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Contour variables in vocal communication between squirrel monkey mothers and infants
M Biben1, D Symmes, D Bernhards
1Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland.
Developmental Psychobiology
|September 1, 1989
Summary
Squirrel monkeys use caregiver calls, a unique infant-directed communication, with acoustic variations linked to caregiving contexts like nursing. This contrasts with human motherese, offering insights into primate vocalizations.
Area of Science:
- Primate communication
- Animal vocalizations
- Comparative linguistics
Background:
- Squirrel monkeys exhibit a specialized infant-directed vocalization known as the caregiver call.
- This call displays acoustic variability, particularly in pitch range and contour.
- Such variations are context-dependent, correlating with specific infant caregiving behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acoustic structure and contextual usage of squirrel monkey caregiver calls.
- To compare squirrel monkey caregiver calls with human infant-directed speech (motherese).
- To explore the functional and motivational underpinnings of acoustic variations in caregiver calls.
Main Methods:
- Observational study of squirrel monkey vocalizations during infant care.
- Acoustic analysis of caregiver calls, focusing on pitch range and contour.
- Comparative analysis with existing data on human motherese.
Main Results:
- Caregiver calls are almost exclusively directed at infants.
- Specific acoustic features (pitch range, contour) of caregiver calls significantly correlate with distinct infant care contexts (e.g., nursing, retrieval).
- Evidence suggests functional specialization within squirrel monkey infant-directed vocalizations.
Conclusions:
- Squirrel monkey caregiver calls represent a sophisticated form of infant-directed communication.
- Acoustic variations in these calls serve specific communicative functions related to infant care.
- The study provides a comparative perspective with human motherese, highlighting potential convergent evolution in infant-directed communication.