1
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Schamberg I, Surbeck M, Townsend SW. Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:58. [PMID: 39212694 PMCID: PMC11364580 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01884-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified is one of the features responsible for language's extreme lability, adaptability, and expressiveness. Understanding this arbitrariness and its emergence is essential in any account of the evolution of language. To shed light on the phylogeny of the phenomenon, comparative data examining the relationship between signal form and function in the communication systems of non-humans is central. Here we report the results of a study on the production and usage the whistle-high hoot call combination (W + HH) from two distant populations of wild bonobos (Pan paniscus): Lui Kotale, DRC, and Kokolopori, DRC. We find that the context in which bonobos produce the W + HHs varies systematically between populations. Our results suggest that variation in W + HH production may represent an example of signal-adjustment optionality, a key component of arbitrariness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Schamberg
- Dept. of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Dept. of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
| | - Martin Surbeck
- Dept. of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dept. of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evol. Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon W Townsend
- Dept. of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Dept. of Psychology, University of Warwick, Warwick, UK
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2
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Wirth S. Encoding identity in the marmoset. Science 2023; 382:372-373. [PMID: 37883556 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk8413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal cells integrate multisensory input to represent the identity of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Wirth
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Bron, France
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3
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Taylor D, Gustafsson E, Dezecache G, Davila-Ross M. Vocal functional flexibility in the grunts of young chimpanzees. iScience 2023; 26:107791. [PMID: 37727737 PMCID: PMC10505970 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
All living things communicate yet only humans can be said to communicate using language. How this came to be the case is a fundamental mystery unsolved by contemporary science. Within a human lifetime, language emerges from a complex developmental process. As such, understanding chimpanzee vocal development is essential to understanding the evolutionary roots of language. In human development, language is directly built upon the early capacity for "vocal functional flexibility"-the ability to flexibly express the same vocalizations in different ways to achieve different functions. Primate vocalizations, by contrast, have long been believed to be relatively inflexible regarding both production and function. In this paper, we break new ground by providing evidence for vocal functional flexibility in one of the first systematic studies of early chimpanzee vocal production and function. This finding implies the developmental foundations for language are rooted in our primate evolutionary heritage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derry Taylor
- University of Portsmouth, Psychology Department, King Henry Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
- University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Department of Comparative Cognition, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Erik Gustafsson
- University of Portsmouth, Psychology Department, King Henry Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Guillaume Dezecache
- Université Clermont Auvergne LAPSCO CNRS, Bâtiment Paul Collomp, TSA 60401, 34, Avenue Carnot, 63037 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marina Davila-Ross
- University of Portsmouth, Psychology Department, King Henry Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
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4
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León J, Thiriau C, Crockford C, Zuberbühler K. Comprehension of own and other species' alarm calls in sooty mangabey vocal development. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023; 77:56. [PMID: 37234238 PMCID: PMC10205891 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03318-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Primates understand the meaning of their own and other species' alarm calls, but little is known about how they acquire such knowledge. Here, we combined direct behavioural observations with playback experiments to investigate two key processes underlying vocal development: comprehension and usage. Especifically, we studied the development of con- and heterospecific alarm call recognition in free-ranging sooty mangabeys, Cercocebus atys, across three age groups: young juveniles (1-2y), old juveniles (3-4y) and adults (> 5y). We observed that, during natural predator encounters, juveniles alarm called to a significantly wider range of species than adults, with evidence of refinement during the first four years of life. In the experiments, we exposed subjects to leopard, eagle and snake alarm calls given by other group members or sympatric Diana monkeys. We found that young juveniles' locomotor and vocal responses were least appropriate and that they engaged in more social referencing (look at adults when hearing an alarm call) than older individuals, suggesting that vocal competence is obtained via social learning. In conclusion, our results suggest that alarm call comprehension is socially learned during the juvenile stage, with comprehension preceding appropriate usage but no difference between learning their own or other species' alarm calls. Significance statement Under natural conditions, animals do not just interact with members of their own species, but usually operate in a network of associated species. However, ontogenetic research on primate communication frequently ignores this significant element. We studied the development of con- and heterospecific alarm call recognition in wild sooty mangabeys. We found that communicative competence was acquired during the juvenile stages, with alarm call comprehension learning preceding appropriate vocal usage and with no clear difference in learning of con- and heterospecific signals. We also found that, during early stages of life, social referencing, a proactive form of social learning, was key in the acquisition of competent alarm call behaviour. Our results show that primates equally learn to interpret alarm calls from their own and other species during their early stages of life and that this learning process is refined as the animals mature. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00265-023-03318-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julián León
