Phocid seals (true seals, Order Carnivora, Family Phocidae) use a diverse array
of breeding habitats and strategies, and produce many vocalizations. Therefore, phocids
are well suited as subjects for study of reproductive strategies and the role of
vocalizations in species mating at sea. However, the amount of information is still
limited for aquatically breeding pinnipeds. Using underwater audio and video recordings
of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) interacting in McMurdo Sound, I compared
the frequencies of vocalizations and behaviors of males and females during the mating
season. I also investigated differences in these frequencies based on the social context.
Finally, I identified patterns of vocalizations and behaviors to help determine the
behavioral context of calls and used this information as a basis for considering the
degree of ritualization in Weddell seal displays. Mews, growls, knocks, and trills were
found to be almost exclusively male-specific. The territorial male produced chirps more
often when another male was present in its territory; whereas, mews and growls were
more frequent when one or more free-ranging females were present. Several vocal and
behavioral padeparture of the territorial male into or from the breathing hole. In the context of an
evolutionary-based model of communication, these findings suggest that low-frequency
vocalizations and stereotyped displays produced by territorial males may have been
favored by sexual selection: they may provide reliable information to females about the
fitness of the signaler and influence their choice of mate. They may also help in limiting
conflicts between the territorial male and females over access to the breathing hole.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/5776 |
| Date | 17 September 2007 |
| Creators | Rousseau, Ludivine Blandine |
| Contributors | Davis, Randall |
| Publisher | Texas A&M University |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Thesis, text |
| Format | 537227 bytes, electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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