Dr Jerome Micheletta - Communication and cognition in a socially tolerant macaque species

Comparative research into animal communication has been and continues to be highly informative regarding the general principles underlying the evolution of human communication and cognition. In this talk I will present findings from observational and experimental studies on the communication and cognition of crested macaques, a species characterised by a high degree of social tolerance. The results show that communication can be flexible depending on social factors, possibly reflecting functional relevance to the context. Social bonds in particular, influenced communication between individuals facing immediate socio-ecological challenges. Crested macaques’ communication system seems complex and integrates composite signals from different sensory modalities (e.g. facial expression, body postures, vocalisations). Subtle changes in the composition of communicative signals can have a profound effect on the outcome of social interactions. Considering communication as multimodal and highly intertwined with species’ social style seems highly productive and provides insight into aspects of social and communicative complexity that have been overlooked so far.