1. ANIMAL LANGUAGE
COMMUNICATION
Group Members:
Ahsen Aamir Murad
Jawaria Hameed
Kanza Afzal
Saad Nasir Chandna
Presented to:
Dr. Zeenat Ismael
Dated : 25th November 2010
2. Communication
“Communication consists of exchanges of
information between a sender and a
receiver using a code of specific signals
that usually serve to meet common
challenges (reproduction, feeding,
protection) and, in group-living species, to
promote cohesiveness of the group.”
(Vauclair,1996)
3. Characteristics of language
interchangeability
specialization
discreteness
arbitrariness of units
displacement
semanticity
productivity
traditional (cultural) transmission
4. Concept of animal
communication
Without question, nonhuman
animals DO communicate.
Most species send signals,
issue warnings, respond to
threats, share the location for
food etc.
While a concept of
communication is too broad,
a concept of “speech” is too
narrow for considering the
form of information
transferring in animals.
5. Approaches
Three main experimental approaches
have been employed for studying
animals language communication.
Direct decoding of animals‟
communication
Use of intermediary languages for
communication with animals.
Application of ideas and concepts of
information processing theory.
6. First approach
(decoding of animals‟
communication)
Two types of natural communication
systems have been deciphered till now:
Fragments of honeybees “dance
language”
Acoustic signalization in various species
The decoded “words” concern alarm
calls, calls for cohesion and signals
about food.
Honeybees appear to interpret the
meaning of messages they receive.
The wild acoustic communication does
not meet several important linguistic
criteria such as displacement and
productivity.
7. Second approach
(dialogue with animals)
An intermediary language
is devised to communicate
with animals in language-
training programs.
Dialogue with animals has
revealed astonishing
„linguistic potential‟ in
them.
Properties of developed-
language such as
categorization, creativity
and displacement have
been observed.
8.
9. Third approach
(information processing theory)
This approach is designed to
study quantitative
characteristics of natural
communicative systems and
important properties of animal
intelligence.
This approach proves that
ants,like honeybees, are able to
inform their nest mates about
remote events,and their
communication system is rather
rational and flexible.
10. Examples of animal
communication
Bees dance when they have
found nectar.
Chimpanzees greet each other
by touching hands.
Prairie dog calls for four
predators—human, hawk, coyote
and domestic dog by different
vocal signals.
Rhesus macaques produce five
acoustically distinctive
vocalizations when they find
food.
12. Analysis of animal language
studies
Non-human animals cannot use language in
ways that are considered unique and they
have a limited range of ideas.
Comprehension of human language by non-
human animals might just be a result of
operant conditioning. The imitation of
human symbols could only be to achieve
rewards.
But still current evidence suggests that
animals can learn and use many forms of