Other Animals

Crucial features of language

Referential, intentional, combinatorial and creative

Referential vervet monkey call system

Make different calls based on the location & type of predator. Not sure if deliberate but make calls & others respond appropriately

Intentionality behind visual signals & vocal production

Social use, sensitivity & manipulation of attentional state of recipient, audience checking & gaze alteration, persistence of elaboration

Social use

Signal directed @a receipient: presense/absence audience effect, composition & behaviour of audience

Presence/absence audience effect

Signal is only produced in the presence of a recipient

Composition of audience

Signal is only produced in the presence of certain recipients (kin, dominants, friends)

Behaviour of audience

Signal production is contingent on the behaviour of the recipient

Sensitivity to attentional state of recipient

Visual signals only produced in visual field of recipient: if signaller does not have recipients visual attention, auditory/tactile signals should be produced instead

Manipulation of attentional state ofrecipient

Attention-getting behaviours are directed towards recipient who is not visually attending to the signaller before producing visual signal

Audience checking & gaze alteration

Signaller monitors the audience & visually orients towards recipient before producing a signal if 3rd entity involved: gaze alteration occurs between recipients entity

Persistence or elaboration

Goal directed signalling shown by repetition of the same signal or production of different signals until desired goal is met

Intentionality only applicable to visual signals

Sensitivity & manipulation of attentional state of recipient

Intentionality in chimpanzees gestures

Gestures have specific meanings (same gesture be used for multiple meanings) stop gesturing when intended effect achieved