Data for this study were derived from videotapes of 26 father-infant dyads, specifically from a five minute period of free-play. The first step was the creation of a literal transcription of the father-infant dyads interaction. Subsequently, nine variables of fathers' language characteristics and one infant characteristic were coded employing the literal transcriptions and observing the videotapes. The fathers' language variables were number of : (1) father utterances, (2) father words, (3) father contingent responses, (4) father teaching utterances, (5) father descriptive teaching utterances, (6) father directive teaching utterances - making commands, (7) father directive teaching utterance - asking questions, (8) percentage of father teaching utterances, and (9) mean length of father utterances (MLU). The infant variable was number of vocalizations. Eight out of the nine variables were positively correlated to infant vocalizations, indicating the importance of fathers input in child language development. The only negative correlation in the present study was between Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) and infant vocalizations and the possible reasons are discussed. The findings support the idea that there are positive relationships between fathers' language characteristics and infant vocalizations. Recommendations are made that fathers should be involved in early intervention programs.

No description available.

<p>Developing bat pups produce distinct vocalizations called isolation calls (I‐calls) that serve to attract the bat’s mother. How individual pups shift their vocalizations from I‐calls to downward frequency modulated (FM) sweeps during development remains unclear. By recording individual bat pups from the day of birth to twenty‐five days postnatal we observed behavioural and bioacoustic (temporal and spectral) changes in pup calls. Temporal characteristics examined were call duration and call rate; spectral characteristics were minimum frequency, maximum frequency, peak spectral frequency, total signal bandwidth, maximum frequency of the fundamental acoustic element and bandwidth of the fundamental. I‐calls were produced only until a certain point in development, after which pups change from emitting long‐duration, tonal I‐calls to downward FM signals and eventually short‐duration biosonar vocalizations. We discovered additional spectral changes in the harmonic structure of pup calls, with the number of harmonic elements decreasing with age. We also recorded pup vocalizations during prolonged separation from their mothers to determine if extended isolation alters the type, number or acoustic structure of emitted vocalizations. Rate of calling was influenced by prolonged separation; younger pups had higher calling rates and called longer than older pups. We also compared temporal and spectral characteristics of spontaneous and provoked calls. We found that provoked calls were more similar to vocalizations produced by younger pups. By documenting the vocal behaviour and acoustic structure of pups calling in different situations, this research provides groundwork for further studies on the ontogeny and development of FM vocalizations in bats and other mammals.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Le Quetzal Resplendissant Pharomachrus mocinno est une espèce d’oiseau tropical considérée fortement menacée par la perte de son habitat due aux activités humaines. Le Quetzal Resplendissant joue un rôle important de disperseur de graines et constitue le centre de la culture maya passée et présente. Les recherches sur cette espèce couvrent plusieurs aspects de son histoire naturelle et de sa biologie. Néanmoins, à ce jour, il n’y a aucune description détaillée du comportement et de l’écologie acoustiques de cette espèce, condition préalable à une conservation efficace de l'espèce. L’objectif de cette thèse a été d’étudier tout particulièrement le comportement et l’écologie acoustique de P. mocino dans la forêt nuageuse du Guatemala. Une analyse détaillée des vocalisations de P. mocinno, incluant des expériences de propagation de ses vocalisations dans son habitat, a permis d’identifier deux types de vocalisations destinés à la communication à longue distance et deux autres types de vocalisations destinés à la communication à courte distance. La quantification des différences dans les vocalisations territoriales des deux sous-espèces de Quetzals Resplendissants, P. m. mocinno (partie nord de l’Amérique centrale et sud du Mexique) et P. m. costaricensis (sud de l'Amérique centrale) a révélé de nettes différences entre les sous-espèces, ce qui conforterait l'hypothèse d’espèces distinctes. L'observation de l'espèce dans la canopée dense est difficile et la manipulation des individus est controversée en raison de sa grande importance culturelle. De fait, un système