10071107. [PMID: 32605256 PMCID: PMC7401521 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The ability to perceive other individuals’ emotions plays a central role for animals living in social groups. Cats entertain social relationships with individuals of the same species (conspecifics) as well as with humans (heterospecifics). Although previous studies have demonstrated that cats are sensitive to conspecific and human communicative signals, their perception of these species’ emotions hasn’t been extensively investigated. In the light of this, the aim of the present work was to investigate cats’ ability to recognize conspecific and human emotions. Our results demonstrate that cats integrate visual and auditory signals to recognize human and conspecific emotions and they appear to modulate their behavior according to the valence of the emotion perceived. The understanding of cats’ socio-cognitive abilities to perceive their close partners’ emotions is crucial for improving the quality of human-cat and cat-cat relationships as well as cat welfare in the domestic environment. Abstract Recent studies demonstrated that cats form social bonds with both conspecifics and humans. One of the key factors regulating social interactions is the transfer of emotions between the individuals. The present study aimed at investigating cats’ spontaneous ability to match acoustic and visual signals for the recognition of both conspecific and human emotions. Different conspecific (cat “purr” and “hiss”) and heterospecific (human “happiness” and “anger”) emotional stimuli were presented to the tested population using a cross-modal paradigm. Results showed that cats are able to cross-modally match pictures of emotional faces with their related vocalizations, particularly for emotions of high intensity. Overall, our findings demonstrate that cats have a general mental representation of the emotions of their social partners, both conspecifics and humans.
Collapse
|
19
|
Baciadonna L, Briefer EF, McElligott AG. Investigation of reward quality-related behaviour as a tool to assess emotions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.104968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
20
|
Gélin U, Keller M, de Beaupuis V, Nowak R, Lévy F, Locatelli Y. Impact of hybridization between sika and red deer on phenotypic traits of the newborn and mother–young relationships. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
21
|
Knörnschild M, Fernandez AA, Nagy M. Vocal information and the navigation of social decisions in bats: Is social complexity linked to vocal complexity? Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Knörnschild
- Museum für Naturkunde ‐ Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Ancón Panama
- Animal Behavior Laboratory Free University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Ahana Aurora Fernandez
- Museum für Naturkunde ‐ Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
- Animal Behavior Laboratory Free University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Martina Nagy
- Museum für Naturkunde ‐ Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Baciadonna L, Briefer EF, Favaro L, McElligott AG. Goats distinguish between positive and negative emotion-linked vocalisations. Front Zool 2019; 16:25. [PMID: 31320917 PMCID: PMC6617626 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0323-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence from humans suggests that the expression of emotions can regulate social interactions and promote coordination within a group. Despite its evolutionary importance, social communication of emotions in non-human animals is still not well understood. Here, we combine behavioural and physiological measures, to determine if animals can distinguish between vocalisations linked to different emotional valences (positive and negative). Using a playback paradigm, goats were habituated to listen to a conspecific call associated with positive or negative valence (habituation phase) and were subsequently exposed to a variant of the same call type (contact call) associated with the opposite valence (dishabituation phase), followed by a final call randomly selected from the habituation phase as control (rehabituation phase). The effects of the calls on the occurrence of looking and cardiac responses in these phases were recorded and compared. RESULTS We found that when the valence of the call variant changed, goats were more likely to look at the source of the sound, indicating that they could distinguish calls based on their valence. Heart rate was not affected by the valence of the calls played, whereas heart-rate variability tended to be higher in the habituation and rehabituation phases, when positive calls were played compared to negative ones. Together, the behavioural and physiological measures provide evidence suggesting, first, that goats are able to distinguish call variants based on their valence, and second, that goat behaviour and cardiac responses are affected by call valence. CONCLUSION This study indicates that auditory modalities are a potent means to communicate emotions in non-human animals. These findings can contribute to our understanding of the evolution of emotion perception in non-human animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Baciadonna
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS UK
| | - Elodie F. Briefer
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology & Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Livio Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, ENES/Neuro-PSI CNRS UMR9197, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Alan G. McElligott
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS UK
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, SW15 4JD UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
O'Bryan LR, Abaid N, Nakayama S, Dey T, King AJ, Cowlishaw G, Rubenstein DI, Garnier S. Contact Calls Facilitate Group Contraction in Free-Ranging Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus). Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
24
|
