Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos
Abstract The arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified is one of the features responsible for language’s extreme lability, adaptability, and expressiveness. Understanding this arbitrariness and its emergence is essential in any account of the evolution of language. To shed light on the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2024-08-01
|
| Series: | Animal Cognition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01884-4 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832585476391829504 |
|---|---|
| author | Isaac Schamberg Martin Surbeck Simon W. Townsend |
| author_facet | Isaac Schamberg Martin Surbeck Simon W. Townsend |
| author_sort | Isaac Schamberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified is one of the features responsible for language’s extreme lability, adaptability, and expressiveness. Understanding this arbitrariness and its emergence is essential in any account of the evolution of language. To shed light on the phylogeny of the phenomenon, comparative data examining the relationship between signal form and function in the communication systems of non-humans is central. Here we report the results of a study on the production and usage the whistle-high hoot call combination (W + HH) from two distant populations of wild bonobos (Pan paniscus): Lui Kotale, DRC, and Kokolopori, DRC. We find that the context in which bonobos produce the W + HHs varies systematically between populations. Our results suggest that variation in W + HH production may represent an example of signal-adjustment optionality, a key component of arbitrariness. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-186455664e934bbe85bbe67ba330d848 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1435-9456 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Cognition |
| spelling | doaj-art-186455664e934bbe85bbe67ba330d8482025-01-26T12:43:52ZengSpringerAnimal Cognition1435-94562024-08-012711710.1007/s10071-024-01884-4Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobosIsaac Schamberg0Martin Surbeck1Simon W. Townsend2Dept. of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of ZürichDept. of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityDept. of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of ZürichAbstract The arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified is one of the features responsible for language’s extreme lability, adaptability, and expressiveness. Understanding this arbitrariness and its emergence is essential in any account of the evolution of language. To shed light on the phylogeny of the phenomenon, comparative data examining the relationship between signal form and function in the communication systems of non-humans is central. Here we report the results of a study on the production and usage the whistle-high hoot call combination (W + HH) from two distant populations of wild bonobos (Pan paniscus): Lui Kotale, DRC, and Kokolopori, DRC. We find that the context in which bonobos produce the W + HHs varies systematically between populations. Our results suggest that variation in W + HH production may represent an example of signal-adjustment optionality, a key component of arbitrariness.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01884-4ArbitrarinessBonobosAnimal communicationAnimal signalsEvolution of languageCall combinations |
| spellingShingle | Isaac Schamberg Martin Surbeck Simon W. Townsend Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos Animal Cognition Arbitrariness Bonobos Animal communication Animal signals Evolution of language Call combinations |
| title | Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos |
| title_full | Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos |
| title_fullStr | Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos |
| title_short | Cross-population variation in usage of a call combination: evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos |
| title_sort | cross population variation in usage of a call combination evidence of signal usage flexibility in wild bonobos |
| topic | Arbitrariness Bonobos Animal communication Animal signals Evolution of language Call combinations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01884-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT isaacschamberg crosspopulationvariationinusageofacallcombinationevidenceofsignalusageflexibilityinwildbonobos AT martinsurbeck crosspopulationvariationinusageofacallcombinationevidenceofsignalusageflexibilityinwildbonobos AT simonwtownsend crosspopulationvariationinusageofacallcombinationevidenceofsignalusageflexibilityinwildbonobos |