By Sylvie Abrams
We all know that communication is the process by which information is passed from one individual to another and that humans use words, voice intonation, and body language to communicate. But how do other animals communicate? And which animals might use a set of rules and conventions that all members in a group understand, like we do? Studies show that meerkats, those cute little carnivores native to South Africa’s arid and semi-arid habitats, have developed effective ways to interact using rudimentary syntax.
Meerkats live in mobs of up to 40 individuals, composed of a dominant pair, several subordinate adults, juveniles, and pups. Cooperation is the pillar of meerkat society; the group relies on a sentry to scan for predators, and when the dominant pair breeds, all members of the group help rear the pups. Animals living in cooperative social groups tend to develop a sophisticated communication system, so it’s not surprising that the highly social meerkats have a complex repertoire of more than 30 calls, the largest number of calls among non-primate mammals.
The meerkats at the L.A. Zoo are no different. “They are constantly in communication,” says Keeper Kimberly Cowan. The three meerkats—Alcoa, Newton, and Odin—are brothers and use “different vocalizations throughout the day to convey situations from greetings to alarm barking,” the latter usually in response to human activity or sightings of potential predators, such as hawks flying overhead.
Like humans stringing words to form sentences, meerkats produce 12 distinct call combinations. Visual analysis of recordings shows they are structured differently depending on the context and the individual producing them. The first part of each call carries information about the caller’s identity and the second part about the caller’s activity (e.g., grooming, babysitting, huddling, digging, moving, or defending its territory). Submissive meerkats produce repetitive calls composed of several iterations of the same sound, indicative of the caller’s emotions.
It’s no wonder Cowan says working with the meerkats is incredibly rewarding. “They are mischievous and absolutely adorable.” Speaking of adorable, in the early mornings during the cold season, meerkats produce “sunning calls” as they relax in the sun. During these sessions, meerkats are attentive to others’ calls and do not “talk” over each other. They wait ten seconds before responding, then increase the frequency of their calls. Much like humans, they are having a conversation!
Sunning sessions are a great way for group members to reinforce their bonds before heading out to forage. Indeed, meerkats spend most of the day feeding on the ground where their vision is limited, so they have developed specific calls to coordinate group behavior. When moving, meerkats in the front and center of the group call at a higher frequency than those trailing behind, thereby coercing the stragglers toward the location where more calls are produced. Contact calls maintain social cohesion during foraging and contain an embedded “group signature.” Scientists initially thought the group signature was a message intended for outsiders, but non-group members do not react to it; so, its exact purpose is still a mystery.
Predator calls are the most complex. They define the type of predator (aerial or terrestrial) and convey a level of urgency. There are six sentinel calls. Warnings are single, double, or multiple notes; “didrr” and “wheel” calls say danger is close, and alarm barks urge the group to run to the nearest burrow entrance. Barks for aerial predators are produced when the predator is still relatively far away; barks for terrestrial predators are produced when the animal is close. The latter are frantic, and the caller’s neck and head are extended, making its voice more strident.
In the presence of an approaching predator, such as a deadly cobra, all in the group interrupt foraging and raise their tails while moving toward the threat. They surround it, staying out of striking distance and perform a “war dance,” a combination of vocalizations and body posturing. Eventually, the outnumbered cobra leaves.
Learning to communicate is an important aspect of pups’ education. Pups produce more discrete (simple) than graded (complex) calls. Discrete calls are individual calls that are not combined with other calls, like chatter, joining call, lost call, or sleeping call. When learning to “talk,” pups often make mistakes and fail to identify terrestrial or aerial predators. Of course, they improve with experience, just like we all do.
It turns out that, when it comes to communication, Konrad Lorenz, the Nobel Prize-winning zoologist was right: The truth about an animal is far more exciting and altogether more beautiful than all the myths woven about it. Come and see for yourself! Alcoa, Newton, and Odin are located in the Entry Promenade, where Cowan says they’re often seen rubbing their heads together in greeting, purring or chirping, or cuddling—all additional forms of communication!