Sound Signals Most animal species that have vocal abilities and a good sense of hearing communicate using sound. Some have evolved elaborate systems of communication. Dolphins communicate in the ocean using sound signals. Bottlenose dolphins each have their own unique “signature” whistle that, amazingly, functions to inform others of who is sending the communication. Elephants also make distinctive sounds, both with their vocal apparatus and with their feet, that can identify them. Elephants, and some other animals, can send messages that the recipient feels rather than hears.
Language The most complicated form of communication is language. Language is a system of communication that combines sounds, symbols, and gestures according to rules about sequence and meaning, such as grammar and syntax. Many animals, including elephants, primates, and dolphins such as those in Figure 29–11, have complex communication systems. Some even seem to have “words”—calls with specific meanings such as “lions on the prowl.” Many species, including honeybees, convey complex information using various kinds of signals. However, untrained animals don't seem to use the rules of grammar and syntax we use to define human language.
In Your Notebook Distinguish between sound signals and language.
FIGURE 29–11 Language Dolphins seem to have a language of their own.
29.2 Assessment
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Review Name two ways in which animal behavior is related to environmental cycles.
Apply Concepts Travelers who travel across time zones often experience what is called jet lag, which includes fatigue and disrupted sleep patterns. How can you explain this condition?
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Review List three types of social behavior.
Relate Cause and Effect How does membership in a society increase the evolutionary fitness of individuals in the society?
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Review What are the main ways in which animals communicate with one another?
Draw Conclusions Suppose you discover a new type of animal that is very different in appearance from other animals you have seen. How could observing the sense organs of this animal help you to understand if and how it communicates?
Apply the Big idea
Explain two ways that an animal's social behavior can influence its evolutionary fitness.
Table of Contents
- Formulas and Equations
- Applying Formulas and Equations
- Mean, Median, and Mode
- Estimation
- Using Measurements in Calculations
- Effects of Measurement Errors
- Accuracy
- Precision
- Comparing Accuracy and Precision
- Significant Figures
- Calculating With Significant Figures
- Scientific Notation
- Calculating With Scientific Notation
- Dimensional Analysis
- Applying Dimensional Analysis