Cross-modal individual recognition in wild African lions

Gilfillan, Geoffrey D.; Vitale, Jessica; McNutt, J. Weldon; McComb, Karen

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2016.0323

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…This should be an important ability especially for social animals living in complex societies; allowing them to identify individuals, avoid conflicts and maintain social balance, rank, and perhaps cooperation. Some social species are known to have cross-modal representations of conspecifics (chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Kojima et al 2003, rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Adachi and Hampton 2011;Sliwa et al 2011, Grey-Cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena): Bovet and Deputte 2009, horses (Equus caballus): Proops et al 2009, lions (Panthera leo): Gilfillan et al 2016, goats (Capra hircus): Pitcher et al 2017, crows (Corvus macrorhynchos): Kondo et al 2012). Furthermore, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) and dogs (Canis familiaris) can also form cross-modal representation of familiar members of at least one other species, namely humans Sliwa et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cats match voice and face: cross-modal representation of humans in cats (Felis catus)

et al. 2019

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We examined whether cats have a cross-modal representation of humans, using a cross-modal expectancy violation paradigm originally used with dogs by Adachi et al. (2007). We compared cats living in houses and in cat cafés to assess the potential effect of postnatal experience. Cats were presented with the face of either their owner or a stranger on a laptop monitor after playing back the voice of one of two people calling the subject's name. In half of the trials the voice and face were of the same person (congruent condition) whereas in the other half of trials the stimuli did not match (incongruent condition). The café cats paid attention to the monitor longer in incongruent than congruent conditions, showing an expectancy violation. By contrast, house cats showed no similar tendency. These results show that at least café cats can predict their owner's face upon hearing the owner's voice, suggesting possession of cross-modal representation of at least one human. There may be a minimal kind or amount of postnatal experiences that lead to formation of a cross-modal representation of a specific person.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cats match voice and face: cross-modal representation of humans in cats (Felis catus)

et al. 2019

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“…However, we have now demonstrated this ability in wild African lions, a species where true individual recognition might be expected given the repeated interactions and long-term social relationships that exist in this species, and their frequent use of visual, olfactory, and vocal signals in communication [123]. As in other studies of cross-modal recognition, we investigated individual recognition in wild lions using an 'expectancy violation' paradigm, but here a vehicle was used to create a visual block between our test subject and another member of their social group.…”

Section: Cross Modal Individual Recognition In Carnivoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although work on individual recognition in wild carnivores is in its infancy, it appears that wild carnivores, at least those living in complex societies such as the fission-fusion societies found in lions and spotted hyenas, likely possess the ability to recognize individual group members and to discriminate between group members and unfamiliar conspecifics [15,123]. Additionally, our work on wild spotted hyenas shows that these animals not only categorize vocalizations from conspecifics as known versus unknown, but actually discriminate between unknown individuals and recognize when a call is coming from the same unknown individual or a different one, even when these calls are played minutes apart [15].…”

Section: Cross Modal Individual Recognition In Carnivoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical assessment in the wild: insights from social carnivores

Benson‐Amram

Gilfillan

McComb

2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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SummaryPlayback experiments have proven to be a useful tool to investigate the extent to which wild animals understand numerical concepts and the factors that play into their decisions to respond to different numbers of vocalizing conspecifics. In particular, playback experiments have broadened our understanding of the cognitive abilities of historically understudied species that are challenging to test in the traditional laboratory, such as members of the Order Carnivora. Additionally, playback experiments allow us to assess the importance of numerical information versus other ecologically important variables when animals are making adaptive decisions in their natural habitats. Here, webegin by reviewing what we know about quantity discrimination in carnivores from studies conducted in captivity. We then review a series of playback experiments conducted with wild social carnivores, including African lions, spotted hyenas, and wolves, which demonstrate that these animals can assess the number of conspecifics calling and respond based on numerical advantage.We discuss how the wild studies compliment those conducted in captivity and allow us to gain insights into why wild animals may not always respond based solely on differences in quantity. We then consider the key role that individual discrimination and cross-modal recognition play in the 2 ability of animals to assess the number of conspecifics vocalizing nearby. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in this area, highlighting in particular the need for further work on the cognitive basis of numerical assessment skills and experimental paradigms that can be effective in both captive and wild settings.

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“…Such behavior indicates that the subject has an internal representation of the individual and thus recognition must be at the individual rather than class level. The cross-modal experimental paradigm has been used to show individual recognition of conspecifics by free-living African lions (visual-auditory, Gilfillan et al, 2016 ), but whether wild animals could cross-modally recognize individual humans remains unknown. As it requires animals to be familiar enough with individual humans to recognize them with more than one sense, it may not be likely.…”

Section: Individual Recognition Of Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Animal Cognition in Human-Wildlife Interactions

et al. 2020

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Humans have a profound effect on the planet’s ecosystems, and unprecedented rates of human population growth and urbanization have brought wild animals into increasing contact with people. For many species, appropriate responses toward humans are likely to be critical to survival and reproductive success. Although numerous studies have investigated the impacts of human activity on biodiversity and species distributions, relatively few have examined the effects of humans on the behavioral responses of animals during human-wildlife encounters, and the cognitive processes underpinning those responses. Furthermore, while humans often present a significant threat to animals, the presence or behavior of people may be also associated with benefits, such as food rewards. In scenarios where humans vary in their behavior, wild animals would be expected to benefit from the ability to discriminate between dangerous, neutral and rewarding people. Additionally, individual differences in cognitive and behavioral phenotypes and past experiences with humans may affect animals’ ability to exploit human-dominated environments and respond appropriately to human cues. In this review, we examine the cues that wild animals use to modulate their behavioral responses toward humans, such as human facial features and gaze direction. We discuss when wild animals are expected to attend to certain cues, how information is used, and the cognitive mechanisms involved. We consider how the cognitive abilities of wild animals are likely to be under selection by humans and therefore influence population and community composition. We conclude by highlighting the need for long-term studies on free-living, wild animals to fully understand the causes and ecological consequences of variation in responses to human cues. The effects of humans on wildlife behavior are likely to be substantial, and a detailed understanding of these effects is key to implementing effective conservation strategies and managing human-wildlife conflict.

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Cross-modal individual recognition in wild African lions

Cited by 25 publications

References 12 publications

Cats match voice and face: cross-modal representation of humans in cats (Felis catus)

Cats match voice and face: cross-modal representation of humans in cats (Felis catus)

Numerical assessment in the wild: insights from social carnivores

The Role of Animal Cognition in Human-Wildlife Interactions

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