acoustique automatique a été mis au point pour suivre l’espèce de manière non invasive. Le système s'est avéré efficace et a produit des résultats révélant des profils de suivis acoustiques en partie dépendants de variables environnementales. Enfin, la communauté acoustique des oiseaux à laquelle P. mocinno appartient a été analysée afin d’évaluer les interactions interspécifiques de compétition. Les recherches développées ici devraient aider aux décisions de conservation futures concernant le Quetzal Resplendissant et son habitat, la forêt nuageuse. Cette recherche montre également que l'écoacoustique peut constituer une stratégie utile pour aborder les problèmes d'écologie et de conservation dans les zones tropicales. / The Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno is a tropical bird considered in a high risk of danger. Degradation of its habitat caused by human activities is the principal menace. The Resplendent Quetzal is important as seed disperser and is the centre of the past and present Mayan culture. The available studies about the species have covered aspects of the natural history and biology. Nevertheless, the description of the acoustic behaviour and ecology, a prerequisite for the conservation of the species, was not available. The general aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate the acoustic behaviour and ecology of P. mocinno in the cloud forest of Guatemala. A detailed analysis of P. mocinno vocalizations, including propagation experiments of these vocalizations in its habitat, led to identify two vocalizations intended for long range, and two for short range communication. Quantification of acoustic parameters in territorial vocalizations of the two subspecies of the Resplendent Quetzal, P. m. mocinno (north part of Central America and Chiapas) and P. m. costaricensis (south part of Central America), revealed clear differences between the subspecies, that could support a species separation hypothesis. . The observation of the species in the dense canopy is difficult and manipulation of individuals is controversial due to its high cultural importance. Then, an automatic acoustic system was developed as a method to study the species in a non-invasive way. The system proved to be efficient and returned results that revealed acoustic patterns linked to environmental variables. Finally, the acoustic community of other bird species P. mocinno belongs to was analysed so that interspecific competition interactions could be assessed. The research here developed should help in future conservation decisions about the Resplendent Quetzal and its habitat, the cloud forest. This research also illustrates that ecoacoustics can be a valuable strategy to tackle ecology and conservation questions in tropical areas.

La prise de décision est un processus indispensable et vital pour les mammifères. Elle permet à l’individu de s’adapter aux changements qui s’opèrent dans son environnement et résulte de l’intégration d’informations sensorielles, émotionnelles, motivationnelles et exécutives (qui peuvent être internes ou externes à l’individu). Des études, à la fois chez le sujet humain (sujet sain, patients cérébrolésés ou atteints de pathologies psychiatriques), et sur les modèles animaux singe, rats ou souris, ont permis d’identifier le cortex préfrontal comme acteur crucial dans ces processus exécutifs complexes. La mise en place au sein de notre laboratoire d’un test d’interaction sociale permettant de générer des prises de décision rapides et adaptées en présence d’un congénère nouveau, nous a permis d’étudier les bases neurobiologiques et comportementales sous-jacentes à la prise de décision et à la flexibilité comportementale. Il est connu que les rongeurs émettent des USVs dont le rôle et les mécanismes motivationnels et/ou émotionnels restent largement inconnus à ce jour. Mon travail de thèse repose principalement sur l’identification des acteurs cérébraux de cette interaction sociale, et sur le rôle putatif des USVs. D’autre part, je me suis employé à comprendre comment les motivations naturelles (telles que la nourriture, l’exploration d’objet ou de l’environnement, et l’interaction avec un congénère) sont intégrées au canevas de prise de décision et comment elles l’influencent.Dans un premier temps, en utilisant des procédures d’imagerie cellulaire basée sur l’expression de gènes précoces (c-fos), et ce, à la fois chez des animaux contrôles et chez des animaux présentant des troubles des comportements sociaux (β2KO), nous avons pu mettre en évidence l’implication différentielle de sous-parties du cortex préfrontal chez la souris. Par la suite, la mise en place d’un logiciel spécifique d’analyse, ainsi que la modulation de l’état de motivation de l’animal lors de la tâche d’interaction sociale, nous a permis de mieux comprendre l’établissement de comportements