Linking social complexity and vocal complexity: a parid perspective

Krams, Indriķis; Krama, Tatjana; Freeberg, Todd M.; Kullberg, Cecilia; Lucas, Jeffrey R.

doi:10.1098/rstb.2011.0222

Cited by 99 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 135 publications

(159 reference statements)

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“…Birds face a variety of enemies such as predators (Caro 2005), nest predators (Martin 1993), and brood parasites (Rothstein 1990). In addition, many birds live in a complex social system that involves both cooperators and competitors from both conspecifics and heterospecifics, which might lead to complexity in their vocal systems (Krams et al 2012). Therefore, studying alarm-calling systems of wild birds would provide an ideal opportunity to investigate ways in which socio-ecological factors drive the evolution of sophisticated communication systems and their underlying cognitive processes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semantic communication in birds: evidence from field research over the past two decades

Suzuki

2016

Ecological Research

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What do animal signals mean? This is a central question in studies on animal communication.Research into the semantics of animal signals began in 1980, with evidence that alarm calls of a non-human primate designated predators as external referents. These studies have challenged the historical assumption that such referential signaling is a unique feature of human language and produced a paradigm shift in animal communication research. Over the past two decades, an increasing number of field studies have revealed similar complexity in anti-predator communication of birds. The acoustic structures of avian alarm calls show a high degree of variation in pitch, duration, shape, and repetition rate. In addition to such distinct and graded variations, several birds combine discrete types of notes or calls into higher complex sequences. These variations in alarm calls are typically associated with the predator's attributes, such as predator type and distance, and receivers respond to them with appropriate anti-predator behaviors. Although alarm calls of several bird species, as well as those of monkeys, appear to denote predator attributes, almost nothing is known about the cognitive processes that underlie the production and perception of these signals. In this review, I explore the existing evidence for referential signaling in birds and highlight the importance of the cognitive approach to animal communication research. I hope this review will promote further investigations of alarm-calling behavior in birds and will help enhance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of semantic communication.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semantic communication in birds: evidence from field research over the past two decades

Suzuki

2016

Ecological Research

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“…The dependent measure in the study was the amount of information in chick-a-dee calls of individuals. This call is the most common vocal signal used by individuals throughout the year and functions in social cohesion [69][70][71][72]. There seems to be a relationship between chick-a-dee call production and social affiliation in this species.…”

Section: A Brief Review Of the Evidence That Social Complexity Affectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social complexity as a proximate and ultimate factor in communicative complexity

Freeberg

Dunbar

Ord

2012

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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454

520

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The 'social complexity hypothesis' for communication posits that groups with complex social systems require more complex communicative systems to regulate interactions and relations among group members. Complex social systems, compared with simple social systems, are those in which individuals frequently interact in many different contexts with many different individuals, and often repeatedly interact with many of the same individuals in networks over time. Complex communicative systems, compared with simple communicative systems, are those that contain a large number of structurally and functionally distinct elements or possess a high amount of bits of information. Here, we describe some of the historical arguments that led to the social complexity hypothesis, and review evidence in support of the hypothesis. We discuss social complexity as a driver of communication and possible causal factor in human language origins. Finally, we discuss some of the key current limitations to the social complexity hypothesis-the lack of tests against alternative hypotheses for communicative complexity and evidence corroborating the hypothesis from modalities other than the vocal signalling channel.

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“…We also tested titmice because they commonly use a complex calling system-the chick-a-dee call-that functions in social cohesion (Owens and Freeberg 2007;Sieving et al 2010). Studies have shown that calling rates and note composition of the titmouse chick-a-dee calls and related species change in the presence of a predator (Krams et al 2012). In this experiment, we manipulated the body and head orientation of a domestic cat model to face either toward or away from a food source.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Titmouse calling and foraging are affected by head and body orientation of cat predator models and possible experience with real cats

Book

Freeberg

2015

Anim Cogn

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Although anti-predator behavior systems have been studied in diverse taxa, less is known about how prey species detect and assess the immediate threat posed by a predator based on its behavior. In this study, we evaluated a potential cue that some species may utilize when assessing predation threat-the predator's body and head orientation. We tested the effect of this orientation cue on signaling and predation-risk-sensitive foraging of a prey species, tufted titmice (Baeolophus bicolor). Earlier work revealed sensitivity of titmice and related species to the presence of predator stimuli. Here, we manipulated cat models to face either toward or away from a food source preferred by titmice and then measured titmouse calling and seed-taking behavior. Titmice showed greater feeder avoidance when the cat predator models faced the feeder, compared to when the models faced away from the feeder or when titmice were exposed to control stimuli. Titmouse calling was also sensitive to predator head/body orientation, depending upon whether titmice were from sites where real cats had been observed or not. This study experimentally demonstrated that both calling and foraging of prey species can be affected by the head and body orientation of an important terrestrial predator. Prey species may therefore signal in strategic ways to conspecifics not just about predator presence, but also urgency of threat related to the more subtle cue of the head and body orientation of the predator. These findings hold potential implications for understanding animal cognition and learning processes.

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Linking social complexity and vocal complexity: a parid perspective

Cited by 99 publications

References 135 publications

Semantic communication in birds: evidence from field research over the past two decades

Semantic communication in birds: evidence from field research over the past two decades

Social complexity as a proximate and ultimate factor in communicative complexity

Titmouse calling and foraging are affected by head and body orientation of cat predator models and possible experience with real cats

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