Acoustic communication is widespread among vertebrates: numerous mammals, birds, amphibians and even fishes emit sounds that allow information transfer between individuals. Conversely, most animals belonging to the four main lineages usually described as reptiles are relatively silent: except few exceptions only the crocodilians emit vocalizations and some of them have a repertoire of sound signals which occur in a variety of contexts.
The acoustic signals of crocodilians play a major role in the first steps of life, particularly during interactions between juveniles and adults, as well as later during nuptial courts and territorial defenses.
Despite the presumed importance of sound signals in crocodilians, the acoustic structure of vocalizations, their mode of production, the manner of auditory information processing in the brain, and the precise role of acoustic signals in their behaviour remain poorly understood or unknown.
This is unfortunate since the study of crocodilian acoustic communication is an interesting field of research. Today only the crocodilians together with birds exist to provide a glimpse into the past glory of archosaurs. Indeed, the ancestral archosaurs (the "ruling reptiles"), originated some 250 million years or so ago and also include pterosaurs and past dinosaurs.
Acoustic communication
is thus a trait shared by all modern
Archosaurs. Hence, hypotheses concerning dinosaur behaviours should be
considered strongest if living archosaurs share the behaviours, and less robust
if shared by only one group. This urges to enhance the knowledge about
crocodilian biology.
The main purpose of my researches is to decipher acoustic communication in crocodilians. Using recordings and experimental investigations I try to bring information on their vocal world in order to understand the subtleties of the established structural and functional classification as well as the underlying neurophysiological processes.