adaptés lors de l’interaction sociale. Pour finir, en variant les contextes comportementaux, nous avons montré qu’il existe une relation étroite entre état émotionnel et motivationnel de l’animal et émission d’USVs. Notamment, les USVs semblent porter une information spécifique lors de l’interaction sociale qui reste encore largement à déterminer. / Decision-making is one of the most essential process for mammals. It allows the individual to adapt to environmental changes by the integration of sensory, emotional, motivational and executive information. Numerous studies, in human subject (healthy or not), and on animal models like monkey, rats or mice, have allowed the identification of a major actor in these complex processes: the prefrontal cortex. In our laboratory, we set up a new test, called the social interaction task -SIT-, to generate quick and adapted decision-making in presence of a new congener. This task was used to dissect neural and behavioral bases underlying decision-making and behavioral flexibility during social interaction. It is well known now that rodents emit ultrasonic vocalizations -USVs-, of which roles and mechanisms (motivational or emotional) remain largely unknown. My work was devoted to the identification of brain structures that allow flexible social interactions, and to the unraveling of the putative role(s) of USVs during SIT. I also tried to understand how natural motivations (like social interaction, exploration, and food consumption) take part in the decision-making process.First, by using cellular imaging procedure based on the expression of immediate early genes (c-fos): we were able to highlight the differential involvement of sub-areas of the prefrontal cortex in mice. Subsequently, the development of a new specific software, and the ability to modulate the motivational state of the animal, enabled us to understand better the establishment of adapted behaviors during the SIT. Finally, by varying behavioral contexts, we found a tight relationship between emotional/motivational states and USVs emissions. Notably, USVs appear to carry specific information in social interaction, and this point largely remains to be determined.

Um pequeno grupo de golfinhos Tursiops truncatus, presente na barra da laguna de Tramandaí, RS, vem sendo acompanhado desde 1996 quanto a seus padrões de ocorrência e associação. A partir de 2002, tal acompanhamento passou a incluir dados de bioacústica. Através da fotoidentificação, os indivíduos foram observados na área em todos os anos, o que permite caracterizá-los como residentes, embora predominem os momentos em que estão ausentes. O tamanho do grupo é mantido constante, com oito indivíduos adultos, mas o nascimento de filhotes pode aumentar temporariamente este número, com até 11 golfinhos tendo sido observados num mesmo ano. Os nascimentos registrados para as duas fêmeas do grupo ocorreram em pelo menos duas épocas do ano (outono e primavera), num intervalo de aproximadamente 2,7 anos. Apesar da menor freqüência de observação durante o período de inverno, em todas as épocas dos anos de estudo foram observados animais na área, embora tenham variado em número e grau de associação, assim como também em diferentes graus de fidelidade, onde alguns animais foram vistos mais freqüentemente que outros. Animais solitários predominaram nas observações em qualquer período. Maiores agrupamentos foram mais freqüentes no outono, e secundariamente na primavera, coincidindo com a presença dos filhotes. Nas associações predominaram as duplas, embora grupos de até sete golfinhos tenham sido registrados. Ao contrário do esperado para grupos pequenos, os índices de associação de superfície foram baixos ao longo do período analisado. Índices fortes (>0,40) ocorreram somente entre fêmeas e filhotes, mas também temporariamente (em um dia) entre outros indivíduos, caracterizando sua organização social num continuum entre diferentes extremos de associação, provavelmente adaptada às condições ambientais e sociais. Na análise do repertório sonoro do grupo, foram registrados vários tipos de sons, desde assobios até cliques de ecolocalização e sons pulsantes, estes últimos bastante vinculados à atividade de alimentação. Foram analisados 1.768 assobios, dos quais identificou-se pelo menos cinco padrões gerais de modulação da freqüência fundamental: ascendente, descendente, côncavo, múltiplo e em forma de parábola (não sendo registrados assobios com modulação constante). Estes, por sua vez, permitiram o reconhecimento de pelo menos 34 subcategorias de assobios. Os assobios ascendentes predominaram nos registros, mas os outros dois padrões mais freqüentes (parábola e múltiplo) também foram representativos. O número e tipo de assobio variaram de acordo com o contexto, onde mais de 80% dos assobios foram registrados em momentos de associação. Assobios múltiplos