Audience effects in chimpanzee copulation calls

Abstract

Audience effects arise when the signaling behavior of animals is affected by the presence of others. Whilst this phenomenon has been documented in numerous animal species, very little research has addressed what effect the listening audience has in the mating context. In this article we discuss our recent findings that the production of chimpanzee copulation calls is effected by the presence of potentially eavesdropping females and males. We relate these results to understanding the function of primate copulation calls in addition to what more they can tell us about the cognitive processes underlying primate call production.

Acknowledgements

We thank the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, the President's Office, Vernon Reynolds and Fred Babweteera for support and permission to work in the forest. Our sincerest gratitude goes to Monday M Gideon for his invaluable assistance and company in the forest. The Budongo Conservation Field Station receives core funding from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.