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Xie B, Daunay V, Petersen TC, Briefer EF. Vocal repertoire and individuality in the plains zebra ( Equus quagga). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240477. [PMID: 39076369 PMCID: PMC11286140 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Acoustic signals are vital in animal communication, and quantifying them is fundamental for understanding animal behaviour and ecology. Vocalizations can be classified into acoustically and functionally or contextually distinct categories, but establishing these categories can be challenging. Newly developed methods, such as machine learning, can provide solutions for classification tasks. The plains zebra is known for its loud and specific vocalizations, yet limited knowledge exists on the structure and information content of its vocalzations. In this study, we employed both feature-based and spectrogram-based algorithms, incorporating supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods to enhance robustness in categorizing zebra vocalization types. Additionally, we implemented a permuted discriminant function analysis to examine the individual identity information contained in the identified vocalization types. The findings revealed at least four distinct vocalization types-the 'snort', the 'soft snort', the 'squeal' and the 'quagga quagga'-with individual differences observed mostly in snorts, and to a lesser extent in squeals. Analyses based on acoustic features outperformed those based on spectrograms, but each excelled in characterizing different vocalization types. We thus recommend the combined use of these two approaches. This study offers valuable insights into plains zebra vocalization, with implications for future comprehensive explorations in animal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Xie
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Virgile Daunay
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Laboratoire Dynamique du Langage, CNRS, University Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France
- ENES Bioacoustics Research Lab, CRNL, CNRS, Inserm, University of Saint-Etienne, 42100 Saint-Etienne, France
| | | | - Elodie F. Briefer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Osiecka AN, Briefer EF, Kidawa D, Żurawska F, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K. Calls of the little auk (Alle alle) chicks reflect their behavioural contexts. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299033. [PMID: 38394184 PMCID: PMC10889865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal vocalisations can often inform conspecifics about the behavioural context of production and the underlying affective states, hence revealing whether a situation should be approached or avoided. While this is particularly important for socially complex species, little is known about affective expression in wild colonial animals, and even less to about their young. We studied vocalisations of the little auk (Alle alle) chicks in the Hornsund breeding colony, Svalbard. Little auks are highly colonial seabirds, and adults convey complex behavioural contexts through their calls. We recorded chick calls during two contexts of opposite affective valence: handing by a human, and while they interact with their parents inside the nest. Using permuted discriminant function analysis and a series of linear mixed models, we examined the effect of the production context/associated affective valence on the acoustic parameters of those calls. Calls were reliably classified to their context, with over 97% accuracy. Calls uttered during handling had higher mean entropy, fundamental frequency, as well as lower spectral centre of gravity and a less steep spectral slope compared to calls produced during interactions with a parent inside the nest. The individuality of handling calls, assessed by information content, was lower than the individuality of calls uttered in the nest. These findings suggest that seabird chicks can effectively communicate behavioural/affective contexts through calls, conveying socially important messages early in development. Our results are mostly in line with emotional expression patterns observed across taxa, supporting their evolutionary continuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N. Osiecka
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elodie F. Briefer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dorota Kidawa
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Feliksa Żurawska
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Whitham JC, Miller LJ. Utilizing vocalizations to gain insight into the affective states of non-human mammals. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1366933. [PMID: 38435367 PMCID: PMC10904518 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1366933] [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: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
This review discusses how welfare scientists can examine vocalizations to gain insight into the affective states of individual animals. In recent years, researchers working in professionally managed settings have recognized the value of monitoring the types, rates, and acoustic structures of calls, which may reflect various aspects of welfare. Fortunately, recent technological advances in the field of bioacoustics allow for vocal activity to be recorded with microphones, hydrophones, and animal-attached devices (e.g., collars), as well as automated call recognition. We consider how vocal behavior can be used as an indicator of affective state, with particular interest in the valence of emotions. While most studies have investigated vocal activity produced in negative contexts (e.g., experiencing pain, social isolation, environmental disturbances), we highlight vocalizations that express