Primate communication in the pure ultrasound.
Few mammals-cetaceans, domestic cats and select bats and rodents-can send and receive vocal signals contained within the ultrasonic domain, or pure ultrasound (greater than 20 kHz). Here, we use the auditory brainstem response (ABR) method to demonstrate that a species of nocturnal primate, the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta), has a high-frequency limit of auditory sensitivity of ca 91 kHz. We also recorded a vocalization with a dominant frequency of 70 kHz. Such values are among the highest recorded for any terrestrial mammal, and a relatively extreme example of ultrasonic communication. For Philippine tarsiers, ultrasonic vocalizations might represent a private channel of communication that subverts detection by predators, prey and competitors, enhances energetic efficiency, or improves detection against low-frequency background noise.
Department of Anthropology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA. marissa.ramsier@humboldt.edu
Marissa A
MA
Ramsier
Andrew J
AJ
Cunningham
Gillian L
GL
Moritz
James J
JJ
Finneran
Cathy V
CV
Williams
Perry S
PS
Ong
Sharon L
SL
Gursky-Doyen
Nathaniel J
NJ
Dominy
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D013016:Sound; D013017:Sound Localization; D013045:Species Specificity; D016699:Tarsiidae / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology