Motivation before Meaning: Motivational Information Encoded in Meerkat Alarm Calls Develops Earlier than Referential Information

2007 ◽  
Vol 169 (6) ◽  
pp. 758
Author(s):  
Linda I. Hollné ◽  
Marta B. Mansert
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Calls

Clash of signs: Putting bilingualism back into language evolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Samuel
Keyword(s):  
Language Evolution ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Human Language ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
The Real ◽  
Multiple Languages

Research and thinking into the cognitive aspects of language evolution has usually attempted to account for how the capacity for learning even one modern human language developed. Bilingualism has perhaps been thought of as something to think about only once the ‘real’ puzzle of monolingualism is solved, but this would assume in turn (and without evidence) that bilingualism evolved after monolingualism. All typically-developing children (and adults) are capable of learning multiple languages, and the majority of modern humans are at least bilingual. In this paper I ask whether by skipping bilingualism out of language evolution we have missed a trick. I propose that exposure to synonymous signs, such as food and alarm calls, are a necessary precondition for the abstracting away of sound from referent. In support of this possibility is evidence that modern day bilingual children are better at breaking this ‘word magic’ spell. More generally, language evolution should be viewed through the lens of bilingualism, as this is the end state we are attempting to explain.

scholarly journals Conceptual Analysis and Empirical Observations of Animal Minds

Philosophia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Parellada
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Animal Cognition ◽  
Sufficient Conditions ◽  
Second Order ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Vervet Monkeys ◽  
Animal Minds ◽  
First Order

AbstractThe relation between conceptual analysis and empirical observations when ascribing or denying concepts and beliefs to non-human animals is not straightforward. In order to reflect on this relation, I focus on two theoretical proposals (Davidson’s and Allen’s) and one empirical case (vervet monkeys’ alarm calls), the three of which are permanently discussed and considered in the literature on animal cognition. First, I review briefly Davidson’s arguments for denying thought to non-linguistic animals. Second, I review Allen’s criteria for ascribing concepts to creatures capable of correcting their discriminatory powers by taking into account their previous errors. Allen affirms that this is an empirical proposal which offers good reasons, but not necessary or sufficient conditions, for concept attribution. Against Allen, I argue that his important proposal is not an empirical, but a conceptual one. Third, I resort to vervet monkeys to show that Allen’s criteria, and not Davidson’s, are very relevant for ascribing first-order and denying second-order beliefs to this species and thus make sense of the idea of animal cognition.

Species specificity of grey warbler begging solicitation and alarm calls revealed by nestling responses to playbacks

2010 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Anderson ◽  
Dianne H. Brunton ◽  
Mark E. Hauber
Keyword(s):  
Species Specificity ◽  
Alarm Calls

Response of eastern chipmunks to conspecific alarm calls

1995 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Weary ◽  
Donald L. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Eastern Chipmunks

Vocalize to localize

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta B. Manser ◽  
Lindsay B. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Gaze Direction ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
General Behaviour ◽  
Acoustic Structure ◽  
Suricata Suricatta ◽  
High Urgency ◽  
High Stimulus ◽  
Functionally Referential ◽  
Stimulus Specificity

In this study of the functionally referential alarm calls in the meerkats (Suricata suricatta), we tested the hypothesis that the ability to refer to a specific location was an important factor in the evolution of discrete vocalizations. We investigated what information receivers gained about the location of the predator from alarm calls with high stimulus specificity compared to alarm calls with low stimulus specificity. Furthermore, we studied whether visual cues about the localization of the predator may be available from the posture of the caller. We described the general behaviour of the caller, the caller’s posture, and in particular its gaze direction. We then observed receivers responding to the different call types, to determine whether the acoustic structure of the calls was enough for them to respond in the appropriate way, or whether they used additional visual cues from the caller. We tested this with specific manipulation experiments, using three set ups of playback experiments: (1) no caller visible; (2) model guard with specific gaze direction; and (3) live sentinel. Natural observations and experiments confirmed that in high urgency situations the meerkats have enough information from the acoustic structure of the call to respond appropriately. When hearing low urgency calls that are less stimuli specific, meerkats used visual cues as an additional source of information in a few cases. This may indicate that functionally referential calls evolved to denote the location of the predator, rather than the predator type or its velocity of approach. However, when discussing this result in comparison to other functionally referential calls, such as the food associated calls and recruitment calls, this localization hypothesis does not appear to apply to the functionally referential calls in general.

On the meaning of alarm calls: functional reference in an avian vocal system

1993 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Evans ◽  
Linda Evans ◽  
Peter Marler
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Vocal System

scholarly journals The role of introductory alarm calls for song discrimination in Ficedula flycatchers

2021 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 241-251
Author(s):  
Louis Bliard ◽  
Anna Qvarnström ◽  
David Wheatcroft
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Song Discrimination
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