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Research Article
Context-specific calls signal infants' needs in a strepsirrhine primate, the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus)
Article first published online: 17 OCT 2007
DOI: 10.1002/dev.20234
Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
1098-2302/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=4a069b6f43d9b9804bdeb72039c0a49c9bb5628f "Developmental Psychobiology")
Additional Information
How to Cite
Scheumann, M., Zimmermann, E. and Deichsel, G. (2007), Context-specific calls signal infants' needs in a strepsirrhine primate, the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Dev. Psychobiol., 49: 708–718. doi: 10.1002/dev.20234
Publication History
- Issue published online: 17 OCT 2007
- Article first published online: 17 OCT 2007
- Manuscript Accepted: 17 MAR 2007
- Manuscript Received: 29 AUG 2006
Funded by
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Grant Numbers: FOR499 ZI: 345/15, GRK289
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Microcebus murinus;
- mother–infant communication;
- context-specificity;
- vocalization;
- emotion;
- primate
Abstract
The presence of context-specific communication sounds, structurally different call types related to particular situations and potentially expressing distinct emotions of the caller, were not systematically studied in infants of strepsirrhine primates. We exposed suckling's of gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) in an infant separation paradigm to three distinct contexts (isolation, threat-induced, grooming). An audio–videographic analysis of sound-correlated infant behaviors and a simultaneous multiparametric sound analysis revealed context-specific calls. Peak frequency predicted their acoustic classification best. Findings provided first evidence for a strepsirrhine primate that infant communication sounds may express distinct contexts and thereby infant's need reliably. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 49: 708–718, 2007.