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Abstract
Deciphering nonhuman communication – particularly nonhuman vocal communication – has been a longstanding human quest. We are, for example, fascinated by the songs of birds and whales, the grunts of apes, the barks of dogs, and the croaks of frogs; we wonder about their potential meaning and their relationship to human language. Do these utterances express little more than emotional states, or do they convey actual bits and bytes of concrete information? Humans’ numerous attempts to decipher nonhuman systems have, however, progressed slowly. We still wonder why only a small number of species are capable of vocal learning, a trait that, because it allows for innovation and adaptation, would seem to be a prerequisite for most language-like abilities. Humans have also attempted to teach nonhumans elements of our system, using both vocal and nonvocal systems. The rationale for such training is that the extent of success in instilling symbolic reference provides some evidence for, at the very least, the cognitive underpinnings of parallels between human and nonhuman communication systems. However, separating acquisition of reference from simple object-label association is not a simple matter, as reference begins with such associations, and the point at which true reference emerges is not always obvious. I begin by discussing these points and questions, predominantly from the viewpoint of someone studying avian abilities. I end by examining the question posed by Premack: do nonhumans that have achieved some level of symbolic reference then process information differently from those that have not? I suggest the answer is likely “yes,” giving examples from my research on Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus).
Highlights
The songs of whales and birds, the roars of lions and bellows of elephants, the pant-hoots and grunts of apes, the squeaks of mice and croaks of frogs – humans have long been fascinated by the meanings of nonhuman communications systems
Those examples involve only the auditory mode – what about the flashes of lightning bugs or the scent systems that make dogs stop and sniff every few feet on their daily walk? Lest any doubt exist about the longstanding and widespread nature of such interest amongst even nonscientists, one need only cite examples such as the legend of King Solomon’s ring, which purportedly enabled him Nonhuman Communication Issues to communicate at will with all the birds and beasts in his realm (Lorenz, 1952); the historic lore of Native Americans, who supposedly could change into various animals and share their lives (Rasmussen, 1972), or the many children’s books on the subject
Darwin (1871) in particular wrote at length about the similarities between human and nonhuman communication systems but provided scant guidance for deciphering the latter
Summary
The songs of whales and birds, the roars of lions and bellows of elephants, the pant-hoots and grunts of apes, the squeaks of mice and croaks of frogs – humans have long been fascinated by the meanings of nonhuman communications systems. The main points, are that (a) for three avian lineages, there exist hundreds (parrots and hummingbirds) to thousands (oscines) of species in which vocalizations are learned, (b) learning is possible because of specific neuroanatomical areas and their functions, and (c) for those and many more species, vocalizations do contain information that (based on the actions of the receiver) appears to be processed in meaningful ways, even if humans have so far been unable to decipher much beyond those related to territorial defense, threats, mating and, in later studies, how the use of different songs or singing patterns in different contexts relates to degrees of aggressive behavior (see, for example, Smith, 1996; Beecher et al, 2000). What seemed to be lacking was the type of abstract meaning that characterized human signals; for example, the ability to describe or comment upon something that was not physically present or is imaginary or the ability to combine signals in novel ways to describe novel situations
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