Vocalizations and corresponding behavior patterns were recorded in
Galago demidovii (Lorisidae), Microcebus murinus, and
Cheirogaleus medius (Cheirogaleidae). Physical characteristics of the calls were analyzed and calls correlated with their behavioral context. Based on these correlations
an «advertisement» call can be identified in all three species. Interspecific comparison suggest that within the Prosimian
suborder there are at least two different evolutionary pathways in the organization of this call and of the vocal repertoires
in general. The Lorisid species
G. demidovii conveys acoustic information mainly in pulsed calls, leading to an extreme amplitude-modulation. Individual characteristics
are in temporal patterns of calls.
C. medius and
M. murinus, the Cheirogaleid species, use tonal calls and encode individual characteristics in frequency patterns. Despite the fundamental
similarity in the call-structure of the two Cheirogaleid species different adaptations can be found to meet different ecological
needs.
Key words acoustic communication - vocalizations -
Lorisidae
-
Cheirogaleidae