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Batist CH, Razafindraibe MN, Randriamanantena F, Baden AL. Bioacoustic characterization of the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) vocal repertoire. Primates 2023; 64:621-635. [PMID: 37584832 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01083-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Ruffed lemurs (Varecia spp.) exhibit a unique suite of behavioral traits compared to other lemur species, which includes their fluid fission-fusion social dynamics, communal rearing of parked litters, and pronounced frugivory in their humid rainforest habitats. Given these traits, and the dense rainforests they inhabit, vocal communication may be key to maintaining social cohesion, coordinating infant care, and/or defending their high-quality food resources. Indeed, they are known for their raucous 'roar-shriek' calls. However, there has been surprisingly little research on vocal communication in Varecia species and only two previously published repertoires, both of which were qualitative descriptions of their calls. In this study, we quantitatively examined the vocal repertoire of wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) at Mangevo, Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. We characterized 11 call types using 33 bioacoustic parameters related to frequency, duration, tonality, and composition. We also used discriminant function analysis and hierarchical clustering to quantitatively and objectively classify call types within the black-and-white ruffed lemur vocal repertoire. The repertoire consists of both monosyllabic and multisyllabic calls that are individually given or emitted in contagious choruses. Eight of the 11 calls were also used in combination or in larger multi-call sequences. The discriminant function analysis correctly assigned call types with 87% success, though this varied greatly by call type (1-65%). Hierarchical clustering identified 3-4 robust clusters, indicating low clustering structure in the data and suggesting that V. variegata exhibits a graded vocal repertoire. Future work should consider the environmental and behavioral contexts in which calls are used to better understand the function of these call types and combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Batist
- Department of Anthropology, The CUNY Graduate Center, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
- Rainforest Connection (RFCx), Katy, TX, USA.
| | - M N Razafindraibe
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Institut International de Science Sociale, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - A L Baden
- Department of Anthropology, The CUNY Graduate Center, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Fichtel C, Kappeler PM. Coevolution of social and communicative complexity in lemurs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210297. [PMID: 35934963 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The endemic lemurs of Madagascar (Lemuriformes: Primates) exhibit great social and communicative diversity. Given their independent evolutionary history, lemurs provide an excellent opportunity to identify fundamental principles in the coevolution of social and communicative traits. We conducted comparative phylogenetic analyses to examine patterns of interspecific variation among measures of social complexity and repertoire sizes in the vocal, olfactory and visual modality, while controlling for environmental factors such as habitat and number of sympatric species. We also examined potential trade-offs in signal evolution as well as coevolution between body mass or brain size and communicative complexity. Repertoire sizes in the vocal, olfactory and visual modality correlated positively with group size, but not with environmental factors. Evolutionary changes in social complexity presumably antedated corresponding changes in communicative complexity. There was no trade-off in the evolution of signals in different modalities and neither body mass nor brain size correlated with any repertoire size. Hence, communicative complexity coevolved with social complexity across different modalities, possibly to service social relationships flexibly and effectively in pair- and group-living species. Our analyses shed light on the requirements and adaptive possibilities in the coevolution of core elements of social organization and social structure in a basal primate lineage. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cognition, communication and social bonds in primates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen 37077, Germany.,Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Department Anthropology/Sociobiology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen 37077, Germany.,Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Department Anthropology/Sociobiology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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3
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Factors affecting call usage in wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) at Mangevo, Ranomafana National Park. Primates 2021; 63:79-91. [PMID: 34677705 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00956-0] [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: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Vocal communication is an important modality for group-living primates inhabiting dense forest habitats that can hinder visual and olfactory signals. Nevertheless, research on primate vocalizations has historically focused on a narrow subset of haplorhine taxa; comparatively few studies have been focused on strepsirrhines, despite facing similar ecological and social challenges. Ruffed lemurs (Varecia)-a taxon known for their raucous calls-are rainforest specialists that exhibit strong fission-fusion dynamics and communally rear large litters of young. However, surprisingly few studies have examined Varecia vocalizations in the wild, meaning virtually nothing is known about the call types or how they facilitate their unique social and reproductive strategies. Our goal for this study was to examine how various contextual factors such as weather, behavioral state, and subgroup size and composition affected vocal activity across call types in wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs. We conducted focal follows on 31 individuals (two communities) in Mangevo (Ranomafana National Park) from May-August 2019 to record behavioral and vocal activity. We distinguished 11 call types, although three (hum, roar-shriek, chatter) constituted the majority of vocal activity. Calling rates were consistent throughout the day, but decreased with high rainfall. We found sex- and subgroup-specific differences in call usage, likely related to female dominance and subgroup composition, respectively. We identified behavioral contexts that some call types were consistently given in; this can be used to help infer call function. This study provides some of the first quantitative analyses of ruffed lemur vocal communication and lays the groundwork for more systematic hypothesis testing in future studies.
