1
|
Hersh TA, Ravignani A, Whitehead H. Cetaceans are the next frontier for vocal rhythm research. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313093121. [PMID: 38814875 PMCID: PMC11194516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313093121] [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] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
While rhythm can facilitate and enhance many aspects of behavior, its evolutionary trajectory in vocal communication systems remains enigmatic. We can trace evolutionary processes by investigating rhythmic abilities in different species, but research to date has largely focused on songbirds and primates. We present evidence that cetaceans-whales, dolphins, and porpoises-are a missing piece of the puzzle for understanding why rhythm evolved in vocal communication systems. Cetaceans not only produce rhythmic vocalizations but also exhibit behaviors known or thought to play a role in the evolution of different features of rhythm. These behaviors include vocal learning abilities, advanced breathing control, sexually selected vocal displays, prolonged mother-infant bonds, and behavioral synchronization. The untapped comparative potential of cetaceans is further enhanced by high interspecific diversity, which generates natural ranges of vocal and social complexity for investigating various evolutionary hypotheses. We show that rhythm (particularly isochronous rhythm, when sounds are equally spaced in time) is prevalent in cetacean vocalizations but is used in different contexts by baleen and toothed whales. We also highlight key questions and research areas that will enhance understanding of vocal rhythms across taxa. By coupling an infraorder-level taxonomic assessment of vocal rhythm production with comparisons to other species, we illustrate how broadly comparative research can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the prevalence, evolution, and possible functions of rhythm in animal communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A. Hersh
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR97365
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525 XD, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, HalifaxNS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525 XD, The Netherlands
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome00185, Italy
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, HalifaxNS B3H 4R2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sebastianelli M, Lukhele SM, Secomandi S, de Souza SG, Haase B, Moysi M, Nikiforou C, Hutfluss A, Mountcastle J, Balacco J, Pelan S, Chow W, Fedrigo O, Downs CT, Monadjem A, Dingemanse NJ, Jarvis ED, Brelsford A, vonHoldt BM, Kirschel ANG. A genomic basis of vocal rhythm in birds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3095. [PMID: 38653976 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47305-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Vocal rhythm plays a fundamental role in sexual selection and species recognition in birds, but little is known of its genetic basis due to the confounding effect of vocal learning in model systems. Uncovering its genetic basis could facilitate identifying genes potentially important in speciation. Here we investigate the genomic underpinnings of rhythm in vocal non-learning Pogoniulus tinkerbirds using 135 individual whole genomes distributed across a southern African hybrid zone. We find rhythm speed is associated with two genes that are also known to affect human speech, Neurexin-1 and Coenzyme Q8A. Models leveraging ancestry reveal these candidate loci also impact rhythmic stability, a trait linked with motor performance which is an indicator of quality. Character displacement in rhythmic stability suggests possible reinforcement against hybridization, supported by evidence of asymmetric assortative mating in the species producing faster, more stable rhythms. Because rhythm is omnipresent in animal communication, candidate genes identified here may shape vocal rhythm across birds and other vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Sebastianelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus.
