Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments.
The ability to signal individual identity using vocal signals and distinguish between conspecifics based on vocal cues is important in several mammal species. Furthermore, it can be important for receivers to differentiate between callers in reproductive contexts. In this study, we used acoustic ana...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0020329&type=printable |
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| author | Benjamin D Charlton William A H Ellis Allan J McKinnon Jacqui Brumm Karen Nilsson W Tecumseh Fitch |
| author_facet | Benjamin D Charlton William A H Ellis Allan J McKinnon Jacqui Brumm Karen Nilsson W Tecumseh Fitch |
| author_sort | Benjamin D Charlton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ability to signal individual identity using vocal signals and distinguish between conspecifics based on vocal cues is important in several mammal species. Furthermore, it can be important for receivers to differentiate between callers in reproductive contexts. In this study, we used acoustic analyses to determine whether male koala bellows are individually distinctive and to investigate the relative importance of different acoustic features for coding individuality. We then used a habituation-discrimination paradigm to investigate whether koalas discriminate between the bellow vocalisations of different male callers. Our results show that male koala bellows are highly individualized, and indicate that cues related to vocal tract filtering contribute the most to vocal identity. In addition, we found that male and female koalas habituated to the bellows of a specific male showed a significant dishabituation when they were presented with bellows from a novel male. The significant reduction in behavioural response to a final rehabituation playback shows this was not a chance rebound in response levels. Our findings indicate that male koala bellows are highly individually distinctive and that the identity of male callers is functionally relevant to male and female koalas during the breeding season. We go on to discuss the biological relevance of signalling identity in this species' sexual communication and the potential practical implications of our findings for acoustic monitoring of male population levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cd3c8d63caa947318ec20c93c27d669f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-cd3c8d63caa947318ec20c93c27d669f2025-08-20T03:46:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0165e2032910.1371/journal.pone.0020329Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments.Benjamin D CharltonWilliam A H EllisAllan J McKinnonJacqui BrummKaren NilssonW Tecumseh FitchThe ability to signal individual identity using vocal signals and distinguish between conspecifics based on vocal cues is important in several mammal species. Furthermore, it can be important for receivers to differentiate between callers in reproductive contexts. In this study, we used acoustic analyses to determine whether male koala bellows are individually distinctive and to investigate the relative importance of different acoustic features for coding individuality. We then used a habituation-discrimination paradigm to investigate whether koalas discriminate between the bellow vocalisations of different male callers. Our results show that male koala bellows are highly individualized, and indicate that cues related to vocal tract filtering contribute the most to vocal identity. In addition, we found that male and female koalas habituated to the bellows of a specific male showed a significant dishabituation when they were presented with bellows from a novel male. The significant reduction in behavioural response to a final rehabituation playback shows this was not a chance rebound in response levels. Our findings indicate that male koala bellows are highly individually distinctive and that the identity of male callers is functionally relevant to male and female koalas during the breeding season. We go on to discuss the biological relevance of signalling identity in this species' sexual communication and the potential practical implications of our findings for acoustic monitoring of male population levels.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0020329&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin D Charlton William A H Ellis Allan J McKinnon Jacqui Brumm Karen Nilsson W Tecumseh Fitch Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments. PLoS ONE |
| title | Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments. |
| title_full | Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments. |
| title_fullStr | Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments. |
| title_short | Perception of male caller identity in Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): acoustic analysis and playback experiments. |
| title_sort | perception of male caller identity in koalas phascolarctos cinereus acoustic analysis and playback experiments |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0020329&type=printable |
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