Database for "Evidence of stereotyped contact call use in narwhal (Monodon monoceros) mother-calf communication"

dataset

posted on 2021-08-24, 18:57 authored by Audra E. Ames, Susanna B. BlackwellSusanna B. Blackwell, Outi M. Tervo, Mads Peter Heide-JørgensenMads Peter Heide-Jørgensen

This database consists of three files, Freya_FS.txt, Thora_FS.txt, and Eistla_FS.txt. Each file lasts for the duration of each whale's deployment, and is on a one-second time-line. The files have the following format:

8/24/16 13:09:07 0.0 contactCall NaN NaN

8/24/16 13:09:08 0.0 NaN NaN NaN

8/24/16 13:09:09 0.0 NaN NaN NaN

The first column includes the date (mm/dd/yy) and time (hh:mm:ss); the second column gives the whale's depth (in meters); the third, fourth, and fifth columns indicate the presence of calls in the record at that time (see below).

In Freya's record, there was never more than one call in a second, so her record has only one call column.

Below is a list of definitions for the call columns:

- contactCall: contact call by tagged whale

- tonalCall: tonal call by tagged whale

- pulsedCall: pulsed call by tagged whale

- mixedCall: mixed call by tagged whale

- otherWhale: unspecified call made by whale other than the one carrying the tag

- unknownWhale: unspecified call made either by tagged whale or other whale

In addition, Eistla's record has additional categories for calls ascribed to her calf:

- calfContactCall

- calfTonalCall

- calfPulsedCall

- calfMixedCall

So for example, if at time X the third, fourth, and fifth columns include "contactCall otherWhale otherWhale" then three calls were started at time X, a contact call by the whale carrying the tag, and two unspecified calls by nearby whales.