Mother-Calf Vocal Communication in Atlantic walrus (Igloolik, NU, Canada)

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Unknown

Publication_Date: Unknown

Title: Mother-Calf Vocal Communication in Atlantic walrus (Igloolik, NU, Canada)

Description:

Abstract:

Atlantic walrus Mothers and Calves' vocalisations were recorded in natural context in 2006 and 2008 in the Foxe Basin, Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada. In total, 544 barks from 22 calves and 164 barks from 11 females have been recorded and analysed. Further vocalisations produced by adults have also been recorded in different social contexts as well as some underwater vocalisations. In addition to these recordings, playback tests on females were performed to assess calf's vocal recognition, and propagation tests of calls over water and ice surface have been carried out to assess the efficiency of vocal communication in their natural environment. These data have been submitted to publication, the abstract is copied below: In all colonial pinnipeds studied, mother-young vocal recognition exists and allows rapid and reliable meetings in spite of the confusing environment of the breeding colony. The efficiency of this recognition process guarantees pup survival, especially in species where females alternate foraging sea trips and lactation periods on land. The Atlantic Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) is a highly gregarious pinniped with females attending their calves for an extended period of time (2-3 years). Although we expect mother-calf vocal recognition to occur in this species due to the high density of individuals packed in herds, it has never been experimentally demonstrated. Here, we assessed the individual stereotypy of both mother and calf barks recorded in the wild by measuring frequency and temporal acoustic parameters. Both discriminant function and artificial neural network analyses resulted in high correct classification rates, underlying a well-defined individual stereotypy in parameters related to frequency modulation and frequency values. Playback experiments showed that mothers were more responsive to the barks of their own calf than to those of unrelated young. Finally, propagation experiments revealed that barks propagate at greater distances over water surface than over ice, acoustic features such as frequency modulation and frequency spectrum being highly resistant to degradation during propagation. Thus, acoustic analysis and propagation experiments suggest that these frequency parameters might be the key acoustic features involved in the individual identification process. This experimental study clearly demonstrates that Atlantic walrus has developed a highly reliable mother-calf vocal communication allowing such strong social bond.

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

Not Available

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20060530

Ending_Date: 20060702

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20080529

Ending_Date: 20080626

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: In Work

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -80.134

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -79.334

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 69.43

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 68.7862

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD PLATFORM

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD INSTRUMENT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: PROJECT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > AGRICULTURE > ANIMAL SCIENCE > ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR > ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > AGRICULTURE > ANIMAL SCIENCE > ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR > INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CARNIVORES > SEALS/SEA LIONS/WALRUSES > ATLANTIC WALRUS

Theme_Keyword: ZODIACS

Theme_Keyword: FIELD INVESTIGATION

Theme_Keyword: HYDROPHONES

Theme_Keyword: VCAW > VOCAL COMMUNICATION IN ATLANTIC WALRUS

Theme_Keyword: Atlantic Walrus

Theme_Keyword: Vocal Communication

Theme_Keyword: Individual Recognition

Theme_Keyword: Mother-calf Interactions

Theme_Keyword: BIOTA

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > FOXE BASIN

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > ARCTIC

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > CANADA > NUNAVUT > IGLOOLIK, 69.3762, -81.7995

Access_Constraints: Limited access to the recordings. Please contact the main investigator.

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: ISABELLE CHARRIER

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Position: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Contact_Position: DIF AUTHOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: NAMC - Université Paris Sud, Batîment 446

City: Orsay

Postal_Code: 91405

Country: France

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +33 1 69 15 68 26

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +33 1 69 15 77 26

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: isabelle.charrier@u-psud.fr

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Sound recordings and playback tests were all assessed in 2006. Vocalisations were recorded with the best signal-to-noise ratio, at a 44-kHz frequency sample, 16 bits, wav format. The same equipment has been used for all recordings (Sennheiser shotgun microphones & Marantz digital recorders; CRT hydrophone).

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: FR/CNRS-NAMC/UNIV PARIS11 > CNRS-NAMC/UNIV PARIS11>Laboratoire Neurobiologie de la Memoire, de l'Apprentissage et de la Communication, Bioacoustics Team

Contact_Person: ISABELLE CHARRIER

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: NAMC - Université Paris Sud, Batîment 446

City: Orsay

Postal_Code: 91405

Country: France

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +33 1 69 15 68 26

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +33 1 69 15 77 26

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: isabelle.charrier@u-psud.fr

Resource_Description: sound files

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: Not Available

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.cb.u-psud.fr/

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20091103

Metadata_Review_Date: 20120126

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: ISABELLE CHARRIER

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Position: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Contact_Position: DIF AUTHOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: NAMC - Université Paris Sud, Batîment 446

City: Orsay

Postal_Code: 91405

Country: France

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +33 1 69 15 68 26

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +33 1 69 15 77 26

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: isabelle.charrier@u-psud.fr

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time