Vocal repertoire of free-ranging adult golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana).

Abstract

Vocal signaling represents a primary mode of communication for most nonhuman primates. A quantitative description of the vocal repertoire is a critical step in in‐depth studies of the vocal communication of particular species, and provides the foundation for comparative studies to investigate the selective pressures in the evolution of vocal communication systems. The present study was the first attempt to establish the vocal repertoire of free‐ranging adult golden snub‐nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) based on quantitative methods. During 8 months in Shennongjia National Park, China, we digitally recorded the vocalizations of adult individuals from a provisioned, free‐ranging group of R. roxellana across a variety of social‐ecological contexts. We identified 18 call types, which were easily distinguishable by ear, visual inspection of spectrograms, and quantitative analysis of acoustic parameters measured from recording samples. We found a great sexual asymmetry in the vocal repertoire size (females produced many more call types than males), likely due to the sex differences in body size and social role. We found a variety of call types that occurred during various forms of agonistic and affiliative interactions at close range. We made inference about the functions of particular call types based on the contexts in which they were produced. Studies on the vocal communication in R. roxellana are particularly valuable since they provide a case about how nonhuman primates, inhabiting forest habitats and forming complex social systems, use their vocalizations to interact with their social and ecological environments.