SEEM seminar by Florence Lévrero- Lecturer in Biology at the Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne and researcher with the CRNL's ENES team

SEEM Seminar -

The evolution of vocal communication is the result of multiple selection pressures, among which social life plays an important role. Indeed, different types of information must be reliably encoded in vocalizations according to the social needs of the species. In this presentation, I will first examine the genetic and social influences on the vocal characteristics of two forest primate species (mandrills and bonobos), and compare the strength of the identity signature across their vocal repertoires. Secondly, because the core of communication is not only what can be expressed by an isolated individual, but also how vocal interactions between individuals are structured, I will study call patterns (isolated calls, series of consecutive calls, vocal interactions) in species with different social systems (orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos). Distinct vocal behaviors linked to lifestyle have been demonstrated, suggesting the important role of social life in the evolution of vocal communication in our closest relatives.