Linguistics: Animal Communication (Exam #3) – Study Guide, Key Concepts and
Exam Review
mode of communication - ANS ✔✔means by which messages are transmitted and received
(voices, gestures, etc.)
semanticity - ANS ✔✔all signals in a system have a meaning/function
pragmatic function - ANS ✔✔systems must have some useful purpose
interchangibility - ANS ✔✔ability of individuals to transmit/receive messages
cultural transmission - ANS ✔✔aspects of a language that we can acquire only through
communicative interaction with other users of the system
arbitrariness - ANS ✔✔meaning is not predictable from the form, not is the form dictated from
the meaning
discreteness - ANS ✔✔allows us to combine discrete units in order to form larger
communicative units
displacement - ANS ✔✔ability of a language to communicate about things, actions, and ideas
that are not present in space or time
productivity - ANS ✔✔a languages capacity for novel messages to be built up out of discrete
units
, Which 6 of the 9 design features are found in all or many communication systems? - ANS
✔✔mode of communication, semanticity, pragmatic function, interchangeability, cultural
transmission, arbitratiness
which design features are found in a limited degree in some animal communication systems? -
ANS ✔✔discretness
which 2 design features are not used in animal communication systems? - ANS
✔✔displacement, productivity
how do scientists keep track of which bees were at which feeding stations? - ANS ✔✔a small
spot of paint, the color being different at each feeding station
what is the general pattern of the waggle dance? - ANS ✔✔general figure 8 pattern (angle of
the dance corresponded to the angle between feeding station and home.
what vision-oriented ability in bees is needed for this communication system to work? - ANS
✔✔ability to see ultra-violet and polarized light (lets them see the sun at all times and know its
position, creating a finely tuned internal clock)
apart from the sun, what is the other shared reference point among bees? - ANS ✔✔gravity, as
it established the up and down direction
how does orientation in the hive correlate with orientation out in the world? - ANS ✔✔direction
up substitutes for location of the sun, then the angle the bee dances away from the sun is the
same angle they should fly to find the target feeder
if a bee dances directly upward, where can the bees find the flower? - ANS ✔✔flying directly
toward the sun
Exam Review
mode of communication - ANS ✔✔means by which messages are transmitted and received
(voices, gestures, etc.)
semanticity - ANS ✔✔all signals in a system have a meaning/function
pragmatic function - ANS ✔✔systems must have some useful purpose
interchangibility - ANS ✔✔ability of individuals to transmit/receive messages
cultural transmission - ANS ✔✔aspects of a language that we can acquire only through
communicative interaction with other users of the system
arbitrariness - ANS ✔✔meaning is not predictable from the form, not is the form dictated from
the meaning
discreteness - ANS ✔✔allows us to combine discrete units in order to form larger
communicative units
displacement - ANS ✔✔ability of a language to communicate about things, actions, and ideas
that are not present in space or time
productivity - ANS ✔✔a languages capacity for novel messages to be built up out of discrete
units
, Which 6 of the 9 design features are found in all or many communication systems? - ANS
✔✔mode of communication, semanticity, pragmatic function, interchangeability, cultural
transmission, arbitratiness
which design features are found in a limited degree in some animal communication systems? -
ANS ✔✔discretness
which 2 design features are not used in animal communication systems? - ANS
✔✔displacement, productivity
how do scientists keep track of which bees were at which feeding stations? - ANS ✔✔a small
spot of paint, the color being different at each feeding station
what is the general pattern of the waggle dance? - ANS ✔✔general figure 8 pattern (angle of
the dance corresponded to the angle between feeding station and home.
what vision-oriented ability in bees is needed for this communication system to work? - ANS
✔✔ability to see ultra-violet and polarized light (lets them see the sun at all times and know its
position, creating a finely tuned internal clock)
apart from the sun, what is the other shared reference point among bees? - ANS ✔✔gravity, as
it established the up and down direction
how does orientation in the hive correlate with orientation out in the world? - ANS ✔✔direction
up substitutes for location of the sun, then the angle the bee dances away from the sun is the
same angle they should fly to find the target feeder
if a bee dances directly upward, where can the bees find the flower? - ANS ✔✔flying directly
toward the sun