positive affective states. For instance, some species produce vocalizations while foraging, playing, engaging in grooming, or interacting affiliatively with conspecifics. This review provides an overview of the evidence that exists for the construct validity of vocal indicators of affective state in non-human mammals. Furthermore, we discuss non-invasive methods that can be utilized to investigate vocal behavior, as well as potential limitations to this line of research. In the future, welfare scientists should attempt to identify reliable, valid species-specific calls that reflect emotional valence, which may be possible by adopting a dimensional approach. The dimensional approach considers both arousal and valence by comparing vocalizations emitted in negative and positive contexts. Ultimately, acoustic activity can be tracked continuously to detect shifts in welfare status or to evaluate the impact of animal transfers, introductions, and changes to the husbandry routine or environment. We encourage welfare scientists to expand their welfare monitoring toolkits by combining vocal activity with other behavioral measures and physiological biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C. Whitham
- Chicago Zoological Society-Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States
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Gavojdian D, Mincu M, Lazebnik T, Oren A, Nicolae I, Zamansky A. BovineTalk: machine learning for vocalization analysis of dairy cattle under the negative affective state of isolation. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1357109. [PMID: 38362300 PMCID: PMC10867142 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1357109] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a critical need to develop and validate non-invasive animal-based indicators of affective states in livestock species, in order to integrate them into on-farm assessment protocols, potentially via the use of precision livestock farming (PLF) tools. One such promising approach is the use of vocal indicators. The acoustic structure of vocalizations and their functions were extensively studied in important livestock species, such as pigs, horses, poultry, and goats, yet cattle remain understudied in this context to date. Cows were shown to produce two types of vocalizations: low-frequency calls (LF), produced with the mouth closed, or partially closed, for close distance contacts, and open mouth emitted high-frequency calls (HF), produced for long-distance communication, with the latter considered to be largely associated with negative affective states. Moreover, cattle vocalizations were shown to contain information on individuality across a wide range of contexts, both negative and positive. Nowadays, dairy cows are facing a series of negative challenges and stressors in a typical production cycle, making vocalizations during negative affective states of special interest for research. One contribution of this study is providing the largest to date pre-processed (clean from noises) dataset of lactating adult multiparous dairy cows during negative affective states induced by visual isolation challenges. Here, we present two computational frameworks-deep learning based and explainable machine learning based, to classify high and low-frequency cattle calls and individual cow voice recognition. Our models in these two frameworks reached 87.2 and 89.4% accuracy for LF and HF classification, with 68.9 and 72.5% accuracy rates for the cow individual identification, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinu Gavojdian
- Cattle Production Systems Laboratory, Research and Development Institute for Bovine, Balotesti, Romania
| | - Madalina Mincu
- Cattle Production Systems Laboratory, Research and Development Institute for Bovine, Balotesti, Romania
| | - Teddy Lazebnik
- Department of Mathematics, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Department of Cancer Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ariel Oren
- Tech4Animals Laboratory, Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ioana Nicolae
- Cattle Production Systems Laboratory, Research and Development Institute for Bovine, Balotesti, Romania
| | - Anna Zamansky
- Tech4Animals Laboratory, Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Osiecka AN, Briefer EF, Kidawa D, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K. Social calls of the little auk ( Alle alle) reflect body size and possibly partnership, but not sex. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230845. [PMID: 37736531 PMCID: PMC10509585 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Source-filter theory posits that an individual's size and vocal tract length are reflected in the parameters of their calls. In species that mate assortatively, this could result in vocal similarity. In the context of mate selection, this would mean that animals could listen in to find a partner that sounds-and therefore is-similar to them. We investigated the social calls of the little auk (Alle alle), a highly vocal seabird mating assortatively, using vocalizations produced inside 15 nests by known individuals. Source- and filter-related acoustic parameters were used in linear mixed models testing the possible impact of body size. A principal component analysis followed by a permuted discriminant function analysis tested the effect of sex. Additionally, randomization procedures tested whether partners are more vocally similar than random birds. There was a significant effect of size on the mean fundamental frequency of a simple call, but not on parameters of a multisyllable call with apparent formants. Neither sex nor partnership influenced the calls-there was, however, a tendency to match certain parameters between partners. This indicates that vocal cues are at best weak indicators of size, and other factors likely play a role in mate selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N. Osiecka
