Percussive underwater signaling in wild gray seals

Hocking, David P.; Burville, Ben; Parker, William M. G.; Evans, Alistair R.; Park, Travis; Marx, Felix G.

doi:10.1111/mms.12666

Cited by 14 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Some birds, for example, perform vocal displays (songs) while engaging in elaborate, acrobatic motor displays (Ota, Gahr, & Soma, 2015;Ota, Gahr, & Soma, 2018). Likewise, different species of seals perform percussive displays by slapping their flippers on the water (Wahlberg, Lunneryd, & Westerberg, 2002) or loudly clapping underwater (Hocking et al, 2020). It will be important to identify which aspects of these and related reports might be informative for addressing the origin of human dance.…”

Section: Dance and Musicalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution and functions of human dance

Fink

Bläsing

Ravignani

et al. 2021

Evolution and Human Behavior

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Dance is ubiquitous among humans and has received attention from several disciplines. Ethnographic documentation suggests that dance has a signaling function in social interaction. It can influence mate preferences and facilitate social bonds. Research has provided insights into the proximate mechanisms of dance, individually or when dancing with partners or in groups. Here, we review dance research from an evolutionary perspective. We propose that human dance evolved from ordinary (non-communicative) movements to communicate socially relevant information accurately. The need for accurate social signaling may have accompanied increases in group size and population density. Because of its complexity in production and display, dance may have evolved as a vehicle for expressing social and cultural information. Mating-related qualities and motives may have been the predominant information derived from individual dance movements, whereas group dance offers the opportunity for the exchange of socially relevant content, for coordinating actions among group members, for signaling coalitional strength, and for stabilizing group structures. We conclude that, despite the cultural diversity in dance movements and contexts, the primary communicative functions of dance may be the same across societies.

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Section: Dance and Musicalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution and functions of human dance

Fink

Bläsing

Ravignani

et al. 2021

Evolution and Human Behavior

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“…suggestive evidence [42] and non-vocal signalling [43] formants [44] empirical data lacking yes (imitation [44] and usage learning [14])…”

Section: Stepwise Acquisition Of Vocal Modulation Via Dishonest Signallingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acoustic allometry and vocal learning in mammals

Garcia

Ravignani

2020

Biol. Lett.

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Acoustic allometry is the study of how animal vocalizations reflect their body size. A key aim of this research is to identify outliers to acoustic allometry principles and pinpoint the evolutionary origins of such outliers. A parallel strand of research investigates species capable of vocal learning , the experience-driven ability to produce novel vocal signals through imitation or modification of existing vocalizations. Modification of vocalizations is a common feature found when studying both acoustic allometry and vocal learning. Yet, these two fields have only been investigated separately to date. Here, we review and connect acoustic allometry and vocal learning across mammalian clades, combining perspectives from bioacoustics, anatomy and evolutionary biology. Based on this, we hypothesize that, as a precursor to vocal learning, some species might have evolved the capacity for volitional vocal modulation via sexual selection for ‘dishonest' signalling. We provide preliminary support for our hypothesis by showing significant associations between allometric deviation and vocal learning in a dataset of 164 mammals. Our work offers a testable framework for future empirical research linking allometric principles with the evolution of vocal learning.

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“…Such sounds can be produced without specialized sound production structures. Male grey seals Halichoerus grypus have recently been filmed producing similar sharp fore flipper claps in the wild, where the clap sounds seemingly are used for communication [36]; their sound production mechanism has not been investigated but the clap sounds could be produced by cavitation. Harbour seal males Phoca vitulina slap the water's surface during reproductive displays, creating an attention-getting ‘fire-cracker’ sound with underwater SLs of 186–199 dB peak-peak re.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Walruses produce intense impulse sounds by clap-induced cavitation during breeding displays

Larsen

Reichmuth

2021

R. Soc. open sci.

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Male walruses produce some of the longest continuous reproductive displays known among mammals to convey their physical fitness to potential rivals and possibly to potential mates. Here, we document the ability of a captive walrus to produce intense, rhythmic sounds through a non-vocal pathway involving deliberate, regular collision of the fore flippers. High-speed videography linked to an acoustic onset marker revealed sound production through cavitation, with the acoustic impulse generated by each forceful clap exceeding a peak-to-peak sound level of 200 dB re. 1 µPa. This clapping display is in some ways quite similar to the knocking display more commonly associated with walruses in rut but is produced through a very different mechanism and with much higher amplitudes. While this clapping behaviour has not yet been documented in wild individuals, it has been observed among other mature male walruses living in human care. Production of intense sounds through cavitation has previously been documented only in crustaceans but may also be an effective means of sound production for some aquatic mammals.

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Percussive underwater signaling in wild gray seals

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

Evolution and functions of human dance

Evolution and functions of human dance

Acoustic allometry and vocal learning in mammals

Walruses produce intense impulse sounds by clap-induced cavitation during breeding displays

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