News
Listen up, animals may be communicating with you
The Pointer
ataub878@uwsp.edu
When was the last time you translated a bark, a chirp or a meow? Probably never, but Christopher Yahnke can!
Although Yahnke is no Dr. Doolittle, he is the associate chair of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point biology department and he encompasses the expertise on animal sounds that allows him to understand the meaning behind the clicking of that chipmunk in your front yard.
Yahnke has volunteered to share his knowledge in a lecture series put on by the College of Letters and Science in a presentation titled, “Bioacoustics: the Nature of Animal Sounds.” You can listen to his lecture in room 321 of the Collins Classroom Center on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:00 p.m.
In his presentation, Yahnke will explain how different animals use sounds to protect territory, converse with other species, search for prey, locate food and procreate.
Audio clips from singing mice to mating frogs will be used to show the versatility of different acoustical properties in the communication of animals such as: elephants, bats, whales and howler monkeys.
Yahnke believes his lecture will spark wonder in his audience on the topic of communication among animals, and perhaps humans. He attests that what we perceive around us is not everything that is going on. His advice is to pay attention.
This lecture is one of the many new lecture series put on by the College of Letters and Science this year. These presentations are free to students and community members with varying topics from war propaganda to parental involvement in academics.
The enthusiasm behind the series came from the Associate Dean of the College of Letters and Science Charles Clark who is hoping it becomes an ongoing series for many years to come.
Clark’s motivation behind the series is to present an opportunity for the community to observe what the faculty at the College of Letters and Science are knowledgeable about. He encourages attendance from anyone looking to learn more about a mixture of disciplines.