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elodie F. Briefer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dorota Kidawa
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
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6
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Osiecka AN, Briefer EF, Kidawa D, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K. Seabird's cry: repertoire and vocal expression of contextual valence in the little auk (Alle alle). Sci Rep 2023; 13:8623. [PMID: 37244959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35857-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many seabird species breed in colonies counting up to hundreds of thousands of individuals. Life in such crowded colonies might require special coding-decoding systems to reliably convey information through acoustic cues. This can include, for example, developing complex vocal repertoires and adjusting the properties of their vocal signals to communicate behavioural contexts, and thus regulate social interactions with their conspecifics. We studied vocalisations produced by the little auk (Alle alle)-a highly vocal, colonial seabird-over mating and incubation periods on the SW coast of Svalbard. Using passive acoustic recordings registered in a breeding colony, we extracted eight vocalisation types: single call, clucking, classic call, low trill, short call, short-trill, terror, and handling vocalisation. Calls were grouped by production context (based on the typically associated behaviour), to which a valence (positive vs negative) was later attributed, when possible, according to fitness threats, i.e. predator or human presence (negative) and promoters, i.e. interaction with a partner (positive). The effect of the putative valence on eight selected frequency and duration variables was then investigated. The putative contextual valence significantly affected the acoustic properties of the calls. Calls assigned positive valence had higher fundamental frequency and spectral centre of gravity as well as shorter sound duration than these assigned negative valence. These results indicate that the little auk's vocal communication system may facilitate expression of complex behavioural contexts, and seems to include vocal plasticity within vocalisation types-however, more data are necessary to better understand this effect and possible interplays of other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Osiecka
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Elodie F Briefer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dorota Kidawa
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
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Laliotis GP, Papadaki K, Bizelis I. Ovine vocal individuality expression by ewes and lambs at a late (40 days) post-partum time point. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:751. [PMID: 36859133 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing the identity of conspecifics is important for survival and social interactions. In sheep, vocal individuality enhances postnatal recognition and strengthens the mother-offspring bond. Although previous studies report vocal individuality in an early postnatal period (3-15 days of life), scarce information exists on whether individuality occurs at a later postnatal time point. The aim of the study was to identify whether individuality in acoustic cues is expressed in ewes' and their lambs' bleats at 40 days post-partum. Dairy ewes (N = 21) and their suckling offspring (n = 30) were isolated separately without hearing or seeing each other, and vocalizations were recorded. Different approaches for estimating individuality on 18 determined acoustic parameters were implemented. All parameters showed individuality, but higher individuality appeared in those related with source and spectral characteristics. A discriminant function analysis showed similar levels of individuality between ewes and lambs, but lower than that reported in an earlier postnatal time, suggesting that ewes and lambs do not need strong individualized cues at the examined time point. In both cases, jitter was the only common parameter, suggesting its importance. Distinctive cues were noted between siblings. Ewes displayed vocal individuality at their dry season (a later time point than suckling period), which was based on amplitude-related acoustic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- George P Laliotis
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Kallirroi Papadaki
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Iosif Bizelis
- Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
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Greenall JS, Cornu L, Maigrot AL, de la Torre MP, Briefer EF. Age, empathy, familiarity, domestication and call features enhance human perception of animal emotion expressions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:221138. [PMID: 36483756 PMCID: PMC9727503 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Vocalizations constitute an effective way to communicate both emotional arousal (bodily activation) and valence (negative/positive). There is strong evidence suggesting that the convergence of vocal expression of emotional arousal among animal species occurs, hence enabling cross-species perception of arousal, but it is not clear if the same is true for emotional valence. Here, we conducted a large online survey to test the ability of humans to perceive emotions in the contact calls of several wild and domestic ungulates produced in situations of known emotional arousal (previously validated using either heart rate or locomotion) and valence (validated based on the context of production and behavioural indicators of emotions). Participants (1024 respondents from 48 countries) were able to rate above chance levels the arousal level of vocalizations of three of the six ungulate species and the valence of four of them. Percentages of correct ratings did not differ a lot across species for arousal (49-59%), while they showed much more variation for valence (33-68%). Interestingly, several factors such as age, empathy, familiarity and specific features of the calls enhanced these scores. These findings suggest the existence of a shared emotional system across mammalian species, which is much more pronounced for arousal than valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Sowerby Greenall