foram mais freqüentemente registrados em associações, principalmente na presença de fêmeas e filhotes. Durante estas interações com filhotes, houve também a predominância de assobios ascendentes, mas as emissões apresentaram um padrão bastante distinto, com longas seqüências sendo registradas e a ocorrência de vários tipos de assobios diferentes, muitas vezes sobrepostos, sugerindo combinações que podem estar relacionadas a um aumento na troca de informações entre os animais, por sua vez vinculadas à importância da comunicação entre mães e filhotes neste período. Animais solitários emitiram predominantemente um tipo específico de assobio, com contorno da freqüência fundamental semelhante a uma parábola. Esta classe apresentou os tipos mais variados, e devido a estas variações na modulação da fundamental e sua freqüência de ocorrência em animais solitários, sugere-se que nesta categoria poderiam ser encontrados os assobios assinatura dos indivíduos deste grupo. O grande número de tipos de assobios encontrados, assim como a diferença nos contextos de emissão, sugere que os animais possuem um repertório variado, onde vários sinais parecem ser ainda compartilhados entre eles. Por fim, a comparação entre métodos de extração manuais e automáticos dos parâmetros acústicos não revelou diferenças significativas, viabilizando os resultados de ambas as técnicas. / The occurrence and association patterns of a small group of dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, inhabiting the Tramandaí lagoon, RS, have been studied since 1996. The study includes bioacoustics data since 2002. The individuals were observed in that area every year through photo-identification, which characterizes them as resident, although their absence is very frequent. The size of the group is quite constant, with eight adults, but the birth of calves increases this number temporarily, being 11 the largest group size observed in one year. The births recorded for the two females of this group occurred at least twice a year (autumn and spring), with an interval of approximately 2.7 years. Although less observed in the winter, animals were present in the area, with varying degrees of association and fidelity, some animals being observed more frequently than others. Solitary animals were frequent in any period. Larger groups were most frequent in autumn and secondarily in spring, due to the presence of calves. Regarding associations, pairs of dolphins were the most frequent form, although groups of up to seven dolphins were recorded. Different from the expected for small groups, surface association indexes were low in the whole period of the study. Strong association (>0.40) occurred only between females and calves; strong associations were temporary (one day) among other individuals, characterizing their social organization as a continuum from different extremes of association, probably adapted to social and environmental conditions. In the analysis of the sound repertory of the group, various kinds of vocalizations were observed, from whistles to clicks of echolocation and burst sounds, the latter ones associated to feeding activities. A total of 1768 whistles were observed, from which five general patterns of the fundamental frequency modulation were distinguished: Ascending, descending, concave, multiple and in parabolic form. Constant modulation whistles were not recorded. The five patterns allowed distinguishing at least 34 subcategories of whistles. Ascending whistles predominate in the records, but the other two frequent patterns (parabola and multiple) were also representative. The number and kind of whistles varied according to the context, where more than 80% of them were recorded in association periods. Multiple whistles were most frequently recorded in associations, mainly between females and calves. During this interaction, ascending whistles predominated, but vocalizations presented a very distinct pattern, with long sequences and several different kinds of whistles, sometimes superimposed, suggesting combinations which might be related to the importance of the communication between female and calf in this period. Solitary animals produced a specific kind of whistle, with a parabolic form around the fundamental frequency. This class presented the most varied kinds. Due to the frequency of occurrence as well as their variations in the modulation of the fundamental frequency, it is suggested that in this category one could find the individual signatures of this group. The large number of whistle kinds and the different contexts in which they were recorded suggest that the animals have a varied repertory, where several signals are shared among them. Finally, the comparison of manual and automatic extraction methods of acoustic parameters did not show meaningful differences, thus allowing the results of both techniques.