Baciadonna L, Nawroth C, Briefer EF, McElligott AG. Perceptual lateralization of vocal stimuli in goats. Curr Zool 2019; 65:67-74. [PMID: 30697240 PMCID: PMC6347058 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional asymmetries, for example, the preferential involvement of 1 brain hemisphere to process stimuli, may increase brain efficiency and the capacity to carry out tasks simultaneously. We investigated which hemisphere was primarily involved in processing acoustic stimuli in goats using a head-orienting paradigm. Three playbacks using goat vocalizations recorded in different contexts: food anticipation (positive), isolation (negative), food frustration (negative), as well as 1 playback involving dog barks (negative) were presented on the left and right sides of the test subjects simultaneously. The head-orienting response (left or right) and latency to resume feeding were recorded. The direction of the head-orienting response did not differ between the various playbacks. However, when the head-orienting response was tested against chance level, goats showed a right bias regardless of the stimuli presented. Goats responded more to dog barks than to food frustration calls, whereas responses to food anticipation and isolation calls were intermediate. In addition, the latency to resume feeding, an indicator of fear reaction, was not affected by the kind of vocalization presented. These results provide evidence for asymmetries in goat vocal perception of emotional-linked conspecific and heterospecific calls. They also suggest involvement of the left brain hemisphere for processing acoustic stimuli, which might have been perceived as familiar and non-threatening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Baciadonna
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, UK
| | - Christian Nawroth
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, UK
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Elodie F Briefer
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alan G McElligott
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Sibiryakova OV, Volodin IA, Volodina EV. Advertising individual identity by mother and adolescent contact calls in Siberian wapiti Cervus elaphus sibiricus. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Sibiryakova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | - Ilya A. Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
- Scientific Research Department; Moscow Zoo; Moscow Russia
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Langbein J. Motor self-regulation in goats ( Capra aegagrus hircus) in a detour-reaching task. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5139. [PMID: 30002972 PMCID: PMC6035861 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor self-regulation is the ability to inhibit a prepotent response to a salient cue in favour of a more appropriate response. Motor self-regulation is an important component of the processes that interact to generate effective inhibitory control of behaviour, and is theorized to be a prerequisite of complex cognitive abilities in humans and other animals. In a large comparative study using the cylinder task, motor self-regulation was studied in 36 different species, mostly birds and primates. To broaden the range of species to comprehensively evaluate this phenomenon, motor self-regulation was studied in the domestic goat, which is a social ungulate species and moderate food specialist. Using the cylinder task, goats were first trained to perform a detour-reaching response to retrieve a reward from an opaque cylinder. Subsequently, an otherwise identical transparent cylinder was substituted for the opaque cylinder over 10 test trials. The goats' ability to resist approaching the visible reward directly by touching the cylinder and to retain the trained detour-reaching response was measured. The results indicated that goats showed motor self-regulation at a level comparable to or better than that of many of the bird and mammal species tested to date. However, the individual reaction patterns revealed large intra- and inter-individual variability regarding motor self-regulation. An improvement across trials was observed only in latency to make contact with the reward; no improvement in the proportion of accurate trials was observed. A short, distinct pointing gesture by the experimenter during baiting did not have any impact on the side of the cylinder to which the goats detoured. In half of goats, individual side biases were observed when detouring to the side of the cylinder, but there was no bias at the population level for either the left or right side. The results underline the need for a detailed examination of individual performance and additional measures to achieve a complete understanding of animal performance in motor self-regulation tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Langbein
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Syrová M, Policht R, Linhart P, Špinka M. Ontogeny of individual and litter identity signaling in grunts of piglets. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 142:3116. [PMID: 29195455 DOI: 10.1121/1.5010330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have shown that animal vocalizations can signal individual identity and group/family membership. However, much less is known about the ontogeny of identity information-when and how this individual/group distinctiveness in vocalizations arises and how it changes during the animal's life. Recent findings suggest that even species that were thought to have limited vocal plasticity could adjust their calls to sound more similar to each other within a group. It has already been shown that sows can acoustically distinguish their own offspring from alien piglets and that litters differ in their calls. Surprisingly, individual identity in piglet calls has not been reported yet. In this paper, this gap is filled, and it is shown that there is information about piglet identity. Information about litter identity is confirmed as well. Individual identity increased with age, but litter vocal identity did not increase with age. The results were robust as a similar pattern was apparent in two situations differing in arousal: isolation and back-test. This paper argues that, in piglets, increased individual discrimination results from the rapid growth of piglets, which is likely to be associated with growth and diversification of the vocal tract rather than from social effects and vocal plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Syrová
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815, Prague Uhrineves, 104 00, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Policht
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815, Prague Uhrineves, 104 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Linhart
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815, Prague Uhrineves, 104 00, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Špinka
