Abstract
Vocalizations are commonly associated with pre-copulatory animal behavior, but there has been less research focused on vocalizations during or immediately after copulation (peri- and post-copulatory vocalizations, respectively). Many invertebrates use multimodal signals during and after copulation, but these behaviors are less frequently studied in vertebrates. We reviewed the literature to begin to determine the taxonomic scope of reported peri- and post-copulatory vocalizations, hypothesized naturally or sexually selected functions, and the degree to which hypotheses have been tested. In addition, we tallied how frequently key variables are reported for understanding the functions of peri- and post-copulatory vocalizations, including the sex of the vocalizing individual(s), copulation duration, likelihood of successful copulation completion, and probability of remating. We also analyzed videos of vertebrate copulations for additional vocalization data. We found that peri- and post-copulatory vocalizations are highly diverse, across wide taxonomic breadth, in the vocalizing sex, and in the timing of vocalizations. The literature includes a wide variety of hypothesized functions, including influences on individuals other than the current mating partner, but has largely overlooked the possible copulatory courtship function. We also found a sparsity of detail in records of copulatory vocalizations, most publications did not test their hypothesized functions, and many variables of interest were not reported. We present a framework for data collection that we hope will be useful to guide future research on copulatory vocalizations.