The neurobiology of positive emotions
Compared to the study of negative emotions such as fear, the neurobiology of positive emotional processes and the associated positive affect (PA) states has only recently received scientific attention. Biological theories conceptualize PA as being related to (i) signals indicating that bodies are returning to equilibrium among those studying homeostasis, (ii) utility estimation among those […]
Social and spatial relationships in captive southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20143.abs Although critical to the conservation of white rhinoceros, captive breeding has proven challenging because of the poor and irregular reproductive health of many captive rhinos, and social interactions may play a significant role. This research investigated the social and spatial relationships of two captive groups of southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) by […]
Maternal aggressive contact vocalizations in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Wide-band, low-frequency signals during mother/aunt-infant interactions
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430140402.abs The mother-infant bond in bottlenose dolphins is critical to infant survival and has been reported to last from 3-10 years in both captive and wild populations. Little information on mother-infant communication during early development has been collected. This paper reports on a newly discovered dolphin vocalization, termed thunk, which is predominantly used by […]
Ultrasonic vocalizations as an index of social memory in female mice
Ultrasonic vocalization (UV) as a measure of social memory was investigated in female mice. UVs emitted by a resident female in the presence of a same-sex partner were measured during a 3-min, pretest social interaction. In a second 3-min test session, mice were reexposed to the familiar partner or presented with a novel partner. In […]
Mobbing vocalizations as a coping response in the common marmoset
Using a non-invasive method of sampling saliva followed by assay for cortisol levels, we found that common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) show a decrease in cortisol levels after seeing a snake-model stimulus that reliably elicits mobbing (tsik) calls. In fact, there was a significant positive correlation between the number of tsik vocalizations made and the magnitude […]
Low frequency vocalizations by cassowaries.
Although some birds can detect wavelengths in the infrasound range, there has been little evidence that birds produce very low frequencies. We made nine recordings of a captive Dwarf Cassowary (Casuarius bennetti) and one recording of a wild Southern Cassowary (C. casuarius) near Crater Mountain, Papua New Guinea. Both species produced sounds near the floor […]
Human Listeners Are Able to Classify Dog (Canis familiaris) Barks Recorded in Different Situations
The authors investigated whether human listeners could categorize played-back dog (Canis familiaris) barks recorded in various situations and associate them with emotional ratings. Prerecorded barks of a Hungarian herding dog breed (Mudi) provided the sample. Human listeners were asked to rate emotionality of the vocalization and to categorize the situations on the basis of alternative […]
Recognition of heterospecific alarm vocalization by Bonnet Macaques (Macaca radiata)
Recognition of heterospecific alarm vocalizations is an essential component of antipredator behavior in several prey species. The authors examined the role of learning in the discrimination of heterospecific vocalizations by wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) in southern India The bonnet macaques’ flight and scanning responses to playbacks of their own alarm vocalizations were compared with […]
Call Usage Learning in Gray Seals (Halichoerus grypus)
Call usage learning can be demonstrated on 4 different levels: signaling on command, signaling and refraining from signaling on command, responding to a trained stimulus with a signal from a specific signal class, and responding to the playback of any untrained stimulus with one from the same signal class. Two young gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) […]