Um pequeno grupo de golfinhos Tursiops truncatus, presente na barra da laguna de Tramandaí, RS, vem sendo acompanhado desde 1996 quanto a seus padrões de ocorrência e associação. A partir de 2002, tal acompanhamento passou a incluir dados de bioacústica. Através da fotoidentificação, os indivíduos foram observados na área em todos os anos, o que permite caracterizá-los como residentes, embora predominem os momentos em que estão ausentes. O tamanho do grupo é mantido constante, com oito indivíduos adultos, mas o nascimento de filhotes pode aumentar temporariamente este número, com até 11 golfinhos tendo sido observados num mesmo ano. Os nascimentos registrados para as duas fêmeas do grupo ocorreram em pelo menos duas épocas do ano (outono e primavera), num intervalo de aproximadamente 2,7 anos. Apesar da menor freqüência de observação durante o período de inverno, em todas as épocas dos anos de estudo foram observados animais na área, embora tenham variado em número e grau de associação, assim como também em diferentes graus de fidelidade, onde alguns animais foram vistos mais freqüentemente que outros. Animais solitários predominaram nas observações em qualquer período. Maiores agrupamentos foram mais freqüentes no outono, e secundariamente na primavera, coincidindo com a presença dos filhotes. Nas associações predominaram as duplas, embora grupos de até sete golfinhos tenham sido registrados. Ao contrário do esperado para grupos pequenos, os índices de associação de superfície foram baixos ao longo do período analisado. Índices fortes (>0,40) ocorreram somente entre fêmeas e filhotes, mas também temporariamente (em um dia) entre outros indivíduos, caracterizando sua organização social num continuum entre diferentes extremos de associação, provavelmente adaptada às condições ambientais e sociais. Na análise do repertório sonoro do grupo, foram registrados vários tipos de sons, desde assobios até cliques de ecolocalização e sons pulsantes, estes últimos bastante vinculados à atividade de alimentação. Foram analisados 1.768 assobios, dos quais identificou-se pelo menos cinco padrões gerais de modulação da freqüência fundamental: ascendente, descendente, côncavo, múltiplo e em forma de parábola (não sendo registrados assobios com modulação constante). Estes, por sua vez, permitiram o reconhecimento de pelo menos 34 subcategorias de assobios. Os assobios ascendentes predominaram nos registros, mas os outros dois padrões mais freqüentes (parábola e múltiplo) também foram representativos. O número e tipo de assobio variaram de acordo com o contexto, onde mais de 80% dos assobios foram registrados em momentos de associação. Assobios múltiplos foram mais freqüentemente registrados em associações, principalmente na presença de fêmeas e filhotes. Durante estas interações com filhotes, houve também a predominância de assobios ascendentes, mas as emissões apresentaram um padrão bastante distinto, com longas seqüências sendo registradas e a ocorrência de vários tipos de assobios diferentes, muitas vezes sobrepostos, sugerindo combinações que podem estar relacionadas a um aumento na troca de informações entre os animais, por sua vez vinculadas à importância da comunicação entre mães e filhotes neste período. Animais solitários emitiram predominantemente um tipo específico de assobio, com contorno da freqüência fundamental semelhante a uma parábola. Esta classe apresentou os tipos mais variados, e devido a estas variações na modulação da fundamental e sua freqüência de ocorrência em animais solitários, sugere-se que nesta categoria poderiam ser encontrados os assobios assinatura dos indivíduos deste grupo. O grande número de tipos de assobios encontrados, assim como a diferença nos contextos de emissão, sugere que os animais possuem um repertório variado, onde vários sinais parecem ser ainda compartilhados entre eles. Por fim, a comparação entre métodos de extração manuais e automáticos dos parâmetros acústicos não revelou diferenças significativas, viabilizando os resultados de ambas as técnicas. / The occurrence and association patterns of a small group of dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, inhabiting the Tramandaí lagoon, RS, have been studied since 1996. The study includes bioacoustics data since 2002. The individuals were observed in that area every year through photo-identification, which characterizes them as resident, although their absence is very frequent. The size of the group is quite constant, with eight adults, but the birth of calves increases this number temporarily, being 11 the largest group size observed in one year. The births recorded for the two females of this group occurred at least twice a year (autumn and spring), with an interval of approximately 2.7 years. Although less observed in the winter, animals were present in the area, with varying degrees of association and fidelity, some animals being observed more frequently than others. Solitary animals were frequent in any period. Larger groups were most frequent in autumn