Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorEngesser, Sabrina
dc.contributor.authorRidley, Amanda R
dc.contributor.authorTownsend, Simon W
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T07:15:55Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T07:15:55Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractHuman language is syntactic in its nature: meaningful words are assembled into larger meaningful phrases or sentences. How unique this ability is to humans remains surprisingly unclear. A considerable body of work has indicated that birds are capable of combining sounds into large, elaborate songs, but there is currently no evidence suggesting that these structures are syntactic. Here, we provide important evidence for this ability in a highly social bird. Specifically, pied babblers combine two functionally distinct vocalizations into a larger sequence, the function of which is related to the function of its parts. Our work adds important evidence to the variation and distribution of combinatorial vocal mechanisms outside humans and provides insights into potentially early forms of human syntactic communication.
dc.identifier.apacitationEngesser, S., Ridley, A. R., & Townsend, S. W. (2016). Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler. <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America</i>, 113(21), 5976 - 5981. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34721en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationEngesser, Sabrina, Amanda R Ridley, and Simon W Townsend "Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler." <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America</i> 113, 21. (2016): 5976 - 5981. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34721en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationEngesser, S., Ridley, A.R. & Townsend, S.W. 2016. Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler. <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.</i> 113(21):5976 - 5981. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34721en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0027-8424
dc.identifier.issn0744-2831
dc.identifier.issn1091-6490
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Engesser, Sabrina AU - Ridley, Amanda R AU - Townsend, Simon W AB - Human language is syntactic in its nature: meaningful words are assembled into larger meaningful phrases or sentences. How unique this ability is to humans remains surprisingly unclear. A considerable body of work has indicated that birds are capable of combining sounds into large, elaborate songs, but there is currently no evidence suggesting that these structures are syntactic. Here, we provide important evidence for this ability in a highly social bird. Specifically, pied babblers combine two functionally distinct vocalizations into a larger sequence, the function of which is related to the function of its parts. Our work adds important evidence to the variation and distribution of combinatorial vocal mechanisms outside humans and provides insights into potentially early forms of human syntactic communication. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 21 J1 - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2016 SM - 0027-8424 SM - 0744-2831 SM - 1091-6490 T1 - Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler TI - Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34721 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/34721
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationEngesser S, Ridley AR, Townsend SW. Meaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2016;113(21):5976 - 5981. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34721.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentFitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.sourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
dc.source.journalissue21
dc.source.journalvolume113
dc.source.pagination5976 - 5981
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1600970113
dc.subject.othercall combination
dc.subject.othercompositionality
dc.subject.otherlanguage evolution
dc.subject.othersouthern pied babbler
dc.subject.othersyntax
dc.subject.otherAnimals
dc.subject.otherPasseriformes
dc.subject.otherVocalization, Animal
dc.titleMeaningful call combinations and compositional processing in the southern pied babbler
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearch
uct.type.resourceJournal Article
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
EngesserSabrina_Meaningful_call_2016.pdf
Size:
863.85 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Journal Articles