Onset of mother–pup vocal recognition in Pinnipeds

Mother-offspring recognition is crucial for many mammalian species. Vocal signals are highly involved in such individual recognition process, and many studies have focussed on the vocal communication strategies in mammal species living in social groups and colonial structures. Pinnipeds are an excellent model as all species use vocalizations to regulate their social interactions, the mother–pup social bond is very strong, but depending on pinniped families (otariids, phocids, and odobenids), they present strong differences in their maternal strategies (lactation duration, allonursing, mother–young separation, risk of confusion between individuals). Here, I will present an overview on different studies carried out on pinniped species for which we have experimentally investigated the ontogeny of mother–pup vocal recognition in the field. Indeed, some pinnipeds species have developed a very early onset of individual vocal recognition to respond to the strong ecological constraints they face. However, such onset is not always symmetrical between mothers and pups, and thus, I will discuss how selective pressures may have shaped these differences.