Animals communicate through many different modalities: chickens give alarm calls, elephants feel vibrations in the ground, bats echolocate, dogs smell urine, bonobos gesture, and dolphins pec touch. But what does it mean to communicate, and what it is like to communicate when you have a very different set of sensory systems and live in a very different social and physical environment from ours? That is, what is it like to be a communicating dolphin? 

Theoretical focus is on theories of the nature of communication, the differences between human language and communication, theories of the evolution of communication. Methodological focus is on approaches to conducting comparative field research and data collection techniques.

Students will enjoy a full day of scheduled activities, starting with breakfast and early morning data collection, late morning lectures, lunch, afternoon data collection and activities, late afternoon lectures, dinner and evening lectures or activities. Activities include a snorkel boat trip, night snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, kayaking and stand up paddleboarding. Evening lectures on fish identification, sea turtle conservation, night-time adaptations of the reef, dolphin training, and more will be given by staff from the Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences. 

There will be one course meeting at York University prior to travelling to Honduras, and one course meeting upon return. 

Cross-listed as GS/PHIL 5600. Graduate students in Philosophy are welcome to apply.

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