Field Propagation Experiments of Male African Savanna Elephant Rumbles: A Focus on the Transmission of Formant Frequencies

African savanna elephants are highly social and exhibit a complex vocal communication system. They use a low-frequency contact call (termed ‘rumble’) to maintain social contact over long distances. As sound travels through the environment, however, its intensity level decreases. We used specialized computer software to manipulate acoustic components in male rumbles and simulated different body sizes (large and small). The rumbles were broadcasted and re-recorded at different distances at the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. This propagation experiment enabled us to investigate which acoustic components and information content can be transmitted efficiently up to 1.5 km. The results confirm that male rumbles potentially encode information about body size, yet transmission success decreased with distance. Our findings inform on how the environment can influence propagation of savanna elephant rumbles and what kind of information might be transmitted successfully over distance