definition animal communication.docx

8/18/2019 definition animal communication.docx

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Animal communication is the transfer of information from one or a group of

animals (sender or senders) to one or more other animals (receiver or receivers)

which aects either the current or future behavior of the receivers.

Communication is sending and receiving information between two or more people. The person

sending the message is referred to as the sender, while the person receiving the information is

called the receiver. The information conveyed can include facts, ideas, concepts, opinions, beliefs, attitudes, instructions and even emotions.

Types of Communication

Methods of communication vary, and you are almost certainly familiar with all of them. Let's

take a look at some of the primary methods.

• Verbal communication is simply sending a message through a spoken language that isunderstood by both the sender and receiver of the message. Eamples of verbal

communications include face!to!face talking, listening to a lecture or seminar, and

listening to a television program. "n fact, if you are listening to this lesson, you areengaged in a verbal form of communication.

Why do animals communicate? • Parental care – ecognition – !egging • "e#ualadvertisement • $ransfer environmental information – Predator alarms – %oodlocation • $erritory defense and con&ict resolution • "ocial integration ' contact calls


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• #ritten communication is sending a message by the use of symbols that are understood

by both the sender and receiver of the message. "f you are reading the transcript of this

lesson, you are engaged in written communication.

• $ody language is a form of nonverbal communication that can be used to send a message.

%ou can often tell if your boss is pleased or upset simply by looking at his facialepressions, posture and gestures. &or eample, a flushed face may mean embarrassment

a clinched fist may indicate anger and the rolling of one's eyes may signal disbelief orannoyance.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

(obert Mannell )*+++

The aim of this lecture )* is to eamine the following -uestions!

*. /ow do the forms of communication used by animals differ from human language0

1. 2an animals be taught to use languages that are analogous to or the same as humanlanguage0


http://clas.mq.edu.au/rmannell/index.htmlhttp://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/animal_communication/#f1http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/animal_communication/#f1http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/animal_communication/#f1http://clas.mq.edu.au/rmannell/index.html


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Natural Animal Communication

3earce )*+45, p161 cites a definition of animal communication by 7later )*+48, see 3earce for

reference, which we will also use as a working definition in this lecture!9nimal communication is :the transmission of a signal from one animal to another such that the

sender benefits, on average, from the response of the recipient:.

This loose definition permits the inclusion of many types of behaviour and allows

:communication: to be applied to a very large range of animals, including some very simpleanimals.

;atural animal communication can include!

• 2hemical signals )used by some very simple creatures, including proto


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• 3osture )eg. dogs, geese

• &acial gestures )eg. dogs snarling

• Visual signals )eg. feathers

• 7ound )eg. very many vertebrate and invertebrate calls

7uch signals have evolved to!

• attract )especially mates

• repel )especially competitors or enemies

• signal aggression or submission

• advertise species

• warn of predators

• communicate about the environment or the availability of food



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7uch signals may be!

• instinctive, that is genetically programmed

• learnt from others

Language

7ome linguists )eg 2homsky, *+65, Macphail, *+41, both cited in 3earce, *+45 have argued thatlanguage is a uni-ue human behaviour and that animal communication falls short of human

language in a number of important ways.

2homsky )*+65 claims that humans possess an innate universal grammar that is not possessed

by other species. This can be readily demonstrated, he claims, by the universality of language inhuman society and by the similarity of their grammars. ;o natural non!human system of

communication shares this common grammar.

Macphail )*+41, cited by 3earce, *+45 made the claim that :humans ac-uire language )and non!

humans do not not because humans are )-uantitatively more intelligent, but because humans possess some species!specific mechanism )or mechanisms which is a prere-uisite of language!

ac-uisition:.



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7ome researchers have provided lists of what they consider to be the criteria that animal

communication must meet to be regarded as language.

&or this lecture the list devised by /ockett )*+=> is utilised, although this list is not the onlysuch list available. 7uch lists tend to be -uite similar and certain elements of the /ockett list are

considered particularly important in evaluating the -uestion :can animals be taught language0:

/ockett's thirteen :design!features: for language are as follows!

*. Vocal-auitory c!annel" sounds emitted from the mouth and perceived by the auditory

system. This applies to many animal communication systems, but there are manyeceptions. 9lso, it does not apply to human sign language, which meets all the other *1

re-uirements. "t also does not apply to written language.

1. #roacast transmission an irectional reception" this re-uires that the recipient can

tell the direction that the signal comes from and thus the originator of the signal.

8. $api faing %transitory nature&" 7ignal lasts a short time. This is true of all systems

involving sound. "t doesn't take into account audio recording technology and is also not

true for written language. "t tends not to apply to animal signals involving chemicals andsmells which often fade slowly.



