The function of nonlinear phenomena in meerkat alarm calls
The function of nonlinear phenomena in meerkat alarm calls
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DOI：
10.1098/rsbl.2010.0537
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发表时间：
2011-02-23
期刊：
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Manser, Marta B.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Townsend, Simon W.;Manser, Marta B.
非线性发声现象是人类和非人类动物发声的普遍特征。虽然我们了解这些复杂的声音入侵是如何产生的，但尚不清楚它们是否适应产生它们的动物。一种解释是，非线性使呼叫更加不可预测，增加了行为反应，并最终减少了对这些呼叫类型的习惯化机会。猫鼬（Suricata suricatta）在捕食者警报呼叫中表现出非线性次谐波。我们通过回放自然发生的非线性和线性中等紧急警报呼叫来专门测试“不可预测性假设”。结果表明，受试者听到非线性报警电话后反应更强烈，觅食更少。我们认为，这些研究结果支持不可预测性假说，并建议这是第一次在动物或人类的研究表明，非线性声乐现象的功能自适应。
Nonlinear vocal phenomena are a ubiquitous feature of human and non-human animal vocalizations. Although we understand how these complex acoustic intrusions are generated, it is not clear whether they function adaptively for the animals producing them. One explanation is that nonlinearities make calls more unpredictable, increasing behavioural responses and ultimately reducing the chances of habituation to these call types. Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) exhibit nonlinear subharmonics in their predator alarm calls. We specifically tested the 'unpredictability hypothesis' by playing back naturally occurring nonlinear and linear medium-urgency alarm call bouts. Results indicate that subjects responded more strongly and foraged less after hearing nonlinear alarm calls. We argue that these findings support the unpredictability hypothesis and suggest this is the first study in animals or humans to show that nonlinear vocal phenomena function adaptively.