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Chapter 6. How environmental and social contexts shape and constrain rhythm structure and production

Schneider, Jennifer ; Burchardt, Lara ; Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina LU and Lameira, Adriano (2025) In Fascinating Life Sciences
Abstract
To survive, animals have tuned their behaviors to the socio-environmental conditions offered by their habitats and communities. This also applies to communicative behaviors, which can be simultaneously constrained by a number of external factors. Hence, an animal’s surroundings narrow the optimal parameters for effective communication to well within the limits of what it is capable of producing. In other words, an animal utilizes its realized signal niche (limited by external constraints), rather than its fundamental signal niche (limited only by internal constraints) in terms of rhythmic production. Here we review various environmental and social factors that constrain and shape rhythmic communication signals.
In this chapter, we... (More)
To survive, animals have tuned their behaviors to the socio-environmental conditions offered by their habitats and communities. This also applies to communicative behaviors, which can be simultaneously constrained by a number of external factors. Hence, an animal’s surroundings narrow the optimal parameters for effective communication to well within the limits of what it is capable of producing. In other words, an animal utilizes its realized signal niche (limited by external constraints), rather than its fundamental signal niche (limited only by internal constraints) in terms of rhythmic production. Here we review various environmental and social factors that constrain and shape rhythmic communication signals.
In this chapter, we review how the cycles and rhythms of major physical phenomena funnel rhythmic production (sections 1-2), how the physical and acoustic structure of the environment affect production (3) and propagation of rhythmic signals (4-5), and how rhythms may differ structurally in relation to the audience (6), as well as interactions between these factors (7). Finally, we look at the implications of these constraints in terms of anthropogenic effects on the environment and the development of culture (8-9).
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type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
in press
subject
host publication
Nature Beats : The What, Why and How of Animal Rhythmic Behaviours - The What, Why and How of Animal Rhythmic Behaviours
series title
Fascinating Life Sciences
editor
Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina ; Lameira, Adriano and Persson, Tomas
publisher
Springer
project
The evolution of musicality: synchronisation behaviours and rhythm perception in chimpanzees
Where does human cooperation come from? The evolutionary origins of the ability to infer shared goals and motivations
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6578ea27-df8b-4e3d-98d0-4ff74f3b38b2
date added to LUP
2025-08-04 11:50:14
date last changed
2025-08-12 14:23:32
@inbook{6578ea27-df8b-4e3d-98d0-4ff74f3b38b2,
  abstract     = {{To survive, animals have tuned their behaviors to the socio-environmental conditions offered by their habitats and communities. This also applies to communicative behaviors, which can be simultaneously constrained by a number of external factors. Hence, an animal’s surroundings narrow the optimal parameters for effective communication to well within the limits of what it is capable of producing. In other words, an animal utilizes its realized signal niche (limited by external constraints), rather than its fundamental signal niche (limited only by internal constraints) in terms of rhythmic production. Here we review various environmental and social factors that constrain and shape rhythmic communication signals.<br/>In this chapter, we review how the cycles and rhythms of major physical phenomena funnel rhythmic production (sections 1-2), how the physical and acoustic structure of the environment affect production (3) and propagation of rhythmic signals (4-5), and how rhythms may differ structurally in relation to the audience (6), as well as interactions between these factors (7). Finally, we look at the implications of these constraints in terms of anthropogenic effects on the environment and the development of culture (8-9).<br/>}},
  author       = {{Schneider, Jennifer and Burchardt, Lara and Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina and Lameira, Adriano}},
  booktitle    = {{Nature Beats : The What, Why and How of Animal Rhythmic Behaviours}},
  editor       = {{Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina and Lameira, Adriano and Persson, Tomas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Fascinating Life Sciences}},
  title        = {{Chapter 6. How environmental and social contexts shape and constrain rhythm structure and production}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}