Abstract
Long distance vocalizations have been shown to be good indicators of genetic species in primates. Here the loud calls of two recently identified greater galago taxa —Galago crassicaudatus andG. garnettii — are compared and analyzed statistically. Observed differences in call structures are investigated further as potential indicators of differences in the structures of habitats frequented by the two species.
Although the calls share a repetitive structure, and show similar dominant frequency bands (1,000 – 1,500 Hz), they differ significantly in the number of units per call, unit duration, inter-unit interval, highest frequency, lowest frequency, dominant frequency band, first harmonic, and call duration. The duration of theG. crassicaudatus call is more than twice that ofG. garnettii. Strong intraspecific consistency is seen in the most energetic frequency bands (dominant frequency band and first harmonic), and durations of the individual units and inter-unit intervals. Information important to species recognition is thus most likely to be contained in these features. Individual recognition may be encoded in the relative emphasis of higher level harmonics.
The frequency structures of the calls will reflect requirements for acoustical transmission in a forest environment, as well as structural constraints imposed by body size. Higher frequencies detected in theG. garnettii call (up to 8,500 Hz) may have a functional significance related to distance estimation, or may simply be a reflection of smaller body size. The greater modulation of theG. garnettii call suggests that its habitat constitutes a denser or more turbulent medium for sound transmission than does the habitat ofG. crassicaudatus.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bearder, S. K., 1974. Aspects of the ecology and behaviour of the thick-tailed bushbaby,Galago crassicaudatus. Ph. D. dissertation, Univ. of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Brown, C. H., 1982. Auditory localization and primate vocal behavior. In:Primate Communication,C. T. Snowdon,C. H. Brown, &M. R. Petersen (eds.), Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, pp. 144–164.
Buettner-Janusch, J., 1964. The breeding of galagos in captivity and some notes on their behavior.Folia Primatol., 2: 93–110.
Charles-Dominique, P., 1977.Ecology and Behaviour of Nocturnal Primates, Duckworth, London.
Clark, A. B., 1975. Olfactory communication by scent marking in a prosimian primate,Galago crassicaudatus. Ph. D. dissertation, Univ. of Chicago, Chicago.
————, 1978. Olfactory communication,Galago crassicaudatus, and the social life of prosimians. In:Recent Advances in Primatology, Vol. 3,D. J. Chivers &K. A. Joysey (eds.), Academic Press, London, pp. 109–117.
de Boer, L. E. M., 1973. Cytotaxonomy of the Lorisoidea (Primates: Prosimii). I. Chromosome studies and karyological relationships in the Galagidae.Genetica, 44: 155–193.
Dixson, A. F. &R. N. van Horn, 1977. Comparative studies of morphology and reproduction in two subspecies of the Greater bushbaby,Galago crassicaudatus crassicaudatus andG.c. argentatus.J. Zool., 183: 517–526.
Doyle, G. A., 1978. Discussion of behavioural factors in prosimian evolution. In:Recent Advances in Primatology, Vol. 3,D. J. Chivers &K. A. Joysey (eds.), Academic Press, London, pp. 151–157.
Eaglen, R. H. &E. L. Simons, 1980. Notes on the breeding biology of thick-tailed and silvery galagos in captivity.J. Mammal., 61: 534–537.
Harcourt, C. S., 1984. The behaviour and ecology of galagos in Kenyan coastal forest. Ph. D. dissertation, Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge.
———— &L. T. Nash, 1986. Species differences in substrate use and diet between sympatric galagos in two Kenyan coastal forests.Primates, 27: 41–52.
Heffner, H. &B. Masterton, 1970. Hearing in primitive primates: slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) and potto (Perodicticus potto).J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 71: 175–182.
————,R. J. Ravizza, &B. Masterton, 1969. Hearing in primitive mammals. IV. Bushbaby (Galago senegalensis).J. Auditory Res., 9: 19–23.
Hill, W. C. O., 1953.Primates: Comparative Anatomy and Taxonomy. I. Strepsirhini. Univ. of Edinburgh Press, Edinburgh.
Kummer, H., 1970. Behavioral characters in primate taxonomy. In:Old World Monkeys: Evolution, Systematics, and Behavior,J. R. Napier &P. H. Napier (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 25–36.
Marler, P., 1978. Vocal ethology of primates: implications for psychophysics and psychophysiology. In:Recent Advances in Primatology, Vol. 1,D. J. Chivers &J. Herbert (eds.), Academic Press, London, pp. 795–801.
Marshall, J. T., Jr. &E. R. Marshall, 1976. Gibbons and their territorial songs.Science, 193: 235–237.
Marten, K. &P. Marler, 1977. Sound transmission and its significance for animal vocalization. I. Temperate habitats.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 2: 271–290.
————,D. Quine, &P. Marler, 1977. Sound transmission and its significance for animal vocalization. II. Tropical forest habitats.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 2: 291–302.
Masters, J. C., 1985. Species within the taxonGalago crassicaudatus E. Geoffroy. Ph. D. dissertation, Univ. of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
————, 1986. Geographic distributions of karyotypes and morphotypes within the greater galagines.Folia Primatol., 46: 127–141.