and secondarily in spring, due to the presence of calves. Regarding associations, pairs of dolphins were the most frequent form, although groups of up to seven dolphins were recorded. Different from the expected for small groups, surface association indexes were low in the whole period of the study. Strong association (>0.40) occurred only between females and calves; strong associations were temporary (one day) among other individuals, characterizing their social organization as a continuum from different extremes of association, probably adapted to social and environmental conditions. In the analysis of the sound repertory of the group, various kinds of vocalizations were observed, from whistles to clicks of echolocation and burst sounds, the latter ones associated to feeding activities. A total of 1768 whistles were observed, from which five general patterns of the fundamental frequency modulation were distinguished: Ascending, descending, concave, multiple and in parabolic form. Constant modulation whistles were not recorded. The five patterns allowed distinguishing at least 34 subcategories of whistles. Ascending whistles predominate in the records, but the other two frequent patterns (parabola and multiple) were also representative. The number and kind of whistles varied according to the context, where more than 80% of them were recorded in association periods. Multiple whistles were most frequently recorded in associations, mainly between females and calves. During this interaction, ascending whistles predominated, but vocalizations presented a very distinct pattern, with long sequences and several different kinds of whistles, sometimes superimposed, suggesting combinations which might be related to the importance of the communication between female and calf in this period. Solitary animals produced a specific kind of whistle, with a parabolic form around the fundamental frequency. This class presented the most varied kinds. Due to the frequency of occurrence as well as their variations in the modulation of the fundamental frequency, it is suggested that in this category one could find the individual signatures of this group. The large number of whistle kinds and the different contexts in which they were recorded suggest that the animals have a varied repertory, where several signals are shared among them. Finally, the comparison of manual and automatic extraction methods of acoustic parameters did not show meaningful differences, thus allowing the results of both techniques.

Um pequeno grupo de golfinhos Tursiops truncatus, presente na barra da laguna de Tramandaí, RS, vem sendo acompanhado desde 1996 quanto a seus padrões de ocorrência e associação. A partir de 2002, tal acompanhamento passou a incluir dados de bioacústica. Através da fotoidentificação, os indivíduos foram observados na área em todos os anos, o que permite caracterizá-los como residentes, embora predominem os momentos em que estão ausentes. O tamanho do grupo é mantido constante, com oito indivíduos adultos, mas o nascimento de filhotes pode aumentar temporariamente este número, com até 11 golfinhos tendo sido observados num mesmo ano. Os nascimentos registrados para as duas fêmeas do grupo ocorreram em pelo menos duas épocas do ano (outono e primavera), num intervalo de aproximadamente 2,7 anos. Apesar da menor freqüência de observação durante o período de inverno, em todas as épocas dos anos de estudo foram observados animais na área, embora tenham variado em número e grau de associação, assim como também em diferentes graus de fidelidade, onde alguns animais foram vistos mais freqüentemente que outros. Animais solitários predominaram nas observações em qualquer período. Maiores agrupamentos foram mais freqüentes no outono, e secundariamente na primavera, coincidindo com a presença dos filhotes. Nas associações predominaram as duplas, embora grupos de até sete golfinhos tenham sido registrados. Ao contrário do esperado para grupos pequenos, os índices de associação de superfície foram baixos ao longo do período analisado. Índices fortes (>0,40) ocorreram somente entre fêmeas e filhotes, mas também temporariamente (em um dia) entre outros indivíduos, caracterizando sua organização social num continuum entre diferentes extremos de associação, provavelmente adaptada às condições ambientais e sociais. Na análise do repertório sonoro do grupo, foram registrados vários tipos de sons, desde assobios até cliques de ecolocalização e sons pulsantes, estes últimos bastante vinculados à atividade de alimentação. Foram analisados 1.768 assobios, dos quais identificou-se pelo menos cinco padrões gerais de modulação da freqüência fundamental: ascendente, descendente, côncavo, múltiplo e em forma de parábola (não sendo registrados assobios com modulação constante). Estes, por sua vez, permitiram o reconhecimento de pelo menos 34 subcategorias de assobios. Os assobios ascendentes predominaram nos registros, mas os outros dois padrões mais freqüentes (parábola e múltiplo) também foram representativos. O