Animal Languages

Most animals – fishes, frogs, birds, bats, whales, monkeys, and humans – communicate using sounds. Are these acoustic communication systems complex enough to be considered as animal languages, or is human language unique? We will examine the structure, function, and neural control of animal acoustic communication systems and search for evidence of evolutionary continuities between animal sounds and human language. Topics to be studied include vocal learning and imitation, the evolution of cooperative vocal exchange, syntax in bird and whale songs, and symbolic communication in primates.