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BBE305: Animal Communication
Communication underpins all social behaviour. Research on animal signalling provides insights into sensory processes, decision making and the factors determining success or failure in the struggle to reproduce. By cracking the code of signal systems such as birdsong and the complex calls of monkeys, we gain a window into other minds, and so refine our understanding of those traits that are uniquely human. This unit reviews major current issues in the study of animal communication, taking a broadly integrative approach to cover evolution, development, function, and mechanism. No specific background is assumed; lectures are designed to be accessible to all students with sufficient prior study, although they particularly complement units in biology and psychology. Topics include: channels of communication; sensory systems; evolutionary origins; design features of language and communication systems; the problem of intentionality; manipulation; and deception.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| Contact Hours: | 3 |
| When Offered: | D1 - Day; Offered in the first half-year |
| Staff Contact(s): | Associate Professor Chris Evans, Dr Jennifer Clarke |
| Prerequisites: |
BBE200 or permission of Executive Dean of Faculty |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | BBE300 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Biological Sciences |
Timetable Information
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