Abstract
Macaques are the most geographically widespread and behaviorally diverse non-human primate genus and are ideal for teasing apart the effects of phylogenetic, social, and ecological factors on the evolution of communication. I explored vocal complexity and made congeneric comparisons between Tibetan macaques and other species by identifying homologous and species-specific derived calls through visual inspection of spectrograms, as well as the phylogenetic, social, and ecological factors that may influence variability across the genus. Macaques share the following call types: coo, growl, non-tonal scream, greeting call, tonal scream, squeak, food call, alarm call, female and male copulation call, bark, and loud call. Most of the species-specific derived vocalizations in the genus were the copulation calls of species with distinct copulation styles. For example, Tibetan macaques emit an acoustically distinct female copulation call uncharacteristic of the genus and display behaviors that are considered rare in primates (e.g., female harassment of matings, lack of proceptive behaviors indicative of estrus). In addition, Tibetan macaques do not emit loud calls or greeting calls, and calls associated with mother-infant interactions were limited because of sample size. It is not likely that any single phylogenetic, ecological, or social factor can explain the call repertoire of Tibetan macaques. Instead, a complex interplay likely shapes the development of derived calls and the preservation of homologous calls across the genus.
Highlights
The vocal repertoires of mammals usually consist of a fixed number of calls, some of which are closely linked to particular contexts
I identified the following as the shared calls in the 11 macaque species investigated: coo, threat rattle/growl, non-tonal scream, girney/ greeting call, tonal scream, squeak, food call, alarm call, female and male copulation call, bark, and loud call (Table 7.1)
Threat rattle/growl, bark, non-tonal scream, coo, girney, female and male copulation call, long distance, and loud call are in the social category, and the tonal screams are in the other category since they are emitted in feeding and distress contexts
Summary
The vocal repertoires of mammals usually consist of a fixed number of calls, some of which are closely linked to particular contexts. Seyfarth and Cheney (2012) suggest that the common ancestor of Old World monkeys, apes, and humans had limited vocal production and open-ended comprehension, and by making comparisons with our closest living relatives, we can further illustrate the implications of theories concerning language evolution. Our closest living relatives, the non-human primates, are deficient in their ability to learn new vocalizations. This inability may be a result of a lack of neuronal potential required for vocal learning the vocal tract is speech-ready (Fitch et al 2016). For the most part, highly constrained in non-human animals, and mammalian repertoires usually consist of a variety of grunts, threatening vocalizations, alarm calls, and screams (Seyfarth and Cheney 2012). Comparing the diverse array of vocal repertoires and communication across taxa is one way to identify the selective pressures behind vocal complexity
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