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815, Prague Uhrineves, 104 00, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Function and Evolution of Vibrato-like Frequency Modulation in Mammals. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2692-2697.e3. [PMID: 28844642 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Why do distantly related mammals like sheep, giant pandas, and fur seals produce bleats that are characterized by vibrato-like fundamental frequency (F0) modulation? To answer this question, we used psychoacoustic tests and comparative analyses to investigate whether this distinctive vocal feature has evolved to improve the perception of formants, key acoustic components of animal calls that encode important information about the caller's size and identity [1]. Psychoacoustic tests on humans confirmed that vibrato-like F0 modulation improves the ability of listeners to detect differences in the formant patterns of synthetic bleat-like stimuli. Subsequent phylogenetically controlled comparative analyses revealed that vibrato-like F0 modulation has evolved independently in six mammalian orders in vocal signals with relatively high F0 and, therefore, low spectral density (i.e., less harmonic overtones). We also found that mammals modulate the vibrato in these calls over greater frequency extents when the number of harmonic overtones per formant is low, suggesting that this is a mechanism to improve formant perception in calls with low spectral density. Our findings constitute the first evidence that formant perception in non-speech sounds is improved by fundamental frequency modulation and provide a mechanism for the convergent evolution of bleat-like calls in mammals. They also indicate that selection pressures for animals to transmit important information encoded by formant frequencies (on size and identity, for example) are likely to have been a key driver in the evolution of mammal vocal diversity.
Collapse
|
29
|
Sèbe F, Poindron P, Ligout S, Sèbe O, Aubin T. Amplitude modulation is a major marker of individual signature in lamb bleats. BIOACOUSTICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2017.1357146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Sèbe
- Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR9197 University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne Cedex, France
- INRA – CNRS – U. Tours – IFCE, UMR 0085 PRC Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements. Centre de recherche Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
- Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Pascal Poindron
- INRA – CNRS – U. Tours – IFCE, UMR 0085 PRC Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements. Centre de recherche Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | - Séverine Ligout
- INRA – CNRS – U. Tours – IFCE, UMR 0085 PRC Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements. Centre de recherche Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Thierry Aubin
- Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay Cedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Early nursing behaviour in ungulate mothers with hider offspring ( Capra hircus ): Correlations between milk yield and kid weight. Small Rumin Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
31
|
Volodin IA, Sibiryakova OV, Frey R, Efremova KO, Soldatova NV, Zuther S, Kisebaev TB, Salemgareev AR, Volodina EV. Individuality of distress and discomfort calls in neonates with bass voices: Wild-living goitred gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) and saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A. Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
- Scientific Research Department; Moscow Zoo; Moscow Russia
| | - Olga V. Sibiryakova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology; Faculty of Biology; Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
| | - Roland Frey
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research; Berlin Germany
| | | | | | - Steffen Zuther
- Association for the Conservation of the Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK); Astana Kazakhstan
| | - Talgat B. Kisebaev
- Association for the Conservation of the Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK); Astana Kazakhstan
| | - Albert R. Salemgareev
- Association for the Conservation of the Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK); Astana Kazakhstan
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Remarkable vocal identity in wild-living mother and neonate saiga antelopes: a specialization for breeding in huge aggregations? Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:11. [PMID: 28243711 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1433-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Saiga antelopes Saiga tatarica tatarica give birth in large aggregations, and offspring follow the herd soon after birth. Herding is advantageous as anti-predator strategy; however, communication between mothers and neonates is strongly complicated in large aggregations. Individual series of nasal and oral contact calls of mother and neonate saiga antelopes were selected from recordings made with automated recording systems placed near the hiding neonates on the saiga breeding grounds in Northern Kazakhstan during synchronized parturitions of 30,000 calving females. We used for comparison of the acoustic structure of nasal and oral contact calls 168 nasal calls of 18 mothers, 192 oral calls of 21 mothers, 78 nasal calls of 16 neonates, and 197 oral calls of 22 neonates. In the oral calls of either mothers or neonates, formant frequencies were higher and the duration was longer than in the nasal calls, whereas fundamental frequencies did not differ between oral and nasal calls. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on six acoustic variables, accurately classified individual identity for 99.4% of oral calls of 18 mothers, for 89.3% of nasal calls of 18 mothers, and for 94.4% of oral calls of 18 neonates. The average value of correct classification to individual was higher in mother oral than in mother nasal calls and in mother oral calls than in neonate oral calls; no significant difference was observed between mother nasal and neonate oral calls. Variables mainly responsible for vocal identity were the fundamental frequency and the second and third formants in either mothers or neonates, and in either nasal or oral calls. The high vocal identity of mothers and neonates suggests a powerful potential for the mutual mother-offspring recognition in dense aggregations of saiga antelopes as an important component of their survival strategy.
Collapse
|
33
|
Pitcher BJ, Briefer EF, Baciadonna L, McElligott AG. Cross-modal recognition of familiar conspecifics in goats. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160346. [PMID: 28386412 PMCID: PMC5367292 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
When identifying other individuals, animals may match current cues with stored information about that individual from the same sensory modality. Animals may also be able to combine current information with previously acquired information from other sensory modalities, indicating that they possess complex cognitive templates of individuals that are independent of modality. We investigated whether goats (Capra hircus) possess cross-modal representations (auditory-visual) of conspecifics. We presented subjects with recorded conspecific calls broadcast equidistant between two individuals, one of which was the caller. We found that, when presented with a stablemate and another herd member, goats looked towards the caller sooner and for longer than the non-caller, regardless of caller identity. By contrast, when choosing between two herd members, other than their stablemate, goats did not show a preference to look towards the caller. Goats show cross-modal recognition of close social partners, but not of less familiar herd members. Goats may employ inferential reasoning when identifying conspecifics, potentially facilitating individual identification based on incomplete information. Understanding the prevalence of cross-modal recognition and the degree to which different sensory modalities are integrated provides insight into how animals learn about other individuals, and the evolution of animal communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Pitcher
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109 New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elodie F. Briefer
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luigi Baciadonna
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Alan G. McElligott
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Scheiber IBR, Weiß BM, Kingma SA, Komdeur J. The importance of the altricial - precocial spectrum for social complexity in mammals and birds - a review. Front Zool 2017; 14:3. [PMID: 28115975 PMCID: PMC5242088 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0185-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Various types of long-term stable relationships that individuals uphold, including cooperation and competition between group members, define social complexity in vertebrates. Numerous life history, physiological and cognitive traits have been shown to affect, or to be affected by, such social relationships. As such, differences in developmental modes, i.e. the ‘altricial-precocial’ spectrum, may play an important role in understanding the interspecific variation in occurrence of social interactions, but to what extent this is the case is unclear because the role of the developmental mode has not been studied directly in across-species studies of sociality. In other words, although there are studies on the effects of developmental mode on brain size, on the effects of brain size on cognition, and on the effects of cognition on social complexity, there are no studies directly investigating the link between developmental mode and social complexity. This is surprising because developmental differences play a significant role in the evolution of, for example, brain size, which is in turn considered an essential building block with respect to social complexity. Here, we compiled an overview of studies on various aspects of the complexity of social systems in altricial and precocial mammals and birds. Although systematic studies are scarce and do not allow for a quantitative comparison, we show that several forms of social relationships and cognitive abilities occur in species along the entire developmental spectrum. Based on the existing evidence it seems that differences in developmental modes play a minor role in whether or not individuals or species are able to meet the cognitive capabilities and requirements for maintaining complex social relationships. Given the scarcity of comparative studies and potential subtle differences, however, we suggest that future studies should consider developmental differences to determine whether our finding is general or whether some of the vast variation in social complexity across species can be explained by developmental mode. This would allow a more detailed assessment of the relative importance of developmental mode in the evolution of vertebrate social systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella B R Scheiber
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of Leipzig, Faculty of Bioscience, Pharmacy and Psychology, Institute of Biology, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Konerding WS, Zimmermann E, Bleich E, Hedrich HJ, Scheumann M. Female cats, but not males, adjust responsiveness to arousal in the voice of kittens. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:157. [PMID: 27514377 PMCID: PMC4982004 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0718-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The infant cry is the most important communicative tool to elicit adaptive parental behaviour. Sex-specific adaptation, linked to parental investment, may have evolutionary shaped the responsiveness to changes in the voice of the infant cries. The emotional content of infant cries may trigger distinctive responsiveness either based on their general arousing properties, being part of a general affect encoding rule, or based on affective perception, linked to parental investment, differing between species. To address this question, we performed playback experiments using infant isolation calls in a species without paternal care, the domestic cat. We used kitten calls recorded in isolation contexts inducing either Low arousal (i.e., isolation only) or High arousal (i.e., additional handling), leading to respective differences in escape response of the kittens. We predicted that only females respond differently to playbacks of Low versus High arousal kitten isolation calls, based on sex-differences in parental investment. RESULTS Findings showed sex-specific responsiveness of adult cats listening to kitten isolation calls of different arousal conditions, with only females responding faster towards calls of the High versus the Low arousal condition. Breeding experience of females did not affect the result. Furthermore, female responsiveness correlated with acoustic parameters related to spectral characteristics of the fundamental frequency (F0): Females responded faster to kitten calls with lower F0 at call onset, lower minimum F0 and a steeper slope of the F0. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed sex-specific differences in the responsiveness to kitten isolation calls of different arousal conditions independent of female breeding experience. The findings indicated that features of F0 are important to convey the arousal state of an infant. Taken together, the results suggest that differences in parental investment evolutionary shaped responsiveness (auditory sensitivity/ motivation) to infant calls in a sex-specific manner in the domestic cat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke S Konerding
- Institute of AudioNeuroTechnology and Department of Experimental Otology, ENT Clinics, Hannover Medical School, Stadtfelddamm 34, 30625, Hannover, Germany.,Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Eva Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hans-Jürgen Hedrich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marina Scheumann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bálint A, Faragó T, Miklósi Á, Pongrácz P. Threat-level-dependent manipulation of signaled body size: dog growls’ indexical cues depend on the different levels of potential danger. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:1115-1131. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1019-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
37
|
Garcia M, Wondrak M, Huber L, Fitch WT. Honest signaling in domestic piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus): vocal allometry and the information content of grunt calls. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:1913-21. [PMID: 27059064 PMCID: PMC4920241 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.138255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The information conveyed in acoustic signals is a central topic in mammal vocal communication research. Body size is one form of information that can be encoded in calls. Acoustic allometry aims to identify the specific acoustic correlates of body size within the vocalizations of a given species, and formants are often a useful acoustic cue in this context. We conducted a longitudinal investigation of acoustic allometry in domestic piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus), asking whether formants of grunt vocalizations provide information concerning the caller's body size over time. On four occasions, we recorded grunts from 20 kunekune piglets, measured their vocal tract length by means of radiographs (X-rays) and weighed them. Controlling for effects of age and sex, we found that body weight strongly predicts vocal tract length, which in turn determines formant frequencies. We conclude that grunt formant frequencies could allow domestic pigs to assess a signaler's body size as it grows. Further research using playback experiments is needed to determine the perceptual role of formants in domestic pig communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Garcia
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Marianne Wondrak
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria Haidlhof Research Station, 2540 Bad Vöslau, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria Haidlhof Research Station, 2540 Bad Vöslau, Austria
| | - W Tecumseh Fitch
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Padilla de la Torre M, Briefer EF, Ochocki BM, McElligott AG, Reader T. Mother–offspring recognition via contact calls in cattle, Bos taurus. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
39
|
Szenczi P, Bánszegi O, Urrutia A, Faragó T, Hudson R. Mother-offspring recognition in the domestic cat: Kittens recognize their own mother's call. Dev Psychobiol 2016; 58:568-77. [PMID: 26935009 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic communication can play an important part in mother-young recognition in many mammals. This, however, has still only been investigated in a small range mainly of herd- or colony-living species. Here we report on the behavioral response of kittens of the domestic cat, a typically solitary carnivore, to playbacks of "greeting chirps" and "meows" from their own versus alien mothers. We found significantly stronger responses to the chirps from kittens' own mother than to her meows or to the chirps or meows of alien mothers. Acoustic analysis revealed greater variation between vocalizations from different mothers than for vocalizations from the same mother. We conclude that chirps emitted by mother cats at the nest represent a specific form of vocal communication with their young, and that kittens learn and respond positively to these and distinguish them from chirps of other mothers and from other cat vocalizations while still in the nest. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58: 568-577, 2016.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Péter Szenczi
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico.