número e tipo de assobio variaram de acordo com o contexto, onde mais de 80% dos assobios foram registrados em momentos de associação. Assobios múltiplos foram mais freqüentemente registrados em associações, principalmente na presença de fêmeas e filhotes. Durante estas interações com filhotes, houve também a predominância de assobios ascendentes, mas as emissões apresentaram um padrão bastante distinto, com longas seqüências sendo registradas e a ocorrência de vários tipos de assobios diferentes, muitas vezes sobrepostos, sugerindo combinações que podem estar relacionadas a um aumento na troca de informações entre os animais, por sua vez vinculadas à importância da comunicação entre mães e filhotes neste período. Animais solitários emitiram predominantemente um tipo específico de assobio, com contorno da freqüência fundamental semelhante a uma parábola. Esta classe apresentou os tipos mais variados, e devido a estas variações na modulação da fundamental e sua freqüência de ocorrência em animais solitários, sugere-se que nesta categoria poderiam ser encontrados os assobios assinatura dos indivíduos deste grupo. O grande número de tipos de assobios encontrados, assim como a diferença nos contextos de emissão, sugere que os animais possuem um repertório variado, onde vários sinais parecem ser ainda compartilhados entre eles. Por fim, a comparação entre métodos de extração manuais e automáticos dos parâmetros acústicos não revelou diferenças significativas, viabilizando os resultados de ambas as técnicas. / The occurrence and association patterns of a small group of dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, inhabiting the Tramandaí lagoon, RS, have been studied since 1996. The study includes bioacoustics data since 2002. The individuals were observed in that area every year through photo-identification, which characterizes them as resident, although their absence is very frequent. The size of the group is quite constant, with eight adults, but the birth of calves increases this number temporarily, being 11 the largest group size observed in one year. The births recorded for the two females of this group occurred at least twice a year (autumn and spring), with an interval of approximately 2.7 years. Although less observed in the winter, animals were present in the area, with varying degrees of association and fidelity, some animals being observed more frequently than others. Solitary animals were frequent in any period. Larger groups were most frequent in autumn and secondarily in spring, due to the presence of calves. Regarding associations, pairs of dolphins were the most frequent form, although groups of up to seven dolphins were recorded. Different from the expected for small groups, surface association indexes were low in the whole period of the study. Strong association (>0.40) occurred only between females and calves; strong associations were temporary (one day) among other individuals, characterizing their social organization as a continuum from different extremes of association, probably adapted to social and environmental conditions. In the analysis of the sound repertory of the group, various kinds of vocalizations were observed, from whistles to clicks of echolocation and burst sounds, the latter ones associated to feeding activities. A total of 1768 whistles were observed, from which five general patterns of the fundamental frequency modulation were distinguished: Ascending, descending, concave, multiple and in parabolic form. Constant modulation whistles were not recorded. The five patterns allowed distinguishing at least 34 subcategories of whistles. Ascending whistles predominate in the records, but the other two frequent patterns (parabola and multiple) were also representative. The number and kind of whistles varied according to the context, where more than 80% of them were recorded in association periods. Multiple whistles were most frequently recorded in associations, mainly between females and calves. During this interaction, ascending whistles predominated, but vocalizations presented a very distinct pattern, with long sequences and several different kinds of whistles, sometimes superimposed, suggesting combinations which might be related to the importance of the communication between female and calf in this period. Solitary animals produced a specific kind of whistle, with a parabolic form around the fundamental frequency. This class presented the most varied kinds. Due to the frequency of occurrence as well as their variations in the modulation of the fundamental frequency, it is suggested that in this category one could find the individual signatures of this group. The large number of whistle kinds and the different contexts in which they were recorded suggest that the animals have a varied repertory, where several signals are shared among them. Finally, the comparison of manual and automatic extraction methods of acoustic parameters did not show meaningful differences, thus allowing the results of both techniques.

