Acoustic cues to individuality in wild male adult African savannah elephants ( Loxodonta africana )
Open accessAbstract
The ability to recognize conspecifics plays a pivotal role in animal communication systems. It is especially important for establishing and maintaining associations among individuals of social, long-lived species, such as elephants. While research on female elephant sociality and communication is prevalent, until recently male elephants have been considered far less social than females. This resulted in a dearth of information about their communication and recognition abilities. With new knowledge about the intricacies of the male elephant social structure come questions regarding the communication basis that allows for social bonds to be established and maintained. By analyzing the acoustic parameters of social rumbles recorded over 1.5 years from wild, mature, male African savanna elephants ( Loxodonta africana ) we expand current knowledge about the information encoded within these vocalizations and their potential to facilitate individual recognition. We showed that social rumbles are individually distinct and stable over time and therefore provide an acoustic basis for individual recognition. Furthermore, our results revealed that different frequency parameters contribute to individual differences of these vocalizations.
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Targeted studies on male elephants are illuminating a yet undiscovered aspect of their vocal repertoire.
“Targeted studies on male elephants however, are illuminating a yet undiscovered aspect of their vocal repertoire [48-50].”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [49]
Two spectral features used in [49] (center frequency and frequency 95%) have mean values close to the ranges of F1 and F2 values measured in this study of LGRs.
“Although they mentioned that the use of formant frequencies was technically not possible in their analysis, two of the spectral features used (center frequency and frequency 95%) have mean values close to the ranges of F1 and F2 values that we have measured in our study of LGRs.”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [49]
In a study on social rumbles of wild mature male L. africana, the authors showcased that elephants produced unique vocalizations facilitating individual recognition.
“In an interesting study on social rumbles of wild mature male L. Africana [49], the authors showcased that elephants produced unique vocalizations facilitating individual recognition.”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [49]
The authors of [49] identified 5 spectral features that contributed almost evenly to personalized variations.
“They identified 5 spectral features that contributed almost evenly to these personalized variations.”
From Rules of departure: Antiphony and personalized vocal spaces in wild male elephant group coordination (2024) · cites this paper as [49]
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- Authors
- Wierucka, K., Henley, M. D., & Mumby, H. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- University of South Africa (ZA)
- University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Wierucka, Kaja
- Venue
- PeerJ
- Publisher
- PeerJ
- Published
- 2021-01-22
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- e10736
- ISSN
- 2167-8359 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7831363
- OpenAlex
- W3123998680
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 2.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- PeerJ (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (cc-by)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Funders
- Branco Weiss Society in Science
- Cambridge-Africa Alborada
- Drapers’ Company
- USFWS, Oak Foundation
- 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
- African savanna elephant, Loxodonta africana, individual recognition, acoustic cues, vocal individuality, frequency parameters, animal communication, social bonds
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