Sacha Vignieri

2 weeks ago | science.org | Adrian A. Davin |Rob Cooke |Zepeng Fang |Sacha Vignieri

Animal Communication Closer than we thoughtSacha VignieriWild bonobos extensively use complex vocal utterances, not unlike how humans combine elements in speech. One hallmark of human language is the combination of elements into larger meaningful structures, a pattern referred to as compositionality. Compositionality can be trivial, in which the two parts are added together to give meaning, or nontrivial, in which the meaning in one part modifies the meaning in the other.

2 weeks ago | science.org | Adrian A. Davin |Rob Cooke |Zepeng Fang |Sacha Vignieri

Camouflage Hiding in plain sightSacha VignieriBroadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) mimic the shapes and coloration of leaves and coral to sneak up on prey. Cuttlefish are known for their amazing ability to produce color and texture patterns on their skin using muscularly controlled chromatophores and papillae. These animals have been shown to use this control flexibly across a wide array of conditions to hide or mimic. How et al.

1 month ago | science.org | Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez |Jennifer Hill |Zijian Zhang |Sacha Vignieri

Conservation A patchwork won’t workSacha VignieriHuman activity adjacent to protected areas like the Central Suriname Nature Preserve still has negative effects on sensitive species within. PHOTO: ARIADNE VAN ZANDBERGEN/ALAMY STOCK PHOTOOpen in viewerContinued human population growth has led to biodiversity loss. Our response to this problem has been to establish specific protected areas.

2 months ago | science.org | Shixin Ma |Léa Meneu |Hongbo Liu |Ian S. Osborne |Michael Funk |Madeleine Seale | +11 more

Topological Optics Viewing topology in higher dimensionsIan S. OsborneArtistic depiction of a four-dimensional regular lattice that forms a quasicrystalline pattern with fivefold symmetry when projected in two dimensions. The symmetry and topology of physical systems are closely related to the symmetries governing the topological properties. Quasicrystals are ordered systems but have no translation or rotational symmetries.

Jan 23, 2025 | science.org | Sacha Vignieri |Sarah Ross |Ian S. Osborne |Di Jiang

Cognition “More” “Food”Sacha VignieriDogs, like Bunny here, may use soundboards deliberately, not just to mimic their owners. PHOTOS: RUTH FREMSON/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUXOpen in viewerFor decades, researchers have been exploring the ability of nonhuman animals to learn to communicate in human ways. Although research continues across species, augmented interspecies communication devices (i.e., button soundboards) have proliferated among animal owners, especially those with dogs. Bastos et al.