Paternal kin recognition in the high frequency / ultrasonic range in a solitary foraging mammal.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Kin selection is a driving force in the evolution of mammalian social complexity. Recognition of paternal kin using vocalizations occurs in taxa with cohesive, complex social groups. This is the first investigation of paternal kin recognition via vocalizations in a small-brained, solitary foraging mammal, the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), a frequent model for ancestral primates. We analyzed the high frequency/ultrasonic male advertisement (courtship) call and alarm call.

Results

Multi-parametric analyses of the calls' acoustic parameters and discriminant function analyses showed that advertisement calls, but not alarm calls, contain patrilineal signatures. Playback experiments controlling for familiarity showed that females paid more attention to advertis

SUBMITTER: Kessler SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3537692 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature