St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)
  • Psychology & Neuroscience
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)
  • Psychology & Neuroscience
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)
  • Psychology & Neuroscience
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Intra-sexual competition and vocal counter-strategies in wild female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)

Thumbnail
View/Open
Simon W. Townsend PhD thesis.pdf (1.166Mb)
Date
2009
Author
Townsend, Simon W.
Supervisor
Zuberbühler, Klaus
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Abstract
A growing body of behavioural data is beginning to show that, like their male counterparts, female chimpanzees can be competitive and aggressive, particularly when resources come under pressure. These observations are especially surprising because, for a long time, females were simply considered passive pawns of male social manoeuvrings. While we are beginning to understand the complexities surrounding female chimpanzee group living, exactly how females manage these social pressures is unclear. In this thesis I address this by focusing on female competition in wild chimpanzees and the importance of vocal counter-strategies. I examined two commonly produced female vocalisations: copulation calls and victim screams from chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Budongo Forest, Uganda. My results regarding the production and acoustic structure of copulation calls suggests that these vocalisations play a crucial role in the lives of female chimpanzees, dissipating the risks associated with female competition. During aggression, chimpanzee females commonly produce victim screams and these calls have been shown to vary systematically with the severity of aggression experienced. A playback experiment showed that victim screams are meaningful to females and that listeners do not just respond to the acoustically most salient signals in their environment. Females may use this information to keep track of out-of-sight agonistic interactions and make appropriate social decisions regarding whether to avoid an ensuing attack. Taken together, I propose that vocalisations may represent important behavioural counter-strategies, enabling females to navigate successfully through their socially intricate world.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Collections
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/774

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter