James L. Fuller
Ph.D. 2013
Back to studentsDepartment of Biological Sciences,
Bronx Community College
Dissertation Abstract:
In species across virtually every vertebrate taxonomic division, vocal signals play key roles in predator avoidance, reproduction, competition, and mediating social interactions. Understanding signaling systems, and the various selection factors relating to their evolution and maintenance, therefore provides unique insight into speciesÕ behavior, social dynamics, and evolution. Decades of research has greatly improved knowledge of animal signals and how they are used, yet understanding of the mechanisms by which entire communication systems operate and evolve remains incomplete.
The
research presented in this dissertation examined the vocal repertoire
of adult male blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni).
Specifically, I examined three elements of vocal signals Ð acoustic
structure, signal content, and adaptive function Ð across the entire
male repertoire, and used results to infer mechanisms of selection on
signal usage and divergence. During 12 months of fieldwork in the
Kakamega Forest, Kenya, assisted by a team of trained research
assistants, I used a combination of natural observation, playback
experiments, and digital audio recordings to examine vocal behavior of
32 adult males and responses to their calls by males and 62 adult
females from 12 social groups and the surrounding area.
Analyses
of digital recordings identified six distinct call types used by adult
males: ant, boom, ka, katrain, nasal scream, and pyow. The repertoire
is best described as discrete, though some gradation occurs between
pyows and ants. To identify signal content Ð attributes of signalers
reliably indicated by features of signals Ð I investigated each call
typesÕ relationship to callersÕ identity, social status, body size, and
attention to external variables (e.g. predators). Results showed that
at least three call types (boom, katrain, pyow) were reliable
indicators of identity, and features of at least one call type (pyow)
were correlated with body size. Resident males used all call types
whereas ÒbachelorsÓ used only nasal screams, indicating social status
is content in all calls except nasal screams. Two calls (ka, katrain)
were strongly associated with and essentially exclusive to aerial
predators, and ants had a similar relationship to terrestrial
predators. The pyow and boom were each associated with multiple
external variables, demonstrating that these two calls do not include
any specific external stimulus in content. Lastly, the content of nasal
screams, used exclusively during aggression with other males, included
presence of another male.
I
tested four separate, non-exclusive functional hypotheses for each call
type, using predictions relating to receiver response to hearing calls,
as well as variation in temporal, demographic, and contextual patterns
of usage. The ka, katrain, and ant each clearly functions in predator
avoidance, with the first two relating specifically to aerial predators
and the latter specifically to terrestrial threats such as snakes and
dogs. Notably, the katrain also caused rival males to move away from
callers, consistent with a mate defense function. The pyow, best
described as a general alerting signal, demonstrated a clear role in
repelling rival males, yet also functioned in facilitating within-group
cohesion. The boom showed a clear role in affiliative interactions
between callers and females in their groups, possibly functioning as a
signal of benign intent, and was the only call type associated with
proceptive interactions and an increase in number of estrous females,
indicating a function in mating. Like pyows and katrains, booms also
have a secondary function of repelling rival males.
The
results of this study provide a comprehensive assessment of the
structural and functional diversity of an entire repertoire, as well as
insight into the socio-ecological mechanisms by which signal diversity
evolves and is maintained. Furthermore, the research presented here
demonstrates the importance of a comprehensive approach Ð one that
evaluates form, function, and content of entire repertoires Ð to
understanding the use and evolution of communication systems.
Publications from graduate work:
Fuller, J.L.
& Cords, M. 2019. Versatility in a loud call: dual affiliative and
agonistic functions in the blue monkey boom. Ethology 126: 10-23. doi: 10.1111/eth.12955
Fuller, J.L. & Cords, M. 2017. Multiple functions and signal concordance of the pyow loud call of blue monkeys. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 71: 19. doi:10.1007/s00265-016-2230-z
Fuller, J.L. 2013. The vocal repertoire of adult male blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni): a quantitative analysis of acoustic structure. American Journal of Primatology 76: 203-216. doi: 10.1007/s10764-010-9400-z
Cords, M., Fuller, J.L. 2010. Infanticide in blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) in the Kakamega
Forest, Kenya: variation in the occurrence of an adaptive behavior. International Journal of Primatology 31: 409-431. doi: 10.1007/s10764-010-9400-z.