As humans, we’re used to considering ourselves the master-race in pretty much everything from evolution to technology; but if we delve a little deeper into the lives of some of our planet-mates, in fact, we could perhaps learn a lot from our fine feathered, furred or finned friends. When it comes to communications strategies, we think we’re pretty clever really; what with some mind-boggling advances in technology which allow us to be in contact with virtually anyone, anywhere at anytime. Granted, it’s not too often you see a penguin with a pager, or a fox on Facebook, but animals have their own highly-evolved methods of communicating with each other, and some are stranger than others…

For the Birds

Have you ever wondered how that huge flock of birds flying overhead all suddenly swerve at the same time in exactly the same direction? How do they know in that split second to weave, turn or dart in a particular way? Much research has been done on the subject and there has been speculation about everything from ‘electromagnetic’ communications strategies through to some kind of eerie ‘thought transference’. However, it has been discovered that because of the way birds fly in such tight formations (often times in a ‘v’ pattern), even the slightest change in direction by just one member of the flock can result in a ‘ripple effect’ almost instantaneously. There are no leaders and the flock will respond to any member changing course, allowing for a greater ability to avoid predators or other dangers. This highly effective strategy spreads through the flock much more rapidly than can be explained by an individual’s reaction time. It has been dubbed by some observers as the ‘chorus line hypothesis’, likening it to the effect of dancers who can anticipate an approaching ‘high kick’ by actually being able to see it as it is coming their way.

Antennae – Satellite TV for Free?

In the weird and wonderful world of bugs and insects it seems that the stranger-looking the better! Some insects are so odd they almost seem like cartoon characters, and in our delight at their alien appearance it’s easy to forget that Mother Nature always has a master plan. When you’re a relative midget in a world of giants, effective communications strategies are essential for survival. Insects have highly evolved physical attributes which allow them to sense danger and attract mates; the most obvious of these is a good set of antennae. Insects do not have a well-developed sense of hearing so rely on their antennae to detect sound waves and amazingly, odours, from other creatures. Not only for detecting danger, antennae on animals such as butterflies have been found to be used for orientation, in relation to the sun.

Dolphins and Whales

For many years, dolphins have been accepted as one of Nature’s most intelligent creatures. Although stopping short of being able to talk to humans, dolphins certainly seem to be able to talk to each other. They have their own language and communications strategies based on a series of clicks, whistles and trills made by their unique blow-hole mechanism. Using this ‘echolocation’ system, dolphins are able to navigate murky waters and sense and warn others of impending dangers. They use a range of sound frequencies in their special language, with the higher frequencies being used for navigation and the lower for communication.

There are many more instances in the animal kingdom of communications strategies based on either the animals’ physical properties or their unique forms of body language. We continue to learn from these creatures and in fact, many of our own modern communications strategies are based on research gained in this fascinating field.

Author Bio: Jenny Kettlewell is the Marketing Manager for Multitone Systems, a leading telecommunications strategy company. Multitone has implemented custom, integrated communications strategies for businesses and organisations in the public and private sector for over 75 years.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: communications strategies