European-native vocalizing: sex and age-class acoustic variation in the Central European red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Abstract

Within-population acoustic variation of European red deer Cervus elaphus follows two empirically established common rules: Rule 1: suggesting similar-pitched stag and hind calls because of potential prevalence of natural over sexual selection on call pitch; and Rule 2: predicting lower-pitched calls in adults, because larger vocal folds normally produce lower-pitched calls in mammals. We found that both rules were supported for native Pannonian red deer from Central Europe. All fundamental frequency () parameter values of hind contact calls (for the exclusion of the beginning ) were indistinguishable from those of stag rutting roars. These results agree with published data on vocalization of male and female American and Asian wapiti Cervus canadensis. Calls of adults of either sex were lower in frequency than calf calls. These results disagree with data collected from adult and young American wapiti producing same-frequency calls, probably because of a distinctive mechanism of sound production (whistling).

Advertising sex and individual identity by long‐distance chirps in wild‐living mature cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

“…Some anecdotal evidences suggest that wild cougars Puma concolor produce both high‐frequency (maximum f0 over 4000 Hz, Allen et al, 2016) and low‐frequency (430 Hz Macarrão et al, 2012) long‐distance calls. Overall, the evident lack of the negative relationship between fundamental frequency of long‐distance calls and body size is reminiscent of the situation with rutting calls in red deer Cervus elaphus , in which f0 varies 10 times between subspecies (Volodin et al, 2013, 2022).…”