Dissertation Research: Food-Associated Calls in Wild White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys

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Many animals give distinct vocalizations when feeding or upon discovering food. A number of hypotheses attempt to explain the evolution of these calls. One hypothesis argues that food calls are simply the involuntary consequence of excitement when the caller finds food. Alternatively, food calls may inform others about the type, location, or amount of food that has been discovered. The meaning of food calls to others, and hence their presumed function, is often inferred by observing the responses of nearby listeners. However, calls that elicit the same response may be caused by different underlying mechanisms. Call meaning, in this sense, may be different from the signaler's and the recipient's perspective. The researchers propose field observations and experiments to study the causes of food-calling in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys living in Costa Rica. They will investigate how calling is influenced by (1) the presence or absence of an audience, (2) food quantity and subdivisibility, and (3) foraging context. Prior experience at the study site assures that the work can be completed in 12 months and that the experiments are feasible. Results will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie vocal production in nonhuman primates. These data, in turn, will help to formulate theories about the evolution of human language.