What does Da Vinci have to do with it?

Abstract

It may seem unusual to suggest a relationship between Leonardo Da Vinci (1452–1519) and the study of avian communication, as he is perhaps better known for his attempts at developing a theory of human flight based on the principles of avian flight. His approach, however, was that “from the study of structure comes the knowledge of function.” Here, I present how an understanding of the structure of the various vocalizations produced by chickadees may lend to an understanding of the function of these vocalizations. Chickadees are an excellent model system for this type of research given that they produce various calls that are comprised of individual units that may function in different ways. We have conducted several bioacoustics analyses in the search for similarities and differences among call structures, as well as attempted to delineate the bioacoustical markers that would provide meaningful information to listeners. Further, I will discuss what constitutes human “language” and how the calls of chickadees may satisfy the criteria for a non-human language. With this in mind, we use various field and laboratory techniques in an attempt to understand the structure of vocalizations which may in turn convey information regarding the function of the vocalizations.