Measuring positive and negative affect in the voiced sounds of African elephants (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>)

Soltis, Joseph; Blowers, Tracy E.; Savage, Anne

doi:10.1121/1.3531798

Cited by 52 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…However, these differences may be attributed to differences between analysing only signature whistles (Esch, Sayigh, Blum, et al, 2009) and analysing the whole whistle repertoire (this study) or that arousal during different behavioural states and arousal due to stress induced by temporary capture are not entirely analogous. Another possible source of variance is that shifts in vocalization parameters can also be affected by the emotional valence of the context (Briefer, 2012;Soltis, Blowers, & Savage, 2011), something that could not be controlled in our study but warrants further research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Changes in bottlenose dolphin whistle parameters related to vessel presence, surface behaviour and group composition

et al. 2016

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Cetacean watching from tour boats has increased in recent years and has been promoted as an ethically viable alternative to cetacean viewing in captive facilities or directed take. However, short-and long-term impacts of this industry on the behaviour and energetic expenditure of cetaceans have been documented. Although multiple studies have investigated the acoustic 1 response of dolphins to marine tourism, there are several covariates that could also explain some of these results and should be considered simultaneously. Here, we investigated whether common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, inhabiting Walvis Bay, Namibia vary their whistle parameters in relation to boat presence, surface behaviour and/or group composition. We detected an upward shift of up to 1.99 kHz in several whistle frequency parameters when dolphins were in the presence of one or more tour boats and the research vessel. No changes were demonstrated in the frequency range, number of inflection points or duration of whistles. A similar, although less pronounced difference was observed in response to engine noise generated by the research vessel when idling, suggesting that noise alone plays an important role in driving this shift in whistle frequency. Additionally, a strong effect of surface behaviour was observed, with the greatest difference in whistle parameters detected between resting and other behavioural states that are associated with higher degrees of emotional arousal. Group composition also contributed to the variation observed, with the impact of boats dependent on whether calves were present or not. Overall these results demonstrate high natural variation in the frequency parameters of whistles utilized by dolphins over varying behavioural states and group composition. Anthropogenic impact in the form of marine tour boats can influence the vocalization parameters of dolphins and such changes could have a long-term impact if they reduce the communication range of whistles or increase energy expenditure. Key wordsbottlenose dolphin, marine tourism, Namibia, Tursiops truncatus, vocal behaviour Wildlife tourism involving cetacean (whale, dolphin and porpoise) watching has experienced rapid growth since the 1990s (Hoyt, 2001;O'Connor, Campbell, Cortez, & Knowles, 2009). 2Globally, boat-based cetacean watching generates an estimated 2.2 billion US dollars annually (IWC, 2014). Revenue can provide a valuable subsidy to fishing communities and in some cases wild cetacean viewing has replaced direct hunting of whales and dolphins (Amir & Jiddawi, 2001;Berggren et al., 2007). Compared with captive facilities, responsible boatbased cetacean watching has been promoted as an ethically acceptable option for observing dolphins, providing a valuable forum for environmental education and promotion of conservation efforts (IFAW, 1997). However, a considerable body of work has shown that boats and boat-based cetacean watching can have multiple negative impacts on the behaviour of the focal individual, population or species (Parsons,...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Changes in bottlenose dolphin whistle parameters related to vessel presence, surface behaviour and group composition

et al. 2016

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“…This parameter, which is also easier to measure than FMextent, could thus be selected as a clear valence indicator in goats. A decrease in F0range from negative to positive situations has also been observed in humans (Hammerschmidt & Jürgens, 2007) and elephants, Loxodonta africana (Soltis et al, 2011). Similarly, lower variation in F0 (cumulative variation of F0) in positive than in negative situation has been found in dogs (Taylor, Reby, & McComb, 2009).…”

Section: Vocal Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…Yet, changes in parameter values between neutral and negative situations are often easier to detect than between neutral and positive situations, because negative emotions often trigger higher arousal levels than positive ones . Another concern regarding research on indicators of emotions is that very few studies have investigated both arousal and valence in a given species (but see for example Gogoleva et al, 2010;Soltis, Blowers, & Savage, 2011). Additionally, the emotional situations that are used often differ in both dimensions simultaneously, or may differ in more than simply the emotions they trigger (e.g.…”

