scholarly journals Evidence of stereotyped contact call use in narwhal (Monodon monoceros) mother-calf communication

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254393
Author(s):  
Audra E. Ames ◽  
Susanna B. Blackwell ◽  
Outi M. Tervo ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
High Arctic ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Acoustic Behavior ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Call Production ◽  
Monodon Monoceros ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Individual Distinctiveness ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
And Function

Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are gregarious toothed whales that strictly reside in the high Arctic. They produce a broad range of signal types; however, studies of narwhal vocalizations have been mostly descriptive of the sounds available in the species’ overall repertoire. Little is known regarding the functions of highly stereotyped mixed calls (i.e., biphonations with both sound elements produced simultaneously), although preliminary evidence has suggested that such vocalizations are individually distinctive and function as contact calls. Here we provide evidence that supports this notion in narwhal mother-calf communication. A female narwhal was tagged as part of larger studies on the life history and acoustic behavior of narwhals. At the time of tagging, it became apparent that the female had a calf, which remained close by during the tagging event. We found that the narwhal mother produced a distinct, highly stereotyped mixed call when separated from her calf and immediately after release from capture, which we interpret as preliminary evidence for contact call use between the mother and her calf. The mother’s mixed call production occurred continually over the 4.2 day recording period in addition to a second prominent but different stereotyped mixed call which we believe belonged to the narwhal calf. Thus, narwhal mothers produce highly stereotyped contact calls when separated from their calves, and it appears that narwhal calves similarly produce distinct, stereotyped mixed calls which we hypothesize also contribute to maintaining mother-calf contact. We compared this behavior to the acoustic behavior of two other adult females without calves, but also each with a unique, stereotyped call type. While we provide additional support for individual distinctiveness across narwhal contact calls, more research is necessary to determine whether these calls are vocal signatures which broadcast identity.

The migratory behaviour of narwhals (Monodon monoceros)

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 1298-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Rune Dietz ◽  
Kristin L Laidre ◽  
Pierre Richard ◽  
Jack Orr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Water ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Monodon Monoceros ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
Somerset Island ◽  
Wintering Ground

Sixteen female narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were tracked by satellite in 2000 and 2001 from their summering ground near Somerset Island in the Canadian High Arctic to their wintering ground in central Baffin Bay. The wintering ground location was spatially discrete from another narwhal wintering ground in southern Baffin Bay. Area extent of the summering ground was approximately 9464 km2 and area extent of the wintering ground was 25 846 km2. Two of the narwhals were tracked for more than 12 consecutive months. These whales used three focal areas between their spring and autumn migration: a coastal area in the open-water season in August in the Canadian High Arctic, a wintering area from November through April in the consolidated pack ice of Baffin Bay, and an early summer area in front of the receding fast ice edge in Lancaster Sound. The whales showed remarkable site fidelity to summering grounds and had specific migratory routes that followed sea ice formation and recession.

Expression and function of brain-derived neurotrophin factor and its receptor, TrkB, in ovarian follicles from the domestic hen (Gallus gallus domesticus)

2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (12) ◽  
pp. 2087-2095 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Jensen ◽  
A. L. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Granulosa Cell ◽  
Granulosa Cells ◽  
Cell Layer ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Neurotrophin Receptor ◽  
Bdnf Mrna ◽  
Preovulatory Follicles ◽  
Layer Increase ◽  
Theca Interna ◽  
And Function

