Abstract:
Group-living animals engage in coordinated vocalizations to depart from a location as a group, and often, to come to a consensus about the direction of movement. Here, we document for the first time, the use of coordinated vocalizations, the \"let\'s go\" rumble, in wild male African elephant group departures from a waterhole. We recorded vocalizations and collected behavioral data as known individuals engaged in these vocal bouts during June-July field seasons in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2017 at Mushara waterhole within Etosha National Park, Namibia. During departure events, we documented which individuals were involved in the calls, the signature structure of each individual\'s calls, as well as the ordering of callers, the social status of the callers, and those who initiated departure. The \"let\'s go\" rumble was previously described in tight-knit family groups to keep the family together during coordinated departures. Male elephants are described as living in loose social groups, making this finding particularly striking. We found that this vocal coordination occurs in groups of closely associated, highly bonded individuals and rarely occurs between looser associates. The three individuals most likely to initiate the \"let\'s go\" rumble bouts were all highly socially integrated, and one of these individuals was also the most dominant overall. This finding suggests that more socially integrated individuals might be more likely to initiate, or lead, a close group of associates in the context of leaving the waterhole, just as a high-ranking female would do in a family group. The fact that many individuals were involved in the vocal bouts, and that departure periods could be shorter, longer, or the same amount of time as pre-departure periods, all suggest that there is consensus with regard to the act of leaving, even though the event was triggered by a lead individual.
摘要:
团体生活的动物参与协调的发声,作为一个团体离开一个地点,而且经常,就运动方向达成共识。这里,我们第一次记录,使用协调的发声,“让我们走”隆隆声,野生雄性非洲象群从水坑出发。我们记录了发声并收集了行为数据,因为在2005年,2007年,2011年和2017年6月至7月的野外季节中,在埃托沙国家公园内的穆沙拉水坑中从事这些发声的已知个体,纳米比亚。在离境活动期间,我们记录了哪些人参与了电话,每个个人呼叫的签名结构,以及呼叫者的顺序,来电者的社会地位,以及那些发起离开的人。先前在紧密的家庭团体中描述了“让我们走”的隆隆声,以在协调离开期间使家人团结在一起。雄性大象被描述为生活在松散的社会群体中,使这一发现特别引人注目。我们发现这种声音协调发生在密切相关的群体中,高度结合的个体,很少发生在松散的同事之间。最有可能发起“让我们走”隆隆声的三个人都是高度社会融合的,其中一个人也是最占优势的。这一发现表明,更多社会融合的个体可能更有可能发起,或者铅,在离开水坑的背景下,一群亲密的同事,就像一个高级女性在家庭团体中所做的那样。事实上,许多人参与了声乐比赛,出发时间可以更短,较长,或与出发前相同的时间,所有这些都表明对离开的行为有共识,即使事件是由领先的个人触发的。