25 Feb
2026
25 Feb
'26
8 a.m.
Dear All,
A quick reminder that today (4pm) we have a seminar led by Floriane Fournier (University
of Saint Etienne) entitled "Voices of Emotion: Investigating Cross-Species Vocal
Communication in Bonobos" - abstract below. The meeting will be held online. Please
find a link to the meeting below.
Abstract
The ability to perceive and respond to emotions expressed in vocalizations is widespread
among mammals and plays a central role in social coordination and survival. However, while
emotional communication within species is well documented, the mechanisms that enable
emotion recognition across species remain poorly understood. Using bonobos (Pan paniscus)
as a model within the Hominidae, this research investigates how emotional information is
encoded in vocal signals and how it is decoded by both conspecifics and humans.
Drawing on recent theoretical advances in cross-species emotion research, this work
combines large-scale acoustic analyses with controlled playback experiments. Analyses of
natural bonobo vocalizations show that nonlinear acoustic phenomena— a key component of
vocal roughness—systematically vary with the caller’s affective state, increasing in
emotionally intense contexts.
Using parametrically resynthesized calls, causal tests demonstrate that vocal roughness
directly influences receivers across species. Exposure to increased amplitude modulation
elevates cardiac activity in both bonobos and humans, accelerates orientation responses in
bonobos, and leads human listeners to perceive calls as more negative in valence and
higher in arousal. These convergent physiological, attentional, and perceptual effects
suggest that vocal roughness functions as a cross-species marker of emotional arousal.
In parallel, emotional contagion of positive affect was investigated through laughter
playbacks. Laughter, a high-arousal, positive-valence signal observed in humans and great
apes, elicited play-related behaviors in bonobos. Responses were modulated by familiarity:
laughter from familiar conspecifics and human caretakers enhanced positive engagement,
whereas responses to unfamiliar individuals varied depending on species.
Together, these findings provide evidence for evolutionary continuity in vocal emotion
signaling across Hominidae and shed new light on the biological foundations of
cross-species socio-emotional communication and empathy.
Link to the meeting:
BERG research seminars | Meeting-Join | Microsoft
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BERG seminar schedule (Spring 2026):
Date
Speaker
Affiliation
Talk title
Chair
25-Feb-26
Floriane Fournier
Université Jean Monnet
TBC. Nonlinear phenomena in vocal emotional expression and perception in bonobos
Pawel
4-Mar-26
MID SEMESTER BREAK
11-Mar-26
IMPACT meeting
Impact research catch up
Pawel
18-Mar-26
Robert Aitchison
University of Stirling
TBC. Carrion crow vocal behaviour
Pawel
25-Mar-26
Janie Fink
University of St Andrews; University of California Davis
TBC. Comparative cognition, bee cognition
Pawel
1-Apr-26
Maleen Thiele
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
TBC
Alex
8-Apr-26
Stephan Kaufhold
Univesity of California, San Diego
TBC
Alex
29-Apr-26
Patrick Allsop
Bangor University
TBC. Zanzibar red colobus, human-wildlife conflict
Pawel
Best wishes,
Pawel
Best wishes,
Pawel
-------------------------------
Dr Pawel Fedurek (he/his)
Lecturer in Psychology
Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG)
Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences
University of Stirling
Stirling, FK9 4LA
Scotland, UK
@pawel-fedurek<https://bsky.app/profile/pawel-fedurek.bsky.social>
@berg-stirling<https://bsky.app/profile/berg-stirling.bsky.social>
Staff page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/1080868> | BERG
page<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/natural-sciences/our-research/research-groups/behaviour-and-evolution-research-group/>
I aim to reply within 3 working days (my working days are between Monday and Friday).
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