Animal linguistics in the making: the Urgency Principle and titi monkeys’ alarm system

The emergent field of animal linguistics applies tools to data in order investigate potential linguistic-like properties their communication. One these is the “Urgency Principle”, a pragmatic principle stating that an alarm sequence, calls providing information about nature or location threat must come before those do not. This theoretical has helped understand system putty-nosed monkeys, but whether it relevant for communication systems more generally remains be tested. Moreover, while can convey via large set encoding mechanisms, Urgency Principle was developed only one mechanism, call ordering. Here, we propose extend this other mechanisms and empirically test with black-fronted titi monkeys (Callicebus nigrifrons). We investigated how context emission unfolded successive calls. Specifically, analysed contextual parameters influenced gradual sequential organization first 50 using methods borrowed from computational random forest algorithms. hypothesized that, if extended reflected monkey sequences, urgent predatory situation should appear Results supported hypothesis relating predator event consistently appeared less-urgent social information. Our study suggests communication, demonstrating conceptual successfully used nonhuman systems.