————, 1988. Speciation in the greater galagos (Prosimii: Galaginae): review and synthesis.Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 34: 149–174.
———— &D. S. Dunn, 1988. Distribution of erythrocytic allozymes in two sibling species of greater galago [Galago crassicaudatus E. Geoffroy 1812 andG. garnettii (Ogilby 1838)].Amer. J. Primatol., 14: 235–245.
———— &D. Lubinsky, 1988. Morphological clues to genetic species: multivariate analysis of greater galago sibling species.Amer. J. Phys. Anthropol., 75: 37–52.
————,W. H. R. Lumsden, &D. A. Young, 1988. Reproductive and dietary parameters in wild greater galago populations.Int. J. Primatol., 9: 573–592.
Michelsen, A., 1978. Sound reception in different environments. In:Sensory Ecology: Review and Perspectives,M. A. Ali (ed.), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 345–373.
Morton, E. S., 1975. Ecological sources of selection on avian sounds.Amer. Naturalist, 109: 17–34.
Nash, L. T., 1983. Reproductive patterns in galagos (Galago zanzibaricus andGalago garnettii) in relation to climatic variability.Amer. J. Primatol., 5: 181–196.
Oates, J. F. &T. F. Trocco, 1983. Taxonomy and phylogeny of black-and-white colobus monkeys: inferences from an analysis of loud call variation.Folia Primatol., 40: 83–113.
Olson, T. R., 1979. Studies on aspects of the morphology of the genusOtolemur. Ph. D. dissertation, Univ. of London, London.
Pasztor, L. M. &R. N. van Horn, 1976. Twinning in prosimians.J. Human Evol., 5: 333–337.
———— & ————, 1977. Intraspecific chromosomal variation withinGalago crassicaudatus (Galaginae).J. Human Evol., 6: 569–573.
Paterson, H. E. H., 1978. More evidence against speciation by reinforcement.S. Afr. J. Sci., 74: 369–371.
————, 1980. A comment on “mate recognition systems”.Evolution, 34: 330–331.
————, 1985. The recognition concept of species. In:Species and Speciation,E. S. Vrba (ed.), Transvaal Museum Monograph No. 4, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, pp. 21–29.
Petter, J. -J. &P. Charles-Dominique, 1979. Vocal communication in prosimians. In:The Study of Prosimian Behavior,G. A. Doyle &R. D. Martin (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 247–305.
Richards, D. G. &R. H. Wiley, 1980. Reverberations and amplitude fluctuations in the propagation of sound in a forest: implications for animal communication.Amer. Naturalist, 115: 381–399.
Schwarz, E., 1931. On the African long-tailed lemurs or galagos.Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (Series 10), 7: 41–66.
Stebbins, W. C., 1978. Hearing of the Primates. In:Recent Advances in Primatology, Vol. 1,D. J. Chivers &J. Herbert (eds.), Academic Press, London, pp. 705–720.
Struhsaker, T. T., 1970. Phylogenetic implications of some vocalizations ofCercopithecus monkeys. In:Old World Monkeys: Evolution, Systematics, and Behavior,J. R. Napier &P. H. Napier (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 365–444.
Tandy, J. M., 1974. Behaviour and social structure in a laboratory colony ofGalago crassicaudatus. In:Prosimian Biology,R. D. Martin,G. A. Doyle, &A. C. Walker (eds.), Duckworth, London, pp. 245–259.
————, 1976. Communication inGalago crassicaudatus.Primates, 17: 513–526.
Thomas, O. &R. C. Wroughton, 1908. The Rudd Exploration of South Africa. IX. List of mammals obtained by Mr. Grant on the Gorongoza Mountains, Portuguese S. E. Africa.Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1908: 164–173.
Waser, P. M., 1982. The evolution of male loud calls among mangabeys and baboons. In:Primate Communication,C. T. Snowdon,C. H. Brown, &M. R. Petersen (eds.), Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, pp. 117–143.
———— &C. H. Brown, 1986. Habitat acoustics and primate communication.Amer. J. Primatol., 10: 135–154.
———— &M. S. Waser, 1977. Experimental studies of primate vocalization: specializations for long-distance propagation.Zeit. Tierpsychol., 43: 239–263.
Wiley, R. H. &D. G. Richards, 1982. Adaptations for acoustic communication in birds: sound transmission and signal detection. In:Acoustic Communication in Birds, Vol. 1,D. E. Kroodsma,E. H. Miller, &H. Ouellet (eds.), Academic Press, New York, pp. 131–181.
Zimmermann, E., S. K. Bearder, G. A. Doyle, &A. B. Andersson, 1989. Variations in vocal patterns of Senegal and South African lesser bushbabies and their implications for taxonomic relationships.Folia Primatol., 51: 87–105.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Masters, J.C. Loud calls ofGalago crassicaudatus andG. garnettii and their relation to habitat structure. Primates 32, 153–167 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381173
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381173