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?. Interc!angea'ility" 9ll utterances that are understood can be produced. This is different

to some communication systems where, for eample, males produce one set of

behaviours and females another and they are unable to interchange these messages so thatmales use the female signal and vice versa.

6. Total fee'ac(" The sender of a message also perceives the message. That is, you hearwhat you say. This is not always true for some kinds of animal displays.

=. )pecialisation" The signal produced is specialised for communication and is not the sideeffect of some other behaviour )eg. the panting of a dog incidentally produces the panting

sound.

5. )emanticity" There is a fied relationship between a signal and a meaning.

4. Ar'itrariness" There is an arbitrary relationship between a signal and its meaning. That

is, the signal, is related to the meaning by convention or by instinct but has no inherent

relationship with the meaning. This can be seen in different words in different languagesreferring to the same meaning, or to different calls of different sub!species of a single

bird species having the same meaning.

+. Discreteness" Language can be said to be built up from discrete units )eg. phonemes in

human language. Echanging such discrete units causes a change in the meaning of a



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signal. This is an abrupt change, rather than a continuous change of meaning )eg. :cat:

doesn't gradually change in meaning to :bat:, but changes abruptly in meaning at some

point. 7peech loudness and pitch can, on the other hand be changed continuously withoutabrupt changes of meaning.

*>. Displacement" 2ommunicating about things or events that are distant in time or space.$ee dancing is an eample of this.

**. *roucti+ity" Language is an open system. #e can potentially produce an infinite )1 number of different messages by combining the elements differently. This is not a feature

of, for eample, the calls of gibbons who have a finite number of calls and thus a closed

system of communication.

*1. Traitional transmission" Each generation needs to learn the system of communicationfrom the preceding generation. Many species produce the same uniform calls regardless

of where they live in the range )even a range spanning several continents. 7uch systems

can be assumed to be defined by instinct and thus by genetics. 7ome animals, on the other hand fail to develop the calls of their species when raised in isolation.

*8. Duality of patterning" Large numbers of meaningful signals )eg. morphemes or words

produced from a small number of meaningless units )eg. phonemes. /uman language is


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very unusual in this respect. 9pes, for eample, do not share this feature in their natural

communication systems.

ommunication s mportant

#hen you need to convey something to someone, you communicate with them. This is the

process of individuals sending, receiving, and responding to a signal. There's really no other way

to ask your friend for a ride home, tell your mother you love her, or ask your dog to get off the

couch. %ou have to send out a signal, the receiver has to get that signal, and then, hopefully, they

respond@

2ommunication is not a one!way street, nor is there Aust one way to communicate. 9nimals

communicate with each other using signals that are visual, auditory, chemical, and electrical. Thetype of signal used depends on the message being conveyed, the environment, and the animal

sending the signal. Most animals do not rely solely on one type of signal. "nstead, they utili


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*isual "ignals

There are an incredible number of different types of visual signals used in animal

communication. Cust think of the many various ways you can make a face to epress your

feelings, and you'll see what " mean.

Visual signals are most often used during the day because they simply can't be seen in the dark of

night. 9nimals, like birds and humans, use visual signals because they're active and awake

during the day and can easily see these types of signals being communicated. Visual signals

come in the form of bright colors )like bird feathers and specific body movements )like

someone holding their hand up to say 'stop'. 7ome animals even send a signal by changing color

during courtship or aggression.

"n a-uatic environments, visual signals often serve as territorial displays. 7ome fish puff up like a

balloon to make themselves appear bigger )and therefore scarier, while others may 'charge' at an

intruder to show their willingness to defend their home.

Visual signals may be beneficial in situations where other types of signals would be dangerous. "f

the sender of a signal can communicate that a predator is nearby without saying a word, this may

enable those individuals to avoid being eaten without the predator ever knowing it was spotted.



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+uditory "ignals

7ound is another good way to send a message, and this can be effective when individuals are too

far away to see visual signals. %ou hear a pack of wolves long before you see it, and this is for a

very good reason ! they want you to stay far away@

Dther times, auditory signals are used in courtship displays or to invite mates into a territory.

9uditory signals may be used to defend a territory if the owner feels threatened.

9uditory signals can be helpful if an individual becomes separated from the rest of the group.

%ou are more likely to yell for help if you are lost in the woods than to wave your arms around

hoping someone will see you. %our cry travels much farther than your visual arm waving, so the

chances of being found are much greater with an auditory signal in this situation.

hemical and ,lectrical "ignals

9 chemical signal is an effective way of communicating if you need to send a signal but don't

plan on sticking around for the receiver's response. Many animals use chemical signals, such as

scents, to mark territories. This way, they can mark a large area without having to constantly

patrol the border to ward off intruders. The scent acts as a ';o Trespassing' sign, warning others

that the area already belongs to someone else.



