scholarly journals Bats (Plecotus auritus) use contact calls for communication among roost mates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Furmankiewicz ◽  
Gareth Jones
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Echolocation Call ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Calling Behaviour ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
Vocal Signals ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Group Members

AbstractCommunication between group members is mediated by a diverse range of signals. Contact calls are produced by many species of birds and mammals to maintain group cohesion and associations among individuals. Contact calls in bats are typically relatively low-frequency social calls, produced only for communication. However, echolocation calls (higher in frequency and used primarily for orientation and prey detection) can also facilitate interaction among individuals and location of conspecifics in the roost. We studied calling behaviour of brown long-eared bats (Plecotus auritus) during return to maternity roosts in response to playbacks of social and echolocation calls. We hypothesised that calling by conspecifics would elicit responses in colony members. Bat responses (inspection flights and social calls production) were significantly highest during social call and echolocation call playbacks than during noise (control) playbacks. We suggest that social calling in maternity roosts of brown long-eared bat evolved to maintain associations among roostmates, rather than to find roosts or roostmates, because this species is strongly faithful to roosts and the social groups and roosts are stable over time and space. Living in a stable social group requires recognition of group members and affiliation of social bonds with group members, features that may be mediated by vocal signals.

White-winged vampire bats (Diaemus youngi) exchange contact calls

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (7) ◽  
pp. 604-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. G. Carter ◽  
M. B. Fenton ◽  
P. A. Faure
Keyword(s):  
Group Living ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
Equal Distance ◽  
Antiphonal Calling ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Vampire Bat

Temporally precise vocal exchanges, termed “antiphonal calling”, might allow pair or group members to maintain social contact with greater efficiency than when calling independently. The white-winged vampire bat ( Diaemus youngi (Jentink, 1893)) is a group-living species that produces social calls in antiphonal exchanges. Because white-winged vampire bats can use social calls to discriminate conspecifics, we suspect that one function of these vocal exchanges is to allow group members to know who is where. Here, we tested the prediction that antiphonal calling by groups of white-winged vampire bats increases when the spatial positions of conspecifics change. We recorded social calls from groups of four individually caged bats in total darkness, with each bat located in the corner of a 4 m × 4 m room. During test trials, we shifted the spatial positions of caged bats to new positions. During control trials, caged bats were displaced an equal distance but were returned to their original positions. We found that both the number of social calls and the proportion of antiphonal exchanges were greater during test trials than during control trials. These results suggest that white-winged vampire bats use antiphonal exchanges of social calls to monitor the spatial positions of conspecifics.

Function and Meaning of Wild Gorilla 'Close' Calls

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 827-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.H. Harcourt ◽  
K.J. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Activity ◽  
Close Call ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Group Members

We investigate the social significance of the within group ('close') calls of gorillas by examining correlates of calling with dominance rank and with relatedness of adults, and by examining whether the outcomes of interactions between adults differ depending on the calls given during the interactions. In two wild gorilla groups, the majority of adults give most of their calls when near another adult and fully in sight of them. Thus gorillas' use 'close' calls as more than mere contact calls. An adult gorilla's use of 'close' calls correlates with its own and with its partner's dominance rank, with effects being most obvious for the most dominant animals, the fully adult males. Thus the proportion of 'double grunts', the most common 'close' call, in an individual's repertoire correlated consistently with dominance rank; all non-silverback adults gave a higher percent of double grunts in the presence of subordinates than they did near dominant animals; individuals were most likely to give 'non-syllabled' grunts in the adult male's presence; and they consistently exchanged calls at a higher rate with the adult males than with other group members. An adult's type of calls did not obviously differ depending on whether their neighbour was kin or non-kin, but kin were overall more likely to give calls in the presence of kin, and to exchange calls with kin than with non-kin, although the association was not consistent throughout the two years of the study. With regard to the consequences of calling, subordinates were less likely to be feeding one minute after an approach by a fully adult male during which calls were exchanged than during silent approaches. In contrast to findings from studies of some other species, calling did not correlate with duration of grooming. We suggest that, among other functions, gorillas' 'close' calls mediate social interactions. One form of calls, 'non-syllabled' calls, are interpretable as appeasement signals. The broadest interpretation of the 'double grunt' is that it is an exaggerated announcement of presence, whose function is to attract attention to the caller, and to signal conditional future activity.

