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  • Profile picture of Diogenes of Babylon

    Diogenes of Babylon posted an update 5 years ago

    Chest beats as an honest signal of body size in male mountain gorillas

    “Acoustic signals that reliably indicate body size, which usually determines competitive ability, are of particular interest for understanding how animals assess rivals and choose mates. Whereas body size tends to be negatively associated with formant dispersion in animal vocalizations, non-vocal signals have received little attention. Among the most emblematic sounds in the animal kingdom is the chest beat of gorillas, a non-vocal signal that is thought to be important in intra and inter-sexual competition, yet it is unclear whether it reliably indicates body size.”

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86261-8

    • Profile picture of justawhoaman
      justawhoaman replied 5 years ago

      The ability to attract the “best” mates does not always mean the male is the biggest, strongest, or most beautiful. In nature, the male attracts females to his territory. It can be through the best chest noise, the best accumulation of blue trinkets (bowerbirds), best location near water (most species), or biggest muscle car/wallet.

      Thanks for the link. Pretty good example…