In fairy tales, animals and plants communicate in human language. Of course, this is impossible in life, but this does not mean that nature is silent. We tell you what code language hares use, how beeches express solidarity, and why scientists are skeptical about biosemiotics.
Zoosemiotics was born in the mid-70s, it owes its appearance to the research of zoologists, ethologists, biologists, linguists and philosophers, who relied on the works of the German biologist Jacob von Uexkul. In his opinion, all living beings live and develop in their own environments, in which there are systems of signs for interacting with the outside world. Let’s look at examples.
Hares vs foxes and dogs
So, zoosemiotics studies the ways in which animals interact with each other, with other species, and in general with the environment.
Thus, for ethologist Anthony Holly, there is no doubt that animals communicate with each other using signs. 5000 hours of observation of hares and foxes provided him with compelling evidence. Hares can easily escape from a fox if they notice it in time. When they see a stalking predator, they do not run away, but willingly reveal themselves without hiding. After which the fox usually does not pursue them. What is going on? According to Holly, foxes know that hares run faster, and if they have already been discovered, there is no chance of catching up with the victim. Hares know the awareness of foxes, so they show themselves by explaining to the predator that he has been discovered. With the help of such a dialogue, animals avoid useless pursuit.
Now, if the hare understands that a dog has attacked his trail, he runs away with all the agility he is capable of. The hare knows that the dog, if desired, can catch up with him.
Can plants talk?
In Africa, there is a breed of acacias that, when giraffes approach, immediately poison their leaves and release ethylene, warning neighboring trees of danger. Giraffes know this, so they choose between two tactics: look for other food, or use the opposite wind direction to quickly pounce on the yet “unwarned” acacias.
The German scientist and writer Peter Wolleben describes the amazing property of beeches. When one of the trees in a beech forest weakens (poor soil, disease), its “relatives” feed it with carbohydrates through a cunningly woven joint root system. This behavior means that they have coordination or cooperation to grow together. According to the scientist, trees can communicate, they have several ways of expressing themselves, including sounds. Their roots are the equivalent of the brain. They also have a memory that allows them to shed their leaves every year.
What does science think?
Despite the creation in 2005 of the International Society for Biosemiotic Research, this discipline still causes skepticism among scientists, they see it as a philosophy rather than an empirical scientific movement.
Obviously, communication methods in bacteria and mammals cannot be the same; in plants and animals they are also different. This does not prevent the supporters of biosemiotics from continuing their research and proving that all life on Earth communicates using signs and signals. If for biologists evolution and biodiversity are the result of natural selection, then for them it is the result of mutual influence, communication with the help of special signs.