Variation in the social calls of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 1151-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Little Brown Bats

The social calls of 14 Myotis lucifugus (5 adult males; 5 adult females; 2 subadult males; 2 subadult females) produced under controlled conditions were more variable than echolocation calls made by hunting individuals in the wild. The social calls contained lower frequencies and in some cases were of longer duration than the echolocation calls. Careful examination of sound spectrographs of the calls indicated tremendous variability in details of frequency and time. Although several types of calls can be recognized, a discrete classification is not feasible because of the variability. The possible significance of the variation in the calls of these bats is discussed in the context of recognition of individuals by their vocalizations.

scholarly journals Repeatability in the contact calling system of Spix's disc-winged bat ( Thyroptera tricolor )

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 140197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloriana Chaverri ◽  
Erin H. Gillam
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Acoustic Signals ◽  
Frequency Dependent Selection ◽  
Calling Behaviour ◽  
Vocal Behaviour ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Thyroptera Tricolor ◽  
Future Work

Spix's disc-winged bat ( Thyroptera tricolor ) forms cohesive groups despite using an extremely ephemeral roost, partly due to the use of two acoustic signals that help individuals locate roost sites and group members. While the calls that aid in group cohesion are commonly used, some bats rarely or never produce them. Here, we examine whether the differences observed in the contact calling behaviour of T. tricolor are repeatable; that is, whether individual differences are consistent. We recorded contact calls of individuals in the field and rates and patterns of vocalization. To determine whether measured variables were consistent within individuals, we estimated repeatability ( R ), which compares within-individual to among-individual variance in behavioural traits. Our results show that repeatability for call variables was moderate but significant, and that repeatability was highest for the average number of calls produced ( R =0.46–0.49). Our results demonstrate important individual differences in the contact calling behaviour of T. tricolor ; we discuss how these could be the result of mechanisms such as frequency-dependent selection that favour groups composed of individuals with diverse vocal strategies. Future work should address whether changes in social environment, specifically group membership and social status, affect vocal behaviour.

scholarly journals Social calls used by a leaf-roosting bat to signal location

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloriana Chaverri ◽  
Erin H. Gillam ◽  
Maarten J. Vonhof
Keyword(s):  
Information Transfer ◽  
Mate Attraction ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Thyroptera Tricolor

Social calls in bats have many functions, including mate attraction and maintaining contact during flight. Research suggests that social calls may also be used to transfer information about roosts, but no studies have yet demonstrated that calls are used to actively attract conspecifics to roosting locations. We document the social calls used by Spix's disc-winged bat ( Thyroptera tricolor ) to actively recruit group members to roosts. In acoustic trials, we recorded two sets of calls; one from flying individuals termed ‘inquiry calls’, and another from roosting bats termed ‘response calls’. Inquiry calls were emitted by flying bats immediately upon release, and quickly (i.e. 178 ms) elicited production of response calls from roosting individuals. Most flying bats entered the roost when roosting individuals responded, while few bats entered the roost in the absence of a response. We argue that information transfer concerning roost location may facilitate sociality in T. tricolor , given the ephemeral nature of roosting structures used by this species.

scholarly journals Correlated evolution between hearing sensitivity and social calls in bats

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten M Bohn ◽  
Cynthia F Moss ◽  
Gerald S Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Correlated Evolution ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
Frequency Components ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Species Specific

Echolocating bats are auditory specialists, with exquisite hearing that spans several octaves. In the ultrasonic range, bat audiograms typically show highest sensitivity in the spectral region of their species-specific echolocation calls. Well-developed hearing in the audible range has been commonly attributed to a need to detect sounds produced by prey. However, bat pups often emit isolation calls with low-frequency components that facilitate mother–young reunions. In this study, we examine whether low-frequency hearing in bats exhibits correlated evolution with (i) body size; (ii) high-frequency hearing sensitivity or (iii) pup isolation call frequency. Using published audiograms, we found that low-frequency hearing sensitivity is not dependent on body size but is related to high-frequency hearing. After controlling for high-frequency hearing, we found that low-frequency hearing exhibits correlated evolution with isolation call frequency. We infer that detection and discrimination of isolation calls have favoured enhanced low-frequency hearing because accurate parental investment is critical: bats have low reproductive rates, non-volant altricial young and must often identify their pups within large crèches.

scholarly journals THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF CONTACT CALLS BY ROOKS (CORVUS FRUGILEGUS)

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-44
Author(s):  
Alexandru MUNTEANU ◽  
Ionel PAPUC ◽  
Ira FEDERSPIEL ◽  
Nicola CLAYTON ◽  
Nathan EMERY
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Physical Isolation ◽  
Corvus Frugilegus ◽  
The Social ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Interspecific Barriers

Communication is the link between individuals of one species and represents the essence of social life. Vocal communication is one of the most studied forms of information exchange, although it also comes with interspecific barriers that are still tricky to overcome. While we are able to understand the meaning of another human’s words, we fail to understand an animal’s utterances. Among these, bird song has become a field of particular interest. However, little is known yet about many species’ vocalizations, and even less about their significance or how different factors influence them. The presented study establishes the vocal repertoire of a group of rooks and further investigates the importance of contact calls between partners in an experiment. We found that test subjects and other group members produced more contact calls after than before partners had been separated from each other, indicating stress induced by physical isolation and/or the lack of visual contact as an important factor influencing the call frequency. Separating certain individuals seemed to affect the group differently, which indicates that the ‘importance’ of the animal to the group influences the group call rate. In this study, we have shown how social and environmental factors play a role in vocal communication in birds.

