Suffixation influences receivers' behaviour in non-human primates.
Compared to humans, non-human primates have very little control over their vocal production. Nonetheless, some primates produce various call combinations, which may partially offset their lack of acoustic flexibility. A relevant example is male Campbell's monkeys (Cercopithecus campbelli), which give one call type ('Krak') to leopards, while the suffixed version of the same call stem ('Krak-oo') is given to unspecific danger. To test whether recipients attend to this suffixation pattern, we carried out a playback experiment in which we broadcast naturally and artificially modified suffixed and unsuffixed 'Krak' calls of male Campbell's monkeys to 42 wild groups of Diana monkeys (Cercopithecus diana diana). The two species form mixed-species groups and respond to each other's vocalizations. We analysed the vocal response of male and female Diana monkeys and overall found significantly stronger vocal responses to unsuffixed (leopard) than suffixed (unspecific danger) calls. Although the acoustic structure of the 'Krak' stem of the calls has some additional effects, subject responses were mainly determined by the presence or the absence of the suffix. This study indicates that suffixation is an evolved function in primate communication in contexts where adaptive responses are particularly important.
Laboratoire EthoS, Université de Rennes 1, U.M.R 6552-C.N.R.S, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9AJ, UK Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Taï Monkey Project, Adiopodoumé, Abidjan Ivory Coast camille.coye@univ-rennes1.fr.
Camille
C
Coye
Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, Université de Cocody-Abidjan, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Taï Monkey Project, Adiopodoumé, Abidjan Ivory Coast.
Karim
K
Ouattara
Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, rue Emile Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9AJ, UK Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Taï Monkey Project, Adiopodoumé, Abidjan Ivory Coast.
Klaus
K
Zuberbühler
Laboratoire EthoS, Université de Rennes 1, U.M.R 6552-C.N.R.S, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Taï Monkey Project, Adiopodoumé, Abidjan Ivory Coast Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France.
Alban
A
Lemasson
D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002521:Cercopithecus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D046009:Panthera; D014828:Vocalization, Animal
alarm calls; field experiment; guenon; syntax