| | - Oxána Bánszegi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Andrea Urrutia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Tamás Faragó
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Baotic A, Sicks F, Stoeger AS. Nocturnal "humming" vocalizations: adding a piece to the puzzle of giraffe vocal communication. BMC Res Notes 2015; 8:425. [PMID: 26353836 PMCID: PMC4565008 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1394-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent research reveals that giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis sp.) exhibit a socially structured, fission-fusion system. In other species possessing this kind of society, information exchange is important and vocal communication is usually well developed. But is this true for giraffes? Giraffes are known to produce sounds, but there is no evidence that they use vocalizations for communication. Reports on giraffe vocalizations are mainly anecdotal and the missing acoustic descriptions make it difficult to establish a call nomenclature. Despite inconclusive evidence to date, it is widely assumed that giraffes produce infrasonic vocalizations similar to elephants. In order to initiate a more detailed investigation of the vocal communication in giraffes, we collected data of captive individuals during day and night. We particularly focussed on detecting tonal, infrasonic or sustained vocalizations. FINDINGS We collected over 947 h of audio material in three European zoos and quantified the spectral and temporal components of acoustic signals to obtain an accurate set of acoustic parameters. Besides the known burst, snorts and grunts, we detected harmonic, sustained and frequency-modulated "humming" vocalizations during night recordings. None of the recorded vocalizations were within the infrasonic range. CONCLUSIONS These results show that giraffes do produce vocalizations, which, based on their acoustic structure, might have the potential to function as communicative signals to convey information about the physical and motivational attributes of the caller. The data further reveal that the assumption of infrasonic communication in giraffes needs to be considered with caution and requires further investigations in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Baotic
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Florian Sicks
- Berlin Tierpark, Am Tierpark 125, 10319, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Angela S Stoeger
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Pfefferle D, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Widdig A. Male rhesus macaques use vocalizations to distinguish female maternal, but not paternal, kin from non-kin. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015; 69:1677-1686. [PMID: 26379365 PMCID: PMC4562008 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1979-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing close kin and adjusting one's behavior accordingly (i.e., favor kin in social interactions, but avoid mating with them) would be an important skill that can increase an animals' inclusive fitness. Previous studies showed that philopatric female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) bias their social behavior toward maternal and paternal kin. Benefits gained from selecting kin should, however, not only apply to the philopatric sex, for which the enduring spatial proximity facilitates kin discrimination. Given that dispersal is costly, the dispersing sex may benefit from migrating together with their kin or into groups containing kin. In male rhesus macaques, natal migrants bias their spatial proximity toward familiar male kin rather than familiar non-kin. Here, we set up playback experiments to test if males use the acoustic modality to discriminate familiar female kin from non-kin in a non-sexual context. Males responded differently to the presentation of "coo" calls of related and unrelated females, with their reaction depending on the interaction between kin-line (maternal vs paternal kin) and degree of relatedness (r = 0.5, 0.25). Specifically, males were more likely to respond to close kin compared to more distant kin or unrelated females, with this effect being significant in the maternal, but not paternal kin-line. The present study adds to our knowledge of kin recognition abilities of the dispersing sex, suggesting that male rhesus macaques are also able to identify kin using the acoustic modality. We discuss that the probability of response might be affected by the potential benefit of the social partner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana Pfefferle
- />Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- />Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- />Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- />Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center and Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Angelina V. Ruiz-Lambides
- />Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- />Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- />Caribbean Primate Research Center-Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Anja Widdig
- />Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- />Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mother–pup vocal recognition in harbour seals: influence of maternal behaviour, pup voice and habitat sound properties. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
43
|
|
44
|
Padilla de la Torre M, Briefer EF, Reader T, McElligott AG. Acoustic analysis of cattle (Bos taurus) mother–offspring contact calls from a source–filter theory perspective. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
45
|