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lydia Cornu
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology & Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Laure Maigrot
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss National Stud Farm, Agroscope, Les Longs-Prés, 1580 Avenches, Switzerland
| | | | - Elodie F. Briefer
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology & Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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Lima AF, Lima SG, Nogueira-Filho SL, Held S, Paul E, Mendl M, Nogueira SS. Vocal expression of emotions in farmed spotted paca (Cuniculus paca). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Soldati A, Fedurek P, Dezecache G, Call J, Zuberbühler K. Audience sensitivity in chimpanzee display pant hoots. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Maigrot AL, Hillmann E, Briefer EF. Cross-species discrimination of vocal expression of emotional valence by Equidae and Suidae. BMC Biol 2022; 20:106. [PMID: 35606806 PMCID: PMC9128205 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01311-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discrimination and perception of emotion expression regulate interactions between conspecifics and can lead to emotional contagion (state matching between producer and receiver) or to more complex forms of empathy (e.g., sympathetic concern). Empathy processes are enhanced by familiarity and physical similarity between partners. Since heterospecifics can also be familiar with each other to some extent, discrimination/perception of emotions and, as a result, emotional contagion could also occur between species. RESULTS Here, we investigated if four species belonging to two ungulate Families, Equidae (domestic and Przewalski's horses) and Suidae (pigs and wild boars), can discriminate between vocalizations of opposite emotional valence (positive or negative), produced not only by conspecifics, but also closely related heterospecifics and humans. To this aim, we played back to individuals of these four species, which were all habituated to humans, vocalizations from a unique set of recordings for which the valence associated with vocal production was known. We found that domestic and Przewalski's horses, as well as pigs, but not wild boars, reacted more strongly when the first vocalization played was negative compared to positive, regardless of the species broadcasted. CONCLUSIONS Domestic horses, Przewalski's horses and pigs thus seem to discriminate between positive and negative vocalizations produced not only by conspecifics, but also by heterospecifics, including humans. In addition, we found an absence of difference between the strength of reaction of the four species to the calls of conspecifics and closely related heterospecifics, which could be related to similarities in the general structure of their vocalization. Overall, our results suggest that phylogeny and domestication have played a role in cross-species discrimination/perception of emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Maigrot
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 120, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss National Stud Farm, Agroscope, Les Longs-Prés, 1580, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Edna Hillmann
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.,Animal Husbandry and Ethology, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elodie F Briefer
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Agroscope, Tänikon, 8356, Ettenhausen, Switzerland. .,Department of Biology, Behavioral Ecology Group, Section for Ecology & Evolution, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
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Briefer EF, Sypherd CCR, Linhart P, Leliveld LMC, Padilla de la Torre M, Read ER, Guérin C, Deiss V, Monestier C, Rasmussen JH, Špinka M, Düpjan S, Boissy A, Janczak AM, Hillmann E, Tallet C. Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3409. [PMID: 35256620 PMCID: PMC8901661 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07174-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal expression of emotions has been observed across species and could provide a non-invasive and reliable means to assess animal emotions. We investigated if pig vocal indicators of emotions revealed in previous studies are valid across call types and contexts, and could potentially be used to develop an automated emotion monitoring tool. We performed an analysis of an extensive and unique dataset of low (LF) and high frequency (HF) calls emitted by pigs across numerous commercial contexts from birth to slaughter (7414 calls from 411 pigs). Our results revealed that the valence attributed to the contexts of production (positive versus negative) affected all investigated parameters in both LF and HF. Similarly, the context category affected all parameters. We then tested two different automated methods for call classification; a neural network revealed much higher classification accuracy compared to a permuted discriminant function analysis (pDFA), both for the valence (neural network: 91.5%; pDFA analysis weighted average across LF and HF (cross-classified): 61.7% with a chance level at 50.5%) and context (neural network: 81.5%; pDFA analysis weighted average across LF and HF (cross-classified): 19.4% with a chance level at 14.3%). These results suggest that an automated recognition system can be developed to monitor pig welfare on-farm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie F Briefer
