Comparing Animal and Human Communication

This course deals with the communication systems of non-human
animals, addressing them both on their own terms and in comparison
with the communication systems of human animals--languages.  The
primary focus is on communication in bees, birds, frogs, and
primates, though we will also have something to say about certain
other creatures (and perhaps vice versa), including cetaceans
(like dolphins and whales). Considerable attention is devoted to
differences between animals' communicative achievements in the wild
vs. in contact with humans.  Based on all this, we assess what
implications can be drawn from animal communicative behavior about
animal cognition more generally.