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4
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Briseño-Jaramillo M, Berthet M, Estrada A, Biquand V, Lemasson A. Socially mediated overlap in vocal interactions between free-ranging black howler monkeys. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23297. [PMID: 34258778 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23297] [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: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
"Conversation rules" such as overlap avoidance and coordinated overlap have been reported in nonhuman animals, and seem to be adaptive responses to the requirements of social life. Some species display both patterns in an apparently flexible way, but the social factors mediating their respective usage remain poorly documented. We investigated the potential social factors guiding the usage of these temporal rules during collective howling in six free-ranging groups of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). First, we found that adult males' vocalizations rarely overlap those of other callers while most adult females' calls overlap other members' calls, especially that of other females. Second, whereas some call types (notably affiliative calls) are typically emitted without overlap, roars (agonistic loud calls) overlap more frequently. Third, coordinated overlap is more frequent during intergroup competition. Our findings support the hypothesis that overlap avoidance and coordinated overlap are two different (here sex-related) vocal alliance social behaviors, at least for some nonhuman primates. More comparative investigations are now needed to explore further their evolutionary trajectories in this lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Briseño-Jaramillo
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Melissa Berthet
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico.,Département d'études Cognitives, ENS, Institut Jean Nicod, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie Animale et Humaine), Rennes, France
| | - Alejandro Estrada
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Véronique Biquand
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie Animale et Humaine), Rennes, France
| | - Alban Lemasson
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie Animale et Humaine), Rennes, France.,Institut universitaire de France, Paris, France
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5
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Bolt LM. Agonistic vocalization behaviour in the male ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). Primates 2021; 62:417-430. [PMID: 33459940 PMCID: PMC7812342 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00878-3] [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: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Vocalizations are used by group-living animals as aggressive and submissive signals during agonistic interactions, and are also used to maintain dominance hierarchies in many species. For gregarious strepsirrhines with large vocal repertoires and differentiated dominance ranks like the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), agonistic vocalization use is important to study to better understand their social adaptations.To determine whether ring-tailed lemur vocalizations such as the yip, cackle, twitter, chutter, and plosive bark were used as aggressive or submissive signals during agonism and uttered at different rates by males of differing dominance ranks and ages, 565 h of focal data were collected on 31 individual males aged ≥ 1 year from Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. Yip, cackle, and twitter vocalizations were consistently used during agonistic submissive interactions with both males and females, chutter vocalizations were used during aggressive agonistic interactions with males and submissive agonistic interactions with males and females, and plosive bark vocalizations were used across behavioural contexts but not particularly during agonism. Males of all ages employed all vocalizations, and while low-ranking males uttered yip calls at higher rates, males of all dominance ranks uttered cackle, twitter, chutter, and plosive bark vocalizations. These results advance our knowledge of how male lemurs utilize agonistic vocalizations to maintain inter-individual relationships with males and females, and improve our overall understanding of the function of different agonistic vocalizations in wild lemurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Bolt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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6
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Bolt LM, Cavanaugh MN, Schreier AL. Lone males: Solitary and group-living male howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) behavioral ecology in a Costa Rican rainforest. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 174:201-212. [PMID: 33017866 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many group-living primate species have evolved the capacity for some individuals to live alone for part of their lives, but this solitary life stage has rarely been the subject of focused research. The mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) is a social primate species with bisexual dispersal that lives in mixed-sex groups with low male-to-female sex ratios. Consequently, males often spend a long period of their lives as solitary individuals. This study compares the tree use, feeding, and long-distance vocalization behavior of solitary and group-living mantled howler monkey males living within a fragmented rainforest in Costa Rica, La Suerte Biological Research Station. Based on differences in competitive ability between solitary and group-living males, we predicted that lone males would be found in significantly smaller feeding and resting trees, consume more low-quality foods, and produce shorter howling bouts made at lower rates than group-living males. MATERIALS AND METHODS We collected data on tree use and feeding during 30-min focal samples on male focal animals, recording data at 2-min intervals. We measured the trees in which the monkeys fed and rested for two or more intervals, and recorded the plant parts consumed. We recorded howling behavior using all-occurrences sampling. RESULTS Lone males used significantly smaller feeding and resting trees, consumed more low-quality foods, and howled at lower rates but had longer howling bouts triggered by anthropogenic noise more than group-living males. DISCUSSION Our results demonstrate that lone males differ in their behavioral ecology compared to group-living males, thus improving understanding of the solitary male life stage in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Bolt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | - Amy L Schreier
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Biology, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, USA
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7
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Ausband DE, Bassing SB, Mitchell MS. Environmental and social factors influencing wolf (