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2hemical signals may also be used to communicate beneficial information to other members of

the group. &or eample, when worker honeybees bring back pollen from a patch of flowers, they

regurgitate it to communicate to the other bees what it tastes and smells like. This will help the

other bees identify that same pollen when they're out foraging.

Forms of Animal Communication

*isual ommunication

Visual communication for animals comes in two forms badges and displays. $adges, the color

and shape of the animal, are structural adaptations, such as the bright yellow feathers of the male

9merican goldfinch. The bright colors tell a prospective mate that the male is a suitable choice.

isplays are the behaviors animals ehibit, such as the glow of a firefly to attract mates or when

a dog wags his tail to let you know he's happy.

Visual communication is the least effective since the animals must be close enough to see one

another.

+uditory ommunication

$arking, growling, hissing and purring all are considered animal auditory communication.

7ounds can be used to attract mates, ward off threats and epress happiness or pain.



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&or eample, dogs bark when approached by a stranger. (ed s-uirrels use a series of rattles,

screeches and yips to warn intruders to stay away. 9nd dolphins use auditory communication to

set themselves apart from others !! a uni-ue whistle that also helps them locate food.

$actile ommunication

Like humans, animals can rely on tactile communication !! touch !! to convey messages. Most

animals use this form of communication to show affection, comfort or fear, or even to establish

dominance. &or instance, horses will kick each other to ward off threats or when competing for a

mate. 9s kittens, cats will nu


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"f someone asked you what separates humans from other animals, one of the first things that

would probably come to mind is language. Language is so fundamental to human life that it's

hard to imagine what life would be like without it. "n fact, the original term for language referred

to it as part of the bodyF language is derived from the Latin word lingua, meaning tongue.

$arnett highlights the inseparability of language from man when he says, GVerbal

communication is a condition of the eistence of human society.H

$ut at the same time, other animals also communicate %our cat may let you know when its

hungry, ants use pheromones and sound to indicate social status and distress, bees dance to tell

one another where to find honey, and chimpan


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/ierences between human language and animal communication.

-uman anguage *s. +nimal ommunication

"f someone asked you what separates humans from other animals, one of the first things that

would probably come to mind is language. Language is so fundamental to human life that it's

hard to imagine what life would be like without it. "n fact, the original term for language referred

to it as part of the bodyF language is derived from the Latin word lingua, meaning tongue.



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$arnett highlights the inseparability of language from man when he says, GVerbal

communication is a condition of the eistence of human society.H

$ut at the same time, other animals also communicate %our cat may let you know when its

hungry, ants use pheromones and sound to indicate social status and distress, bees dance to tell

one another where to find honey, and chimpan


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/ierences at a 0lance

Human Animal

/uality ofPatterning

/istinctive sounds1 called phonemes1

are arbitrary and have no meaning.

!ut humans can string these sounds inan in2nite number of ways to create

meaning via words and sentences.

3ther animals do not

communicate by arranging

arbitrary sounds1 which limitsthe number of messages they

can create.

reativity 4ew words can be invented easily.

+nimals have to evolve in

order for their signs to

change.

/isplacement

-umans can tal5 about remote1

abstract1 or imaginary things that

aren6t happening in their immediate

environments.

+nimal communication is

conte#t driven7they react to

stimuli1 or inde#es.

nterchangeabi

lity

+ny gender of human can use the

same languages.

ertain animal

communications in the animal

world can only be used by



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Human Animal

one gender of that animal.

ultural

$ransmission

-umans ac8uire language culturally7

words must be learned.

$he way that animals

communicate are biological1

or inborn.

+rbitrariness

-uman language is symbolic1 using a

set number of sounds (phonemes) and

characters (alphabet)1 which allows

ideas to be recorded and preserved.

+nimal communication is not

symbolic1 so it cannot

preserve ideas of the past.

!iology

3n a purely biological level1 the human

voice bo# and tongue are very uni8ue1

and are re8uired to ma5e the sounds

we recogni9e as language.

3ther animals have dierent

biological structures1 which

impact they way they ma5e

sounds.

+mbiguity+ word1 or sign1 can have several

meanings.

,very sign has only one

meaning.

*ariety -uman language can arrange words

into an in2nite number of ideas1

sometimes referred to as discrete

+nimals only have a limited

number of combinations they



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Human Animal

in2nity. can use to communicate.


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