New KCRL publication! Alarm calls may serve multiple functions in a solitary squirrel.

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The Harris' antelope squirrel produces alarm calls but lives solitarily year-round, presenting a unique opportunity to test call function in multiple contexts. We show that alarm vocalizations likely serve two different functions in this population and exhibit variation that may contain information. We suggest that signals with multiple functions select for higher complexity, facilitating the evolution of complex communication.

Long story short, we discovered that a solitary squirrel has an unexpectedly complicated communication system!

The full article is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.08.016