Dissertation Research: Vocal Communication and AntipredatorBehavior in Two Species of Lemur

拟议研究的目标是详细说明形式和 声音交流和反捕食行为的功能 狐猴的种类 这两种灵长类动物非常适合 因为它们在大小、社会性、生态学上都不同 和生殖生物学。 他们的声乐曲目将是 量化，视觉和听觉线索的重要性，用于 将有害的动物刺激与无害的动物刺激区分开来， 确定的，和替代假设的antipredator呼吁 功能将通过捕食者模型演示进行测试， 呼叫回放试验。 该项目将在一个大型 自然栖息地围栏使用自然发生的模型 鸟类和哺乳动物捕食者作为刺激物。 %%% 捕食压力被认为对人类 对灵长类动物社会组织的影响，但声音和非声音 灵长类动物的反捕食策略几乎没有得到研究 关注 这个项目解决了研究中的一个中心问题 非人类灵长类动物的声音交流， 这可能会对当前的 关于人类语言进化的理论。

The goal of the proposed study is to detail the form and function of vocal communication and antipredator behavior in two species of lemur. These two primate species are ideal for this comparative study because they differ in size, sociality, ecology and reproductive biology. Their vocal repertoires will be quantified, the importance of visual and auditory cues used to discriminate harmful from harmless animal stimuli will be determined, and alternative hypotheses of antipredator call function will be tested through predator model presentations and call playback trials. The project will be conducted in a large natural habitat enclosure using models of naturally-occurring avian and mammalian predators as stimuli. %%% Predation pressure is recognized as having had a profound impact on primate social organization, yet vocal and non-vocal antipredator tactics of primates have received little research attention. This project addresses a central issue in the study of nonhuman primate vocal communication, and does so in a way that is likely to make an important contribution to current theories concerning the evolution of human language.