March 1, 2024
Kershenbaum (zoology, Univ. of Cambridge; The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy) offers a guide to the wealth of research that has changed human perception and understanding of animal communication. His work allows readers to understand howls, songs, clicks, and grunts from the perspective of the animals who utter these sounds. Prepub Alert.
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May 1, 2024
Animals have much to say to each other--but also to us. Kershenbaum, a zoologist at Cambridge and the author of The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy, has been studying animal communication for decades, and he readily admits that he and his colleagues have only scratched the surface of the subject. In his latest book, the author brings us up to date on the current research, with examinations of the work being done with wolves, dolphins, parrots, gibbons, and chimpanzees. For decades, there was an assumption that only human communication was "real" language, but the new approach explores communication within the broader social and environmental context of animal communities. For example, wolf howls can be classified into categories such as territorial claims and warnings, although there is also an element of enjoyment for the animal. This type of communication is common across species, while some animals, such as gibbons, also sing as a way of social bonding. Most of dolphin communication remains a mystery, but it is clear that they have a wide vocabulary and signature whistles. Chimpanzees also appear to have a sense of individuality, and they have shown that they can develop complex language systems. Kershenbaum believes that his field is on the threshold of new breakthroughs, with AI systems offering unprecedented levels of analysis. The author avoids the trap of thinking that animal communication is somehow inferior to human communication simply because it is different. Studying it lets us move away from the rigid notion of human exceptionalism and toward a better understanding of the world. "There is really nothing to lose, except our perception of sitting on a throne at the pinnacle of creation," he concludes. "Which was always an illusion anyway." A dive into animal communication that is fascinating in its own right, but also revealing about humanity.
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June 3, 2024
In this rewarding study, Cambridge University zoologist Kershenbaum (The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy) examines the meaning behind howls, screeches, and other calls of the wild. He explains that wolf howls can be heard over 10 kilometers away and help pack members keep in touch with one another while alerting outsiders that they’re in another pack’s territory. Each dolphin develops its own “signature whistle” to identify itself to others, Kershenbaum writes, noting that dolphins get excited when they hear the whistle of another dolphin they haven’t seen in a long time. Recounting his own work with African gray parrots at a Canary Islands zoo, Kershenbaum describes how male rivals attempt to establish social dominance by copying and embellishing one another’s calls in a “kind of avian dueling banjos.” Elsewhere, Kershenbaum discusses how gibbon couples bond by rehearsing complex vocal duets, and how male hyraxes (rabbit-like mammals) signal their strength by “singing,” hoping to intimidate other males who may pose competition for mates. The captivating science highlights the complexity of animal calls, and Kershenbaum takes pains not to overstate the findings, stressing that humans are likely the only species capable of understanding grammar. Animal lovers will want to give this a spin. Photos.
Starred review from July 1, 2024
Zoologist Kershenbaum, author of the delightful The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy (2021), turns his eye to all of the sounds that animals make. Is it possible that all that screeching or howling means nothing at all? Are animals really so different from humans? Kershenbaum here presents a terrific overview of why and how nonhuman animals communicate. Focusing on vocal communication--which is the main way humans exchange information--the author delves into the lives of six animal species, guided by the idea that we must understand their societies in order to understand why they communicate and what they have to say. His close examinations of wolves, dolphins, parrots, hyraxes, gibbons, and chimpanzees reveal what these disparate species need to communicate and how they do it. After building his case that different habitats lead to different social structures with different communication needs, the author turns his eye to our own species and discusses why humans developed such a complex way to communicate: language. This informal look at the science behind what animals are saying to each other lets the reader experience other species' minds and dig into the science and study of communication.
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