Evidence of stereotyped contact call use in narwhal (Monodon monoceros) mother-calf communication.

ABSTRACT: Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are gregarious toothed whales that strictly reside in the high Arctic. They produce a broad range of signal types; however, studies of narwhal vocalizations have been mostly descriptive of the sounds available in the species' overall repertoire. Little is known regarding the functions of highly stereotyped mixed calls (i.e., biphonations with both sound elements produced simultaneously), although preliminary evidence has suggested that such vocalizations are individually distinctive and function as contact calls. Here we provide evidence that supports this notion in narwhal mother-calf communication. A female narwhal was tagged as part of larger studies on the life history and acoustic behavior of narwhals. At the time of tagging, it became apparent that the fe

SUBMITTER: Ames AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8396719 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature