Royal Society Open Science (Jul 2021)
Dominance style is a key predictor of vocal use and evolution across nonhuman primates
- Eithne Kavanagh,
- Sally E. Street,
- Felix O. Angwela,
- Thore J. Bergman,
- Maryjka B. Blaszczyk,
- Laura M. Bolt,
- Margarita Briseño-Jaramillo,
- Michelle Brown,
- Chloe Chen-Kraus,
- Zanna Clay,
- Camille Coye,
- Melissa Emery Thompson,
- Alejandro Estrada,
- Claudia Fichtel,
- Barbara Fruth,
- Marco Gamba,
- Cristina Giacoma,
- Kirsty E. Graham,
- Samantha Green,
- Cyril C. Grueter,
- Shreejata Gupta,
- Morgan L. Gustison,
- Lindsey Hagberg,
- Daniela Hedwig,
- Katharine M. Jack,
- Peter M. Kappeler,
- Gillian King-Bailey,
- Barbora Kuběnová,
- Alban Lemasson,
- David MacGregor Inglis,
- Zarin Machanda,
- Andrew MacIntosh,
- Bonaventura Majolo,
- Sophie Marshall,
- Stephanie Mercier,
- Jérôme Micheletta,
- Martin Muller,
- Hugh Notman,
- Karim Ouattara,
- Julia Ostner,
- Mary S. M. Pavelka,
- Louise R. Peckre,
- Megan Petersdorf,
- Fredy Quintero,
- Gabriel Ramos-Fernández,
- Martha M. Robbins,
- Roberta Salmi,
- Isaac Schamberg,
- Valérie A. M. Schoof,
- Oliver Schülke,
- Stuart Semple,
- Joan B. Silk,
- J. Roberto Sosa-Lopéz,
- Valeria Torti,
- Daria Valente,
- Raffaella Ventura,
- Erica van de Waal,
- Anna H. Weyher,
- Claudia Wilke,
- Richard Wrangham,
- Christopher Young,
- Anna Zanoli,
- Klaus Zuberbühler,
- Adriano R. Lameira,
- Katie Slocombe
Affiliations
- Eithne Kavanagh
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Sally E. Street
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Felix O. Angwela
- School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University, PO Box 837, Fort Portal, Uganda
- Thore J. Bergman
- Departments of Psychology, EEB, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Maryjka B. Blaszczyk
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Laura M. Bolt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2 L 3G1
- Margarita Briseño-Jaramillo
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México (UNAM), Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
- Michelle Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, 552 University Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210, USA
- Chloe Chen-Kraus
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, 10 Sachem Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Zanna Clay
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
- Camille Coye
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Alejandro Estrada
- Field Research Station Los Tuxtlas, Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Circuito interior s/n, Ciudad universitaria, Delegacion coyoacan, Mexico City CP 04510, Mexico
- Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Barbara Fruth
- School of Biological and Environmental Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
- Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Kirsty E. Graham
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Samantha Green
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Cyril C. Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Shreejata Gupta
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Morgan L. Gustison
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Lindsey Hagberg
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Daniela Hedwig
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Katharine M. Jack
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Gillian King-Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Barbora Kuběnová
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
- Alban Lemasson
- Human and Animal Ethology (EthoS), University of Rennes, Normandie University, CNRS, EthoS - UMR6552, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35000 Rennes, France
- David MacGregor Inglis
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
- Zarin Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 5 The Green, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Andrew MacIntosh
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
- Bonaventura Majolo
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Brayford Wharf East LN5 7TS, UK
- Sophie Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Stephanie Mercier
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Jérôme Micheletta
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, King Henry I Street, PO1 2DY Portsmouth, UK
- Martin Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Hugh Notman
- Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Canada
- Karim Ouattara
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Ivory Coast
- Julia Ostner
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Mary S. M. Pavelka
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
- Louise R. Peckre
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Megan Petersdorf
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, USA
- Fredy Quintero
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuto Escolar 3000, C.U., 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
- Martha M. Robbins
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, 355 S. Jackson Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Isaac Schamberg
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Valérie A. M. Schoof
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Oliver Schülke
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Stuart Semple
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
- Joan B. Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- J. Roberto Sosa-Lopéz
- CONACYT-Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional Unidad Oaxaca (CIIDIR), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Hornos No. 1003, Col. Noche Buena, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca 71230, Mexico
- Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Raffaella Ventura
- Scottish Primate Research Group, Division of Psychology, School of Social and Health Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
- Erica van de Waal
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi 3115, South Africa
- Anna H. Weyher
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 240 Hicks Way #217, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Claudia Wilke
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- Richard Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Christopher Young
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, Republic of South Africa
- Anna Zanoli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Klaus Zuberbühler
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, 5 The Green, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Adriano R. Lameira
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, South Street, St. Mary's Quad, South Street, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- Katie Slocombe
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210873
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 8,
no. 7
Abstract
Animal communication has long been thought to be subject to pressures and constraints associated with social relationships. However, our understanding of how the nature and quality of social relationships relates to the use and evolution of communication is limited by a lack of directly comparable methods across multiple levels of analysis. Here, we analysed observational data from 111 wild groups belonging to 26 non-human primate species, to test how vocal communication relates to dominance style (the strictness with which a dominance hierarchy is enforced, ranging from ‘despotic’ to ‘tolerant’). At the individual-level, we found that dominant individuals who were more tolerant vocalized at a higher rate than their despotic counterparts. This indicates that tolerance within a relationship may place pressure on the dominant partner to communicate more during social interactions. At the species-level, however, despotic species exhibited a larger repertoire of hierarchy-related vocalizations than their tolerant counterparts. Findings suggest primate signals are used and evolve in tandem with the nature of interactions that characterize individuals' social relationships.
Keywords
