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Responses of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) to naturalistic and experimentally presented food-associated calls
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Responses of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) to naturalistic and experimentally presented food-associated calls

Julie Gros-Louis
Journal of comparative psychology (1983), Vol.118(4), pp.396-402
12/2004
DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.118.4.396
PMID: 15584776

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Abstract

In the context of foraging, many animal species produce specific calls that attract others. Researchers hypothesize that these vocalizations function to inform others about food; however, few studies have investigated whether food-associated calls alone are sufficient to cause individuals to respond as if they have been informed about food. Playback experiments on white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) investigated whether listeners could infer the presence of food merely by hearing food-associated calls. Recipients looked significantly longer toward the call source and approached the speaker more often after hearing food-associated calls, as compared with control calls. Because these responses are not indicative of feeding, it is unclear whether listeners associated the calls with food. Nonetheless, these responses, specific to food-associated calls, may increase individuals' chances of finding food.
Cebus Food Preferences Animals Time Factors Acoustic Stimulation Vocalization, Animal Feeding Behavior Female Male Animal Communication Food

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