Abstract
Multicomponent signals can be formed by the uninterrupted concatenation of multiple call types. One such signal is found in dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo. This stereotyped, multicomponent ‘bark-howl’ vocalisation is formed by the concatenation of a noisy bark segment and a tonal howl segment. Both segments are structurally similar to bark and howl vocalisations produced independently in other contexts (e.g. intra- and inter-pack communication). Bark-howls are mainly uttered in response to human presence and were hypothesized to serve as alarm calls. We investigated the function of bark-howls and the respective roles of the bark and howl segments. We found that dingoes could discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar howl segments, after having only heard familiar howl vocalisations (i.e. different calls). We propose that howl segments could function as ‘identity signals’ and allow receivers to modulate their responses according to the caller’s characteristics. The bark segment increased receivers’ attention levels, providing support for earlier observational claims that barks have an ‘alerting’ function. Lastly, dingoes were more likely to display vigilance behaviours upon hearing bark-howl vocalisations, lending support to the alarm function hypothesis. Canid vocalisations, such as the dingo bark-howl, may provide a model system to investigate the selective pressures shaping complex communication systems.
Highlights
According to Guilford and Dawkins[1] selective pressures on signal design can act at the ‘content’ and/or the ‘efficacy’ levels
We performed three analyses to separately test each of the three predictions: 1) dingoes will display different responses to familiar and unfamiliar howl segments 2) will show increased attention level when bark segments are present and 3) will show increased vigilance behaviours when barks are present
Consistent with prediction 1, the final generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) model, which tested whether dingoes could discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar howl segments, indicated that the overall strength of a dingo’s response (4-level ordinal scale) varied among stimulus types
Summary
According to Guilford and Dawkins[1] selective pressures on signal design can act at the ‘content’ and/or the ‘efficacy’ levels. Dingoes’ behavioural ecology closely resembles that of other wild canids as for example, they form packs of related individuals that cooperatively raise young, defend stable territories and display group hunting behaviours[24,25,26]. Their vocal repertoire is similar to that of wolves’, being best described as a graded system of discrete vocalisations that can be produced independently or as part of multicomponent vocal sequences[27]
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