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Acoustical expression of arousal in conflict situations in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri)

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Abstract

Empirical research on human and non-human primates suggests that communication sounds express the intensity of an emotional state of a signaller. In the present study, we have examined communication sounds during induced social interactions of a monogamous mammal, the tree shrew. To signal their unwillingness to mate, female tree shrews show defensive threat displays towards unfamiliar males paralleled by acoustically variable squeaks. We assumed that the distance between interacting partners as well as the behavior of the male towards the female indicates the intensity of perceived social threat and thereby the arousal state of a female. To explore this hypothesis we analyzed dynamic changes in communication sounds uttered during induced social interactions between a female and an unfamiliar male. Detailed videographic and sound analyzes revealed that the arousal state predicted variations in communication sound structure reliably. Both, a decrease of distance and a male approaching the female led to an increase in fundamental frequency and repetition rate of syllables. These findings support comparable results in human and non-human primates and suggest that common coding rules in communication sounds govern acoustic conflict regulation in mammals.

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Abbreviations

AFRMB:

Analysis of female response to male behavior

AFRMP:

Analysis of female response to male proximity

F 0 :

Fundamental frequency

IR:

Interquartile range

ISI:

Intersyllable interval

PF:

Peak frequency

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the DFG Research Group 499. The experiments are licensed by the Bezirksregierung Hannover, Germany (reference number: 509.6-42502-03/660) and comply with the “Principles of animal care”, publication No. 86-23, revised 1985 of the National Institute of Health. We thank S. Schmidt for critical comments on an earlier version of this manuscript and M. Scheumann for help with acoustic analysis. We also thank B. Haßfurther for digitalising of video recordings, as well as R.W. Brüning for technical support and W. Mehl, H.-J. Sauer, and S. Kunath for animal care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany

    Simone Schehka, Karl-Heinz Esser & Elke Zimmermann

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  1. Simone Schehka
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  2. Karl-Heinz Esser
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  3. Elke Zimmermann
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Correspondence to Simone Schehka.

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Schehka, S., Esser, KH. & Zimmermann, E. Acoustical expression of arousal in conflict situations in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) . J Comp Physiol A 193, 845–852 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0236-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0236-8

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