Drug Effects on Primate Alarm Vocalizations

Abstract

Mammalian vocalization traditionally has been an area of intense ethological analysis. Vocal behavior often promotes predictable responses in conspecifics, providing a convenient basis for classifying social interactions. The current volume extends the analysis of vocalizations to evaluate potential physiological mechanisms involved in their production. A primary means for addressing physiologic mechanisms is by pharmacological manipulation. Although a large literature has described ethological determinants of vocalization, relatively little is known of the effects of drugs on these behaviors. If specific neuronal mechanisms mediate vocalization, then neurochemically selective agents might be expected to have specific effects on these behaviors. In turn, orderly pharmacological effects on vocal behavior might lead to a better understanding of the role of underlying physiologic mechanisms. Furthermore, as specific types of calls typically occur in particular situations, a pharmacological analysis of vocalizations might lead to a better understanding of the interaction of neurochemistry with environmental determinants of vocal behavior.