2013/3/8
Outline
LING1003: Language, Thought & Culture:
Animal Cognition and Communication
Lecture 1: General Animal Behaviors
Lecturer: Dr. Tao GONG

LING1003: Language, Thought & Culture;
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Studies of Animal Cognition and Communication concern primates,
as well as bees, birds and aquatic mammals;
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Main approach: comparative methods;
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Research purposes:
 On which aspects animals are similar to humans?
 On which aspects humans are crucially different from animals?
 With respect to language, do animals have some precursors
(primitive forms) of linguistic abilities in semantics, syntax and
pragmatics, as well as other aspects?
Office: Rm.923, Run Run Shaw Tower
Phone: 3917 8603
Email: [email protected]
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Outline

History of animal studies

Lecture 1 (Feb. 7)
 History of animal studies;
 Research methods;
 General animal behaviors similar to humans;
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Lecture 2 (Feb. 10):
 Animal communications;
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Lecture 3 & 4 (Feb. 14 & 17):
 Precursors of linguistic behaviors in animals;
 Summary;
Descartes (“Father” of Modern Philosophy):
 Only humans have minds;
 Animals as automata; humans as automata + Reason;
René Descartes
(1596-1650)
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Linnaeus (“Father” of Modern Taxonomy):
 Proposed 9 taxonomy ranks for animals
and plants (the foundation of modern 门
taxonomy and ecology;
纲
 First placed humans in a biological
目
classification with Homo sapiens
科
among primates:
属
种
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
History of animal studies


Carl von Linnaeus
(1707-1778)
History of animal studies
Darwin:
1) The genealogy of species (GS):
 Most or all species are related by historical descent,
perhaps by descent from a common primitive
ancestor;
 The more similar the phenotypes (the performances
of genotype) of two species are, the less remote the
nearest ancestors they have in common are;
 Continuity between human and nonhuman minds:
“No fundamental difference between man and the
higher mammals in their mental faculties”; the
differences are “one of degree and not of kind”;
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2) Natural Selection (NS):
In the genealogical tree, node A (species A)
traces back to node B (species B), then species
B arose from species A by a process of natural
selection, and the path between the nodes
corresponds to the operation of that process;
 Evolutionary principle: “descent with
modification” (Darwin, 1882);

Charles Darwin
(1809-1882)
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Darwin, C. 1859. On the Origin of Species. London: Murray.
Department of Linguistics
Darwin, C. 1882. The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex.The
London:
Murray.
University
of Hong Kong
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2013/3/8
History of animal studies

Homology and analogy (convergence)
Morgan’s Canon (experimental approach):
 “In no case is an animal activity to be interpreted in
terms of higher psychological processes, if it can be
fairly interpreted in terms of processes which stand
lower in the scale of psychological evolution and
development.” (Morgan 1903, p. 59);
 We should only consider behavior as rational,
purposive or affectionate, if there is no other
explanation in terms of the behaviors of more
primitive life-forms  animal behaviors must have
some purposes;
 Comparative (animal) psychology;

Homology: any characteristic of organisms that was derived from a
common ancestor (structural correspondence).
C.Lloyd Morgan
(1852-1936)
Study the behaviors of our “closest relatives” to
analyze the precursors of human linguistic
competences;
Morgan, C. L. 1903. An introduction to Comparative Psychology, 2nd edition. London: W. Scott.
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Homology and analogy (convergence)

Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Meet our relatives in animal kingdom
Analogy (convergence): similarities between organisms that were not
in the last common ancestor but rather evolved separately (noncorrespondent similarities).
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Study the communication systems of other
animals, even “remote relatives”, to analyze
the similarities among these systems and
human language;

Great apes;
 Pan paniscus (bonobos, pygmy
chimp);
 Pan troglodytes (common
chimpanzee);
 Troglodytes gorilla (gorilla, giant
chimp);
 Orangutan;
Lesser apes; e.g., gibbons;
Old world monkeys (in Africa, Eurasia);
e.g., baboons, putty-nosed monkeys,
etc.
New world monkeys (in America): e.g.,
tamarin monkeys;
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Meet our relatives in animal kingdom
Lesser apes
Million years
Great apes
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Research methods

Field observation: objectively observe animal behaviors in the wild
without interference; e.g., wild animal calls;

Lab or wild experiment: conduct experiments on captive or wild
animals; e.g., play-back experiment;

Human-animal interaction: raise animals in a human environment, with
frequent human-animal interactions;
Old world monkeys
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
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2013/3/8
Three aspects of comparisons
Animal behaviors similar to humans
General behaviors similar to humans;
 Tool use;
 Numerosity;
 Social hierarchy;
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Cracking hard nuts;
Fish termites or fishes using tree branches;
There is a learning process;
FOX news,
2008, June
However, human tools and their functions are
more versatile;

Animal communication systems;
 Bee dances;
 Animal (monkey) calls (gestures);
 Bird songs;
 Human-animal interactions;

Scientific American,
2001, Jan.
Simple tool usage:

Scientific American, 2010, Sep.
Precursors of linguistic competences;
 Semantics; Pragmatics; Syntax;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5
Cp7_In7f88&NR=1&feature=fvwp;
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Animal behaviors similar to humans
Animal behaviors similar to humans
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
Numerosity;
Macaque monkeys’ toy preference;
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=z
JAH4ZJBiN8&feature=related;

Chimp’s short-term memory on numbers surpass human children;
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But, only humans have open-ended, precise large number
quantificational skills, relying on recursive computation;
Only humans can calculate the circumference of the earth, the speed
of light or the likelihood of winning the lottery.
We may combine our number system with various domains of thought;

Scientific American, 2005, May.

Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Animal behaviors similar to humans

Social hierarchy in social animals;
 Ants;
 Bees;

Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
End of Lecture 1: Questions
Predefined structures with
members born to serve their
roles (e.g., bees from
unfertilized eggs are workers);

1. What are homology and analogy? and think of some
examples of homology and analogy.

2. What are the general research methods in animal
studies?
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3. What are the “close relatives” of humans in animal
kingdoms?

4. Which general behaviors in animals are similar to
humans?
Monkeys and Chimps;
Structures based on family
lineage or physiological
factors, can be adjusted via
social activities such as
combat, grooming, or sex;
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
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