Abstract
Although the number of pair-living species is higher in nocturnal than in diurnal primates, less is known about the communicative function of their vocalizations. One striking feature of vocal communication in diurnal pair-living primates is that partners exchange vocalizations in coordinated duets. Several functions have been attributed to duets, including mate attraction, advertizing and strengthening the pair bond, and territorial defense. To assess whether these functions can also be attributed to vocalizations of pair-living nocturnal primates, we studied the communicative function of vocalizations of red-tailed sportive lemurs (Lepilemur ruficaudatus). Social interactions between partners were equally often accompanied by vocal exchanges or not. Half of these vocal interactions included mutual but not coordinated exchanges of vocalizations between partners. In addition, playback experiments with vocalizations of the respective partner did not elicit vocal responses. Thus, exchanges of vocalizations might function to regulate spacing and interactions within pairs rather than to advertize or strengthen pair bonds. Since Lepilemur ruficaudatus interacted more often vocally with partners than with neighbors, and also vocalized when alone, we conclude that calling serves to signal an animal’s presence in its territory and to regulate spacing among conspecifics. Because vocalizations seem to serve in territorial defense in most nocturnal pair-living primates, cohesiveness between partners may have been the initial driving force behind the evolution of duets.
Resume
Bien que les Primates nocturnes vivent plus souvent en couples que les diurnes, la fonction communicative de leurs vocalisations est moins bien connue. Une caractéristique frappante de la communication vocale des primates vivant en couples est que ceux-ci échangent des vocalisations émises en duos coordonnés. Plusieurs fonctions ont été attribuées à ces duos, comme l’attraction de partenaires sexuels, l’expression publique et le renforcement des liens entre partenaires, ainsi que la défense territoriale. Afin de déterminer la fonction attribuable aux vocalisations émises par les primates nocturnes vivant en paires, nous avons étudié la fonction communicative des vocalisations du Lépilémur à queue rousse (Lepilemur ruficaudatus). Les interactions sociales entre partenaires étaient ou non accompagnées de vocalisations, dans les mêmes proportions. La moitié des interactions vocales étaient mutuelles, mais non coordonnées. De plus, les expériences de repasse de vocalisations du partenaire respectif n’ont entraîné aucune réponse. Donc, les échanges vocaux pourraient réguler l’espacement et les interactions entre partenaires, plutôt que de servir à la publicité ou aux renforcements des liens entre partenaires. Comme les animaux interagissent plus souvent entre partenaires d’une même paire qu’entre voisins, et vocalisent aussi quand ils sont seuls, nous concluons que les vocalisations servent de signaux marquant la présence des animaux dans leur territoire et régulant leur espacement. Parce que les vocalisations de la plupart des primates nocturnes vivant en couple semblent être territoriales, la cohésion entre partenaires pourrait être la raison initiale de l’évolution des duos.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Professors Ramilijaona and Rakotondravony, University of Antananarivo, the Commission Tripartite de Direction des Eaux et Forêts and the CNFEREF/Morondava for authorizing this study. We also thank Mario Heriniaina Ramohavelo for assistance during data collection in the field, Peter Kappeler for comments on the manuscript, and J. Masters, M. Gamba, and F. Génin for editing this volume. Financial support was provided by the German Science foundation (DFG, Ka1082/6-1; Fi929/1-2).
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Fichtel, C., Hilgartner, R. (2012). Noises in the Dark: Vocal Communication in Lepilemur ruficaudatus and Other Nocturnal Pair-Living Primates. In: Masters, J., Gamba, M., Génin, F. (eds) Leaping Ahead. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4511-1_33
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4511-1_33
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