Chorus Synchrony as a Cue: Influence of Chorus Howl Synchrony from Unfamiliar Packs on Wolves' Behaviour

Abstract

Chorus howls play a central role in wolves' (Canis lupus) social communication, shaping both intra- and inter-pack interactions. While synchrony has been shown to influence perceived threat from outgroups in birds and humans, whether the synchrony of an outside pack's chorus howl plays a role in wolf pack behaviour remains unclear. This study investigated behavioural responses of 19 zoo-housed wolf packs to playbacks of synchronous and asynchronous chorus howls from unfamiliar packs, in comparison to a dove control call. We hypothesized that packs would show stronger intra-pack cohesion and greater spatial withdrawal in response to more synchronous, and thus cohesive - and potentially more formidable - sounding vocalisations. Alternatively, asynchronous howls might elicit stronger responses due to their ambiguity and the "Beau Geste" effect (where asynchronous signals make it harder to infer the number of callers). Synchronous howls resulted in more distance from the sound source and less activity compared with asynchronous howls. This could be interpreted as a more cautious response towards a perceived threat. However, since there was no effect on pack-directed behaviour and no difference between the synchronous and control sound, lower interest or motivation to engage with the stimulus cannot be excluded. In contrast, wolves spent more time near the sound-source after hearing asynchronous howls, approached it more, and oriented towards it for longer compared to synchronous playbacks, a pattern consistent with threat-investigation. In how far these reactions result from a more difficult localisation of synchronous howls or more ambiguity in pack size in the asynchronous playbacks, as well as how this translates to wild wolf behaviour, remains to be investigated.