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Taï Monkey Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, 01 BP1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Constance Thiriau
- Taï Monkey Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, 01 BP1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Tai Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, 01 BP1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, 69330 Lyon, France
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Taï Monkey Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, 01 BP1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, Saint Andrews, KY16 9JP Scotland UK
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5
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Ordóñez-Gómez JD, Schamberg I, Hammerschmidt K. The acoustic structure of spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) calls is related both to caller goal and arousal. Am J Primatol 2023:e23508. [PMID: 37191136 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Analyzing the factors related to the acoustic structure of primate calls is fundamental to identifying the potential information these signals convey, and therefore, their potential function. It is well-accepted that caller arousal is an important driver of acoustic variation in call structure. However, evidence suggests that arousal alone cannot explain the production of calls with different acoustic structures. The "caller goal" framework posits that a call type (e.g., bark and chitter) is a signal which evolved to elicit specific changes on receiver behavior, and a caller's goal, not its arousal state, determines the basic acoustic structure of animal calls. To get a better insight into the effects of caller goal and arousal on the acoustic structure of primate calls, we analyzed the acoustic variation of 382 calls produced by 27 free-ranging spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in six call contexts representing three caller goals (establishing contact, engage in aggression, and predator presence) across two arousal states (high and low). Discriminant function analyses and linear mixed models showed a strong effect of caller goal on calls' acoustic structure and supported the effect of arousal state on acoustic variation; misclassified calls mainly occurred between the same caller goal categories (e.g., alarm low arousal and alarm high arousal), and acoustic differences between arousal contexts showed the same pattern across the three caller goals (e.g., low center frequency [kHz] values in high arousal contexts). Our results supported the view that caller goal is the primary driver of acoustic difference and showed the effects of caller arousal on other structural differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- José D Ordóñez-Gómez
- División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-L, Estado de México, México
| | - Isaac Schamberg
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
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6
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Déaux EC, Bonneaud C, Baumeyer A, Zuberbühler K. Do chimpanzee food calls bias listeners toward novel items? Am J Primatol 2023:e23498. [PMID: 37113057 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Social learning is beneficial in almost every domain of a social animal's life, but it is particularly important in the context of predation and foraging. In both contexts, social animals tend to produce acoustically distinct vocalizations, alarms, and food calls, which have remained somewhat of an evolutionary conundrum as they appear to be costly for the signaller. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that food calls function to direct others toward novel food items, using a playback experiment on a group of chimpanzees. We showed chimpanzees novel (plausibly edible) items while simultaneously playing either conspecific food calls or acoustically similar greeting calls as a control. We found that individuals responded by staying longer near items previously associated with food calls even in the absence of these vocalizations, and peered more at these items compared with the control items, provided no conspecifics were nearby. We also found that once chimpanzees had access to both item types, they interacted more with the one previously associated with food calls than the control items. However, we found no evidence of social learning per se. Given these effects, we propose that food calls may gate and thus facilitate social learning by directing listeners' attention to new feeding opportunities, which if integrated with additional cues could ultimately lead to new food preferences within social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloïse C Déaux
- Institue of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Clémence Bonneaud
- Institue of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | | | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institue of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- School of Psychology and Neurosciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
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7
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Mohr T, van de Waal E, Zuberbühler K, Mercier S. Juvenile vervet monkeys rely on others when responding to danger. Anim Cogn 2023:10.1007/s10071-023-01765-2. [PMID: 37027112 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01765-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Primate alarm calls are mainly hardwired but individuals need to adapt their calling behaviours according to the situation. Such learning necessitates recognising locally relevant dangers and may take place via their own experience or by observing others. To investigate monkeys alarm calling behaviour, we carried out a field experiment in which we exposed juvenile vervet monkeys to unfamiliar raptor models in the presence of audiences that differed in experience and reliability. We used audience age as a proxy for experience and relatedness as a proxy for reliability, while quantifying audience reactions to the models. We found a negative correlation between alarm call production and callers' age. Adults never alarm called, compared to juveniles. We found no overall effect of audience composition and size, with juveniles calling more when with siblings than mothers or unrelated individuals. Finally, concerning audience reactions to the models, we observed juveniles remained silent with vigilant mothers and only alarm called with ignoring mothers, whereas we observed the opposite for siblings: juveniles remained silent with ignoring siblings and called with vigilant siblings. Despite the small sample size, juvenile vervet monkeys, confronted with unfamiliar and potentially dangerous raptors, seem to rely on others to decide whether to alarm call, demonstrating that the choice of the model may play an important key role in the ontogeny of primate alarm call behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tecla Mohr
- Comparative Cognition Laboratory, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.