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Box 582, 751 23, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Sifiso M Lukhele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus
| | - Simona Secomandi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus
| | - Stacey G de Souza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus
| | - Bettina Haase
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michaella Moysi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus
| | - Christos Nikiforou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus
| | - Alexander Hutfluss
- Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich (LMU), 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Jennifer Balacco
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Olivier Fedrigo
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Colleen T Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield, 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich (LMU), 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Alan Brelsford
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Alexander N G Kirschel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Silfwerbrand L, Koike Y, Nyström P, Gingnell M. Directed causal effect with PCMCI in hyperscanning EEG time series. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1305918. [PMID: 38686325 PMCID: PMC11057377 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1305918] [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: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Social activities are likely to cause effects or reactivity in the brains of the people involved in collaborative social situations. This study assesses a new method, Tigramite, for time domain analysis of directed causality between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of persons in such situations. An experimental situation using hyperscanning EEG was applied while individuals led and followed each other in finger-tapping rhythms. This structured task has a long duration and a high likelihood of inter-brain causal reactions in the prefrontal cortices. Tigramite is a graph-based causal discovery method to identify directed causal relationships in observational time series. Tigramite was used to analyze directed causal connections within and between the PFC. Significantly directed causality within and between brains could be detected during the social interactions. This is the first empirical evidence the Tigramite can reveal inter- and intra-brain-directed causal effects in hyperscanning EEG time series. The findings are promising for further studies of causality in neural networks during social activities using Tigramite on EEG in the time domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lykke Silfwerbrand
- Department of Medical Sciences, Psychiatry, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Koike
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Pär Nyström
- Department of Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Gingnell
- Department of Medical Sciences, Psychiatry, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, Division of Emotion Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ma H, Wang Z, Han P, Fan P, Chapman CA, Garber PA, Fan P. Small apes adjust rhythms to facilitate song coordination. Curr Biol 2024; 34:935-945.e3. [PMID: 38266649 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.071] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Song coordination is a universal characteristic of human music. Many animals also produce well-coordinated duets or choruses that resemble human music. However, the mechanism and evolution of song coordination have only recently been studied in animals. Here, we studied the mechanism of song coordination in three closely related species of wild Nomascus gibbons that live in polygynous groups. In each species, song bouts were dominated by male solo sequences (referred to hereafter as male sequence), and females contributed stereotyped great calls to coordinate with males. Considering the function of rhythm in facilitating song coordination in human music and animal vocalizations, we predicted that adult males adjust their song rhythm to facilitate song coordination with females. In support of this prediction, we found that adult males produced significantly more isochronous rhythms with a faster tempo in male sequences that were followed by successful female great calls (a complete sequence with "introductory" and "wa" notes). The difference in isochrony and tempos between successful great call sequences and male sequences was smaller in N. concolor compared with the other two species, which may make it difficult for females to predict a male's precise temporal pattern. Consequently, adult females of N. concolor produced more failed great call (an incomplete sequence with only introductory notes) sequences. We propose that the high degree of rhythm change functions as an unambiguous signal that can be easily perceived by receivers. In this regard, gibbon vocalizations offer an instructive model to understand the origins and evolution of human music.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haigang Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China
| | - Zidi Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China
| | - Pu Han
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China
| | - Penglai Fan
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin 541006, Guangxi, China; Endangered Animal Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541006, Guangxi, China
| | - Colin A Chapman
- Biology Department, Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5, Canada; Wilson Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA; School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa; Shanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; International Centre of Biodiversity and Primate Conservation, Dali University, Dali 671003, Yunnan, China
| | - Pengfei Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
De Gregorio C, Valente D, Ferrario V, Carugati F, Cristiano W, Raimondi T, Torti V, Giacoma C, Gamba M. Who you live with and what you duet for: a review of the function of primate duets in relation to their social organization. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:281-294. [PMID: 38285176 PMCID: PMC10995044 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01689-9] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Duets are one of the most fascinating displays in animal vocal communication, where two animals fine-tune the timing of their emissions to create a coordinated signal. Duetting behavior is widespread in the animal kingdom and is present in insects, birds, and mammals. Duets are essential to regulate activities within and between social units. Few studies assessed the functions of these vocal emissions experimentally, and for many species, there is still no consensus on what duets are used for. Here, we reviewed the literature on the function of duets in non-human primates, investigating a possible link between the social organization of the species and the function of its duetting behavior. In primates and birds, social conditions characterized by higher promiscuity might relate to the emergence of duetting behavior. We considered both quantitative and qualitative studies, which led us to hypothesize that the shift in the social organization from pair living to a mixed social organization might have led to the emergence of mate defense and mate guarding as critical functions of duetting behavior. Territory/resource ownership and defense functions are more critical in obligate pair-living species. Finally, we encourage future experimental research on this topic to allow the formulation of empirically testable predictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Gregorio
