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If Animals Could Talk

Factual: Pets & Animals

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

08/09/2010

BBC Radio Scotland - If Animals Could Talk

Hermione Cockburn explores the noisy world of animal communication.

If animals could talk, what would they say? Hermione Cockburn explores the noisy world of animal communication to discover what the animals are saying to each other.

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If animals could talk, what would they say to each other? We know that animals communicate, think of birdsong, a dog barking or a dolphin whistling. Hermione Cockburn explores the noisy world of animal communication to try and discover what the animals are saying to each other.

It's 90 years since Hugh Lofting published The Story of Dr. Dolittle, a fictional character who could talk to the animals. However in reality we need science to help us work out the complexities of animal communication. From the simple and beautiful sounds of birdsong to the complex pyows and hacks of primates, we are starting to understand far better the exact meaning of the sounds we hear around us every day. As we learn more about animal communication we are also able to learn more about the evolution of human communication and consider when, or if, we humans may ever really be able to talk to the animals.

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