| | - Erica van de Waal
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, P/Bag X01, Durban, 3209, South Africa
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Comparative Cognition Laboratory, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Stéphanie Mercier
- Comparative Cognition Laboratory, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
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8
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Watson SK, Filippi P, Gasparri L, Falk N, Tamer N, Widmer P, Manser M, Glock H. Optionality in animal communication: a novel framework for examining the evolution of arbitrariness. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2057-2075. [PMID: 35818133 PMCID: PMC9795909 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A critical feature of language is that the form of words need not bear any perceptual similarity to their function - these relationships can be 'arbitrary'. The capacity to process these arbitrary form-function associations facilitates the enormous expressive power of language. However, the evolutionary roots of our capacity for arbitrariness, i.e. the extent to which related abilities may be shared with animals, is largely unexamined. We argue this is due to the challenges of applying such an intrinsically linguistic concept to animal communication, and address this by proposing a novel conceptual framework highlighting a key underpinning of linguistic arbitrariness, which is nevertheless applicable to non-human species. Specifically, we focus on the capacity to associate alternative functions with a signal, or alternative signals with a function, a feature we refer to as optionality. We apply this framework to a broad survey of findings from animal communication studies and identify five key dimensions of communicative optionality: signal production, signal adjustment, signal usage, signal combinatoriality and signal perception. We find that optionality is widespread in non-human animals across each of these dimensions, although only humans demonstrate it in all five. Finally, we discuss the relevance of optionality to behavioural and cognitive domains outside of communication. This investigation provides a powerful new conceptual framework for the cross-species investigation of the origins of arbitrariness, and promises to generate original insights into animal communication and language evolution more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart K. Watson
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Piera Filippi
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of PhilosophyUniversity of ZurichZurichbergstrasse 438044ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Luca Gasparri
- Department of PhilosophyUniversity of ZurichZurichbergstrasse 438044ZürichSwitzerland,Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8163 – STL – Savoirs Textes LangageF‐59000LilleFrance
| | - Nikola Falk
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Nicole Tamer
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Paul Widmer
- Department of Comparative Language ScienceUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Marta Manser
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Hans‐Johann Glock
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language EvolutionUniversity of ZurichAffolternstrasse 568050ZürichSwitzerland,Department of PhilosophyUniversity of ZurichZurichbergstrasse 438044ZürichSwitzerland
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9
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Gruber T. An ethical assessment of the use of old and new methods to study sociality in wild animals. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Gruber
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences & Swiss Center for Affective Sciences University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
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10
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Deshpande A, Van Boekholt B, Zuberbuhler K. Preliminary evidence for one-trial social learning of vervet monkey alarm calling. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210560. [PMID: 36016915 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6133928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
How do non-human primates learn to use their alarm calls? Social learning is a promising candidate, but its role in the acquisition of meaning and call usage has not been studied systematically, neither during ontogeny nor in adulthood. To investigate the role of social learning in alarm call comprehension and use, we exposed groups of wild vervet monkeys to two unfamiliar animal models in the presence or absence of conspecific alarm calls. To assess the learning outcome of these experiences, we then presented the models for a second time to the same monkeys, but now without additional alarm call information. In subjects previously exposed in conjunction with alarm calls, we found heightened predator inspection compared to control subjects exposed without alarm calls, indicating one-trial social learning of 'meaning'. Moreover, some juveniles (but not adults) produced the same alarm calls they heard during the initial exposure whereas the authenticity of the models had an additional effect. Our experiment provides preliminary evidence that, in non-human primates, call meaning can be acquired by one-trail social learning but that subject age and core knowledge about predators additionally moderate the acquisition of novel call-referent associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adwait Deshpande
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Bas Van Boekholt
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Comparative BioCognition, Department of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Klaus Zuberbuhler
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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11
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Deshpande A, Van Boekholt B, Zuberbuhler K. Preliminary evidence for one-trial social learning of vervet monkey alarm calling. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210560. [PMID: 36016915 PMCID: PMC9399712 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
