Cries & Whispers: The Possibility of Vocal Control in Monkeys and Apes

Presenter: Dr. Sofia Bernstein

Ethological studies do not generally acknowledge the semiotic capabilities of nonhuman animals or attempt to analyze the Umwelten of other species; this creates a human-centric bias in our interpretations of animal cognition and behavior. There is a need for a philosophical shift away from the stimulus-response model towards a framework where semiotic theory is applied to empirical data from the field. A recent study conducted by Dr. Bernstein and Baranna Baker applied biosemiotic methods and analyses to the results from gibbon vocal learning studies and Tibetan macaque control of vocal signal output based on audience proximity. Results suggest that signalers may be adjusting signal output, and that there is a complex cost-benefit tradeoff individuals have to navigate when they produce a mating signal. A biosemiotic approach reveals cognitive complexity and a species’ ability to recognize their and others’ agency, and ultimately enriches our understandings of the seemingly intangible inner worlds of other animals.

Bio: Dr. Bernstein is a bioacoustician and sound artist, and their work focuses on the evolution of language and acoustic signals, communicative complexity, animal welfare science, and using noninvasive acoustic markers to monitor health. They mostly focus on the Macaca genus and small bodied apes (e.g., gibbons), but also have experience with a variety of New World and Old World monkey species. Currently they are working on exploring the semiotic capabilities of nonhuman primates through John Deely’s framework of biosemiotics. At night (mostly), they perform as a noise musician and performance artist in the experimental and avant-garde scene, and they founded and help manage an experimental audiovisual collective that showcases underserved Houston experimental and electronic artists (BIPOC, femme, gender expansive, and LGBTQIA+ artists).