Dataset Information

Orangutans have larger gestural repertoires in captivity than in the wild-A case of weak innovation?

ABSTRACT: Whether nonhuman species can change their communicative repertoire in response to socio-ecological environments has critical implications for communicative innovativeness prior to the emergence of human language, with its unparalleled productivity. Here, we use a comparative sample of wild and zoo-housed orangutans of two species (Pongo abelii, Pongo pygmaeus) to assess the effect of the wild-captive contrast on repertoires of gestures and facial expressions. We find that repertoires on both the individual and population levels are larger in captive than in wild settings, regardless of species, age class, or sampling effort. In the more sociable Sumatran species, dominant use of signals toward single outcomes was also higher in captive settings. We thus conclude that orangutans exposed to more sociable and terrestrial conditions evince behavioral plasticity, in that they produce additional innate or innovated signals that are highly functionally specific. These findings suggest a latent capacity for innovativeness in these apes' communicative repertoires.

SUBMITTER: Frohlich M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8601978 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Orangutans have larger gestural repertoires in captivity than in the wild-A case of weak innovation?

Fröhlich Marlen M Bartolotta Natasha N Fryns Caroline C Wagner Colin C Momon Laurene L Jaffrezic Marvin M Mitra Setia Tatang T Schuppli Caroline C van Noordwijk Maria A MA van Schaik Carel P CP

iScience 20211016 11

Whether nonhuman species can change their communicative repertoire in response to socio-ecological environments has critical implications for communicative innovativeness prior to the emergence of human language, with its unparalleled productivity. Here, we use a comparative sample of wild and zoo-housed orangutans of two species (<i>Pongo abelii, Pongo pygmaeus</i>) to assess the effect of the wild-captive contrast on repertoires of gestures and facial expressions. We find that repertoires on b ...[more]

PMID: 34820602

Similar Datasets

Project description:AbstractWe describe the individual and combined use of vocalizations and gestures in wild chimpanzees. The rate of gesturing peaked in infancy and, with the exception of the alpha male, decreased again in older age groups, while vocal signals showed the opposite pattern. Although gesture-vocal combinations were relatively rare, they were consistently found in all age groups, especially during affiliative and agonistic interactions. Within behavioural contexts rank (excluding alpha-rank) had no effect on the rate of male chimpanzees' use of vocal or gestural signals and only a small effect on their use of combination signals. The alpha male was an outlier, however, both as a prolific user of gestures and recipient of high levels of vocal and gesture-vocal signals. Persistence in signal use varied with signal type: chimpanzees persisted in use of gestures and gesture-vocal combinations after failure, but where their vocal signals failed they tended to add gestural signals to produce gesture-vocal combinations. Overall, chimpanzees employed signals with a sensitivity to the public/private nature of information, by adjusting their use of signal types according to social context and by taking into account potential out-of-sight audiences. We discuss these findings in relation to the various socio-ecological challenges that chimpanzees are exposed to in their natural forest habitats and the current discussion of multimodal communication in great apes.Significance statementAll animal communication combines different types of signals, including vocalizations, facial expressions, and gestures. However, the study of primate communication has typically focused on the use of signal types in isolation. As a result, we know little on how primates use the full repertoire of signals available to them. Here we present a systematic study on the individual and combined use of gestures and vocalizations in wild chimpanzees. We find that gesturing peaks in infancy and decreases in older age, while vocal signals show the opposite distribution, and patterns of persistence after failure suggest that gestural and vocal signals may encode different types of information. Overall, chimpanzees employed signals with a sensitivity to the public/private nature of information, by adjusting their use of signal types according to social context and by taking into account potential out-of-sight audiences.

Dataset Information

Orangutans have larger gestural repertoires in captivity than in the wild-A case of weak innovation?

Publications

Orangutans have larger gestural repertoires in captivity than in the wild-A case of weak innovation?

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets