Social behavior and vocal communication in baboons

描述（由申请人提供）：我们的长期目标是了解非人类灵长类动物的自然交流及其认知机制。由于几个原因，研究与人类健康研究相关。为了理解语言的进化，我们必须了解我们最亲近的动物亲戚，非人类灵长类动物，是如何在社会互动中使用发声的。为了理解人类的大脑机制、语言和认知，我们需要在非人类灵长类动物中建立类似过程的动物模型。对生活在自然栖息地的灵长类动物进行实地研究是实现这些目标的第一步。我们的具体目的是研究自由放养狒狒（Papio cynocephalus ursinus）发声的声学特性和社会功能。研究是在博茨瓦纳的莫雷米野生动物保护区进行的。实验对象包括两组100多只被单独识别的动物。对于大多数人来说，年龄、母系亲缘关系和优势等级的长期数据是可用的。这些动物完全习惯了人类徒步近距离观察。现场方法包括行为观察取样、发声录音和回放实验。实验室方法包括基于计算机的发声声学特征分析，以及使用为分析人类语言而设计的软件。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our long-term goal is to understand the natural communication of nonhuman primates and the cognitive mechanisms that underlie it. Research is relevant to studies of human health for several reasons. To understand the evolution of language, we must understand how our closest animals relatives, the nonhuman primates, use vocalizations in the social interactions. To understand human brain mechanisms, language, and cognition, we need animal models of similar processes in nonhuman primates. Field research on primates living in their natural habitat constitutes a first step in achieving these goals. Our specific aims are to examine the acoustic properties and social function of vocalizations among free-ranging baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus). Research is conducted in the Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. Subjects include two groups of over 100 individually recognized animals. For most individuals, long-term data on age, matrilineal relatedness and dominance ranks are available. The animals are fully habituated to close-range observation by humans on foot. Field methods include observational sampling of behavior, tape-recording of vocalizations and playback experiments. Laboratory methods include computer-based analysis of the acoustic features of vocalizations, and using software designed for the analysis of human speech.