Automated audiovisual behavior recognition in wild primates

Bain, Max; Nagrani, Arsha; Schofield, Daniel; Berdugo, Sophie; Bessa, Joana; Owen, Jake; Hockings, Kimberley J.; Matsuzawa, Tetsuro; Hayashi, Misato; Biro, Dora; Carvalho, Susana; Zisserman, Andrew

doi:10.1126/sciadv.abi4883

Cited by 56 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…In addition to longdistance communication, it has also been referred to as a dominant display behavior (Goodall, 1968(Goodall, , 1986Nishida et al, 1999). Buttress drumming occurs in all studied wild chimpanzee populations and is considered a chimpanzee universal (Bain et al, 2021;McGrew, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

To drum or not to drum: Selectivity in tree buttress drumming by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

Fitzgerald

Willems

Soumah³

et al. 2022

American J Primatol

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Chimpanzees live in fission-fusion social organizations, which means that party size, composition, and spatial distribution are constantly in flux. Moreover, chimpanzees use a remarkably extensive repertoire of vocal and nonvocal forms of communication, thought to help convey information in such a socially and spatially dynamic setting. One proposed form of nonvocal communication in chimpanzees is buttress drumming, in which an individual hits a tree buttress with its hands and/or feet, thereby producing a low-frequency acoustic signal. It is often presumed that this behavior functions to communicate over long distances and is, therefore, goaloriented. If so, we would expect chimpanzees to exhibit selectivity in the choice of trees and buttresses used in buttress drumming. Selectivity is a key attribute of many other goal-directed chimpanzee behaviors, such as nut-cracking and ant dipping.Here, we investigate whether chimpanzees at the Seringbara study site in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea, West Africa, show selectivity in their buttress drumming behavior. Our results indicate that Seringbara chimpanzees are more likely to use larger trees and select buttresses that are thinner and have a greater surface area.These findings imply that tree buttress drumming is not a random act, but rather goal-oriented and requires knowledge of suitable trees and buttresses. Our results also point to long-distance communication as a probable function of buttress drumming based on selectivity for buttress characteristics likely to impact sound propagation. This study provides a foundation for further assessing the cognitive underpinnings and functions of buttress drumming in wild chimpanzees.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

To drum or not to drum: Selectivity in tree buttress drumming by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

Fitzgerald

Willems

Soumah³

et al. 2022

American J Primatol

Self Cite

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“…Furthermore, such a system is also suitable for use in other captive settings like sanctuaries, farms, and laboratories where granular individualized data may be of value in monitoring animal welfare. Lastly, machine learning could be used to generate data beyond individual identification; it also has the potential to generate detailed information on animal pose ( 22 ) and behavior ( 23 , 50 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Cognitive Enrichment for Zoo-Housed Gorillas Using Facial Recognition

et al. 2022

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The use of computer technology within zoos is becoming increasingly popular to help achieve high animal welfare standards. However, despite its various positive applications to wildlife in recent years, there has been little uptake of machine learning in zoo animal care. In this paper, we describe how a facial recognition system, developed using machine learning, was embedded within a cognitive enrichment device (a vertical, modular finger maze) for a troop of seven Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Bristol Zoo Gardens, UK. We explored whether machine learning could automatically identify individual gorillas through facial recognition, and automate the collection of device-use data including the order, frequency and duration of use by the troop. Concurrent traditional video recording and behavioral coding by eye was undertaken for comparison. The facial recognition system was very effective at identifying individual gorillas (97% mean average precision) and could automate specific downstream tasks (for example, duration of engagement). However, its development was a heavy investment, requiring specialized hardware and interdisciplinary expertise. Therefore, we suggest a system like this is only appropriate for long-term projects. Additionally, researcher input was still required to visually identify which maze modules were being used by gorillas and how. This highlights the need for additional technology, such as infrared sensors, to fully automate cognitive enrichment evaluation. To end, we describe a future system that combines machine learning and sensor technology which could automate the collection of data in real-time for use by researchers and animal care staff.

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“…Here, as a prelude to exploring their applications to welfare, we briefly review these methods. For a longer review on behavioral imaging in primates, see Hayden et al (2021) [13], and for a specialized take, see Bain et al (2021) [14].…”

Section: What Is Behavioral Imaging?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Promise of Behavioral Tracking Systems for Advancing Primate Animal Welfare

Knaebe

Weiss

Zimmermann

et al. 2022

Animals

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Recent years have witnessed major advances in the ability of computerized systems to track the positions of animals as they move through large and unconstrained environments. These systems have so far been a great boon in the fields of primatology, psychology, neuroscience, and biomedicine. Here, we discuss the promise of these technologies for animal welfare. Their potential benefits include identifying and reducing pain, suffering, and distress in captive populations, improving laboratory animal welfare within the context of the three Rs of animal research (reduction, refinement, and replacement), and applying our understanding of animal behavior to increase the “natural” behaviors in captive and wild populations facing human impact challenges. We note that these benefits are often incidental to the designed purpose of these tracking systems, a reflection of the fact that animal welfare is not inimical to research progress, but instead, that the aligned interests between basic research and welfare hold great promise for improvements to animal well-being.

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Automated audiovisual behavior recognition in wild primates

Abstract: Deep learning using audiovisual data from chimpanzee percussive behaviors enables action recognition in the wild.

Cited by 56 publications

References 44 publications

To drum or not to drum: Selectivity in tree buttress drumming by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

To drum or not to drum: Selectivity in tree buttress drumming by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

Evaluating Cognitive Enrichment for Zoo-Housed Gorillas Using Facial Recognition

The Promise of Behavioral Tracking Systems for Advancing Primate Animal Welfare

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