An award has been made to Ross Snider of Montana State University and Cory Miller of the University of California, San Diego to develop a novel acoustic and behavioral recording system for investigating the ongoing dynamics of communication networks in wild small mammals. Communication is a biological necessity. Without the ability to communication, interactions between individuals would be impossible. To this end, species evolved complex communication systems that provide them with a range of signals that function to convey meaningful information to other individuals. Much of what is currently known about the mechanisms underlying communication is derived from relatively simple interactions involving a signal producer and signal receiver. While this undoubtedly remains a core component of communication, a range of studies in human and nonhuman animals show that communication is often far more complex. Rather than being restricted to a dyadic pair, communication frequently involves multiple individuals in a dynamic network. A significant constraint on investigating these communication networks is methodological. Traditional methods may be inadequate for recording the ongoing vocal interactions of multiple individuals in the wild. This project seeks to address this limitation by developing a novel collar-based recording system that allows the simultaneous acoustic and behavioral data collection on multiple individuals in a social group. Using a species of nonhuman primates, the common marmoset, as a model, this recording system will provide significant insight into the complexities of species-typical communication networks.
The interdisciplinary nature of this project provides several unique opportunities for training and education. By combining methods from electrical engineering and organismal biology, the graduate students working on the project are afforded the unique opportunity to not only be trained in applying the respective techniques but to be involved in integrating across the disciplines. Engineering students will gain valuable experience with developing applicable technologies, while the biology students will gain experience in the significance of developing and implementing novel tools. Minority students will participate in this project at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Furthermore, as this project deals specifically with communication - a topic of significance when related to human language - it provides a unique opportunity for outreach education as an example of instrumentation development and implementation in a biological system. A demonstration for students of multiple ages will be created to use in classrooms and other educational settings.
This award is made through the Instrument Development for Biological research in the Division of Biological Infrastructure, and through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
