Grooming-at-a-distance by exchanging calls in non-human primates

Arlet, Małgorzata E.; Jubin, Ronan; Masataka, Nobuo; Lemasson, Alban

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0711

Cited by 55 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…interlocutor selectivity) rules, and the frequency of these vocal exchanges was only influenced by social bonds (established by the frequency of occurrence of peaceful spatial proximities). Interestingly, the frequencies of Japanese macaques'( Macaca fuscata ) vocal exchanges were positively correlated with their social bonds (established by grooming duration) (Arlet et al ., ), thus supporting the hypothesis that vocal exchanges can be interpreted as a form of ‘grooming‐at‐a‐distance’ that facilitates the maintenance of social cohesion (Dunbar, ).…”

Section: Theories Of the Origins Of Languagesupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Based on the literature and our findings (e.g. Arlet et al ., ; Lemasson et al ., ; Prieur et al ., ; Crockford, Wittig & Zuberbühler, ; Fröhlich et al ., ; Hobaiter, Byrne & Zuberbühler, ; Fedurek et al ., ), we propose the multicausal theory of language origins, postulating that primate communicative signalling stems from a cost–benefit trade‐off of signal production and processing of interactants in relation to four interrelated (evolutionary and life cycle) factors, namely species, individual and context‐related characteristics as well as behaviour and its characteristics. The perennial debate concerning the origins of language is presented below.…”

Section: Theories Of the Origins Of Languagementioning

confidence: 98%

“…use of different types of uni‐ or multimodal signal combinations) (e.g. Arlet et al ., ; Lemasson et al ., ; Prieur et al ., ; Crockford, Wittig & Zuberbühler, ; Fröhlich et al ., ; Hobaiter, Byrne & Zuberbühler, ; Fedurek et al ., ).…”

Section: Theories Of the Origins Of Languagementioning

confidence: 98%

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The origins of gestures and language: history, current advances and proposed theories

et al. 2019

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Investigating in depth the mechanisms underlying human and non-human primate intentional communication systems (involving gestures, vocalisations, facial expressions and eye behaviours) can shed light on the evolutionary roots of language. Reports on non-human primates, particularly great apes, suggest that gestural communication would have been a crucial prerequisite for the emergence of language, mainly based on the evidence of large communication repertoires and their associated multifaceted nature of intentionality that are key properties of language. Such research fuels important debates on the origins of gestures and language. We review here three non-mutually exclusive processes that can explain mainly great apes' gestural acquisition and development: phylogenetic ritualisation, ontogenetic ritualisation, and learning via social negotiation. We hypothesise the following scenario for the evolutionary origins of gestures: gestures would have appeared gradually through evolution via signal ritualisation following the principle of derived activities, with the key involvement of emotional expression and processing. The increasing level of complexity of socioecological lifestyles and associated daily manipulative activities might then have enabled the acquisition and development of different interactional strategies throughout the life cycle. Many studies support a multimodal origin of language. However, we stress that the origins of language are not only multimodal, but more broadly multicausal. We propose a multicausal theory of language origins which better explains current findings. It postulates that primates' communicative signalling is a complex trait continually shaped by a cost-benefit trade-off of signal production and processing of interactants in relation to four closely interlinked categories of evolutionary and life cycle factors: species, individual and context-related characteristics as well as behaviour and its characteristics. We conclude by suggesting directions for future research to improve our understanding of the evolutionary roots of gestures and language.

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Section: Theories Of the Origins Of Languagesupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Theories Of the Origins Of Languagementioning

confidence: 98%

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The origins of gestures and language: history, current advances and proposed theories

et al. 2019

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“…These calls can facilitate friendly social interactions or act as reconciliatory signals following aggression [4–9]. In some cases, call exchanges appear to function as long-distance ‘social grooming’, and to reinforce existing social relationships [10–11]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several previous studies have suggested that the exchange of contact calls may function to reinforce individuals’ social bonds, especially when they occur between widely separated partners [10–11]. However, it is also possible that these calls are used to monitor the location of important social partners, not to reinforce their bonds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic Use of Affiliative Vocalizations by Wild Female Baboons