How do non-human primates learn to use their alarm calls? Social learning is a promising candidate, but its role in the acquisition of meaning and call usage has not been studied systematically, neither during ontogeny nor in adulthood. To investigate the role of social learning in alarm call comprehension and use, we exposed groups of wild vervet monkeys to two unfamiliar animal models in the presence or absence of conspecific alarm calls. To assess the learning outcome of these experiences, we then presented the models for a second time to the same monkeys, but now without additional alarm call information. In subjects previously exposed in conjunction with alarm calls, we found heightened predator inspection compared to control subjects exposed without alarm calls, indicating one-trial social learning of 'meaning'. Moreover, some juveniles (but not adults) produced the same alarm calls they heard during the initial exposure whereas the authenticity of the models had an additional effect. Our experiment provides preliminary evidence that, in non-human primates, call meaning can be acquired by one-trail social learning but that subject age and core knowledge about predators additionally moderate the acquisition of novel call-referent associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adwait Deshpande
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Bas Van Boekholt
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Comparative BioCognition, Department of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Klaus Zuberbuhler
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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12
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Zuberbühler K, León J, Deshpande A, Quintero F. Socially scripted vocal learning in primates. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Acquisition of predator knowledge from alarm calls via one-trial social learning in monkeys. iScience 2022; 25:104853. [PMID: 36034220 PMCID: PMC9400077 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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14
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Castellucci GA, Guenther FH, Long MA. A Theoretical Framework for Human and Nonhuman Vocal Interaction. Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:295-316. [PMID: 35316612 PMCID: PMC9909589 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-094807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Vocal communication is a critical feature of social interaction across species; however, the relation between such behavior in humans and nonhumans remains unclear. To enable comparative investigation of this topic, we review the literature pertinent to interactive language use and identify the superset of cognitive operations involved in generating communicative action. We posit these functions comprise three intersecting multistep pathways: (a) the Content Pathway, which selects the movements constituting a response; (b) the Timing Pathway, which temporally structures responses; and (c) the Affect Pathway, which modulates response parameters according to internal state. These processing streams form the basis of the Convergent Pathways for Interaction framework, which provides a conceptual model for investigating the cognitive and neural computations underlying vocal communication across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg A. Castellucci
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frank H. Guenther
- Departments of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael A. Long
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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15
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Schick J, Fryns C, Wegdell F, Laporte M, Zuberbühler K, van Schaik CP, Townsend SW, Stoll S. The function and evolution of child-directed communication. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001630. [PMID: 35522717 PMCID: PMC9116647 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans communicate with small children in unusual and highly conspicuous ways (child-directed communication (CDC)), which enhance social bonding and facilitate language acquisition. CDC-like inputs are also reported for some vocally learning animals, suggesting similar functions in facilitating communicative competence. However, adult great apes, our closest living relatives, rarely signal to their infants, implicating communication surrounding the infant as the main input for infant great apes and early humans. Given cross-cultural variation in the amount and structure of CDC, we suggest that child-surrounding communication (CSC) provides essential compensatory input when CDC is less prevalent-a paramount topic for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Schick
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Fryns
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Comparative Cognition, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Wegdell
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marion Laporte
- Histoire naturelle de l’Homme préhistorique, UMR 7194, PaleoFED, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- Institut des Sciences du Calcul et des Données, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Comparative Cognition, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Carel P. van Schaik
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon W. Townsend
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Warwick, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine Stoll
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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16
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Takagi S, Saito A, Arahori M, Chijiiwa H, Koyasu H, Nagasawa M, Kikusui T, Fujita K, Kuroshima H. Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6155. [PMID: 35418204 PMCID: PMC9007945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10261-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans communicate with each other through language, which enables us talk about things beyond time and space. Do non-human animals learn to associate human speech with specific objects in everyday life? We examined whether cats matched familiar cats' names and faces (Exp.1) and human family members' names and faces (Exp.2). Cats were presented with a photo of the familiar cat's face on a laptop monitor after hearing the same cat's name or another cat's name called by the subject cat's owner (Exp.1) or an experimenter (Exp.2). Half of the trials were in a congruent condition where the name and face matched, and half were in an incongruent (mismatch) condition. Results of Exp.1 showed that household cats paid attention to the monitor for longer in the incongruent condition, suggesting an expectancy violation effect; however, café cats did not. In Exp.2, cats living in larger human families were found to look at the monitor for increasingly longer durations in the incongruent condition. Furthermore, this tendency was stronger among cats that had lived with their human family for a longer time, although we could not rule out an effect of age. This study provides evidence that cats link a companion's name and corresponding face without explicit training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saho Takagi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan.
