animal communication

New insights into the functionality of nonhuman sound may help us conserve nature and protect ourselves from excessive noise.

Sounds made by more than 50 vertebrates previously thought to be mute push back the origin of this type of communication by at least 100 million years, a study finds.

The land’s first known singer may have sounded like a raspier version of today’s familiar insect fiddlers.

In a chapter entitled “Predators, Silence, Wings,” author David George Haskell explores the soundscapes of bygone eras of animal communication.

A study finds that the odorless compound hexadecanal, or HEX, increases aggressive behavior in women but has a calming effect on men.

A study of feeding behavior suggests the fish feed differently in front of their partners—a behavioral feature also found in primates.

By studying the vocal behavior of 20 baby bats from birth to weaning, researchers have identified striking similarities between how young humans and bats develop communication skills.

Chirp dialects appear to be enforced by the colony’s queen, but scientists aren’t sure how. 

Their ability to distinguish between individuals is strong evidence for fast mapping, a learning tool generally thought to belong only to humans.

Melanism in felines is both helpful and harmful.

Eastern gray squirrels appear to ease up on vigilance behavior when the birds sound calm.

A newfound family of metabolites emits green light in response to the blue light of the deep ocean, causing certain sharks to glow.

Changes in the auditory environment as a result of herbivory could influence how animals communicate, and may have implications for sound-based monitoring of species.

Eight environmental groups took the legal measure in an effort to protect North Atlantic right whales and other marine organisms.

A study of 13 starfish species reveals that even animals that live at depths where sunlight doesn’t reach have functioning eyes.

Diverse species are said to sing, but music is in the ear of the beholder.

Birdsong bears a striking resemblance to human music, but it’s not yet clear that birds interpret it that way.

Some bat vocalizations resemble bird songs, though at higher frequencies, and as researchers unveil the behaviors’ neural underpinnings, the similarities may run even deeper.

Mice and rats produce ultrasonic signals to attract mates.