BIOL 209
Animal Communication Fall 2023
Division III Writing Skills
Cross-listed BIOL 209 / NSCI 209

Animal communication systems come in as many varieties as the species that use them. What they have in common are a sender that encodes information into a physical signal and a receiver that senses the signal, extracts the information, and adjusts its subsequent behavior accordingly. This tutorial will consider all aspects of communication, using different animal systems to explore different aspects of the biology of signaling. Topics will include the use of syntax to carry meaning in chickadee calls, the “piracy” of signaling system by fireflies, statements of identity and affiliation in the form of toothed whales’ signature whistles, long-distance chemical attractants that allow male moths to find the object of their desire, and cultural evolution within learned signaling systems.