Bag-of-calls analysis reveals group-specific vocal repertoire in long-finned pilot whales
Abstract
Besides humans, several marine mammal species exhibit prerequisites to evolve language: high cognitive abilities, flexibility in vocal production and advanced social interactions. Here, we describe and analyse the vocal repertoire of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephalus melas) recorded in northern Norway. Observer based analysis reveals a complex vocal repertoire with 140 different call types, call sequences, call repetitions and group-specific differences in the usage of call types. Developing and applying a new automated analysis method, the bag-of-calls approach, we find that groups of pilot whales can be distinguished purely by statistical properties of their vocalisations. Comparing inter-and intra-group differences of ensembles of calls allows to identify and quantify group-specificity. Consequently, the bag-of-calls approach is a valid method to specify difference and concordance in acoustic communication in the absence of exact knowledge about signalers, which is common observing marine mammals under natural conditions.
- Publication:
-
arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- October 2014
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.1410.4711
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1410.4711
- Bibcode:
- 2014arXiv1410.4711V
- Keywords:
-
- Quantitative Biology - Quantitative Methods
- E-Print:
- under review