SUMMARY This report summarizes patterns of mRNA expression for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) together with its high-affinity neurotrophin receptor trkB within the hen ovary during follicle development, describes hormonal mechanisms for the regulation of trkB gene expression and provides preliminary evidence for a novel function for BDNF-mediated TrkB signaling within the granulosa layer. Levels of BDNF mRNA in the thecal layer and of trkB mRNA within the granulosa cell layer increase coincident with entrance of the follicle into the preovulatory hierarchy. Localization of the BDNF mRNA transcript correlates with expression of BDNF protein within the theca interna of preovulatory follicles, while localization of trkB mRNA and protein occurs extensively within the granulosa cell layer of preovulatory follicles. This pattern of expression suggests a paracrine relationship between theca and granulosa cells for BDNF signaling via TrkB. Vasoactive intestinal peptide and gonadotropin treatments stimulate increases in levels of trkB mRNA within cultured granulosa cells derived from both prehierarchal and preovulatory follicles, and this response is increased by co-treatment with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. Finally, BDNF treatment of cultured granulosa cells from preovulatory follicles results in a modest, but significant, reduction in basal progesterone production, whereas this effect was reversed by k252a, an inhibitor of Trk kinase activity. These results support the proposals that BDNF functions as a paracrine signal in hen granulosa cells and that its physiological functions may include the modulation of steroidogenesis.

scholarly journals Geographic Variation in Contact Calls of Feral North American Populations of the Monk Parakeet

The Condor ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susannah C. Buhrman-Deever ◽  
Amy R. Rappaport ◽  
Jack W. Bradbury
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Founder Effects ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Contact Calls

Abstract Introduced feral populations offer a unique opportunity to study the effects of social interaction and founder effects on the development of geographic variation in learned vocalizations. Introduced populations of Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) have been growing in number since the 1970s, with a mixture of isolated and potentially interacting populations. We surveyed diversity in contact calls of Monk Parakeet populations in Connecticut, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. Contact call structure differed significantly among the isolated populations in each state. Contact call structure also differed significantly among potentially interacting nest colonies in coastal Connecticut, and these differences did not follow a geographic gradient. Limited dispersal distances, founder effects, and social learning preferences may play a role in call structure differences.

scholarly journals Cardiomyopathy with lethal arrhythmias associated with inactivation of KLHL24

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1919-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Hedberg-Oldfors ◽  
Alexandra Abramsson ◽  
Daniel P S Osborn ◽  
Olof Danielsson ◽  
Afsoon Fazlinezhad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Cardiac Development ◽  
Heart Defects ◽  
Cardiovascular Disorder ◽  
Cardiac Transplant ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Homozygous Mutations ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
And Function ◽  
Muscle Biopsies

Abstract Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiovascular disorder, yet the genetic cause of up to 50% of cases remains unknown. Here, we show that mutations in KLHL24 cause HCM in humans. Using genome-wide linkage analysis and exome sequencing, we identified homozygous mutations in KLHL24 in two consanguineous families with HCM. Of the 11 young affected adults identified, 3 died suddenly and 1 had a cardiac transplant due to heart failure. KLHL24 is a member of the Kelch-like protein family, which acts as substrate-specific adaptors to Cullin E3 ubiquitin ligases. Endomyocardial and skeletal muscle biopsies from affected individuals of both families demonstrated characteristic alterations, including accumulation of desmin intermediate filaments. Knock-down of the zebrafish homologue klhl24a results in heart defects similar to that described for other HCM-linked genes providing additional support for KLHL24 as a HCM-associated gene. Our findings reveal a crucial role for KLHL24 in cardiac development and function.

Perceptual mechanism for vocal individual recognition in jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos): contact call signature and discrimination

Behaviour ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 147 (8) ◽  
pp. 1051-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Individual Recognition ◽  
Complex Societies ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Discrimination Ability ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Corvus Macrorhynchos ◽  
Perceptual Mechanism

AbstractIn long-range fission-fusion complex societies, individuals are often recognized by audiovocal signals because of long-range propagation. The signature voice system is a well-known mechanism involving both acoustic individuality of a certain call type and discrimination ability. Previous studies on vocal individual recognition of birds have emphasized its involvement in breeding contexts such as mate, parent and offspring, and territorial-neighbour recognition. However, there has been less focus on the recognition of non-breeding flock members despite the socio-ecological demand of such ability in the complex social lives of highly social birds including corvids. Here we report a signature voice system in jungle crows by showing both acoustic individuality of contact calls and discrimination ability. We first performed a discriminant functional analysis on contact ka calls of five crows to examine their discriminatory potential and demonstrate inter-individual distinctions. We next used an operant conditioning to verify the perceptual ability to discriminate non-breeding familiar conspecifics based on ka calls. Four of the five crows successfully transferred discrimination of individual calls to the novel ka calls. Our results provide the first evidence of a signature voice system as a perceptual mechanism for individual recognition of familiar individuals in non-breeding flocks of a highly social crow.