| | - Atsuko Saito
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University, 7-1, Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8554, Japan
| | - Minori Arahori
- Research and Development Section, Anicom Speciality Medical Institute Inc., 2-6-3 Chojamachi 5F, Yokohamashi-Nakaku, Kanagawaken, 231-0033, Japan
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan
| | - Hitomi Chijiiwa
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hikari Koyasu
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazuo Fujita
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hika Kuroshima
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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17
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Singh UA, Iyengar S. The Role of the Endogenous Opioid System in the Vocal Behavior of Songbirds and Its Possible Role in Vocal Learning. Front Physiol 2022; 13:823152. [PMID: 35273519 PMCID: PMC8902293 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.823152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid system in the brain is responsible for processing affective states such as pain, pleasure, and reward. It consists of three main receptors, mu- (μ-ORs), delta- (δ-ORs), and kappa- (κ-ORs), and their ligands – the endogenous opioid peptides. Despite their involvement in the reward pathway, and a signaling mechanism operating in synergy with the dopaminergic system, fewer reports focus on the role of these receptors in higher cognitive processes. Whereas research on opioids is predominated by studies on their addictive properties and role in pain pathways, recent studies suggest that these receptors may be involved in learning. Rodents deficient in δ-ORs were poor at recognizing the location of novel objects in their surroundings. Furthermore, in chicken, learning to avoid beads coated with a bitter chemical from those without the coating was modulated by δ-ORs. Similarly, μ-ORs facilitate long term potentiation in hippocampal CA3 neurons in mammals, thereby having a positive impact on spatial learning. Whereas these studies have explored the role of opioid receptors on learning using reward/punishment-based paradigms, the role of these receptors in natural learning processes, such as vocal learning, are yet unexplored. In this review, we explore studies that have established the expression pattern of these receptors in different brain regions of birds, with an emphasis on songbirds which are model systems for vocal learning. We also review the role of opioid receptors in modulating the cognitive processes associated with vocalizations in birds. Finally, we discuss the role of these receptors in regulating the motivation to vocalize, and a possible role in modulating vocal learning.
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18
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Fröhlich M, Bartolotta N, Fryns C, Wagner C, Momon L, Jaffrezic M, Mitra Setia T, Schuppli C, van Noordwijk MA, van Schaik CP. Orangutans have larger gestural repertoires in captivity than in the wild-A case of weak innovation? iScience 2021; 24:103304. [PMID: 34820602 PMCID: PMC8601978 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether nonhuman species can change their communicative repertoire in response to socio-ecological environments has critical implications for communicative innovativeness prior to the emergence of human language, with its unparalleled productivity. Here, we use a comparative sample of wild and zoo-housed orangutans of two species (Pongo abelii, Pongo pygmaeus) to assess the effect of the wild-captive contrast on repertoires of gestures and facial expressions. We find that repertoires on both the individual and population levels are larger in captive than in wild settings, regardless of species, age class, or sampling effort. In the more sociable Sumatran species, dominant use of signals toward single outcomes was also higher in captive settings. We thus conclude that orangutans exposed to more sociable and terrestrial conditions evince behavioral plasticity, in that they produce additional innate or innovated signals that are highly functionally specific. These findings suggest a latent capacity for innovativeness in these apes' communicative repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen Fröhlich
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natasha Bartolotta
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Fryns
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Colin Wagner
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurene Momon
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Marvin Jaffrezic
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, University of Strasbourg, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Tatang Mitra Setia
- Fakultas Biologi, Universitas Nasional, 12520 Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
| | - Caroline Schuppli
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Maria A. van Noordwijk
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Comparative Socioecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Carel P. van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
- Comparative Socioecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
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19
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Duporge I, Spiegel MP, Thomson ER, Chapman T, Lamberth C, Pond C, Macdonald DW, Wang T, Klinck H. Determination of optimal flight altitude to minimise acoustic drone disturbance to wildlife using species audiograms. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isla Duporge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of OxfordRecanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Marcus P. Spiegel
- School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Tatiana Chapman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of OxfordRecanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Curt Lamberth
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Caroline Pond
