Human communication was revolutionized with the origin of speech approximately 500,000 BCE. Symbols were developed about 30,000 years ago. The imperfection of speech, which nonetheless allowed easier dissemination of ideas and eventually resulted in the creation of new forms of communications, improving both the range at which people could communicate and the longevity of the information. All of those inventions were based on the key concept of the symbol.
This week’s theme for Lens artists photo challenge: communication is quite interesting and thus I spend more time in reading about it than creating my own post.

The ability to communicate effectively with other individuals plays a critical role in the lives of all animals. Whether we are examining how moths attract a mate, ground squirrels convey information about nearby predators, or chimpanzees maintain positions in a dominance hierarchy, communication systems are involved.
Studying communication not only gives us insight into the inner worlds of animals, but also allows us to better answer important evolutionary questions. A thorough understanding of animal communication systems can also be critical for making effective decisions about conservation of threatened and endangered species. As an example, recent research has focused on understanding how human-generated noise (from cars, trains, etc) can impact communication in a variety of animals.
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.~ C.S. Lewis
References:
- History of communication
- 100 år gamle tegninger er fortsatt viktige verktøy for havforskere
- An Introduction to Animal Communication
Hope you enjoy the post.