Animal Communication
Humans may dominate the planet in terms of power, but they certainly do not dominate in terms of numbers. We share the planet with a rich diversity of living organisms. Yet our knowledge of the other species on earth is limited by the fact that we cannot simply ask them what its like to be a frog, for example. Humans are unique in their use of an open, combinatorial language system capable of transmitting an infinite number of messages. Animals also have communication systems. However, the complexity of animal communication systems, and the scope of messages they can convey is significantly less than that of the human system.
Our use of language is a reflection of our cognitive abilities. The human ability to think about abstract concepts and then communicate them with others through language is incredible. Animals, however, do not sit in coffee shops and discuss art and poetry. There is no evidence to indicate that they even talk about what happened yesterday, or how today's weather will affect their chances of getting a good meal that night. Does this mean that animals do not have the mental faculties to consider such issues? Perhaps they have such cognitive capabilities, but the need for discussion just not there in the natural animal world. Would it be possible to teach an animal a human language? Or are we missing the point completely, and allowing our human-centered biases to blind us to the many ways in which animals are already communicating with each other?
Two recent books from Hauser (2000) and Page (1999) have addressed the topic of communication as it relates to animal cognition. Both review similar research evidence that has come into existence in the last fifty years or...
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...n infants, the structure of his utterances did not get more complex. Nim's longer utterances were mostly created through repetition of words rather than by including more and more relevant information in the way in which human children do.
Page highlights four major criticisms of the results of the attempts to teach sign language to primates. First, there is no reason to suppose that the animal's signing behavior is an expression of anything other than the animal's awareness that "If I do this, I get food." Second, spontaneous use of sign language is rare even in a well-trained primate. Third, longer strings of signs often consist of random repetition of certain words and phrases known by the animal to lead to food reinforcement. Finally, any errors made by the signing primates were often rationalized by researchers by describing them as novel creations.
He claimed that since chimpanzees naturally used a gestural form of communication it made sense that they would also be able to learn sign language. Gestural forms of communication would have likely been used by our common ancestor as well. However, once the larynx migrated in our throat, and our tongues became more mobile, it allowed us to create complex sounds for spoken language. Evolutionarily speaking, these traits were likely selected for genetic changes to better our language skills to survive. The ability to exchange ideas provides greater
“…animals, plants and even “inert” entities such as stones and rivers are perceived as being articulate and at times intelligible subjects, able to communicate and interact with humans for good or ill. In addition to human language, there is also the language of birds, the wind, earthworms, wolves and waterfalls – a world of autonomous speakers whose intents (especially for hunter-gatherer peoples) one ignores at one’s peril” (Manes 15).
Snowdon, C. T., Brown, C. H., & Petersen, M. R. (1982). Primate communication. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press].
Symbolic communication is by no means limited to humans, or, for that matter, to the most complex organisms. Most fairly social animals have a range of about fifteen to thirty-five physical displays or calls. "As far as we know, cuttlefish, related to squids, have about the same size repertoire size as non-human primates do." (class notes Ling. 101) The evolution of animal communication is thought to have occurred through "ritualization of previously existing behavior" (class notes Ling. 101) In most animals, communicative displays are innate, that is, genetically determined. This is not at all the case in humans; human language is learned. Yet a few of the main things that distinguish human language from other animal communication, namely grammar and syntax, are argued by some linguists to be instinctive. (Pinker)
The debate about whether or not apes can learn human language has been going on for many years. There is an overwhelming amount of research on the subject to support both sides. It should be understood however, that learning and understanding human language is not the same as speaking the language. Apes are unable to physically speak human language for several reasons. As noted on the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics website, “Unlike humans, apes lack the anatomical pre-requisites for verbal language production. The organs within the vocal tract, such as larynx muscles and vocal cords, cannot be moved as freely and coordinated as in humans, especially not at a comparable speed” (Bangle, “Questions and Answers”). With that said, I believe the research I found strongly supports that apes do have the capacity for learning and understanding human language. There have been numerous studies conducted in which apes have been taught to communicate using sign language. In the 1960’s a female chimpanzee named Washoe was taught the American Sign Language. Washoe was raised by researchers Allen and Beatrix Gardner and is believed to be the first chimpanzee to learn aspects of human language. The Gardners established Project Washoe to teach the chimpanzee American Sign Language. The National Geographic News reported that “For Washoe to be considered "reliable"
Language is commonly held to be the province of humans, but other inhabitants of earth possess their own forms of communication. Birds, dolphins, and whales are some of those that have a language. Primates also use vocal communication with each other. Their utterances have varied uses and volumes, with each primate’s voice being distinct just as human voices are. These unique calls have given researchers insight into the social workings of primate groups. The very fact that primates have a language offers insight into the evolution of language and calls into question what the term human truly means.
