Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA04439 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 19 Jan 2001 12:47:29 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745BEB@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Now They're Singing a Different Song Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 12:40:11 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
This does depend on whether one sees bird-song as memetic though.
Some birds, e.g. cuckoos or cow birds, have their songs hard wired- they'd
have to otherwise they'd never be able to recognise another cuckoo after
they've left the nest. Others have very varied songs- there's that one that
attracts a mate by imitating lots of other animal noises (and alos copies
the sound of chainsaws of logging companies!) but I forget what that one's
called.
That some species have variances between individuals, and geographical
varied communities sing different songs, doesn't have to be cultural. Song,
is undoubtedly a major factor in many birds' reproductive potential, which
suggests to me that there's a strong genetic leash in there somewhere.
What needs to be shown, for a memetic component, is that variances in songs
between the varied communitites, is a product of imitation (or learning)
rather than inheritance or environment.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Robin Faichney
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 10:04 am
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Now They're Singing a Different Song
>
> On Thu, Jan 18, 2001 at 11:25:39PM -0500, Aaron Agassi wrote:
> > Yes, but does this help to explain any Memetic equivalent?
>
> The question begged by it, to my mind, is whether speciation can be
> meme-driven. On the face of it, it would seem so.
>
> --
> Robin Faichney
> robin@reborntechnology.co.uk
>
> ===============================================================
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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