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dc.contributor.authorStansbury, Amanda
dc.contributor.authorJanik, Vincent M.
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-07T09:30:13Z
dc.date.available2021-09-07T09:30:13Z
dc.date.issued2021-10-25
dc.identifier274299770
dc.identifier9cb598dd-4d97-4125-a22b-e1eae71643f6
dc.identifier000693558500008
dc.identifier85115818447
dc.identifier.citationStansbury , 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.2020.0251en
dc.identifier.issn0962-8436
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0001-7894-0121/work/99804402
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/23912
dc.descriptionThis study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, grant no. NE/I024682/1.en
dc.description.abstractPinnipeds 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.extent6
dc.format.extent600455
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. B, Biological Sciencesen
dc.subjectPlaybacksen
dc.subjectGrey sealsen
dc.subjectProduction learningen
dc.subjectUsage leaningen
dc.subjectHalichoerus grypusen
dc.subjectVocal learningen
dc.subjectQH301 Biologyen
dc.subjectQL Zoologyen
dc.subjectDASen
dc.subject.lccQH301en
dc.subject.lccQLen
dc.titleThe role of vocal learning in call acquisition of wild grey seal pupsen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.contributor.sponsorNERCen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Uniten
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotlanden
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Instituteen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciencesen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolutionen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Biologyen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Bioacoustics groupen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0251
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.identifier.grantnumberNE/I024682/1en


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