Information content and acoustic structure of male African elephant social rumbles.

ABSTRACT: Until recently, the prevailing theory about male African elephants (Loxodonta africana) was that, once adult and sexually mature, males are solitary and targeted only at finding estrous females. While this is true during the state of 'musth' (a condition characterized by aggressive behavior and elevated androgen levels), 'non-musth' males exhibit a social system seemingly based on companionship, dominance and established hierarchies. Research on elephant vocal communication has so far focused on females, and very little is known about the acoustic structure and the information content of male vocalizations. Using the source and filter theory approach, we analyzed social rumbles of 10 male African elephants. Our results reveal that male rumbles encode information about individuality and mat

SUBMITTER: Stoeger AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4897791 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature