Dear colleagues,

I am delighted to share with you my latest study for a better understanding of dolphin vocal communication and social behaviour:

Diaz Lopez, B. Context-dependent and seasonal fluctuation in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) vocalizations. Animal Cognition (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-022-01620-w

Abstract

A fundamental question in animal behaviour is the role of vocal communication in the regulation of social interactions in species that organise themselves into social groups. Context dependence and seasonality in vocalizations are present in the communication of many species, although very little research has addressed this dependence in marine mammals. The

study presented here examined variations in the rate at which free-ranging dyads of bottlenose dolphins emit social-signals in an effort to better understand the relationship between vocal communication and social context. The results demonstrate that changes in the social-signal production in bottlenose dolphins are related to the sex of the partner, mating season and social affiliation between the components of the dyad. In a context of foraging behaviour on the same feeding ground, mixed (male–female) dyads were found to emit more pulsed burst sounds during the mating season. Another relevant aspect of the study seems to be the greater production of agonistic social-signals in the dyads formed by individuals with a lower degree

of social affiliation. Overall, this study confirms a clear relationship between dyad composition and context-specific social-signals that could reflect the motivational state of individuals linked to seasonal changes in vocal behaviour.

Please find a free full-text access to read the paper by using the following link: https://rdcu.be/cKYHn

I hope you enjoy reading, and please do not hesitate to contact me (bruno@thebdri.com) if you have any question regarding to this article or to request a PDF copy.

Best regards,