@article {57935, title = {Savannah roars: The vocal anatomy and the impressive rutting calls of male impala (Aepyceros melampus) {\textendash} highlighting the acoustic correlates of a mobile larynx}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

A retractable larynx and adaptations of the vocal folds in the males of several polygynous ruminants serve for the production of rutting calls that acoustically announce larger than actual body size to both rival males and potential female mates. Here, such features of the vocal tract and of the sound source are documented in another species. We investigated the vocal anatomy and laryngeal mobility including its acoustical effects during the rutting vocal display of free-ranging male impala (Aepyceros melampus melampus) in Namibia. Male impala produced bouts of rutting calls (consisting of oral roars and interspersed explosive nasal snorts) in a low-stretch posture while guarding a rutting territory or harem. For the duration of the roars, male impala retracted the larynx from its high resting position to a low mid-neck position involving an extensible pharynx and a resilient connection between the hyoid apparatus and the larynx. Maximal larynx retraction was 108 mm based on estimates in video single frames. This was in good concordance with 91-mm vocal tract elongation calculated on the basis of differences in formant dispersion between roar portions produced with the larynx still ascended and those produced with maximally retracted larynx. Judged by their morphological traits, the larynx-retracting muscles of male impala are homologous to those of other larynx-retracting ruminants. In contrast, the large and massive vocal keels are evolutionary novelties arising by fusion and linear arrangement of the arytenoid cartilage and the canonical vocal fold. These bulky and histologically complex vocal keels produced a low fundamental frequency of 50 Hz. Impala is another ruminant species in which the males are capable of larynx retraction. In addition, male impala vocal folds are spectacularly specialized compared with domestic bovids, allowing the production of impressive, low-frequency roaring vocalizations as a significant part of their rutting behaviour. Our study expands knowledge on the evolutionary variation of vocal fold morphology in mammals, suggesting that the structure of the mammalian sound source is not always human-like and should be considered in acoustic analysis and modelling.

}, keywords = {Bovidae, Felidae, formants, fundamental frequency, larynx retraction, mammal, polygyny, roaring, ruminant, sexual selection, vocal fold, vocal posture, vocal tract}, doi = {10.1111/joa.13114}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joa.13114}, author = {Frey, Roland and Volodin, Ilya A. and Volodina, Elena V. and Efremova, Kseniya O. and Menges, Vera and Portas, Ruben and Melzheimer, J{\"o}rg and Fritsch, Guido and Gerlach, Christina and D{\"o}rnberg, Katja} } @article {50500, title = {Voices of Africa: acoustic predictors of human male vocal attractiveness}, journal = {Animal Behaviour}, volume = {127}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-05-2017}, pages = {205 - 211}, abstract = {

Robust evidence shows that voice quality affects various social interactions, including mate preferences. Previous research found that male voices perceived as attractive are characterized by low voice pitch, lower or sexually typical formants and relatively high breathiness. These features tend to be seen as markers of an individual\&$\#$39;s quality as a potential mate. Although there are considerable differences between languages in vocal parameters that could influence the perceived attractiveness, the above-mentioned findings rely on research based mainly on participants from European or North American countries. In our study, we therefore tested the main acoustic predictors of vocal attractiveness using two male samples from Cameroon and Namibia. Standardized vocal recordings were then assessed for vocal attractiveness by a panel of female raters from the Czech Republic. Our results show that in the Cameroonian voices, fundamental frequency was strongly negatively associated with perceived vocal attractiveness. In the Namibian sample, however, it was not the fundamental frequency but lower mean formants and harmonics-to-noise ratio that were negatively associated with vocal attractiveness. This pattern may be partly attributed to differences in morphological characteristics such as the body mass index, indicating variation across individual populations.

}, keywords = {attractiveness, body mass index, formant, fundamental frequency, human, male, sexual selection, undernutrition, voice, y harmonics-to-noise ratio}, issn = {00033472}, doi = {10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.03.014}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003347217300866}, author = {{\v S}ebesta, Pavel and Kleisner, Karel and Ture{\v c}ek, Petr and Ko{\v c}nar, Tom{\'a}{\v s} and Akoko, Robert Mbe and T{\v r}ebick{\'y}, V{\'\i}t and Havl{\'\i}{\v c}ek, Jan} } @article {50486, title = {Tennis grunts communicate acoustic cues to sex and contest outcome}, journal = {Animal Behaviour}, volume = {130}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-08-2017}, pages = {47 - 55}, abstract = {

Despite their ubiquity in human behaviour, the communicative functions of nonverbal vocalizations remain poorly understood. Here, we analysed the acoustic structure of tennis grunts, nonverbal vocal- izations produced in a competitive context. We predicted that tennis grunts convey information about the vocalizer and context, similar to nonhuman vocal displays. Speci fi cally, we tested whether the fundamental frequency (F0) of tennis grunts conveys static cues to a player\&$\#$39;s sex, height, weight, and age, and covaries dynamically with tennis shot type (a proxy of body posture) and the progress and outcome of male and female professional tennis contests. We also performed playback experiments (using natural and resynthesized stimuli) to assess the perceptual relevance of tennis grunts. The F0 of tennis grunts predicted player sex, but not age or body size. Serve grunts had higher F0 than forehand and backhand grunts, grunts produced later in contests had higher F0 than those produced earlier, and grunts produced during contests that players won had a lower F0 than those produced during lost contests. This difference in F0 between losses and wins emerged early in matches, and did not change in magnitude as the match progressed, suggesting a possible role of physiological and/or psychological factors manifesting early or even before matches. Playbacks revealed that listeners use grunt F0 to infer sex and contest outcome. These fi ndings indicate that tennis grunts communicate information about both the vocalizer and contest, consistent with nonhuman mammal vocalizations.

}, keywords = {dominance, fundamental frequency, nonverbal vocalizations, pitch, tennis grunts, vocal communication}, issn = {00033472}, doi = {10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.06.022}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003347217301975}, author = {Raine, Jordan and Pisanski, Katarzyna and Reby, David} }