2016

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Although vocal production in non-human primates is highly constrained, individuals appear to have some control over whether to call or remain silent. We investigated how contextual factors affect the production of grunts given by wild female chacma baboons, Papio ursinus, during social interactions. Females grunted as they approached other adult females 28% of the time. Supporting previous research, females were much more likely to grunt to mothers with young infants than to females without infants. Grunts also significantly increased the likelihood of affiliative interactions among all partners. Notably, however, grunts did not simply mirror existing social bonds. Instead, they appeared to perform a very different function: namely, to serve as signals of benign intent between partners whose relationship is not necessarily close or predictable. Females were less likely to grunt to their mothers or adult daughters—the individuals with whom they shared the closest and least aggressive bonds—than to other females. In contrast, patterns of grunting between sisters were similar to those between nonkin, perhaps reflecting sisters’ more ambivalent relationships. Females grunted at higher rates to lower-ranking, than to higher-ranking, females, supporting the hypothesis that grunts do not simply signal the signaler’s level of arousal or anxiety about receiving aggression, but instead function as signals of benign intent. Taken together, results suggest that the grunts given by female baboons serve to reduce uncertainty about the likely outcome of an interaction between partners whose relationship is not predictably affiliative. Despite their limited vocal repertoire, baboons appear to be skilled at modifying call production in different social contexts and for different audiences.

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Gestural repertoire size is associated with social proximity measures in wild chimpanzees

Roberts¹,

Chakrabarti

Roberts³

2019

American J Primatol

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Gestural repertoire size is associated with social proximity measures in wild chimpanzees. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10324/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. Abstract 1Studying the communication systems of primates can provide insights into the evolutionary 2 origins of human language. Some theories propose that language evolved to help meet the 3 demands of managing complex social relationships. Examining the associations between 4 sociality and communication in the great apes can help to identify the specific selection 5 pressures that may have been important for language evolution. In particular, gestural 6 communication is believed to be important because it is a relatively recent trait seen only in 7 primates and particularly in the great apes. However, the extent to which more complex 8 gestural communication plays a role in managing social relationships, as compared to less 9 complex gestural communication, is not well understood. Using social network analysis, we 10 examined the association between complex gesturing (indexed as repertoire size) and 11 complexity of social relationships indexed as proximity (the duration of time spent within 10 12 m, per hour spent in same party) in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). 13 Repertoire size (the total number of gesture types a focal subject produced towards other 14 individuals) and dyadic repertoire size (the number of gesture types produced towards the 15 dyad partner, per hour spent within 10 meters) were positively associated with proximity at 16 the level of the group (centrality in the proximity network) and the dyad (proximity duration 17 between dyads) respectively. Further, the repertoire size of visual and auditory short-range 18 gestures was positively associated with proximity, whilst the repertoire size of tactile gesture 19 was negatively associated with proximity. Overall these results suggest that gestural 20 repertoire size has important implications for maintaining social relationships in wild 21 chimpanzees and more broadly that gestural communication may have played an important 22 role in language evolution.23 24 social system 25 of social relationships in social groups [Aiello and Dunbar, 1993]. Complex social systems 32 have been defined as those in which individuals interact in many different contexts with 33 many different individuals [Freeberg et al., 2012]. In large and complex social groups, as 34 compared to smaller and less complex groups, there are more relationships to track and a 35 greater range of different types of social relationships [Dunbar and Shultz, 2010]. This means 36 that individuals in large groups spend a higher amount of their time forming and maintaining 37 social relationships with others, as compared to individuals in smaller groups. Complex 38 communication systems, defined as those which contain a larger number of structurally and 39 functionally distinct elements (e.g. a larger repert...

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Grooming-at-a-distance by exchanging calls in non-human primates

Cited by 55 publications

References 29 publications

The origins of gestures and language: history, current advances and proposed theories

The origins of gestures and language: history, current advances and proposed theories

Strategic Use of Affiliative Vocalizations by Wild Female Baboons

Gestural repertoire size is associated with social proximity measures in wild chimpanzees

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