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Ciara C-R Sypherd
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pavel Linhart
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, 104 01, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05, Č. Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Lisette M C Leliveld
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Monica Padilla de la Torre
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Universitetstunet 3, 1433, Ås, Norway
| | - Eva R Read
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | - Carole Guérin
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | - Véronique Deiss
- University of Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122, Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | | | - Jeppe H Rasmussen
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
- Center for Coastal Research, University of Agder, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, University of Agder, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Marek Špinka
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, 104 01, Prague, Czechia
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, 165 21, Prague, Czechia
| | - Sandra Düpjan
- Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Alain Boissy
- University of Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122, Saint-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - Andrew M Janczak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Universitetstunet 3, 1433, Ås, Norway
| | - Edna Hillmann
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
- Animal Husbandry and Ethology, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Céline Tallet
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
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13
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Hecht L. The importance of considering age when quantifying wild animals' welfare. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2602-2616. [PMID: 34155749 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals experience different challenges and opportunities as they mature, and this variety of experiences can lead to different levels of welfare characterizing the day-to-day lives of individuals of different ages. At the same time, most wild animals who are born do not survive to adulthood. Individuals who die as juveniles do not simply experience a homogeneous fraction of the lifetimes of older members of their species; rather, their truncated lives may be characterized by very different levels of welfare. Here, I propose the concept of welfare expectancy as a framework for quantifying wild animal welfare at a population level, given individual-level data on average welfare with respect to age. This concept fits conveniently alongside methods of analysis already used in population ecology, such as demographic sensitivity analysis, and is applicable to evaluating the welfare consequences of human interventions and natural pressures that disproportionately affect individuals of different ages. In order to understand better and improve the state of wild animal welfare, more attention should be directed towards young animals and the particular challenges they face.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Hecht
- Wild Animal Initiative, 115 Elm Street, Suite I, PMB 2321, Farmington, MN, 55024, U.S.A.,Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, U.K
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14
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Engelberg JWM, Schwartz JW, Gouzoules H. The emotional canvas of human screams: patterns and acoustic cues in the perceptual categorization of a basic call type. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10990. [PMID: 33854835 PMCID: PMC7953872 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Screams occur across taxonomically widespread species, typically in antipredator situations, and are strikingly similar acoustically, but in nonhuman primates, they have taken on acoustically varied forms in association with more contextually complex functions related to agonistic recruitment. Humans scream in an even broader range of contexts, but the extent to which acoustic variation allows listeners to perceive different emotional meanings remains unknown. We investigated how listeners responded to 30 contextually diverse human screams on six different emotion prompts as well as how selected acoustic cues predicted these responses. We found that acoustic variation in screams was associated with the perception of different emotions from these calls. Emotion ratings generally fell along two dimensions: one contrasting perceived anger, frustration, and pain with surprise and happiness, roughly associated with call duration and roughness, and one related to perceived fear, associated with call fundamental frequency. Listeners were more likely to rate screams highly in emotion prompts matching the source context, suggesting that some screams conveyed information about emotional context, but it is noteworthy that the analysis of screams from happiness contexts (n = 11 screams) revealed that they more often yielded higher ratings of fear. We discuss the implications of these findings for the role and evolution of nonlinguistic vocalizations in human communication, including consideration of how the expanded diversity in calls such as human screams might represent a derived function of language.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay W. Schwartz
