Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Symbols are not uniquely human.

Sidarta Ribeiro1, Angelo Loula, Ivan de Araújo

  • 1International Institute of Neuroscience of Natal, Rua Professor Francisco Luciano de Oliveira, 2460, Bairro Candelária, 59066-060, Natal, RN, Brazil.

Bio Systems
|November 15, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Binarized neural networks converge toward algorithmic simplicity: empirical support for the learning-as-compression hypothesis.

Frontiers in computational neuroscience·2026
Same author

Differential brain response to a highly palatable drink in chronic low back pain patients.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same author

Temporal and nontemporal control in a midsession reversal task with variable intertrial intervals.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
Same author

Dream content and slow waves benefit prey against predator in a video game confrontation.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

It is time for more holistic practices in mental health.

PLOS mental health·2026
Same author

Chemical diversity, receptor binding affinity, and pharmacology of phytocannabinoids: Insights into neuronal mechanisms.

Progress in brain research·2025
Same journal

Ruliological Resilience: Pattern Restoration and Robustness in Wolfram Patterns. A Basis for Regeneration, Not Just in Cone Shells?

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

The quantum-to-classical transducer: A thermodynamic and quantum mechanical framework for the emergence of bioenergetics.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Forward-backward gene expression binarization for boolean state inference over a known regulatory network.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Partial-label metric ceilings for evaluating gene regulatory networks inferred from single-cell foundation models.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

The impedance mismatch theory: A non-equilibrium thermodynamic framework for a shared energetic stress pathway in neurodegeneration.

Bio Systems·2026
Same journal

Immune signal-status misclassification: A theoretical framework for biological status assignment and failed status resolution.

Bio Systems·2026
See all related articles

Vervet monkeys use vocal symbols, challenging the idea that symbols are uniquely human. Computer simulations reveal that learning symbolic alarm calls depends on tutor reliability and predator recognition accuracy.

Area of Science:

  • * Animal communication and behavior
  • * Cognitive science and semiotics
  • * Computational neuroscience

Background:

  • * Modern semiotics defines symbol-based communication, with recent debates on whether symbols are exclusively human.
  • * Alarm calls in species like vervet monkeys are candidates for symbolic communication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To determine if African vervet monkey alarm calls meet the semiotic definition of a symbol.
  • * To simulate the acquisition of vocal symbols in vervet monkeys using computational models.
  • * To identify factors influencing the learning of vocal symbols.

Main Methods:

  • * Semiotic analysis of vervet monkey alarm calls.
  • * Computer simulations modeling vocal symbol acquisition under varying learning conditions.

Related Experiment Videos

  • * Analysis of parameters such as tutor-predator ratio and error rates in interpretation and identification.

    • Main Results:

    • * Vervet monkey alarm calls satisfy the semiotic definition of symbols.
    • * Simulations showed that learning is robust to auditory interpretation errors (up to 80%) but sensitive to visual predator identification errors (10% failure).
    • * Tutor unreliability (5% deception) significantly disrupted symbol learning, leading to incorrect associations.

    Conclusions:

    • * Vocal symbols exist in non-human species, specifically African vervet monkeys.
    • * Symbolic competence arises from basic associative learning mechanisms under specific conditions (self-generated, arbitrary, socially effective stimuli).
    • * Human language features like syntax may evolve from more complex neural association domains.