Australian Fur Seal Vocalizations

The purpose of this study was to categorize the various types of calls made by Australian fur seals, specifically during the breeding season. Researchers recorded the sounds of various individuals in a seal population, including males, females, pups and yearlings, as well as recorded their behaviors during the vocalizations. They made these recordings using a typical tape recorder and analyzed their findings using SIGNAL software. Researchers found that the seals produced six different types of calls, including a bark, guttural threat, submissive call, growl, pup attraction call, and female attraction call. Each is made at different times by different individuals for a variety of purposes. For example, the growl is made only by the females during aggressive interactions whereas the submissive call can be performed by males or females in appropriate situations. The pup and female attraction calls are made in response to one another so that pups and females may exchange information on location, the environment, and identity. It is important to note that researchers were able to determine that Australian fur seals produced these calls for a variety of purposes. Thus, it is important that the seals are able to distinguish these calls from one another to receive the appropriate message. Researchers found that the calls varied in many ways. Researchers assessed the frequency, the duration, the amplitude, and the tonality of each of the calls in order to better understand the messages that the seals were trying to send through their calls. The researchers were able to make significant conclusions about the composition and purpose of a variety of vocalizations, but they called for further research on the effect of environmental conditions on seal calls.

This article is very relevant to current class discussion. It is a great example of the many reasons why animals communicate. Animals communicate for a variety of reasons including: to protect their territory, breeding purposes, parental care, social contact, and many others. Using only six calls, Australian fur seals are able to communicate all of this information. For example, a guttural threat is typically used in extremely aggressive situations, while a submissive call is used to indicate that one seal is deferring to another. Specialization of communication signals is possible because fur seals are able to effectively vary the different attributes of the calls so that they are recognized differently. Overall, this article is reflective of the topics that have recently been discussed in class. The article exemplifies the wide variety of reasons that animals, specifically Australian fur seals, communicate as well as provides insight into their methods of communication.