Vocal Recruitment for Joint Travel in Wild Chimpanzees
| Résumé |
Joint travel is a common social activity of many group-living
animals, which requires some degree of coordination, sometimes
through communication signals. Here, we studied the use of an
acoustically distinct vocalisation in chimpanzees, the 'travel
hoo', a signal given specifically in the travel context. We were
interested in how this call type was produced to coordinate travel,
whether it was aimed at specific individuals and how recipients
responded. We found that 'travel hoos' were regularly given prior
to impending departures and that silent travel initiations were
less successful in recruiting than vocal initiations. Other
behaviours associated with departure were unrelated to recruitment,
suggesting that 'travel hoos' facilitated joint travel. Crucially,
'travel hoos' were more often produced in the presence of allies
than other individuals, with high rates of recruitment success. We
discuss these findings as evidence for how motivation to perform a
specific social activity can lead to the production of a vocal
signal that qualifies as 'intentional' according to most
definitions, suggesting that a key psychological component of human
language may have already been present in the common ancestor of
chimpanzees and humans. |
| Citation | Gruber, T., & Zuberbühler, K. (2013). Vocal Recruitment for Joint Travel in Wild Chimpanzees. PLoS ONE, 8(9). |
| Type | Article de périodique (Anglais) |
| Date de publication | 2013 |
| Nom du périodique | PLoS ONE |
| Volume | 8 |
| Numéro | 9 |