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of OxfordRecanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Tiejun Wang
- Faculty of Geo‐Information Science and Earth Observation University of Twente Enschede The Netherlands
| | - Holger Klinck
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York USA
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20
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Going Batty: The Challenges and Opportunities of Using Drones to Monitor the Behaviour and Habitat Use of Rays. DRONES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/drones5010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The way an animal behaves in its habitat provides insight into its ecological role. As such, collecting robust, accurate datasets in a time-efficient manner is an ever-present pressure for the field of behavioural ecology. Faced with the shortcomings and physical limitations of traditional ground-based data collection techniques, particularly in marine studies, drones offer a low-cost and efficient approach for collecting data in a range of coastal environments. Despite drones being widely used to monitor a range of marine animals, they currently remain underutilised in ray research. The innovative application of drones in environmental and ecological studies has presented novel opportunities in animal observation and habitat assessment, although this emerging field faces substantial challenges. As we consider the possibility to monitor rays using drones, we face challenges related to local aviation regulations, the weather and environment, as well as sensor and platform limitations. Promising solutions continue to be developed, however, growing the potential for drone-based monitoring of behaviour and habitat use of rays. While the barriers to enter this field may appear daunting for researchers with little experience with drones, the technology is becoming increasingly accessible, helping ray researchers obtain a wide range of highly useful data.
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21
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Ben Mocha Y, Burkart JM. Intentional communication: solving methodological issues to assigning first-order intentional signalling. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:903-921. [PMID: 33439530 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intentional signalling plays a fundamental role in human communication. Mapping the taxonomic distribution of comparable capacities may thus shed light on the selective pressures that enabled the evolution of human communication. Nonetheless, severe methodological issues undermine comparisons among studies, species and communicative modalities. Here, we discuss three main obstacles that hinder comparative research of 'first-order' intentional signalling (i.e. voluntary signalling in pursuit of a cognitively represented goal): (i) inconsistency in how behavioural hallmarks are defined and operationalised, (ii) testing of behavioural hallmarks without statistical comparison to control conditions, and (iii) bias against the publication of negative results. To address these obstacles, we present a four-step scheme with 20 statistical operational criteria to distinguish between non-intentional and first-order intentional signalling. Our unified scheme applies to visual and audible signals, thereby validating comparison across communicative modalities and species. This, in turn, promotes the generation and testing of hypotheses about the evolution of intentional communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitzchak Ben Mocha
- Department of Anthropology, Zürich University, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland.,Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78457, Germany
| | - Judith M Burkart
- Department of Anthropology, Zürich University, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
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22
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Fischer J, Wegdell F, Trede F, Dal Pesco F, Hammerschmidt K. Vocal convergence in a multi-level primate society: insights into the evolution of vocal learning. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202531. [PMID: 33323082 PMCID: PMC7779498 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which nonhuman primate vocalizations are amenable to modification through experience is relevant for understanding the substrate from which human speech evolved. We examined the vocal behaviour of Guinea baboons, Papio papio, ranging in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. Guinea baboons live in a multi-level society, with units nested within parties nested within gangs. We investigated whether the acoustic structure of grunts of 27 male baboons of two gangs varied with party/gang membership and genetic relatedness. Males in this species are philopatric, resulting in increased male relatedness within gangs and parties. Grunts of males that were members of the same social levels were more similar than those of males in different social levels (N = 351 dyads for comparison within and between gangs, and N = 169 dyads within and between parties), but the effect sizes were small. Yet, acoustic similarity did not correlate with genetic relatedness, suggesting that higher amounts of social interactions rather than genetic relatedness promote the observed vocal convergence. We consider this convergence a result of sensory-motor integration and suggest this to be an implicit form of vocal learning shared with humans, in contrast to the goal-directed and intentional explicit form of vocal learning unique to human speech acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franziska Wegdell
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franziska Trede
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Federica Dal Pesco
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
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23
