@article {57387, title = {Phylogenetic relationship and variation of alarm call traits of populations of red-cheeked ground squirrels ( Spermophilus erythrogenys sensu lato) suggest taxonomic delineation}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

Distribution area and taxonomic borders within the species complex Spermophilus erythrogenys sensu lato remain questionable. Early evidence suggests that red-cheeked ground squirrels of Southeast Kazakhstan are remarkably different in terms of the acoustic structure of their alarm calls from the red-cheeked ground squirrels of the Kurgan region in Russia. In this study, we analyzed the differences in the acoustic structure of the alarm call and mitochondrial DNA (complete control region, 1005\–1006 bp and complete cytochrome b gene, 1140 bp) in 3 populations of red-cheeked ground squirrels (Tara, Altyn-Emel and Balkhash), all located within areas isolated by geographical barriers in Southeast Kazakhstan. We found that the alarm call variables were similar between the 3 study populations and differed by the maximum fundamental frequency (8.46 \± 0.75 kHz) from the values (5.62 \± 0.06 kHz) reported for the red-cheeked ground squirrels from the Kurgan region of Russia. Variation in mtDNA control region was only 3\% and variation in cytochrome b gene was only 2.5\%. Phylogenetic trees based on cytochrome b gene polymorphism of 44 individuals from the study area and adjacent territories indicated 3 clades with high (98\–100\%) bootstrap support: \“intermedius,\” \“brevicauda\” and \“iliensis\”). We conclude that the 3 study populations in Southeast Kazakhstan belong to the clade intermedius and suggest a taxonomical revision of the species complex Spermophilus erythrogenys sensu lato, including analyses of nuclear DNA and alarm calls for populations of the brevicauda and iliensis clades.

}, keywords = {alarm call, control region, cytochrome b, mitochondrial DNA, vocal communication}, doi = {10.1111/inz2.2019.14.issue-410.1111/1749-4877.12383}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17494877/14/4}, author = {Matrosova, Vera A. and IVANOVA, Anastasia D. and Volodina, Elena V. and Volodin, Ilya A. and Dmitry Yu. Alexandrov and Sibiryakova, Olga V. and Oleg A. Ermakov} } @article {53363, title = {Advertising individual identity by mother and adolescent contact calls in Siberian wapiti Cervus elaphus sibiricus}, journal = {Ethology}, volume = {124}, year = {2018}, month = {Jan-10-2018}, pages = {733 - 742}, abstract = {

Individualistic contact calls facilitate mother-offspring reunion after separation. However, in many mammals, both the acoustic structure and individuality of contact calls differ between mother and young. In contrast, in Siberian wapiti Cervus elaphus sibiricus, contact calls are similar in the acoustics between mother and young, whereas effects of this similarity on vocal individuality were not investigated. In this study, we analyzed acoustic differences between closed-mouth (nasal) and open-mouth (oral) contact calls and examined individuality of the most usual oral calls of 19 Siberian wapiti (9 hinds and 10 5\–6-month adolescents) emitted in response to mother-offspring separation. In the oral calls, the values of frequency and power variables were higher than in the nasal calls. Calls of hinds and adolescents did not differ by the maximum fundamental frequency and duration, whereas the peak frequency was higher in the young. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on 11 acoustic variables of oral calls accurately classified to individual 92.5\% of hind calls and 96.9\% of adolescent calls (chi-square test for differences between hinds and adolescents, p = 0.19). Variables mainly contributing to vocal identity (duration, start, and maximum fundamental frequency) were the same in calls of mothers and adolescents. We conclude that similarities in the acoustics calls of mothers and adolescents mean that they do not differ in their potential for encoding individual identity, suggesting a mutual process of mother-offspring vocal recognition in Siberian wapiti.

}, doi = {10.1111/eth.2018.124.issue-1010.1111/eth.12804}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/eth.2018.124.issue-10}, author = {Sibiryakova, Olga V. and Volodin, Ilya A. and Volodina, Elena V.}, editor = {Wright, J.} } @article {53244, title = {Between-year vocal aging in female red deer (Cervus elaphus)}, journal = {BMC Research Notes}, volume = {11}, year = {2018}, month = {Jan-12-2018}, abstract = {

Objectives

Studying animal vocal aging has potential implication in the field of animal welfare and for modeling human voice aging. The objective was to examine, using a repeated measures approach, the between-year changes of weight, social discomfort score (bites of other hinds on hind pelt), body condition score (fat reserves) and acoustic variables of the nasal (closed-mouth) and the oral (open-mouth) contact calls produced by farmed red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus) toward their young.

Results

Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that with an increase of hind age for 1 year, the acoustic variables of their nasal contact calls (the beginning and maximum fundamental frequencies, the depth of frequency modulation and the peak frequency) decreased, whereas in their oral contact calls only the end fundamental frequency decreased. Duration and power quartiles did not change in any call type. Body weight and body condition score increased between years, whereas discomfort score decreased. Results of this study revealed directly the short-term effects of aging on the acoustics of the nasal contact calls in the same hinds. This study also confirmed that elevated emotional arousal during emission of the oral contact masks the effects of aging on vocalization in female red deer.

}, doi = {10.1186/s13104-018-3833-4}, url = {https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-018-3833-4}, author = {Volodin, Ilya A. and Sibiryakova, Olga V. and Vasilieva, Nina A. and Volodina, Elena V. and Matrosova, Vera A. and Garcia, Andr{\'e}s J. and P{\'e}rez-Barber{\'\i}a, Francisco J. and Gallego, Laureano and Landete-Castillejos, Tom{\'a}s} } @article {50505, title = {Individuality of distress and discomfort calls in neonates with bass voices: Wild-living goitred gazelles ( Gazella subgutturosa) and saiga antelopes ( Saiga tatarica)}, journal = {Ethology}, volume = {123}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-05-2017}, pages = {386 - 396}, abstract = {

Neonate ruminants produce distress calls when captured by a predator and discomfort milk begging calls when hungry. In many neonate ruminants, the distress and discomfort calls are high-frequency vocalizations, in which the fundamental frequency is the key variable for recognition of their emotional arousal by caregivers. In contrast, in this study, we examine the low-frequency open-mouth distress and discomfort calls in the neonates of two species of wild-living ungulates, which clearly highlight vocal tract resonances (formants). In the goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), the distress calls were higher in fundamental frequency (f0) and in the first and third formants than the discomfort calls. The accuracy of classifying individuals by variables of distress calls with discriminant function analysis (67\%) was significantly lower than that of discomfort calls (85\%). In the saiga (Saiga tatarica), only the third formant was higher in the distress calls than in the discomfort calls. The accuracy of classifying individuals by variables of distress calls (89\%) did not differ significantly from that of discomfort calls (94\%). Thus, the use of acoustic cues to vocal identity and to the degree of arousal differs between the two species. Calls were significantly more individualistic in the saiga, probably because this species lives in large herds and neonates use a \‘following\’ antipredatory strategy, in which vocal individuality is crucial for mother\–offspring communication. In contrast, goitred gazelles live in smaller groups and neonates use a \‘hiding\’ antipredatory strategy. Accordingly, mothers can rely on additional environmental cues for spotting their young and this may decrease the necessity for individualization of the calls of neonates.

}, keywords = {acoustic behavior, antipredatory strategy, emotional arousal, mother-offspring communication, ruminants, vocal identity}, doi = {10.1111/eth.2017.123.issue-510.1111/eth.12607}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/eth.2017.123.issue-5}, author = {Volodin, Ilya A. and Sibiryakova, Olga V. and Frey, Roland and Efremova, Kseniya O. and Soldatova, Natalia V. and Zuther, Steffen and Kisebaev, Talgat B. and Salemgareev, Albert R. and Volodina, Elena V.} } @article {17270, title = {Remarkable vocal identity in wild-living mother and neonate saiga antelopes: a specialization for breeding in huge aggregations?}, journal = {The Science of Nature}, volume = {104}, year = {2017}, month = {Jan-04-2017}, abstract = {

Saiga antelopes Saiga tatarica tatarica give birth in large aggregations, and offspring follow the herd soon after birth. Herding is advantageous as anti-predator strategy; however, communication between mothers and neonates is strongly complicated in large aggregations. Individual series of nasal and oral contact calls of mother and neonate saiga antelopes were selected from recordings made with automated recording systems placed near the hiding neonates on the saiga breeding grounds in Northern Kazakhstan during synchronized parturitions of 30,000 calving females. We used for comparison of the acoustic structure of nasal and oral contact calls 168 nasal calls of 18 mothers, 192 oral calls of 21 mothers, 78 nasal calls of 16 neonates, and 197 oral calls of 22 neonates. In the oral calls of either mothers or neonates, formant frequencies were higher and the duration was longer than in the nasal calls, whereas fundamental frequencies did not differ between oral and nasal calls. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on six acoustic variables, accurately classified individual identity for 99.4\% of oral calls of 18 mothers, for 89.3\% of nasal calls of 18 mothers, and for 94.4\% of oral calls of 18 neonates. The average value of correct classification to individual was higher in mother oral than in mother nasal calls and in mother oral calls than in neonate oral calls; no significant difference was observed between mother nasal and neonate oral calls. Variables mainly responsible for vocal identity were the fundamental frequency and the second and third formants in either mothers or neonates, and in either nasal or oral calls. The high vocal identity of mothers and neonates suggests a powerful potential for the mutual mother-offspring recognition in dense aggregations of saiga antelopes as an important component of their survival strategy.

}, keywords = {maternal care in herds, mother-offspring communication, offspring survival, vocal identity}, issn = {0028-1042}, doi = {10.1007/s00114-017-1433-0}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00114-017-1433-0}, author = {Sibiryakova, Olga V. and Volodin, Ilya A. and Frey, Roland and Zuther, Steffen and Kisebaev, Talgat B. and Salemgareev, Albert R. and Volodina, Elena V.} }