Research Scientist
Biology Cluster
Mammal Communication
Tel. +43 1 51581-2508
Email: anton.baotic(at)oeaw.ac.at
Scientific IDs:
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7881-857X
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anton-Baotic
Google scholar: https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=ySFq3Lj2sGkC&hl=en
Academic Background
Anton Baotic studied biology with a focus in zoology at the University of Vienna, where he got a Master's degree in natural sciences in 2011 for his master's thesis entitled "Vocal communication in infant giant pandas" Since then, Anton has been organizing and teaching courses on 'animal behavior' and 'animal acoustic signals' as a lecturer. Anton continued his education at the Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna, where he received a Ph.D. in biology in 2018 for his dissertation titled "Describing and decoding low-frequency vocalizations in two species of large terrestrial mammal species”. In the same department, he continued his academic career as a postdoctoral researcher studying elephant acoustic communication and behavior. He relocated to the Acoustics Research Institute in 2021 in order to join the Musicality and Bioacoustics group, and to continue his research on animal acoustic communication.
Current Research
Anton Baotic has spent the last twelve years successfully managing and leading international zoo and wildlife research. Bioacoustics, animal behavior, and animal cognition are his core areas of expertise. His research interests primarily focus on vocal production mechanisms and acoustic communication in mammals, with an emphasis on determining the information content and biological importance of vocalizations based on their contextual and motivational occurrence.
His current FWF Stand-alone research project is a pioneering project that aims to investigate whether giraffes (1) use acoustic signals depending on context and motivation, and (2) obtain information about their acoustic environment to adjust their behavior in response to ecological changes by combining zoo- and field-based research.
Listen to (in German) Anton Baotic talking about acoustic communication of giraffes: "Letzte Rufe. Von Arten, die verschwinden: Giraffe", in: Deutschlandfunk, 15.12.2022 Link audiofile
Publications
- Learning to fear: predator recognition in giraffes is shaped by evolved sensitivity and ecological experience. / Baotic, Anton; Szipl, Georgine.
In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 13, 1634218, 03.11.2025.Introduction Predator recognition is essential for prey survival, yet, whether responses are shaped by evolutionary predispositions or by ecological experience remains debated.Methods We tested vigilance responses of fifty-one free-ranging Southern giraffes (Giraffa giraffa) to controlled playbacks of lion roar-grunt sequences in two South African populations: a predator-na & iuml;ve population in a reserve without lions and a predator-experienced population in a reserve where lions were reintroduced five years ago.Results Both populations oriented rapidly to lion calls, suggesting that acoustic features of lion vocalizations act as generalized danger cues. However, predator-experienced giraffes sustained vigilance ten times longer (mean +/- SD: 513.34 +/- 421.34 s, N = 24) compared to predator-na & iuml;ve giraffes (49.06 +/- 46.26 s, N = 27). Vigilance responses during lion playbacks, in general, were higher in the predator-experienced population, whereas responses to control calls did not differ between sites.Discussion These findings indicate that while immediate orientation likely reflects evolved sensitivity to acoustically harsh predator cues, the persistence of vigilance is shaped by ecological experience. Our study demonstrates that predator reintroduction can rapidly recalibrate prey risk perception, highlighting the dynamic interplay between evolved predispositions and learning in shaping antipredator responses.
You can view Anton Baotic´s personal homepage on "Zoo and Wildlife Research" here.