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Psychological Sciences Department, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR, USA
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15
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Laurijs KA, Briefer EF, Reimert I, Webb LE. Vocalisations in farm animals: A step towards positive welfare assessment. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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16
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Villain AS, Lanthony M, Guérin C, Tallet C. Manipulable Object and Human Contact: Preference and Modulation of Emotional States in Weaned Pigs. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:577433. [PMID: 33330698 PMCID: PMC7728720 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.577433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Enriching the life of farm animals is a legal obligation in intensive farming conditions in the European Union, though not worldwide. In pigs, manipulable materials are mandatory when no bedding is available. Like manipulable objects, positive human interactions might also be considered as enrichment, as they provide the animals with opportunities to interact, increase their activity and lead to positive emotional states. In this study, we investigated how weaned pigs perceived an inanimate manipulable object and a familiar human. After a similar (in length, frequency, and procedure) familiarization to both stimuli, 24 weaned pigs were tested for a potential preference for one of the stimuli and submitted to isolation/reunion tests to evaluate the emotional value of the stimuli. We hypothesized that being reunited with a stimulus would attenuate the stress of social isolation and promote a positive state, especially if the stimulus had a positive emotional value for pigs. Although our behavioral data showed no evidence that pigs spent more time close to, or in contact with, one of the stimuli during a choice test, pigs more often approached the human and were observed lying down only near the human. Using behavioral and bioacoustic data from isolation/reunion tests, we showed that a reunion with the human decreased the time spent in an attentive state and mobility of pigs to a greater extent than a reunion with the object, or isolation. Vocalizations differed between reunions with the object and the human, and were different from those during isolation. The human and object presence led to higher frequency range and more noisy grunts, but only the human led to the production of positive shorter grunts, usually associated with positive situations. In conclusion, pigs seemed to be in a more positive emotional state, or be reassured, in the presence of a familiar human compared to the object after a short period of social isolation. This confirms the potential need for positive pseudo-social interactions with a human to enrich the pigs' environment, at least in or after potentially stressful situations.
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17
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Green AC, Lidfors LM, Lomax S, Favaro L, Clark CEF. Vocal production in postpartum dairy cows: Temporal organization and association with maternal and stress behaviors. J Dairy Sci 2020; 104:826-838. [PMID: 33131811 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian vocalizations can encode contextual information in both the spectrographic components of their individual vocal units and in their temporal organization. Here we observed 23 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows immediately after birth during interactions with their calf and when their calf was separated to the other side of a fence line. We investigated whether the vocalizations emitted in these postpartum contexts would vary temporally. We also described the maternal and stress behaviors preceding and following postpartum vocal production using kinematic diagrams and characterized call sequence structure. The kinematic diagrams highlight the disruption of maternal responses caused by calf separation and show that behavioral and vocal patterns varied according to the cows' emotional states and proximity to the calf in both contexts. During calf interactions, cows mainly produced closed-mouth calls simultaneous to licking their calf, whereas an escalation of stress responses was observed during calf separation, with the cows approaching the fence line, becoming alert to the calf, and emitting more mixed and open-mouth calls. Call sequences were similarly structured across contexts, mostly containing repetitions of a single call type, with a mean interval of 0.57 s between calls and a greater cumulative vocalization duration, attributed to an increased number of vocal units per sequence. Overall, calf separation was associated with a greater proportion of calls emitted as a sequence (inverse of single isolated calls), a shorter interval between separate call sequences, and a greater number of vocal units per sequence, compared with calf interactions. These temporal vocal features varied predictably with the high stress expression from cows during calf separation and may represent temporal modulations of emotional expression. Despite the noisy farm soundscape, empirical call type and temporal vocal features were easy to measure; thus, findings could be applied to future cattle studies wishing to analyze vocalizations for on-farm welfare assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Green
- Livestock Production and Welfare Group, University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camden 2570, Australia; Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University of Lyon/Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne 42023, France.
