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Vocal usage learning and vocal comprehension learning in harbor seals

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Titel: Vocal usage learning and vocal comprehension learning in harbor seals
Autoren: Duengen D., Jadoul Y., Ravignani A.
Quelle: BMC Neurosci
BMC Neuroscience, Vol 25, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2024)
Duengen, D, Jadoul, Y & Ravignani, A 2024, 'Vocal usage learning and vocal comprehension learning in harbor seals', BMC Neuroscience, vol. 25, 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12868-024-00899-4
Verlagsinformationen: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2024.
Publikationsjahr: 2024
Schlagwörter: Auditory discrimination, Neurophysiology and neuropsychology, Male, Female [MeSH], Vocalization, Animal/physiology [MeSH], Acoustic Stimulation [MeSH], Double-blind study, Vocal learning, Behavioral neuroscience of vocal learning in avian and mammalian species, Animals [MeSH], Phoca/physiology [MeSH], Learning/physiology [MeSH], Male [MeSH], Auditory Perception/physiology [MeSH], Research, Cues [MeSH], Pinniped, Playback study, Comprehension/physiology [MeSH], Auditory generalization, QP351-495, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, Phoca, Acoustic Stimulation, Auditory Perception, Animals, Learning, Female, Phoca vitulina, Vocalization, Animal, Cues, Comprehension, RC321-571
Beschreibung: Background Which mammals show vocal learning abilities, e.g., can learn new sounds, or learn to use sounds in new contexts? Vocal usage and comprehension learning are submodules of vocal learning. Specifically, vocal usage learning is the ability to learn to use a vocalization in a new context; vocal comprehension learning is the ability to comprehend a vocalization in a new context. Among mammals, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are good candidates to investigate vocal learning. Here, we test whether harbor seals are capable of vocal usage and comprehension learning. Results We trained two harbor seals to (i) switch contexts from a visual to an auditory cue. In particular, the seals first produced two vocalization types in response to two hand signs; they then transitioned to producing these two vocalization types upon the presentation of two distinct sets of playbacks of their own vocalizations. We then (ii) exposed the seals to a combination of trained and novel vocalization stimuli. In a final experiment, (iii) we broadcasted only novel vocalizations of the two vocalization types to test whether seals could generalize from the trained set of stimuli to only novel items of a given vocal category. Both seals learned all tasks and took ≤ 16 sessions to succeed across all experiments. In particular, the seals showed contextual learning through switching the context from former visual to novel auditory cues, vocal matching and generalization. Finally, by responding to the played-back vocalizations with distinct vocalizations, the animals showed vocal comprehension learning. Conclusions It has been suggested that harbor seals are vocal learners; however, to date, these observations had not been confirmed in controlled experiments. Here, through three experiments, we could show that harbor seals are capable of both vocal usage and comprehension learning.
Publikationsart: Article
Other literature type
Dateibeschreibung: application/pdf
Sprache: English
ISSN: 1471-2202
DOI: 10.1186/s12868-024-00899-4
Zugangs-URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39367300
https://doaj.org/article/15fe7cf5c1784150bffa286dcffc7f1c
https://repository.publisso.de/resource/frl:6522563
Rights: CC BY
Dokumentencode: edsair.doi.dedup.....4d63c3ae5b0a43dcec6d85199a8392b2
Datenbank: OpenAIRE
Beschreibung
Abstract:Background Which mammals show vocal learning abilities, e.g., can learn new sounds, or learn to use sounds in new contexts? Vocal usage and comprehension learning are submodules of vocal learning. Specifically, vocal usage learning is the ability to learn to use a vocalization in a new context; vocal comprehension learning is the ability to comprehend a vocalization in a new context. Among mammals, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are good candidates to investigate vocal learning. Here, we test whether harbor seals are capable of vocal usage and comprehension learning. Results We trained two harbor seals to (i) switch contexts from a visual to an auditory cue. In particular, the seals first produced two vocalization types in response to two hand signs; they then transitioned to producing these two vocalization types upon the presentation of two distinct sets of playbacks of their own vocalizations. We then (ii) exposed the seals to a combination of trained and novel vocalization stimuli. In a final experiment, (iii) we broadcasted only novel vocalizations of the two vocalization types to test whether seals could generalize from the trained set of stimuli to only novel items of a given vocal category. Both seals learned all tasks and took ≤ 16 sessions to succeed across all experiments. In particular, the seals showed contextual learning through switching the context from former visual to novel auditory cues, vocal matching and generalization. Finally, by responding to the played-back vocalizations with distinct vocalizations, the animals showed vocal comprehension learning. Conclusions It has been suggested that harbor seals are vocal learners; however, to date, these observations had not been confirmed in controlled experiments. Here, through three experiments, we could show that harbor seals are capable of both vocal usage and comprehension learning.
ISSN:14712202
DOI:10.1186/s12868-024-00899-4