Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order
Summary: Many animals, humans included, rely on acoustic vocalizations for communication. The complexity of non-human vocal communication has been under debate one of the main open questions being: What could be the function of multi-syllabic vocal sequences? We address these questions by analyzing...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223005436 |
| _version_ | 1797846374700548096 |
|---|---|
| author | Yoni Amit Yossi Yovel |
| author_facet | Yoni Amit Yossi Yovel |
| author_sort | Yoni Amit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Many animals, humans included, rely on acoustic vocalizations for communication. The complexity of non-human vocal communication has been under debate one of the main open questions being: What could be the function of multi-syllabic vocal sequences? We address these questions by analyzing fruit-bat vocal communication. We use neural networks to encode the vocalizations, and statistical models to examine the information conveyed by sequences of vocalizations. We show that fruit-bat vocal sequences potentially convey more contextual information than individual syllables, but that the order of the syllables within the sequence is unimportant for context. Specifically, sequences are composed of slightly modified syllables, thus increasing the probability of context-specificity. We note that future behavioral, e.g., playback experiments are needed in order to validate the biological relevance of our statistical results. We hypothesize that such sequences might have served as pre-syntax precursors in the evolution of animal communication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:53:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b2a5efd5ff2a4f60b9a6d02ada93eb2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:53:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-b2a5efd5ff2a4f60b9a6d02ada93eb2e2023-04-15T05:53:58ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422023-04-01264106466Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable orderYoni Amit0Yossi Yovel1School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelSchool of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; National Research Center for Biodiversity Studies, The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Corresponding authorSummary: Many animals, humans included, rely on acoustic vocalizations for communication. The complexity of non-human vocal communication has been under debate one of the main open questions being: What could be the function of multi-syllabic vocal sequences? We address these questions by analyzing fruit-bat vocal communication. We use neural networks to encode the vocalizations, and statistical models to examine the information conveyed by sequences of vocalizations. We show that fruit-bat vocal sequences potentially convey more contextual information than individual syllables, but that the order of the syllables within the sequence is unimportant for context. Specifically, sequences are composed of slightly modified syllables, thus increasing the probability of context-specificity. We note that future behavioral, e.g., playback experiments are needed in order to validate the biological relevance of our statistical results. We hypothesize that such sequences might have served as pre-syntax precursors in the evolution of animal communication.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223005436Biological sciencesZoologyEvolutionary biology |
| spellingShingle | Yoni Amit Yossi Yovel Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order iScience Biological sciences Zoology Evolutionary biology |
| title | Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order |
| title_full | Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order |
| title_fullStr | Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order |
| title_short | Bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order |
| title_sort | bat vocal sequences enhance contextual information independently of syllable order |
| topic | Biological sciences Zoology Evolutionary biology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223005436 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yoniamit batvocalsequencesenhancecontextualinformationindependentlyofsyllableorder AT yossiyovel batvocalsequencesenhancecontextualinformationindependentlyofsyllableorder |