We often utter the saying, live with wolves - a wolf howl, but never at the same time do not think about, but why do you need to wolves howl. Moreover, for a long time and zoologists do not know it. And only recently, scientists from Austria were able to unravel the ancient and intriguing mystery chilling, but still, without a doubt, a wonderful wolf howling ...
As we know, the wolves sometimes tend to howl than they are from time to time having fun and doing. Moreover, many of those who live in rural areas or goes on an expedition periodically hear this howling, which, in my opinion, is just lovely. However, until now, scientists do not really know why the wolves are sometimes required to give their location in such an original way. While some speculate on that score zoologists, of course, are available.
Just want to say that we are talking about individual vocal exercises each individual wolf pack and the collective BoE - when the wolves rest of the world in unison output intricate melodies. However, both of these phenomena are often superimposed one on the other - is to some wolf tighten a sad song, as once it picks up the whole pack. But sometimes this does not happen - the singer can output its roulades for half an hour in splendid isolation, and none of the partners is not attached to it. Why, in some cases, wolves chorus, while others - not?
In the middle of the last century, scientists have suggested that the collective howl of wolves react to the absence of a dominant individual - so they#39;re trying to call the leader. This version was confirmed by the observation of the Georgian-naturalist, zoologist Jason Badridze, who lived for many years in the wolf pack. In one of his articles, Jason K. mentioned that after the death of the leader of the whole flock of old age long harmoniously and piercing howl (leader left for dead in a secluded corner, and, therefore, the very death of his companions did not see). However, some zoologists have challenged this claim, arguing that such a reaction could be at the very disappearance of the leader, but in any stressful situation - that is, the wolves howl just for the fact that to relieve the tension.
And recently, researchers from the Center for the Study of wolves (Austria) decided to put an end to the question of why the wolves howl. For several years, researchers have observed the nine individuals of Canis lupus, and the work began when this animal was only six weeks old. When the cubs are grown, zoologists have divided them into two groups, one of them was five wolves, and in the other - four. Gradually, the cubs grew, and between them began to form friendships and hierarchical relations, that is, someone subordinate to someone, someone preferred to play with someone, and someone - in charge of all his companions. In other words, after a while the creation of two full-fledged wolf pack.
Next, the scientists began to organize their wards very long walks, during which one of them being led away from the pack. Moreover, such a selection was made completely at random - this was done to ensure that such intelligent animals like wolves were not able to predict exactly who will leave them while walking. And what is interesting - after 20-25 minutes flock, realizing that someone is missing, taken together howl. Interestingly, if lost, dominant, then figure out who started howling was difficult enough, it seemed that the wolves began their song at a time. Well, if you lost someone from the ranks of wolves, the ringleader always been his friend, and the rest over time, took up the call-up song. Or is not picked up, if the missing did not get along with all the rest of the pack.
Thus, the scientists realized that the wolves howl is an expression of some personal experiences associated with social relationships. However, they still decided to check and the so-called stress hypothesis. Zoologists have measured the wolves stress hormone cortisol levels during the loss of the leader and members of the pack. The results showed that when a flock noticed the lack of dominance, the level of cortisol in their saliva all the time increased. And in the absence of such an ordinary neighbor did not happen, however wolves while still howling, sometimes the entire pack. It turns out that the curve is not a standard response to any stressful situation - it is directly related to the disappearance of partner or associate, regardless of which rank in the pack held the missing.
Thus, we can say that the wolves really howl for what would re-establish contact with those who are very important to them - either the leader or a close friend. And, most interestingly, they often do so without regard to the flock-mates and thus are not under stress. Well, once it is, you can not consider howling unconditioned reflex - is to some extent quite conscious behavior.
However, again, not all zoologists agree with the findings of his colleagues from Austria. Skeptics believe that perhaps the experiment spoiled what it was carried out with the wolves in captivity. It is possible that wild members of the species Canis lupus, that they live in a natural environment, make their concerts for very different reasons ...