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confidence: 97%

Emotions in goats: mapping physiological, behavioural and vocal profiles

2015

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Keywords: acoustic communication arousal Capra hircus positive emotions ungulates valence vocal analysisEmotions are important because they enable the selection of appropriate behavioural decisions in response to external or internal events. Techniques for understanding and assessing animal emotions, and particularly positive ones, are lacking. Emotions can be characterized by two dimensions: their arousal (bodily excitation) and their valence (negative or positive). Both dimensions can affect emotions in different ways. It is thus crucial to assess their effects on biological parameters simultaneously, so that accurate indicators of arousal and valence can be identified. To find convenient and noninvasive tools to assess emotions in goats, Capra hircus, we measured physiological, behavioural and vocal responses of goats in four situations: (1) control (no external stimulus, neutral); (2) anticipation of a food reward (positive); (3) food-related frustration (negative); (4) isolation away from conspecifics (negative). These situations were characterized by different levels of arousal, assessed a posteriori by heart rates measured during the tests. We found several clear, reliable indicators of arousal and valence. During situations of higher arousal, goats had lower heart rate variability and higher respiration rates. They displayed more head movements, moved more, had their ears pointed forwards more often and on the side (horizontal) less often and produced more calls. They also produced calls with higher fundamental frequencies and higher energy distribution. In positive situations, goats had their ears oriented backwards less often and spent more time with their tails up than in negative situations. Furthermore, they produced calls in which the fundamental frequencies were less variable. Our methods for assessing the effects of emotional arousal and valence on biological parameters could lead to more effective monitoring and understanding of animal emotions, as well as to a better understanding of the evolution of emotions through cross-species comparisons.

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“…We have made extensive use of such time-series analyses in our acoustics research on elephants (e.g. Soltis et al 2011) and employed those techniques here to examine this aspect of the data.…”

Section: Accelerometer Data Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, the total acceleration data were transformed into acoustic (.wav) files in Adobe Audition (version 2.0, Adobe Systems), after which analyses were conducted in PRAAT (version 4.5.18; Boersma & Weenink 2007) using fully automated routines (see Soltis et al 2011 for examples of these techniques used on acoustic data). First, the signal was low-pass filtered at 5 Hz (Hanning window, 2 Hz smoothing), down-sampled to a 10 Hz sample rate, and a Fourier transform was performed.…”

Section: Accelerometer Data Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerometers in collars identify behavioral states in captive African elephants Loxodonta africana

Soltis¹,

Wilson²,

Douglas‐Hamilton³

et al. 2012

Endang. Species. Res.

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Accelerometers are motion-detection devices that, when attached to animals, are capable of detecting body orientation, overall activity levels, and specific behavior patterns. We deployed accelerometers in order to study the hypothesis that accelerometer output would allow us to distinguish between 4 behavior patterns in 3 adult female African elephants Loxodonta africana at Disney's Animal Kingdom ® , Florida, USA. Tri-axial accelerometer data loggers were attached to the tops of collars worn around the elephants' necks. Behavior was documented on video while the accelerometer output was stored on the data logger. Feeding, bathing, and walking behaviors were recorded in all 3 subjects, while swaying behavior could be recorded in only 1 subject. Data in the 3 physical dimensions (sway, surge, and heave) were analyzed in terms of overall magnitude of movement (dynamic acceleration) and in terms of the periodicity of movement. When classifying accelerometer data of unlabeled origin to the correct behavioral state, overall success ranged from 70 to 91%. Bathing was sometimes confused with feeding and walking, but feeding, walking, and swaying were easily distinguished from each other. These results show that data from accelerometers can distinguish an elephant's behavioral states, and thus may be used to monitor elephant behavior remotely. Such devices could be deployed for a variety of purposes, ranging from monitoring elephant activity in zoos to an early-warning system that could alert the authorities when wild elephants are being illegally hunted. KEY WORDS: Behavior measurement · Accelerometry · Elephant managementResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher OPEN PEN

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Measuring positive and negative affect in the voiced sounds of African elephants (Loxodonta africana)

Cited by 52 publications

References 58 publications

Changes in bottlenose dolphin whistle parameters related to vessel presence, surface behaviour and group composition

Changes in bottlenose dolphin whistle parameters related to vessel presence, surface behaviour and group composition

Emotions in goats: mapping physiological, behavioural and vocal profiles

Accelerometers in collars identify behavioral states in captive African elephants Loxodonta africana

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