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Vocal behavior of captive Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in a swim program

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Date Issued:
1994
Summary:
Dolphins emit distinct vocalizations in the contexts of stressful situations, such as when captured in nets. It has been assumed among animal rights groups that the presence of human swimmers causes stress in captive Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Stress may be expressed in dolphin vocalizations and the associated visual behaviors before, during, and after swim sessions with humans. Thus, these behaviors were recorded to elucidate quantitative vocal patterns suggestive of conspecific stress. Significant differences among vocalization types within sample sessions were found only for whistles between During II and After sessions. Other comparisons indicated no significant differences for vocalization production frequencies between the presence or absence of human swimmers. Additionally, correlations found among the seven vocalization types and all five sample sessions indicated only that one variable, i.e. the presence or absence of human swimmers, was being measured in several different ways (by the different vocalization type production frequencies). Thus, conspecific stress, if indeed it can be measured by vocalization production frequency, does not appear to occur more often in the presence of human swimmers.
Title: Vocal behavior of captive Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in a swim program.
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Name(s): Boege, Deborah Dorothy.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Bourne, Godfrey R., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1994
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 32 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Dolphins emit distinct vocalizations in the contexts of stressful situations, such as when captured in nets. It has been assumed among animal rights groups that the presence of human swimmers causes stress in captive Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Stress may be expressed in dolphin vocalizations and the associated visual behaviors before, during, and after swim sessions with humans. Thus, these behaviors were recorded to elucidate quantitative vocal patterns suggestive of conspecific stress. Significant differences among vocalization types within sample sessions were found only for whistles between During II and After sessions. Other comparisons indicated no significant differences for vocalization production frequencies between the presence or absence of human swimmers. Additionally, correlations found among the seven vocalization types and all five sample sessions indicated only that one variable, i.e. the presence or absence of human swimmers, was being measured in several different ways (by the different vocalization type production frequencies). Thus, conspecific stress, if indeed it can be measured by vocalization production frequency, does not appear to occur more often in the presence of human swimmers.
Identifier: 15027 (digitool), FADT15027 (IID), fau:11805 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1994.
Subject(s): Bottlenose dolphin--Behavior
Animal sounds
Mammals--Behavior
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15027
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.