Sounds and size: identification of acoustic variables that reflect body size in hamadryas baboons, Papio hamadryas

摘要: Numerous animal species produce calls to repel competitors and attract mates. Because body size often determines fighting ability reproductive success, it is of critical importance assess the reliability acoustic variables that may serve as indicators size. In mammals, fundamental frequency (F0) determined by subglottal air pressure length tension vocal folds, while location spacing formants (‘formant dispersion’) are related tract length. F0 can be modulated, has been suggested formant dispersion but not serves a reliable predictor To test this assumption, we examined grunts recorded from hamadryas baboons. We used linear predictive coding extract formants, an autocorrelation method measure frequency. found that, across age classes among adult females, was more closely than most physical measurements. Depending on call type, possibly sex caller, thus indicator characteristics caller.