Peter Marler (1928–2014) Pioneering Interpreter of Animal Language

COMMENT OBITUARY Peter Marler (1928–2014) Pioneering interpreter of animal language.

hite-crowned sparrows to Japan to study macaques. Marler sing in distinct dialects himself spent time studying colobus in different parts of Cali- monkeys in Uganda and then, with Wfornia. African vervet monkeys use primatologist Jane Goodall, the social various alarm calls to signal different behaviour of chimpanzees in Tanza- dangers, such as snakes, mammalian nia. He had hoped to glean insights predators or birds of prey. Peter Robert on human language. He learned much Marler chronicled these phenomena about the signals that chimpanzees to establish ideas about how animals use, but felt that human language communicate. He hoped to find clues remained in its own class.

about the biology of human language. Marler astutely realized that if he OF ROCKEFELLER ARCHIVE CENTER COURTESY How does language acquisition blend shifted his focus from language to innate knowledge and learning? vocal learning, then birds had much Marler, who died on 5 July, first to offer. Early on, he noticed that became interested in animal sounds songbirds were picky about what as a doctoral student in botany at sounds they imitated, and that choice University College London. Survey- often occurred during the first year ing potential nature reserves in Scot- of life. Moreover, the stages of vocal land, UK, he noticed that the song of learning were set. This explained why the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs changed from I was enthralled when I first heard Marler the dialects of his chaffinches disappeared valley to valley. This led to a second PhD, in lecture at Berkeley. Here was a young Charles when the young birds were reared away from zoology from the University of Cambridge, Darwin building a rational edifice to under- wild-type models. Moreover, the what, when UK, in 1954, for which he described the stand how animals communicate. The goal and how of vocal learning were directed, as if complete vocal repertoire of this songbird, was to discover how much of this process by an innate schoolteacher. Marler suggested revealing that different chaffinch calls sig- was instinctual, how much was learned and that this interlocking of nature and nurture nalled different dangers. The observation how had it all evolved. acted as an ‘instinct to learn’. was unprecedented. Marler was superb at designing laboratory This important insight was an alternative Born in 1928 in Slough, near London, and field experiments. He used the latest to the learning by trial and reward favoured Marler left England in 1957 to join the fac- techniques to record, analyse and play back by comparative psychologists. When it ulty of the University of California, Berkeley. sounds so that observers and instruments came to learning language, Marler felt that It was the heyday of ethology, the study of the participated in ‘conversations’ with animals. humans were more like his songbirds than behaviour of animals in their natural settings. After quantifying animals’ responses, Marler like Skinner’s rats — a conclusion that had Pioneered in Europe by Konrad Lorenz, would write his report, and there emerged repercussions. If language acquisition, so Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch, his signature style. Taken together, he would central to our manner of thinking, is ruled by ethology differed from work of comparative say, “the observations suggested” some inter- biological predisposition, what does this tell psychologists in the United States such as pretation. It was his way of inviting readers us about the nature of human knowledge? B. F. Skinner, who preferred to study animals and colleagues to join him in his exploration. Is it as idiosyncratic as the dialect of a chaf- — mostly rats and pigeons — in simplified No ringing truth, no strident dogma — it finch? At a time when much of the buzz in laboratory settings. Whereas the psycholo- left him ample room to lead with ideas and biology was molecular, Marler was one of the gists sought universal rules of learning that observations while keeping the intellectual few philosophers of nature. applied to all animals, ethologists sought to framework flexible. Peter was a gentleman. He adored his wife understand animals’ adaptations. Marler moved from Berkeley to Rockefel- Judith and their three children. For many Marler, a field biologist, taught his ler University in New York in 1966, and in years, she ran the encampments where Peter students to imagine the challenges faced by 1972 became the first director of the univer- and his students went to collect nesting song- wild animals, the resources and threats they sity’s Center for Field Research in Ecology birds, and she established home nurseries for encountered, the bonds they had to build, and Ethology in Millbrook, north of Man- hand-rearing the young. Peter and Judith and the information they sought and con- hattan. In this unique facility, he fostered the were extraordinarily gracious hosts. They veyed. He challenged us to identify what sig- integration of field and laboratory work. In loved good food, good booze, good conver- nals they used in which contexts, and what 1989, he moved his laboratory to the Univer- sation and a good party. It was the good luck responses they elicited. The song of a territo- sity of California, Davis, where he worked as of Marler’s students to be part of that world. ■ rial chaffinch was a loud and ringing threat a professor until retiring in 1994. to rivals, but when the same male courted a Marler encouraged his students to study Fernando Nottebohm is professor of female at close quarters, his voice morphed any species that took their fancy: birds, flies, animal behaviour at Rockefeller University into a jumble of soft sounds reminiscent of tarantulas, lizards, electric fish, bats, ceta- in New York, USA. He earned his PhD under the sweet talk of lovers. Notice these things, ceans, gerbils and wolves, among others. Peter Marler at the University of California, Marler taught us, but be careful with the Students went to Kenya to study vervet mon- Berkeley, in the 1960s. inferences you draw. keys, to Borneo to study orang-utans, and e-mail: [email protected]