Antiphonal vocal bouts associated with departures in free-ranging African elephant family groups (Loxodonta africana)
Abstract
We describe the interactive nature of vocalizations emitted by African elephant (Loxodonta africana) family groups while visiting waterholes. Despite being in close visual contact with each other, individuals called interactively within a series of overlapping or antiphonal vocal bouts that increased significantly while departing from the waterhole. After initiating departure from the waterhole, elephants in this study increased their calling rate and their production of overlapping vocal bouts. The majority of calls either overlapped or occurred within 1.5 seconds of another call as part of an antiphonal bout, rather than as isolated calls. The departure of larger herds was accompanied by a greater number of calling bouts. The increase in interactive antiphonal bouts during departure might serve to facilitate group coordination and cohesion, as well as possibly reinforce social bonds. The longer repeated bouts could also facilitate eavesdropping by distant elephants by boosting signal detection since the repetition of these longer calls may yield an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that reduces the noise floor for better longer distance communication.
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In wild female elephant families, cooperative antiphonal vocal exchanges are used among multiple family members in a communicative fashion to facilitate group cohesion and coordination during departures from a watering ground.
“Subsequent studies of female elephant families, this time in the wild, present a similar picture: cooperative antiphonal vocal exchanges are used among multiple family members in a communicative fashion, in order to facilitate group cohesion and coordination during departures from a watering ground [16].”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
LGRs comprise a series of coordinated calls usually initiated by the matriarch or another dominant female to signal group departures.
“These rumbles comprise a series of coordinated calls usually initiated by the matriarch or another dominant female to signal group departures [16,26].”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
True antiphonal vocalizations, also called cooperative vocal turn-taking, have been reported in elephants only in families and not in male groups, with anecdotal reporting in male groups.
“True antiphonal vocalizations, also called cooperative vocal turn-taking, have been reported in the scientific literature - other than in humans - in a few species including apes [28,29], monkeys [30-34], and a few other primates, cetaceans [35-37], [38], meerkats [39], and elephants [16,40,41] (though only in families and not in male groups; but see [42] for anecdotal reporting).”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
Departure vocalizations serve to indirectly alert others at a distance that a particular area may soon become available as a resource.
“Departure vocalizations also serve to indirectly alert others at a distance to the fact that some particular area, e.g. a waterhole, may soon become available as a resource [16].”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
The behavior pattern in male elephant groups is of similar structure to antiphonal calls among members of female elephant families.
“We note that this behavior is of similar structure to that of the antiphonal calls among members of female elephant families [16]”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
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References 50 · Cited by 25
- Authors
- O'Connell-Rodwell, C. E., Wood, J. D., Wyman, M., Redfield, S., Puria, S., & Hart, L. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- Venue
- Bioacoustics
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2012-10
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 215-224
- ISSN
- 0952-4622 (ISSN-L)
- 2165-0586
- OpenAlex
- W1996989431
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Bioacoustics (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- United States Agency for International Development
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Marine animal studies overview
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Keywords
- Loxodonta africana, group cohesion, social bonds, eavesdropping, signal-to-noise ratio, long-distance communication, herd size, call rate
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