The imitation dilemma: can parrots maintain their vocal individuality when imitating conspecifics?

Behaviour ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 156 (5-8) ◽  
pp. 787-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi M. Thomsen ◽  
Thorsten J.S. Balsby ◽  
Torben Dabelsteen
Keyword(s):  
Social Systems ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Strong Basis ◽  
Vocal Individuality ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Vocal Imitation ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Individual Distinctiveness ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Many species of parrots live in fission–fusion social systems, characterised by frequent changes in flock composition. In these systems, the ability to selectively choose flock members is essential in order to maximise individual fitness. As a result, most species of parrots have individual distinctive contact calls that mediate the formation of groups during fission and fusion events. However, in vocal interactions during fission and fusion events, individuals will modify the fine-scale structure of their contact calls in a manner that sometimes will result in imitation of the contact calls of another individual, potentially altering or weakening the individual distinctiveness of contact calls. This presents parrots with an interesting dilemma. Here we present a study investigating the effect of vocal modification during interactions, including vocal imitation, on the individual distinctiveness and sex-specific differences of contact calls from ten captive bred peach-fronted conures (Eupsittula aurea). In order to determine if vocal individual- and sex distinctiveness persists in contact calls that are modified to that of another individual, we compared nine acoustic parameters from spontaneous (baseline) contact calls and contact calls emitted as response to a playback stimulus. Although modified, all acoustic parameters remained individually distinctive when the focal individuals interacted with the playback stimulus. These results provide a strong basis for discriminating between calls from different individuals across several social contexts, which could play an important role in mediating selective associations between individual peach-fronted conures during fission and fusion events.

scholarly journals Vocalization Analyses of Nocturnal Arboreal Mammals of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 473
Author(s):  
Hanna Rosti ◽  
Henry Pihlström ◽  
Simon Bearder ◽  
Petri Pellikka ◽  
Jouko Rikkinen
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Montane Forests ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Otolemur Garnettii ◽  
Loud Calls ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
Taita Hills ◽  
Contact Calls

Three poorly known nocturnal mammal species from the montane forests of the Taita Hills in Kenya, were studied via vocalization analysis. Here, their acoustic behaviour is described. The studied animals were the tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax sp.), the small-eared greater galago (Otolemur garnettii), and the dwarf galago (Paragalago sp.). High-quality loud calls were analysed using RAVEN PRO, and compared to calls of presumed closest relatives. Our findings include the first detailed descriptions of tree hyrax songs. Moreover, our results suggest that the tree hyrax of Taita Hills may be a taxon new to science, as it produces a characteristic call, the ‘strangled thwack’, not previously known from other Dendrohyrax populations. Our data confirms that the small-eared greater galago subspecies living in the Taita Hills is Otolemur garnettii lasiotis. The loud calls of the elusive Taita Hills dwarf galago closely resemble those of the Kenya coast dwarf galago (Paragalago cocos). Thus, the population in the Taita Hills probably belongs to this species. The Taita Hills dwarf galagos are geographically isolated from other dwarf galago populations, and live in montane cloud forest, which is an unusual habitat for P. cocos. Intriguingly, two dwarf galago subpopulations living in separate forest patches in the Taita Hills, Ngangao and Mbololo, have clearly different contact calls. The Paragalagos in Mbololo Forest may represent a population of P. cocos with a derived call repertoire, or, alternatively, they may actually be mountain dwarf galagos (P. orinus). Hence, differences in habitat, behaviour, and contact call structure suggest that there may be two different Paragalago species in the montane forests of the Taita Hills.

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