What is interception? The interception of communications includes listening to the calls made on a telephone or opening and reading the contents of a target's letters or e-mails. Interception between the US and the EU very common because of lack of communication and agreement on the laws. The FBI used to use a program called Carnivore (or DCS1000) that would allow them to track a targets digital tracks. It would help monitor emails and other forms of electronic communications.
In general, sign language—as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as “any means of communication through bodily movements … used when spoken communication is impossible or not desirable”—has been used by dozens of cultures for ages, but American Sign Language (ASL) is fairly new. The Native Americans hold one of the earliest records of sign language with their ancient system of communication using signs to converse and break “language barriers” between tribes who spoke different dialects (American). Because many of their cultures were so intertwined with various “shared elements,” the Indians were able to devise “common symbols” to communicate with each other without the use of formal interpreters (American). Across the sea, Juan Pablo de Bonet of Spain was conducting his own research of sign language for the deaf and published the first documentation of a manual alphabet in 1620 (Butterworth). Before ...
Dolphins have they're language, unique names and grammar, and yet we cannot understand them, which questions the whole concept of humans trying to contact even more alien species. The most widely accepted approach in communicating with alien intelligence is to use minimalistic message based on some universal facts, like the laws of physics, chemical elements, astronomy cartography or mathematics.
In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a recent graduate of Harvard University, did something very bold. At a time when animals still were considered automatons, she set out to find what was on another creature’s mind by talking to it. She brought a one-year-old African gray parrot she named Alex into her lab to teach him to reproduce the sounds of the English language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.”
Question arises about whether or not communication with animals is dialogic or monologic. Majority of society would probably think animals cannot communicate with us, generating the assumption that the connection is dialogic. However, that theory is incorrect for several different reasons. Dogs, for example, communicate with their owners with every movement and noise they make. Moping, sniffing, and watching are all examples of how dogs communicate with us non-verbally. They also communicate with us verbally by barking and crying. Animals obviously do not speak the same language as us so they use their body language to send us messages. If dogs did not have the ability to communicate with us, we would not be able to care for them as pets. The
The most common way for elephants to communicate with each other is through differing audible calls that send specific messages. These calls are made to resolve disagreements with other elephants and to communicate with the herd regarding their movements. Adult elephants use audible calls to care for their young, to signal the end of mealtime, and to inform their young when it’s time to leave an area. Like human voices, auditory calls between elephants are familiar to all elephants that hear them.
... ability to learn grammar is what separates humans from animals in their means of communication.
This film illustrates this paradox proposed by Erica Fudge in a large way, not only because Nim is part of a language study but because Nim is removed from his mother at birth and placed with a human family in which he is raised by his "foster mother", Stephanie Lafarge ( Terrace book pg 30). Stephanie had children of her own and raised Nim as if he were a human baby. Stephanie breastfed Nim, placed him in a diaper and clothing and allowed him to roam free around the house (Kappala-Ramsamy 2011). This reinforces that humans have a strong desire to connect with animals and we anthropomorphize an animal like Nim by having him interact with only humans and placing him in clothes in anticipation that Nim will become like a human even though he is very clearly not human (Kappala-Ramsamy 2011). Chimpanzees are biologically similar to humans and this makes it easier for humans to identify with the abilities and behaviours of a chimp. However, humans try to disconnect negative traits that chimpanzees portray from that of humans. For example, as Nim became older, he began to bite and scratch. The individuals in the documentary described this as his chimp behaviour coming out (Marsh 2011). Therefore, when Nim was sweet, playful and communicative, he portrayed human traits, according to the documentary (Marsh 2011). In contrast, when he displayed wild and aggressive behaviour, this was caused by him being a chimpanzee and this was no longer tolerated so Nim was sent away and locked in a cage with other chimpanzees where he later became a product of research in a lab (Cole
Sign language is believed to be present in the Western world around the early 17th century. The system of signing is made up of hand movements to represent the alphabet, conventional gestures, hand signs, mimic and finger spelling. Sign language is one of the earliest and most simple forms of communication among humans. We use sign language when emphasizing in speech and when waving goodbye or hello to another person.