Canis lupus
) howling behavior. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David E. Ausband
- U.S. Geological Survey Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Sarah B. Bassing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula MT USA
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8
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Bolt LM, Schreier AL, Russell DG, Jacobson ZS, Merrigan‐Johnson C, Barton MC, Coggeshall EMC. Howling on the edge: Mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) howling behaviour and anthropogenic edge effects in a fragmented tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Bolt
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
| | - Amy L. Schreier
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
- Department of Biology Regis University Denver Colorado USA
| | - Dorian G. Russell
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
- Department of Environmental Science American University Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Zachary S. Jacobson
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
- Department of Anthropology Grand Valley State University Allendale Michigan USA
| | - Carrie Merrigan‐Johnson
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto at Mississauga Mississauga Ontario Canada
| | - Matthew C. Barton
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
- Department of Biology Regis University Denver Colorado USA
| | - Elizabeth M. C. Coggeshall
- The Maderas Rainforest Conservancy Miami Florida USA
- Department of Anthropology Central Washington University Ellensburg Washington USA
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9
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Robakis E, Watsa M, Erkenswick G. Classification of producer characteristics in primate long calls using neural networks. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 144:344. [PMID: 30075650 DOI: 10.1121/1.5046526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Primate long calls are high-amplitude vocalizations that can be critical in maintaining intragroup contact and intergroup spacing, and can encode abundant information about a call's producer, such as age, sex, and individual identity. Long calls of the wild emperor (Saguinus imperator) and saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) tamarins were tested for these identity signals using artificial neural networks, machine-learning models that reduce subjectivity in vocalization classification. To assess whether modelling could be streamlined by using only factors which were responsible for the majority of variation within networks, each series of networks was re-trained after implementing two methods of feature selection. First, networks were trained and run using only the subset of variables whose weights accounted for ≥50% of each original network's variation, as identified by the networks themselves. In the second, only variables implemented by decision trees in predicting outcomes were used. Networks predicted dependent variables above chance (≥58.7% for sex, ≥69.2 for age class, and ≥38.8% for seven to eight individuals), but classification accuracy was not markedly improved by feature selection. Findings are discussed with regard to implications for future studies on identity signaling in vocalizations and streamlining of data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstathia Robakis
- Washington University in Saint Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
| | - Mrinalini Watsa
- Field Projects International, 7331 Murdoch Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63119, USA
| | - Gideon Erkenswick
- Field Projects International, 7331 Murdoch Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63119, USA
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10
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Bolt LM, Tennenhouse E. Contact calling behaviour in the male ring-tailed lemur ( Lemur catta). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Bolt
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto at Mississauga; Mississauga ON Canada
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
| | - Erica Tennenhouse
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
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11
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Van Belle S, Estrada A, Garber PA. The function of loud calls in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra): food, mate, or infant defense? Am J Primatol 2014; 76:1196-206. [PMID: 24865565 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2013] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Loud calling (i.e., howling) is the single most distinctive behavioral attribute of the social system of howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.), yet no general consensus exists regarding its main function. During a 28-month study of five groups of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) at Palenque National Park, Mexico, we examined whether howling mainly functioned in the defense of food resources, mates, or infants vulnerable to infanticide. We recorded 602 howling bouts. Howling occurred more frequently when monkeys were feeding, particularly on fruits, and less frequently when they were resting than would be expected by chance. Furthermore, howling was concentrated in areas of the home range in which major feeding sites were located. Howling did not occur more frequently when vulnerable infants or potentially fertile females were present versus absent, nor did the howling rate increase with an increasing number of vulnerable infants or potentially fertile females in the group. Howling bouts lasted on average 14.4 ± SE 0.5 min, and call duration was not influenced by the presence of vulnerable infants or potentially fertile females. The duration of spontaneous calls, however, was positively correlated to the percentage of feeding time in the vicinity of howling locations. In addition, vocal displays lasted longer when neighboring groups and extragroup males were within visual contact compared with spontaneous calls and calls in response to nearby calls in which there was no visual contact between callers. Our findings suggest that loud calls in black howler monkeys are multifunctional, but most frequently occur in the defense of major feeding sites. These calls also may function in the defense of infants and mates during encounters with extragroup males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Estación de Biología Tropical Los Tuxtlas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Los Tuxtlas, Mexico
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12
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Bolt LM. Squealing rate indicates dominance rank in the male ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). Am J Primatol 2013; 75:1174-84. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Revised: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Bolt
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario; Canada
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