Chapter 1 – Animal Communication and Human Language – Linguistics and
Animal Behavior Study Guide
4 (Fs) things to know about finding a mate - ANS ✔✔1. Food -who you can eat
2. Foe -who wants to eat you
3. Friend -who is in your group
4. Finding a Mate -who you can mate with
Ethologist - ANS ✔✔- scientists who study animal behaviour
-Refer to above as 4 F's Food, foe, friend and finding a mate
Communication - ANS ✔✔-behaviour intended to influence another
-Most communication directed at a conspecific, but interspecies communication also happens
-Conspecific: a member of the same species
Food -honeybee waggle dance - ANS ✔✔- gives direction and distance info
Up/down: direction towards/away from the sun
-L/R of vertical axis: tells the angle form the sun that they need to fly
-length of waggle = distance from the hive
Evolutionary advantage of bees - ANS ✔✔-queen bee reproduces and her daughters can only
get their genes into the next generation if the queen survives and mates
Food -Primates - ANS ✔✔-Some vocalize when find a new food source
-Food calls evoke foraging behaviours among members of their group
, Bird and Mammal Calls - ANS ✔✔-generally in competition with other members for food (and
mates) so purpose of call is less clear
-Maybe helping family members who share genes
-Ethologists find that food calls are less about communicating a food source that vocalizations of
unrestrained excitement at finding a tasty treat
Foe- Alarm Calls - ANS ✔✔-vocalization to warn other members of the group about approaching
predators
Vervet African Monkeys -calls - ANS ✔✔3 enemies -thus 3 calls (language is 3 words)
1.Leopard: All other group members scamper up the nearest tree
2. Eagle call: scamper under nearest bush or overhanging rock
3. Snake: look down and watch carefully
Vervet Monkeys -language development - ANS ✔✔-System partially innate and partially learned
-Initially make calls for all 4-legged species
-Mothers punish error, so learn that the call is just for leopards
Non-Human Animal Communication - ANS ✔✔-about the 'here' and 'now'
Prime Probe Task -Diana Monkeys - ANS ✔✔-Diana Monkeys only have 2 calls (Eagle and and
Leopard)
-Baseline: primed with eagle vocalization and calls per min were counted for next 6 mins
o Followed by eagle vocalization probe -elicited no more alarm calls
-Test: primed with eagle alarm call and probed with eagle vocalization results similar to baseline
-Control: primed with leopard alarm call and probed with eagle vocalization
o Probe elicited additional alarm calls -researchers could determine that calls referred to
specific predators and not to danger in general
Animal Behavior Study Guide
4 (Fs) things to know about finding a mate - ANS ✔✔1. Food -who you can eat
2. Foe -who wants to eat you
3. Friend -who is in your group
4. Finding a Mate -who you can mate with
Ethologist - ANS ✔✔- scientists who study animal behaviour
-Refer to above as 4 F's Food, foe, friend and finding a mate
Communication - ANS ✔✔-behaviour intended to influence another
-Most communication directed at a conspecific, but interspecies communication also happens
-Conspecific: a member of the same species
Food -honeybee waggle dance - ANS ✔✔- gives direction and distance info
Up/down: direction towards/away from the sun
-L/R of vertical axis: tells the angle form the sun that they need to fly
-length of waggle = distance from the hive
Evolutionary advantage of bees - ANS ✔✔-queen bee reproduces and her daughters can only
get their genes into the next generation if the queen survives and mates
Food -Primates - ANS ✔✔-Some vocalize when find a new food source
-Food calls evoke foraging behaviours among members of their group
, Bird and Mammal Calls - ANS ✔✔-generally in competition with other members for food (and
mates) so purpose of call is less clear
-Maybe helping family members who share genes
-Ethologists find that food calls are less about communicating a food source that vocalizations of
unrestrained excitement at finding a tasty treat
Foe- Alarm Calls - ANS ✔✔-vocalization to warn other members of the group about approaching
predators
Vervet African Monkeys -calls - ANS ✔✔3 enemies -thus 3 calls (language is 3 words)
1.Leopard: All other group members scamper up the nearest tree
2. Eagle call: scamper under nearest bush or overhanging rock
3. Snake: look down and watch carefully
Vervet Monkeys -language development - ANS ✔✔-System partially innate and partially learned
-Initially make calls for all 4-legged species
-Mothers punish error, so learn that the call is just for leopards
Non-Human Animal Communication - ANS ✔✔-about the 'here' and 'now'
Prime Probe Task -Diana Monkeys - ANS ✔✔-Diana Monkeys only have 2 calls (Eagle and and
Leopard)
-Baseline: primed with eagle vocalization and calls per min were counted for next 6 mins
o Followed by eagle vocalization probe -elicited no more alarm calls
-Test: primed with eagle alarm call and probed with eagle vocalization results similar to baseline
-Control: primed with leopard alarm call and probed with eagle vocalization
o Probe elicited additional alarm calls -researchers could determine that calls referred to
specific predators and not to danger in general