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Bandini E, Harrison RA. Innovation in chimpanzees. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1167-1197. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bandini
- Department for Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology The University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Rachel A. Harrison
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
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24
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Neural oscillations in the fronto-striatal network predict vocal output in bats. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000658. [PMID: 32191695 PMCID: PMC7081985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to vocalize is ubiquitous in vertebrates, but neural networks underlying vocal control remain poorly understood. Here, we performed simultaneous neuronal recordings in the frontal cortex and dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus, CN) during the production of echolocation pulses and communication calls in bats. This approach allowed us to assess the general aspects underlying vocal production in mammals and the unique evolutionary adaptations of bat echolocation. Our data indicate that before vocalization, a distinctive change in high-gamma and beta oscillations (50–80 Hz and 12–30 Hz, respectively) takes place in the bat frontal cortex and dorsal striatum. Such precise fine-tuning of neural oscillations could allow animals to selectively activate motor programs required for the production of either echolocation or communication vocalizations. Moreover, the functional coupling between frontal and striatal areas, occurring in the theta oscillatory band (4–8 Hz), differs markedly at the millisecond level, depending on whether the animals are in a navigational mode (that is, emitting echolocation pulses) or in a social communication mode (emitting communication calls). Overall, this study indicates that fronto-striatal oscillations could provide a neural correlate for vocal control in bats. In bats, rhythmic activity in frontal and striatal areas of the brain provide a neural correlate for vocal control, which can be used to predict whether the ensuing vocalizations are for echolocation or social communication.
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25
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Fröhlich M, van Schaik CP. Must all signals be evolved? A proposal for a new classification of communicative acts. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2020; 11:e1527. [PMID: 32180368 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
While signals in evolutionary biology are usually defined as "acts or traits that have evolved because of their effect on others", work on gestures and vocalizations in various animal taxa have revealed population- or even individual-specific meanings of social signals. These results strongly suggest that communicative acts that are like signals with regard to both form and function (meaning) can also be acquired ontogenetically, and we discuss direct evidence for such plasticity in captive settings with rich opportunities for repeated social interactions with the same individuals. Therefore, in addition to evolved signals, we can recognize invented signals that are acquired during ontogeny (either through ontogenetic ritualization or social transmission). Thus, both gestures and vocalizations can be inventions or innate adaptations. We therefore propose to introduce innate versus invented signals as major distinct categories, with invented signals subdivided into dyad-specific and cultural signals. We suggest that elements of some signals may have mixed origins, and propose criteria to recognize acquired features of signals. We also suggest that invented signals may be most common in species with intentional communication, consistent with their ubiquity in humans, and that the ability to produce them was a necessary condition for the evolution of language. This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Linguistics > Evolution of Language Psychology > Comparative Psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen Fröhlich
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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26
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Fischer J, Hammerschmidt K. Towards a new taxonomy of primate vocal production learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190045. [PMID: 31735147 PMCID: PMC6895554 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which vocal learning can be found in nonhuman primates is key to reconstructing the evolution of speech. Regarding the adjustment of vocal output in relation to auditory experience (vocal production learning in the narrow sense), effects on the ontogenetic trajectory of vocal development as well as adjustment to group-specific call features have been found. Yet, a comparison of the vocalizations of different primate genera revealed striking similarities in the structure of calls and repertoires in different species of the same genus, indicating that the structure of nonhuman primate vocalizations is highly conserved. Thus, modifications in relation to experience only appear to be possible within relatively tight species-specific constraints. By contrast, comprehension learning may be extremely rapid and open-ended. In conjunction, these findings corroborate the idea of an ancestral independence of vocal production and auditory comprehension learning. To overcome the futile debate about whether or not vocal production learning can be found in nonhuman primates, we suggest putting the focus on the different mechanisms that may mediate the adjustment of vocal output in response to experience; these mechanisms may include auditory facilitation and learning from success. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen, Niedersachsen 37077, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen, Niedersachsen 37077, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
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