Animal Communication: Methods and Types of Communication
Animal communication happens when one animal transmits information to another animal using some kind of change in the animal that gets the information and it is usually between animals of the same species or maybe between two animals of different species.
Introduction:
The animal communication system refers to the methods and systems animals use to communicate with each other belonging to the same species or to transmit signals to the animals belonging to other species or to humans. Animals use some sort of communication among themselves which is largely dissimilar to the human system involving language. ANICOMS is the study of the specific behavior or behavioral patterns of animals that relate to inter and intra-specific communication which often leads to a better understanding of associated animal species. Historically, the study of ANICOMS has been known as Zoo semiotics, which, in recent times, has been accepted as an important area of ethology, sociobiology, linguistics, and communication science.
Modes of Animal Communication:
In general, the best-known forms of ANICOMS involve the display of five different strategies of communication as mentioned below. Each of the strategies can occur in isolation or in combination with other strategies.
1. Physical communication (display of distinctive body parts).
2. Body movement communication (display of distinctive bodily movements).
Example: Herring Gull has a brightly colored bill, yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible near the tip. When the parent bird returns to the nest with food, it stands over its chick and taps the bill on the ground in front of the chick. This elicits a begging response from a hungry chick which stimulates the parent to regurgitate food in front of it.
3- Vocal communication (production of distinctive calls).
Example: Another important form of animal communication is the production of distinctive calls, such as the song of birds, which is usually performed mainly by the male members, although in some species, the female members can also sing in alternation (known as duetting). The bird song is considered as one of the best-known cases of “vocal communication” among animals, while other instances include the warning cries of monkeys, territorial calls of gibbons, community calls of jackals, the hunting calls of wolves, and the mating calls of many species of frog.
4- Olfactory communication (spray of body smells).
Example: The less obvious form is the spray of body smells, which is known as “olfactory communication.” Many mammals, in particular, tigers, lions, elephants, leopards, cats, jaguars, etc. have special glands that excrete distinctively and long-lasting body smells and has corresponding behaviors that leave smells in places where they have been for some period of time. Often the scented substance is introduced into urine or feces. Sometimes it is distributed through sweat, although this does not leave a semi-permanent mark as scents deposited on the ground do. Moreover, some animals have glands on their bodies whose sole function appears to deposit scent marks on the area they stayed for some time. For example, the Mongolian Gerbils have a scent gland on their stomachs, and a characteristic ventral rubbing action excretes scent from it. The Golden Hamsters and the Cats have scent glands on their flanks and they deposit scent by rubbing their sides against hard objects. Cats also have scent glands on their foreheads. The honey-bees carry with them a pouch of material from their hive, which they release when they enter the hive, the smell of which indicates whether they are the parts of the hive and permit their safe entry.
5- Electro-communication.
Example: A rare form is observed in the case of electro communication, which is primarily used by aquatic animals, although some mammals, such as “Platypus” and “Echidnas” are also capable of “electroreception” and thus theoretically capable of electro communication.
Comparative communication among Texans:
The Black-backed Gulls are extremely territorial. They can communicate “threat” to intruders by extending the neck, pointing their beak downward, and pushing their forewings forward. They also use communication signals in mating, where the bird's pair for life. It is the female bird who circles in the air looking for a mate, while the earth-bound male bird “calls” to her. The female then uses a courtship routine whereby she attempts to pacify the male (she is encroaching on his territory) – where she bows her head and faces away from the male. If the male bird does not attack, she will peck at the bottom of his beak and receive a free meal for her trouble! Copulation begins with the female birds singing throughout! Afterward, the birds will go in search for a nesting site together, assist each other in constructing the “home”, and when the eggs are laid they will take it in turn to incubate them. The newly hatched young are born with an innate communication system that they use to indicate to their parents that they are hungry (they peck on the red spot on either parent’s beak). The black-backed gulls’ chicks can recognize the voice of their parents from a very young age.
Karl von Frisch (1953) was the first researcher to unravel the behavior of the Honey-Bees. He discovered that honeybees had a “language,” whereby they inform each other where the food was located by performing elaborate dance routines.
Kenneth Norris (1991) has observed that Humpback Whales can use complex songs to communicate their location and other information to the rest of the population. Also, Dolphins can combine symbols and sounds in many different ways as their social life mostly depends on the use of sounds.
Even Parrots have complex “linguistic” abilities for communication among themselves.
The system involved in communication:
Use of syntax:
We may refer to the recent interesting discovery about the “use of syntax” in animal language, and the ability to produce “sentences,” which were considered to be the sole property of human beings. The first good evidence of syntax among animals is reported in The New York Times from the Greater Putty-nosed Monkeys of Nigeria. This is the first evidence that some animals can take discrete units of communication, and build them up into a sequence, which carries a different meaning from the individual “words”. The Putty-nosed Monkeys have two sets of alarm sounds. The first set of sounds warns the members against the presence of a lurking leopard (pyow), while the second set of sounds resembles a coughing sound which is used when an eagle is hovering nearby (hack). The pyow-hack sequence means something like “let’s move!” (A command that tells other members to move).
Agnostic interaction:
In this communication, threats display during competition over food, mates, or territory.
Mating rituals:
In which animals attract and maintain the attention of a potential mate.
Alarm call:
In this system, the animals use different things to warn of a threat from a predator.
Conclusion:
Animals do communicate which involves information transfer from the sender to a receiver. They can convey their needs, desires, and reaction to the environment via some sophisticated signaling of their own. No animals have however evolved the sophistication of the human language- communication system. The understanding of animal communication is essential for understanding the animal world in general.
References:
- https://oacu.oir.nih.gov/sites/default/f
- www.researchgate.net
- www.khanacademy.org
- www.britanica.com
- www.jeb.biologists.org
