Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Extensive research indicates that inter-sexual selection drives the evolution of complex vocal communication in birds, but parallel lines of evidence are almost entirely absent in mammals. This dearth of evidence, particularly among primates, limits our understanding of the link between sociality and vocal complexity. Here, we use a playback experiment to quantify how wild female geladas (Theropithecus gelada) respond to three call types that are 'derived' (i.e., unique to geladas) and made by males during various affiliative contexts. These derived calls appeared to be highly salient and preferable to females: they looked longer towards and spent more time in proximity to playbacks of male vocal sequences containing one of the derived calls than to sequences containing only common and less elaborate 'grunt' calls. Our results provide the first experimental evidence for vocal elaboration as a male-specific strategy to maintain social bonds with females in non-human primates.
Source: Scientific Reports
DOI: 10.1038/srep19680
Authors: Morgan L. Gustison, Thore J. Bergman
Institution: University of Michigan
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
Awards: G1093708181, G1116326855, G3160930114, G322616171, G3973633414, Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Kinship and Multi-level Groups: Examining the genetic and social structure of the gelada (Theropithecus gelada), G4992520555, G5332768421, LTREB: Social dynamics and fitness in a complex primate society, Sizing Up Rivals and Mates in Wild Geladas: Visual, Vocal, and Hormonal Signals, G8243476385
OpenAlex ID: W2410934909