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Valeria Ferrario
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Filippo Carugati
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Walter Cristiano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Environment and Health Department, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa Raimondi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Anichini M, de Reus K, Hersh TA, Valente D, Salazar-Casals A, Berry C, Keller PE, Ravignani A. Measuring rhythms of vocal interactions: a proof of principle in harbour seal pups. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210477. [PMID: 36871583 PMCID: PMC9985970 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhythmic patterns in interactive contexts characterize human behaviours such as conversational turn-taking. These timed patterns are also present in other animals, and often described as rhythm. Understanding fine-grained temporal adjustments in interaction requires complementary quantitative methodologies. Here, we showcase how vocal interactive rhythmicity in a non-human animal can be quantified using a multi-method approach. We record vocal interactions in harbour seal pups (Phoca vitulina) under controlled conditions. We analyse these data by combining analytical approaches, namely categorical rhythm analysis, circular statistics and time series analyses. We test whether pups' vocal rhythmicity varies across behavioural contexts depending on the absence or presence of a calling partner. Four research questions illustrate which analytical approaches are complementary versus orthogonal. For our data, circular statistics and categorical rhythms suggest that a calling partner affects a pup's call timing. Granger causality suggests that pups predictively adjust their call timing when interacting with a real partner. Lastly, the ADaptation and Anticipation Model estimates statistical parameters for a potential mechanism of temporal adaptation and anticipation. Our analytical complementary approach constitutes a proof of concept; it shows feasibility in applying typically unrelated techniques to seals to quantify vocal rhythmic interactivity across behavioural contexts. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Anichini
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology N-6025 Ålesund, Norway.,Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study, 'Brain' Research Area, 27753 Delmenhorst, Germany.,Division Animal Physiology and Behaviour, Department for Neuroscience, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Koen de Reus
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Taylor A Hersh
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Anna Salazar-Casals
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, 9968 AG Pieterburen, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline Berry
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter E Keller
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.,Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Silfwerbrand L, Ogata Y, Yoshimura N, Koike Y, Gingnell M. An fMRI-study of leading and following using rhythmic tapping. Soc Neurosci 2023; 17:558-567. [PMID: 36891876 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2189615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Leading and following is about synchronizing and joining actions in accordance with the differences that the leader and follower roles provide. The neural reactivity representing these roles was measured in an explorative fMRI-study, where two persons lead and followed each other in finger tapping using simple, individual, pre-learnt rhythms. All participants acted both as leader and follower. Neural reactivity for both lead and follow related to social awareness and adaptation distributed over the lateral STG, STS and TPJ. Reactivity for follow contrasted with lead mostly reflected sensorimotor and rhythmic processing in cerebellum IV, V, somatosensory cortex and SMA. During leading, as opposed to following, neural reactivity was observed in the insula and bilaterally in the superior temporal gyrus, pointing toward empathy, sharing of feelings, temporal coding and social engagement. Areas for continuous adaptation, in the posterior cerebellum and Rolandic operculum, were activated during both leading and following. This study indicated mutual adaptation of leader and follower during tapping and that the roles gave rise to largely similar neuronal reactivity. The differences between the roles indicated that leading was more socially focused and following had more motoric- and temporally related neural reactivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lykke Silfwerbrand
- Department of Medical sciences, Psychiatry, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden.,Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yousuke Ogata
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Natsue Yoshimura
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Koike
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Malin Gingnell
- Department of Medical sciences, Psychiatry, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Psychology, Emotion Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Raimondi T, Di Panfilo G, Pasquali M, Zarantonello M, Favaro L, Savini T, Gamba M, Ravignani A. Isochrony and rhythmic interaction in ape duetting. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222244. [PMID: 36629119 PMCID: PMC9832542 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