While much work has been done on regional vocal variation in birds, relatively few studies have found evidence of similar variation in mammalian vocalizations. This study quantifies individual, colonial, and regional level variation in T. brasiliensis songs in the southeastern United States. Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) are among a handful of mammals that produce complex, hierarchically structured vocalizations. Their songs are composed of multiple syllables that are combined into three phrases that vary in number and order across renditions. Tadarida brasiliensis songs showed considerable amount of variation, and differed significantly between locations in terms of syllable structure and song syntax. Some of the variation observed was not correlated to geographical distance, and is unlikely to be explained by genetic divergence or differences in habitat use. These results indicate the existence of vocal dialects and a possible role of vocal production learning in dialect formation in this species.

Chez les baleines à bosse (Megaptera novaeangliae), le maintien des liens sociaux entre les femelles et leurs nouveau-nés implique différentes modalités sensorielles telles que l'ouïe, le toucher et la vision. Si la communication acoustique chez les mâles chanteurs de cette espèce a été largement étudiée, les sons sociaux, en particulier ceux produits par les femelles et leurs nouveau-nés, ont été peu reportés. Cette étude décrit les sons sociaux présents dans les enregistrements acoustiques axés sur les groupes mère-baleineau et discute des vocalisations produites par les femelles et les baleineaux dans les interactions mère-jeune. En considérant les sons les plus fréquents de ce répertoire vocal, une analyse centrée sur la détermination de la source des sons de bass fréquence produits par la mère a été effectuée et des analyses ont été réalisées pour mettre en évidence l'individualité de certaines vocalisations appartenant à la mère et à son petit. Une description du contexte comportemental de leur production vocale a été réalisée et parallèlement, les profils de plongée des mères et de leurs nouveau-nés ont été décrits. En outre, les femelles et leurs petits passent beaucoup de temps à la surface de l'eau. Les mères sont souvent statiques à la surface tandis que les baleineaux évoluent autour d'elles. Cette étude est également consacrée à la compréhension de leurs comportements de surface, en tenant compte des comportements initiés par les baleineaux. Des séries d’analyses ont été réalisées pour déterminer si les baleineaux présentaient des comportements de latéralisation par rapport à leur mère. Enfin, en utilisant la méthode de photogrammétrie, les tailles des femelles et des nouveau-nés ont été mesurées, ainsi que l'espace utilisée par les baleineaux autour de leur mère. / In humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), maintaining social bonds between females and their newborns involves different sensory modalities such as hearing, touching and vision. While acoustic communication in male singers of this species has been extensively studied, social sounds, especially those produced by the females and their newborns have been poorly documented. This study describes the social sounds present in acoustic recordings focused on mother-calf groups and discusses the vocalizations used by females and calves in mother-offspring interactions. By considering the most frequent sounds from their vocal repertoire, an analysis focused on the determination of the source of the low-frequency sounds produced by the mother have been carried out and analyses were performed to investigate the individuality of some vocalizations belonging to the mothers and the calves. A description of the behavioural context of their vocal production was performed and the diving profiles of mother-calf pairs were described. Moreover, females with their calves spend a lot of time on the water surface. Mothers are often static at the surface while calves move around them. This study is also dedicated to the understanding of their surface behaviours, considering the behaviours initiated by calves. A series of analyses were carried out to determine whether calves exhibited lateralization behaviours in relation to their mothers. Finally, by using photogrammetry method, mother-calf lengths were measured, and calves spatial range around their mothers was investigated.