Sibiryakova OV, Volodin IA, Matrosova VA, Volodina EV, Garcia AJ, Gallego L, Landete-Castillejos T. The power of oral and nasal calls to discriminate individual mothers and offspring in red deer, Cervus elaphus. Front Zool 2015; 12:2. [PMID: 25610491 PMCID: PMC4301055 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0094-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In most species, acoustical cues are crucial for mother-offspring recognition. Studies of a few species of ungulates showed that potential for individual recognition may differ between nasal and oral contact calls. RESULTS Vocalizations of 28 hinds and 31 calves of farmed Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) were examined with discriminant function analyses (DFA) to determine whether acoustic structure of their oral and nasal contact calls encodes information about the caller's identity. Contact calls were elicited by brief separation of individually identified animals by a distance over 10 m or by a bar fence. Both oral and nasal calls of both hinds and calves showed high potential to discriminate individuals. In hinds, individuality was significantly higher in the oral than in the nasal calls, whereas in calves, individuality was equally well expressed in both oral and nasal calls. For calves, the maximum fundamental frequency was higher and the duration was longer in oral calls than in nasal calls. For hinds, the maximum fundamental frequency and the duration were indistinguishable between oral and nasal calls. Compared to the pooled sample of oral and nasal calls, separate oral or nasal call samples provided better classifying accuracy to individual in either hinds or calves. Nevertheless, in both hinds and calves, even in the pooled sample of oral and nasal calls, the degree of individual identity was 2-3 times greater than expected by chance. For hinds that provided calls in both years, cross-validation of calls collected in 2012 with discriminant functions created with calls from 2011 showed a strong decrease of classifying accuracy to individual. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest different potentials of nasal and oral calls to allow the discrimination of individuals among hinds, but not among red deer calves. The high potential of individual recognition even with the pooled sample of oral and nasal calls allows mother and young to remember only one set of acoustic variables for mutual vocal recognition. Poor between-year stability of individual characteristics of hind oral and nasal calls would require updating keys to individual recognition each calving season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Sibiryakova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow, 119991 Russia
| | - Ilya A Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 12/1, Moscow, 119991 Russia ; Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow, 123242 Russia
| | - Vera A Matrosova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology RAS, Vavilov str., 32, Moscow, 119991 Russia
| | - Elena V Volodina
- Scientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, B. Gruzinskaya, 1, Moscow, 123242 Russia
| | - Andrés J Garcia
- Animal Science Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), IDR, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Laureano Gallego
- Animal Science Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), IDR, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Tomás Landete-Castillejos
- Animal Science Group. IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), IDR, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Briefer EF, Tettamanti F, McElligott AG. Emotions in goats: mapping physiological, behavioural and vocal profiles. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
47
|
Chojnacki RM, Vas J, Andersen IL. The effects of prenatal stocking densities on the fear responses and sociality of goat (Capra hircus) kids. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94253. [PMID: 24710177 PMCID: PMC3978004 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress (stress experienced by a pregnant mother) and its effects on offspring have been comprehensively studied but relatively little research has been done on how prenatal social stress affects farm animals such as goats. Here, we use the operational description of ‘stress’ as “physical or perceived threats to homeostasis.” The aim of this study was to investigate the prenatal effects of different herd densities on the fear responses and sociality of goat kids. Pregnant Norwegian dairy goats were exposed to high, medium or low prenatal animal density treatments throughout gestation (1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 m2 per animal, respectively). One kid per litter was subjected to two behavioral tests at 5 weeks of age. The ‘social test’ was applied to assess the fear responses, sociality and social recognition skills when presented with a familiar and unfamiliar kid and the ‘separation test’ assessed the behavioral coping skills when isolated. The results indicate goat kids from the highest prenatal density of 1.0 m2 were more fearful than the kids from the lower prenatal densities (i.e. made more escape attempts (separation test: P < 0.001) and vocalizations (social test: P < 0.001; separation test: P < 0.001). This effect was more pronounced in females than males in the high density (vocalizations; social test: P < 0.001; separation test: P = 0.001) and females were generally more social than males. However, goat kids did not differentiate between a familiar and an unfamiliar kid at 5 weeks of age and sociality was not affected by the prenatal density treatment. We conclude that high animal densities during pregnancy in goats produce offspring that have a higher level of fear, particularly in females. Behavioral changes in offspring that occur as an effect of prenatal stress are of high importance as many of the females are recruited to the breeding stock of dairy goats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Chojnacki
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Judit Vas
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Inger Lise Andersen
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
|
49
|
Volodin IA, Sibiryakova OV, Kokshunova LE, Frey R, Volodina EV. Nasal and oral calls in mother and young trunk-nosed saiga antelopes,Saiga tatarica. BIOACOUSTICS 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2013.826598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
|
50
|
Volodin IA, Volodina EV, Lapshina EN, Efremova KO, Soldatova NV. Vocal group signatures in the goitred gazelle Gazella subgutturosa. Anim Cogn 2013; 17:349-57. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0666-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|