| | - Lena M Lidfors
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden
| | - Sabrina Lomax
- Livestock Production and Welfare Group, University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camden 2570, Australia
| | - Livio Favaro
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University of Lyon/Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne 42023, France; Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Cameron E F Clark
- Livestock Production and Welfare Group, University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camden 2570, Australia
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18
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Villain AS, Hazard A, Danglot M, Guérin C, Boissy A, Tallet C. Piglets vocally express the anticipation of pseudo-social contexts in their grunts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18496. [PMID: 33116261 PMCID: PMC7595114 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75378-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions not only arise in reaction to an event but also while anticipating it, making this context a means of accessing the emotional value of events. Before now, anticipatory studies have rarely considered whether vocalisations carry information about emotional states. We studied both the grunts of piglets and their spatial behaviour as they anticipated two (pseudo)social events known to elicit positive emotions of different intensity: arrival of familiar conspecifics and arrival of a familiar human. Piglets spatially anticipated both pseudo-social contexts, and the spectro temporal features of grunts differed according to the emotional context. Piglets produced low-frequency grunts at a higher rate when anticipating conspecifics compared to anticipating a human. Spectral noise increased when piglets expected conspecifics, whereas the duration and frequency range increased when expecting a human. When the arrival of conspecifics was delayed, the grunt duration increased, whereas when the arrival of the human was delayed, the spectral parameters were comparable to those during isolation. This shows that vocal expressions in piglets during anticipation are specific to the expected reward. Vocal expressions-both their temporal and spectral features- are thus a good way to explore the emotional state of piglets during the anticipation of challenging events.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Villain
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France.
| | - A Hazard
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | - M Danglot
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | - C Guérin
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | - A Boissy
- UMRH, INRAE, VétoAgroSup, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63122, St-Genès Champanelle, France
| | - C Tallet
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France.
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19
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Green AC, Clark CE, Lomax S, Favaro L, Reby D. Context-related variation in the peripartum vocalisations and phonatory behaviours of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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20
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Gerencsér L, Pérez Fraga P, Lovas M, Újváry D, Andics A. Comparing interspecific socio-communicative skills of socialized juvenile dogs and miniature pigs. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:917-929. [PMID: 31256339 PMCID: PMC6834752 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01284-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Previous research proves dogs' outstanding success in socio-communicative interactions with humans; however, little is known about other domestic species' interspecific skills when kept as companion animals. Our aim was to assess highly socialized young miniature pigs' spontaneous reactions in interactions with humans in direct comparison with that of young family dogs. All subjects experienced similar amount of socialization in human families. In Study 1, we investigated the appearance of human-oriented behaviours without the presence of food (Control condition) when a previously provided food reward was withheld (Food condition). In Study 2, we measured responsiveness to two types of the distal pointing gesture (dynamic sustained and momentary) in a two-way object choice test. In the Control condition of Study 1, the duration of pigs' and dogs' orientation towards and their frequency of touching the human's body was similar. In the Food condition, these behaviours and orienting to the human's face were intensified in both species. However, pigs exhibited face-orientation to an overall lesser extent and almost exclusively in the Food condition. In Study 2, only dogs relied spontaneously on the distal dynamic-sustained pointing gesture, while all pigs developed side bias. The results suggest that individual familiarization to a human environment enables the spontaneous appearance of similar socio-communicative behaviours in dogs and pigs, however, species predispositions might cause differences in the display of specific signals as well as in the success of spontaneously responding to certain types of the human pointing gestures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Gerencsér
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
| | - Paula Pérez Fraga
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Melinda Lovas
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Újváry
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
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