Janik VM, Slater PJB
School of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of St Andrews
Anim Behav. 1998 Oct;56(4):829-838. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1998.0881.
Studies on captive bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, have shown that each individual produces a stereotyped, individually specific signature whistle; however, no study has demonstrated clear context-dependent usage of these whistles. Thus, the hypothesis that signature whistles are used to maintain group cohesion remains untested. To investigate whether signature whistles are used only in contexts that would require a mechanism to maintain group cohesion, we examined whistle type usage in a group of four captive bottlenose dolphins in two contexts. Individuals were recorded while they were separate from the group and while they all swam in the same pool. Separations occurred spontaneously when one animal swam into another pool. No partitions were used and no aggressive interactions between dolphins preceded separations. Calling animals were identified by an amplitude comparison of the same sound recorded in the two pools. Each dolphin primarily produced one stereotyped signature whistle when it was separated from the group. Similarly the remaining group in the other pool also used primarily their signature whistles if one animal was in a separate pool. If all animals swam in the same pool almost only nonsignature whistles were used. Signature whistle copying was rare and did not initiate reunions or specific vocal responses. The results strongly support the hypothesis that signature whistles are used to maintain group cohesion. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
对圈养宽吻海豚（瓶鼻海豚）的研究表明，每只海豚都会发出一种刻板的、个体特有的标志性哨声；然而，尚无研究证明这些哨声有明确的情境依赖使用方式。因此，关于标志性哨声用于维持群体凝聚力的假说仍未得到验证。为了研究标志性哨声是否仅在需要某种机制来维持群体凝聚力的情境中使用，我们在两种情境下对一组四只圈养宽吻海豚的哨声类型使用情况进行了研究。当海豚个体与群体分开时以及它们都在同一个水池中游泳时，我们对它们进行了记录。当一只海豚游进另一个水池时，就会自然发生分离。没有使用隔板，并且在分离之前海豚之间没有攻击性互动。通过比较在两个水池中记录的相同声音的振幅来识别发出叫声的海豚。每只海豚在与群体分开时主要发出一种刻板的标志性哨声。同样，如果有一只海豚在另一个单独的水池中，另一个水池中剩下的群体也主要使用它们的标志性哨声。如果所有海豚都在同一个水池中游泳，几乎只使用非标志性哨声。标志性哨声的模仿很少见，并且不会引发团聚或特定的发声反应。这些结果有力地支持了标志性哨声用于维持群体凝聚力的假说。版权所有1998动物行为研究协会。
