Acoustic features of male baboon loud calls: Influences of context, age, and individuality

摘要: The acoustic structure of loud calls (“wahoos”) recorded from free-ranging male baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) in the Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, was examined for differences between and within contexts, using given response to predators (alarm wahoos), during contests (contest when a had become separated group (contact wahoos). Calls were adolescent, subadult, adult males. In addition, alarm compared with those females. Despite their superficial similarity, analysis revealed number significant alarm, contest, contact wahoos. Contest wahoos are at much higher rate, exhibit lower frequency characteristics, have longer “hoo” duration, relatively louder portion than Contact acoustically similar contest wahoos, but rate. Both also among individuals. Some features that vary relation age sex presumably reflect body size, whereas others possibly related stamina endurance. finding serving markedly different functions constitute variants same general call type suggests vocal production nonhuman primates is evolutionarily constrained.