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The role of vocal learning in call acquisition of wild grey seal pups
Item metadata
dc.contributor.author | Stansbury, Amanda | |
dc.contributor.author | Janik, Vincent M. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-09-07T09:30:13Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-09-07T09:30:13Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-10-25 | |
dc.identifier | 274299770 | |
dc.identifier | 9cb598dd-4d97-4125-a22b-e1eae71643f6 | |
dc.identifier | 000693558500008 | |
dc.identifier | 85115818447 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Stansbury , A & Janik , V M 2021 , ' The role of vocal learning in call acquisition of wild grey seal pups ' , Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. B, Biological Sciences , vol. 376 , no. 1836 , 20200251 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0251 | en |
dc.identifier.issn | 0962-8436 | |
dc.identifier.other | ORCID: /0000-0001-7894-0121/work/99804402 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10023/23912 | |
dc.description | This study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, grant no. NE/I024682/1. | en |
dc.description.abstract | Pinnipeds have been identified as one of the best available models for the study of vocal learning. Experimental evidence for their learning skills is demonstrated with advanced copying skills, particularly in formant structure when copying human speech sounds and melodies. By contrast, almost no data are available on how learning skills are used in their own communication systems. We investigated the impact of playing modified seal sounds in a breeding colony of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to study how acoustic input influenced vocal development of eight pups. Sequences of two or three seal pup calls were edited so that the average peak frequency between calls in a sequence changed up or down. We found that seals copied the specific stimuli played to them and that copies became more accurate over time. The differential response of different groups showed that vocal production learning was used to achieve conformity, suggesting that geographical variation in seal calls can be caused by horizontal cultural transmission. While learning of pup calls appears to have few benefits, we suggest that it also affects the development of the adult repertoire, which may facilitate social interactions such as mate choice. | |
dc.format.extent | 6 | |
dc.format.extent | 600455 | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.relation.ispartof | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. B, Biological Sciences | en |
dc.subject | Playbacks | en |
dc.subject | Grey seals | en |
dc.subject | Production learning | en |
dc.subject | Usage leaning | en |
dc.subject | Halichoerus grypus | en |
dc.subject | Vocal learning | en |
dc.subject | QH301 Biology | en |
dc.subject | QL Zoology | en |
dc.subject | DAS | en |
dc.subject.lcc | QH301 | en |
dc.subject.lcc | QL | en |
dc.title | The role of vocal learning in call acquisition of wild grey seal pups | en |
dc.type | Journal article | en |
dc.contributor.sponsor | NERC | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Unit | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotland | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. School of Biology | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. Bioacoustics group | en |
dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0251 | |
dc.description.status | Peer reviewed | en |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | NE/I024682/1 | en |
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