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COMMUNICATION
By,
DAMARIS BENNY DANIEL
II Msc. Zoology
INTRODUCTION
Animal communication is the passage of information
b/w two animals.
The animal which sends is called signaller and the
animal that recieves signal is called reciever.
Animal communication is also known as Biological
communication.
The study of animal communication is called
Zoosemiotics
The classical ethological view of communication was
developed by Niko Tinbergen.
Niko Tinbergen
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Intraspecific communication
◦ communication within a single species
Eg. Honeybee dance
Interspecific communication
◦ Prey to predator
Eg. warning colouration in wasps
◦ Predator to prey
Some predators communicate to prey make
them easier to catch, in effect deceiving them.
Eg. Angler fish
◦ Human/animal communication
During domestication of animals
BASIC COMPONENTS
Signaller : An individual which emits signal.
Fireflies.
Glow worms Anglerfishes
AUDITORY COMMUNICATION
Sending information from one member to another by
sound production is called auditory signal or bioacoustic
signal.
Sound is a good means of communicating over long
distances both in air and water.
It may have a vocal origin or it may be produced by some
other organs
For eg. Calls of mammals and birds – vocal origin ; sound
produced by crickets is rhythmic oscillation of forewings.
Sound is more effective signal at night and darkness
It can go around obstacles that would interfere with visual
signals.
It is better than visual signals in getting attention of a
reciever.
EXAMPLES
Deathwatch beetle signal to each
other by producing clicking sound
made by tapping their head against
wood.
Red squirrels will make a series of Deathwatch beetle
loud rattles and screeches to warn off
intruders.
The bottlenose dolphin has a wide
range of vocalizations. Each dolphin
Red squirrels
also has its own unique whistling
sound that it uses to identify itself.
Male birds sing a song during breeding
season.
Bottlenose dolphin
ODOUR OR CHEMICAL
COMMUNICATION
Molecules used for chemical communication between
individual animals are called pheromones.
Pheromones are involved in mate identification, marking
territory, alarm spreading etc.
Odour signals can transmit informations in dark, can
travel long distances, can last for hours or number of days.
Usually the message causes an immediate response.
Chemical messages that pass between animals of the same
species.
Chemical communication is the most primitive type of
communication.
EXAMPLES
Female silkworm attract males by releasing a pheromone
bombykol.
Queen honeybee attract males by 9 – oxodecenoic acid.
Alarm pheromones are produced in ants in the form of
formic acid to protect themselves from enemies.
Ants lay down an initial trail of pheromones as they
return to the nest with food.
A female gypsy moth may influence male moths few
kilometres away by producing a pheromone called
"disparlure".
Dogs and some other animals of dog family use urine to
mark the boundaries of their
territories.
TACTILE COMMUNICATION
Information transmitted in the form of physical contact
(touch signal) is called tactile communication.
Antennae of ants, termites and honeybees are involved in
this process
Eg. 1) Female primates often hold and frequently
cuddle their young. Helps in establishing a bond
2) Termites – blind workers totally
depend on his phenomenon.
www. nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep3.htm
http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/episode/2011/01/08/january
-8-2011/