Titi monkey call sequences vary with predator location and type

Casar, C; Zuberbulher, K; Young, RJ; Byrne, R

Abstract

Animal alarm calls can encode information about a predator’s category, size,
distance or threat level. In non-human primates, alarm calls typically refer to
broad classes of disturbances, in some instances to specific predators. Here,
we present the results of a field experiment with a New World primate, the
black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons), designed to explore the
information conveyed by their alarm call system. Adults produced
sequences consisting of two main alarm call types that conveyed, in different
parts of the utterance, information about a predator’s type and location. In
particular, sequence compositions differed depending on whether the predator
was a mammalian carnivore or a raptor, and whether it was detected in
a tree or on the ground. This is the first demonstration of a sequence-based
alarm call system in a non-human animal that has the capacity to encode
both location and type of predatory threat.

Citation

Casar, C., Zuberbulher, K., Young, R., & Byrne, R. (2013). Titi monkey call sequences vary with predator location and type. Biology Letters, 9(5), 20130535. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0535

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jan 26, 2015
• Journal: Biology Letters
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-957X
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 20130535
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0535
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0535
• Related Public URLs: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/
• Additional Information: Funders : CNPq;CAPES;FAPEMIG