Phrase structure of wild chimpanzee pant hoots: Patterns of production and interpopulation variability

Recordings and behavioral observations of wild chimpanzees were made over a 2‐year period in the Kibale National Park, Uganda (Kanyawara and Ngogo communities) to investigate patterns of acoustic variability in long‐distance calls. The phrase structures of pant hoots, the species‐typical loud call given predominantly by adult males, were analyzed. Analysis revealed that the build‐up phrase was frequently absent from the pant hoots of Kibale chimpanzees. By contrast, analysis of published data on Gombe and Mahale chimpanzees (Tanzania) indicated that these animals typically included the build‐up in their calls. These results were interpreted as evidence for phrase‐level differences between populations in the acoustic morphology of this compound call. Data on age and sex differences in the context of production of pant hoots were analyzed, and their relevance to the possibility that aspects of pant hoot acoustic morphology are learned is discussed. Adult males initiated pant hoots more than subadult males, and adult males joined other pant hooting individuals with pant hoots more than subadult males did. It is suggested that younger males may pant hoot with specific adult males preferentially and that this may affect the development of their pant hoot acoustic morphologies. A peculiar pant hoot variant previously reported from Gombe, the whimper hoot, is described from Kibale. The production of this call by low‐ranking individuals suggests that there are social constraints on pant hooting in the chimpanzee community. Ideas concerning the effect of social relationships on interpopulation variability in vocal signals are briefly discussed. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.