How did rhythm originate in humans, and other species? One cross-cultural universal, frequently found in human music, is isochrony: when note onsets repeat regularly like the ticking of a clock. Another universal consists in synchrony (e.g. when individuals coordinate their notes so that they are sung at the same time). An approach to biomusicology focuses on similarities and differences across species, trying to build phylogenies of musical traits. Here we test for the presence of, and a link between, isochrony and synchrony in a non-human animal. We focus on the songs of one of the few singing primates, the lar gibbon (Hylobates lar), extracting temporal features from their solo songs and duets. We show that another ape exhibits one rhythmic feature at the core of human musicality: isochrony. We show that an enhanced call rate overall boosts isochrony, suggesting that respiratory physiological constraints play a role in determining the song's rhythmic structure. However, call rate alone cannot explain the flexible isochrony we witness. Isochrony is plastic and modulated depending on the context of emission: gibbons are more isochronous when duetting than singing solo. We present evidence for rhythmic interaction: we find statistical causality between one individual's note onsets and the co-singer's onsets, and a higher than chance degree of synchrony in the duets. Finally, we find a sex-specific trade-off between individual isochrony and synchrony. Gibbon's plasticity for isochrony and rhythmic overlap may suggest a potential shared selective pressure for interactive vocal displays in singing primates. This pressure may have convergently shaped human and gibbon musicality while acting on a common neural primate substrate. Beyond humans, singing primates are promising models to understand how music and, specifically, a sense of rhythm originated in the primate phylogeny.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Raimondi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Panfilo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Pasquali
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Martina Zarantonello
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Livio Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tommaso Savini
- Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi, School of Bioresources and Technology, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abreu F, Pika S. Turn-taking skills in mammals: A systematic review into development and acquisition. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.987253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
How human language evolved remains one of the most intriguing questions in science, and different approaches have been used to tackle this question. A recent hypothesis, the Interaction Engine Hypothesis, postulates that language was made possible through the special capacity for social interaction involving different social cognitive skills (e.g., joint attention, common ground) and specific characteristics such as face-to-face interaction, mutual gaze and turn-taking, the exchange of rapid communicative turns. Recently, it has been argued that this turn-taking infrastructure may be a foundational and ancient mechanism of the layered system of language because communicative turn-taking has been found in human infants and across several non-human primate species. Moreover, there is some evidence for turn-taking in different mammalian taxa, especially those capable of vocal learning. Surprisingly, however, the existing studies have mainly focused on turn-taking production of adult individuals, while little is known about its emergence and development in young individuals. Hence, the aim of the current paper was 2-fold: First, we carried out a systematic review of turn-taking development and acquisition in mammals to evaluate possible research bias and existing gaps. Second, we highlight research avenues to spur more research into this domain and investigate if distinct turn-taking elements can be found in other non-human animal species. Since mammals exhibit an extended development period, including learning and strong parental care, they represent an excellent model group in which to investigate the acquisition and development of turn-taking abilities. We performed a systematic review including a wide range of terms and found 21 studies presenting findings on turn-taking abilities in infants and juveniles. Most of these studies were from the last decade, showing an increased interest in this field over the years. Overall, we found a considerable variation in the terminologies and methodological approaches used. In addition, studies investigating turn-taking abilities across different development periods and in relation to different social partners were very rare, thereby hampering direct, systematic comparisons within and across species. Nonetheless, the results of some studies suggested that specific turn-taking elements are innate, while others are acquired during development (e.g., flexibility). Finally, we pinpoint fruitful research avenues and hypotheses to move the field of turn-taking development forward and improve our understanding of the impact of turn-taking on language evolution.
Collapse
|
10
|
Ravignani A, Lumaca M, Kotz SA. Interhemispheric Brain Communication and the Evolution of Turn-Taking in Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.916956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last 20 years, research on turn-taking and duetting has flourished in at least three, historically separate disciplines: animal behavior, language sciences, and music cognition. While different in scope and methods, all three ultimately share one goal—namely the understanding of timed interactions among conspecifics. In this perspective, we aim at connecting turn-taking and duetting across species from a neural perspective. While we are still far from a defined neuroethology of turn-taking, we argue that the human neuroscience of turn-taking and duetting can inform animal bioacoustics. For this, we focus on a particular concept, interhemispheric connectivity, and its main white-matter substrate, the corpus callosum. We provide an overview of the role of corpus callosum in human neuroscience and interactive music and speech. We hypothesize its mechanistic connection to turn-taking and duetting in our species, and a potential translational link to mammalian research. We conclude by illustrating empirical venues for neuroethological research of turn-taking and duetting in mammals.
Collapse
|
11
|
Vanderhoff EN, Bernal Hoverud N. Perspectives on Antiphonal Calling, Duetting and Counter-Singing in Non-primate Mammals: An Overview With Notes on the Coordinated Vocalizations of Bamboo Rats (Dactylomys spp., Rodentia: Echimyidae). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.906546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporally coordinated interactive vocalizations are important means of communication between individuals in various animal taxa. In mammals, interactive calling and singing can be highly synchronized to create either overlapping or antiphonal duets while in others, competitors antagonistically vocalize, engaging in counter-singing. Among non-primate mammals these vocalizations are considered rare and poorly understood. We provide an overview of antiphonal calling, duetting and counter-singing in non-primate mammals. Many of these coordinated vocalizations play a role in social interactions and allow mammals to convey information to other members of the social unit in visually inaccessible environments. South American Bamboo rats Dactylomys spp. are arboreal bamboo specialists found in dense bamboo thickets in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia. These nocturnal rodents are rarely seen but can be easily heard because of their loud and distinctive staccato vocalizations. We provide some evidence that Bamboo rats engage in duetting, and as such they provide another case of a mammalian species, in which to investigate temporally coordinated interactive singing. We urge researchers to work toward common definitions of temporally coordinated vocalizations and to search for more mammals that utilize such vocalizations.
