Data from: Skin temperature changes in wild chimpanzees upon hearing vocalizations of conspecifics

A growing trend of research using infrared thermography (IRT) has shown
that changes in skin temperature, associated with activity of the
autonomic nervous system, can be reliably detected in human and non-human
animals. A contact-free method, IRT provides the opportunity to uncover
emotional states in free-ranging animals during social interactions. Here,
we measured nose and ear temperatures of wild chimpanzees of Budongo
Forest, Uganda, when exposed to naturally occurring vocalizations of
conspecifics. We found a significant temperature decrease over the nose
after exposure to conspecifics' vocalizations, whereas we found a
corresponding increase for ear temperature. Our study suggests that IRT
can be used in wild animals to quantify changes in emotional states in
response to the diversity of vocalizations, their functional significance
and acoustical characteristics. We hope that it will contribute to more
research on physiological changes associated with social interactions in
wild animals.

近年来，红外热成像（infrared thermography, IRT）相关研究呈现出愈发活跃的趋势，已有研究证实，与自主神经系统活动相关的皮肤温度变化，可在人类及非人类动物中被可靠检测到。作为一种非接触式检测方法，红外热成像为探究自由栖息野生动物在社交互动过程中的情绪状态提供了可行途径。本研究以乌干达布东戈森林的野生黑猩猩为研究对象，当它们接触到同种个体的自然叫声时，测量其鼻部与耳部的温度。结果发现，接触同种叫声后，黑猩猩的鼻部温度出现显著下降，而耳部温度则呈现相应的上升趋势。本研究表明，红外热成像可用于野生动物研究，以量化动物在面对多样叫声（包括其功能意义与声学特性）时的情绪状态变化。我们期望本研究能够推动更多针对野生动物社交互动相关生理变化的研究工作。