scholarly journals Hearing sensitivity and amplitude coding in bats are differentially shaped by echolocation calls and social calls

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1942) ◽  
pp. 20202600
Author(s):  
Ella Z. Lattenkamp ◽  
Martina Nagy ◽  
Markus Drexl ◽  
Sonja C. Vernes ◽  
Lutz Wiegrebe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Perception ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
Frequency Changes

Differences in auditory perception between species are influenced by phylogenetic origin and the perceptual challenges imposed by the natural environment, such as detecting prey- or predator-generated sounds and communication signals. Bats are well suited for comparative studies on auditory perception since they predominantly rely on echolocation to perceive the world, while their social calls and most environmental sounds have low frequencies. We tested if hearing sensitivity and stimulus level coding in bats differ between high and low-frequency ranges by measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) of 86 bats belonging to 11 species. In most species, auditory sensitivity was equally good at both high- and low-frequency ranges, while amplitude was more finely coded for higher frequency ranges. Additionally, we conducted a phylogenetic comparative analysis by combining our ABR data with published data on 27 species. Species-specific peaks in hearing sensitivity correlated with peak frequencies of echolocation calls and pup isolation calls, suggesting that changes in hearing sensitivity evolved in response to frequency changes of echolocation and social calls. Overall, our study provides the most comprehensive comparative assessment of bat hearing capacities to date and highlights the evolutionary pressures acting on their sensory perception.

Social attribution, correspondence bias, and the emergence of stereotypes *This research has been completed in partial requirement of a doctoral dissertation of the first author under the supervision of the second author. We wish to thank the members of the social psychology division at the University of Louvain at Louvain-la-Neuve, especially Steve Rocher and Emanuele Castano for their insightful comments on preliminary drafts. This paper has been enriched by feedbacks received from Russell Spears, Roos Vonk, Margit Oswald, and anonymous reviewers. Many thanks to Philippe Kemp and Christophe Remy for their assistance in running the study, and to the students who volunteered to appear on the video. This research has been presented at the Social Cognition workshop of the Kurt Lewin Institute, workshop held at the Free University of Amsterdam in April 1998: we want to thank participants of this workshop and especially Gün Semin for their useful feedback. Completion of this study benefited from a research grant from the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research to the first author.

1999 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anouk Rogier ◽  
Vincent Yzerbyt
Keyword(s):  
Correspondence Bias ◽  
Social Attribution ◽  
The Social ◽  
Dispositional Attributions ◽  
Kurt Lewin ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Group Target ◽  
The University ◽  
Institute Workshop ◽  
Research Grant

Yzerbyt, Rogier and Fiske (1998) argued that perceivers confronted with a group high in entitativity (i.e., a group perceived as an entity, a tight-knit group) more readily call upon an underlying essence to explain people's behavior than perceivers confronted with an aggregate. Their study showed that group entitativity promoted dispositional attributions for the behavior of group members. Moreover, stereotypes emerged when people faced entitative groups. In this study, we replicate and extend these results by providing further evidence that the process of social attribution is responsible for the emergence of stereotypes. We use the attitude attribution paradigm ( Jones & Harris, 1967 ) and show that the correspondence bias is stronger for an entitative group target than for an aggregate. Besides, several dependent measures indicate that the target's group membership stands as a plausible causal factor to account for members' behavior, a process we call Social Attribution. Implications for current theories of stereotyping are discussed.

Imperatives and commands in Japanese

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nerida Jarkey
Keyword(s):  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Face Threat ◽  
Contemporary Standard

This chapter examines the forms and usage of imperatives and command strategies in contemporary standard Japanese. Although commands are highly face-threatening acts in any language, speakers of Japanese encounter particular challenges in using them in socially acceptable ways. Commands are generally only given to those considered ‘below’ the speaker in the social hierarchy, and are normally considered appropriate only when used toward ‘in-group’ members. Further restrictions relate to the identity the speaker wishes to convey. Numerous command strategies have emerged to avoid using the most direct imperative forms, and some of these strategies have gradually come to be reinterpreted as imperative forms themselves, suggesting a loss of their original euphemistic qualities. Furthermore, when issuing commands, speakers often go to considerable lengths to soften the face threat, for example by giving reasons for the command, adding markers of hesitancy, or softening illocutionary particles, and using appropriate honorific language forms.

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