Collapse
|
12
|
Adret P. Developmental Plasticity in Primate Coordinated Song: Parallels and Divergences With Duetting Songbirds. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.862196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeothermic animals (birds and mammals) are prime model systems for investigating the developmental plasticity and neural mechanisms of vocal duetting, a cooperative acoustic signal that prevails in family-living and pair-bonded species including humans. This review focuses on the nature of this trait and its nurturing during ontogeny and extending into adulthood. I begin by outlining the underpinning concepts of duet codes and pair-specific answering rules as used by birds to develop their learned coordinated song, driven by a complex interaction between self-generated and socially mediated auditory feedback. The more tractable avian model of duetting helps identify research gaps in singing primates that also use duetting as a type of intraspecific vocal interaction. Nevertheless, it has become clear that primate coordinated song—whether overlapping or antiphonal—is subject to some degree of vocal flexibility. This is reflected in the ability of lesser apes, titi monkeys, tarsiers, and lemurs to adjust the structure and timing of their calls through (1) social influence, (2) coordinated duetting both before and after mating, (3) the repair of vocal mistakes, (4) the production of heterosexual song early in life, (5) vocal accommodation in call rhythm, (6) conditioning, and (7) innovation. Furthermore, experimental work on the neural underpinnings of avian and mammalian antiphonal duets point to a hierarchical (cortico-subcortical) control mechanism that regulates, via inhibition, the temporal segregation of rapid vocal exchanges. I discuss some weaknesses in this growing field of research and highlight prospective avenues for future investigation.
Collapse
|
13
|
Ghosh S, Cottingham KL, Reuman DC. Species relationships in the extremes and their influence on community stability. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200343. [PMID: 34420392 PMCID: PMC8380978 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchrony among population fluctuations of multiple coexisting species has a major impact on community stability, i.e. on the relative temporal constancy of aggregate properties such as total community biomass. However, synchrony and its impacts are usually measured using covariance methods, which do not account for whether species abundances may be more correlated when species are relatively common than when they are scarce, or vice versa. Recent work showed that species commonly exhibit such 'asymmetric tail associations'. We here consider the influence of asymmetric tail associations on community stability. We develop a 'skewness ratio' which quantifies how much species relationships and tail associations modify stability. The skewness ratio complements the classic variance ratio and related metrics. Using multi-decadal grassland datasets, we show that accounting for tail associations gives new viewpoints on synchrony and stability; e.g. species associations can alter community stability differentially for community crashes or explosions to high values, a fact not previously detectable. Species associations can mitigate explosions of community abundance to high values, increasing one aspect of stability, while simultaneously exacerbating crashes to low values, decreasing another aspect of stability; or vice versa. Our work initiates a new, more flexible paradigm for exploring species relationships and community stability. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shyamolina Ghosh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | | | - Daniel C. Reuman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Laboratory of Populations, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Greenfield MD, Honing H, Kotz SA, Ravignani A. Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200324. [PMID: 34420379 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This theme issue assembles current studies that ask how and why precise synchronization and related forms of rhythm interaction are expressed in a wide range of behaviour. The studies cover human activity, with an emphasis on music, and social behaviour, reproduction and communication in non-human animals. In most cases, the temporally aligned rhythms have short-from several seconds down to a fraction of a second-periods and are regulated by central nervous system pacemakers, but interactions involving rhythms that are 24 h or longer and originate in biological clocks also occur. Across this spectrum of activities, species and time scales, empirical work and modelling suggest that synchrony arises from a limited number of coupled-oscillator mechanisms with which individuals mutually entrain. Phylogenetic distribution of these common mechanisms points towards convergent evolution. Studies of animal communication indicate that many synchronous interactions between the signals of neighbouring individuals are specifically favoured by selection. However, synchronous displays are often emergent properties of entrainment between signalling individuals, and in some situations, the very signallers who produce a display might not gain any benefit from the collective timing of their production. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Greenfield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.,Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, ENES/Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, Universtiy Lyon/Saint-Etienne, 42023 Saint Etienne, France
| | - Henkjan Honing
- Music Cognition Group (MCG), Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1090 GE, The Netherlands
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|