Dataset Information

Does size matter? Examining the drivers of mammalian vocalizations.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies of the vocalization frequencies of mammals have suggested that it is either body mass or environment that drives these frequencies. Using 193 species across the globe from the terrestrial and aquatic environments and a model selection approach, we identified that the best-supported model for minimum and maximum frequencies for vocalization included both body mass and environment. The minimum frequencies of vocalizations of species from all environments retained the influence of body mass. For maximum frequency however, aquatic species are released from such a trend with body mass having little constraint on frequencies. Surprisingly, phylogeny did not have a strong impact on the evolution of the maximum frequency of mammal vocalizations, largely due to the pinniped species divergence of frequency from their carnivoran relatives. We demonstrate that the divergence of signal frequencies in mammals has arisen from the need to adapt to their environment.

SUBMITTER: Martin K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5324685 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Does size matter? Examining the drivers of mammalian vocalizations.

Martin Kobe K Tucker Marlee A MA Rogers Tracey L TL

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution 20161213 2

Previous studies of the vocalization frequencies of mammals have suggested that it is either body mass or environment that drives these frequencies. Using 193 species across the globe from the terrestrial and aquatic environments and a model selection approach, we identified that the best-supported model for minimum and maximum frequencies for vocalization included both body mass and environment. The minimum frequencies of vocalizations of species from all environments retained the influence of ...[more]

PMID: 27882540

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Project description:INTRODUCTION:Maternal kin selection is a driving force in the evolution of mammalian social complexity and it requires that kin are distinctive from nonkin. The transition from the ancestral state of asociality to the derived state of complex social groups is thought to have occurred via solitary foraging, in which individuals forage alone, but, unlike the asocial ancestors, maintain dispersed social networks via scent-marks and vocalizations. We hypothesize that matrilineal signatures in vocalizations were an important part of these networks. We used the solitary foraging gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) as a model for ancestral solitary foragers and tested for matrilineal signatures in their calls, thus investigating whether such signatures are already present in solitary foragers and could have facilitated the kin selection thought to have driven the evolution of increased social complexity in mammals. Because agonism can be very costly, selection for matrilineal signatures in agonistic calls should help reduce agonism between unfamiliar matrilineal kin. We conducted this study on a well-studied population of wild mouse lemurs at Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar. We determined pairwise relatedness using seven microsatellite loci, matrilineal relatedness by sequencing the mitrochondrial D-loop, and sleeping group associations using radio-telemetry. We recorded agonistic calls during controlled social encounters and conducted a multi-parametric acoustic analysis to determine the spectral and temporal structure of the agonistic calls. We measured 10 calls for each of 16 females from six different matrilineal kin groups. RESULTS:Calls were assigned to their matriline at a rate significantly higher than chance (pDFA: correct?=?47.1%, chance?=?26.7%, p?=?0.03). There was a statistical trend for a negative correlation between acoustic distance and relatedness (Mantel Test: g?=?-1.61, Z?=?4.61, r?=?-0.13, p?=?0.058). CONCLUSIONS:Mouse lemur agonistic calls are moderately distinctive by matriline. Because sleeping groups consisted of close maternal kin, both genetics and social learning may have generated these acoustic signatures. As mouse lemurs are models for solitary foragers, we recommend further studies testing whether the lemurs use these calls to recognize kin. This would enable further modeling of how kin recognition in ancestral species could have shaped the evolution of complex sociality.

Dataset Information

Does size matter? Examining the drivers of mammalian vocalizations.

Publications

Does size matter? Examining the drivers of mammalian vocalizations.

Similar Datasets

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