Text on the evolutionary origin of Umwelt featured in Middlesex University Reading group session

My brief commentary article "The Evolutionary Origin(s) of the Umwelt. Biosemiotics" is included in this Spring´s readings for the reading group “Signs in Nature” at Middlesex University, along with Jablonka and Ginsburg´s Target article "Learning and the Evolution of Conscious Agents". This will happen in the session "Consciousness and Umwelt", which takes place Friday April 19th online.

#41,5

Today I have had a writing day, no. 41,5 this Spring, with my article "The study of past Umwelten" proof-read, and a couple of things added to our article on Arne Næss and his view on economics. I also pondered upon two new article ideas, one on "The wolf Umwelt" and another one on extraterrestrial Umwelten (astrobiology).

Commentary "The evolutionary origin(s) of the Umwelt" published online

A few days ago my commentary article "The evolutionary origin(s) of the Umwelt" was published online in Biosemiotics. This is a commentary to Eva Jablonka & Simona Ginsburg´s Target article "Learning and the evolution of conscious agents".

Reference:

Tønnessen, Morten 2022. The evolutionary origin(s) of the Umwelt. Commentary. Biosemiotics. Published online November 3rd 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-022-09506-7 

Jablonka and Ginsburg commentary accepted for publication

My Commentary article "The evolutionary origin(s) of the Umwelt" has been accepted for publication in Biosemiotics.

#9

Over the two last days, Wednesday and Thursday, I have had half an article day, devoted to finishing my Commentary article "The evolutionary origin(s) of the Umwelt" - a commentary on Eva Jablonka and Simona Ginsburg´s Target article in Biosemiotics, "Learning and the Evolution of Conscious Agents", with some 900 words written. Number of writing days this Autumn is up to 9.

NASS XII presentation in Vilnius scheduled for Saturday November 6th

I have been scheduled to present my paper "Neurosemiotics Across Species" on Saturday November 6th at 18.00-18.30 as part of the parallell session (number 8.1) "Umwelt", at the conference NASS XII, the 12th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), to be held at the Algirdas Julius Greimas Centre for Semiotics and Literary Theory, Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania (November 5-7).

See also conference homepage and conference program.

Abstract for 20th gathering in Biosemiotics (Olomouc): "Introducing a Three-Dimensional Interactive Semiotic Model of Environmental Change"

I have just submitted my paper abstract for the 20th gathering in biosemiotics, to be held in Olomouc, the Czech Republic, this July.

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"Introducing a Three-Dimensional Interactive Semiotic Model of Environmental Change"

In this paper I present a three-dimensional interactive semiotic model of environmental change which incorporates some elements from my previous work and introduces new, related elements. The paper draws directly on work from my recently published article “What can be known about future Umwelten?” (Tønnessen 2019).  

This model is interactive because it demonstrates the constant interplay between different forms of causation and signals. It is three-dimensional because it takes three dimensions of living nature into consideration (see Table 1 below; taken from Tønnessen 2019: 419), namely the Innenwelt, the Umwelt and the Umgebung of a creature endowed with an Umwelt (typically an animal, a human being or a microorganism) (von Uexküll 1921). By applying a subjective perspective focused on the inner world (Innenwelt) and outer world (Umwelt) of animals and humans, and the subjective worlds´ relation to relevant aspects of the physical environment (Umgebung), the model builds directly on von Uexküll´s Umwelt theory.

The organism relates to its physical environment in two fundamentally different ways, namely by way of signification and by way of efficient causation, and it is thus involved in both semiotic and physio-chemical processes, with the former being endosemiotic in the Innenwelt and exosemiotic in the Umwelt.

The complex interplay between the three dimensions of living nature is illustrated in Figure 3 below (taken from Tønnessen 2019: 420). The interplay between the various dimensions involve environmental signals (originating from the Umgebung) which triggers Umwelt signals (originating from the Umwelt) which triggers Innenwelt signals (originating from the Innenwelt) which in turn triggers action and thus semiotic causation, or in other words “the bringing about of changes [in the Umgebung] under the guidance of interpretation” (Hoffmeyer 2008: 149).     

The change from one interplay cycle to another can be understood as an Umwelt transition, and seen in context, several Umwelt transitions can be understood as constituting an Umwelt trajectory. Change from one interplay cycle to another also constitutes an Innenwelt transition, and seen in context, several Innenwelt transitions constitute an Innenwelt trajectory: i.e., the course through time taken by the Innenwelt of a creature as defined by its changing relation to itself and its own body.

As we see in this complex, dynamic model of environmental change, changes in, e.g., identity, experience, and the physical environment are interrelated, and change in one dimension can be triggered by changes in the other two dimensions. While the physical environment is constantly affected by living creatures (via semiotic causation), it also changes irrespective of the actions of Umwelt creatures—via efficient causation. This in turn affects environmental signals that again, in ever new cycles, trigger new Umwelt signals, which trigger new Innenwelt signals, which trigger new actions and thus new forms of semiotic causation, and so on.   

References 

Hoffmeyer, Jesper 2008. Semiotic Scaffolding of living systems. In Marcello Barbieri (ed.), Introduction to Biosemiotics: The New Biological Synthesis (Dordrecht: Springer), 149–166.  

Tønnessen, Morten 2019. What can be known about future Umwelten? The American Journal of Semiotics 35(3-4): 401–429. DOI: 10.5840/ajs202012359 

von Uexküll, Jakob 1921. Umwelt und Innenwelt der Tiere (2nd edition). Berlin: Verlag von Julius Springer.

"Current Human Ecology in the Amazon and beyond: a Multi-Scale Ecosemiotic Approach" published online; reference

My article "Current Human Ecology in the Amazon and beyond: a Multi-Scale Ecosemiotic Approach" was published online (Open Access) in Biosemiotics yesterday.

Reference:

Tønnessen, Morten 2020. Current human ecology in the Amazon and beyond: A multi-scale ecosemiotic approach. Biosemiotics. Published online February 19th 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s12304-020-09379-8. 

The article includes these tables and figure (see also Figure 1 below):

• Figure 1 A house in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve
• Table 1 Adjacent levels of study in general semiotics and ecosemiotics
• Table 2 Adjacent levels of study in ecosemiotics with regard to related aspect of Umwelt
• Table 3 Various scales in the context of global human ecology
• Table 4 Types of semiosis involved in alternative scales in human ecology
  
• Table 5 Scale of global human ecology from personal point of view applied to the Mamirauá case

Umwelt futurology paper accepted for presentation at World congress of semiotics, Buenes Aires

I have been notified that my abstract for the 14th world congress of semiotics, to be held in Buenes Aires in September, has been approved for oral presentation. My paper is titled "Umwelt futurology - What can be known about future Umwelten?"

Predation paper given at MAC4

Today I presented my paper "The semiotics of predation and the Umwelten of large predators" in the session "Considering wildlife I" at the 4th international Minding Animals Conference, held in Mexico City. Some 12 people were present.

Full reference for Umwelt review article

Here is the full reference for our review article on the term "Umwelt", published this Spring:

Tønnessen, Morten, Riin Magnus and Carlo Brentari 2016. The Biosemiotic Glossary Project: Umwelt. Biosemiotics 9(1): 129–149. Published online March 15th 2016 (doi: DOI 10.1007/s12304-016-9255-6), with Appendix (Supplementary Material available online).

Uexküll intro chapter available online

My 2015 chapter "Introduction: The relevance of Uexküll's Umwelt theory today", the introductory chapter of Carlo Brentari´s book Jakob von Uexküll: The Discovery of the Umwelt Between Biosemiotics and Theoretical Biology (Biosemiotics 9, Springer 2015) is available for download (given subscription) or purchase online, here. DOI is 10.1007/978-94-017-9688-0_1). The first page is available as a sample.

According to "chapter metrics" (Bookmetrix) it has been downloaded 219 times to date.

"The biosemiotic glossary project: Umwelt" published online

Our review article "The biosemiotic glossary project: Umwelt", which is 21 pp. plus a 6 pp Appendix, has been published online. Reference:

Tønnessen, Morten; Carlo Brentari and Riin Magnus. The Biosemiotic Glossary Project: Umwelt. Published online March 15th 2016 (doi: DOI 10.1007/s12304-016-9255-6), with Appendix (Supplementary Material available online).

It will appear in print very soon, in Biosemiotics 9(1), April 2016.

Proof queries for Umwelt review article

Today I have responded to 17 proof queries to our article "The biosemiotic glossary project: Umwelt", to appear in Biosemiotics.

Umwelt review article accepted for publication

I have just been informed that the article "The biosemiotic glossary project: Umwelt", which I have co-written with Riin Magnus and Carlo Brentari, has been accepted for publication in Biosemiotics. The review article will appear in #1/2016 (April).

Umwelt review article revised

Some days ago I finished revising the review article "The biosemiotic glossary project: Umwelt", along with Riin Magnus and Carlo Brentari. Particularly, discussion of methodology was added.

Chapter "The semiotics of predation and the Umwelten of large predators" revised

Today I finished revising my forthcoming book chapter «The semiotics of predation and the Umwelten of large predators», based on editorial feedback. At 14-15.000 words, this will be one of the longest pieces I´ve published.

See also:
Large predators chapter completed

New book title for collective monograph

The collective monograph so far work-titled Semiotic methods in the study of human-animal interactions (forthcoming, Tartu University Press - see previous posts) has been renamed Animal Umwelts in a changing world - Semiotic studies of human-animal relations.

Umwelt review article submitted

Today I have submitted "The biosemiotic glossary project: Umwelt" to Biosemiotics, on behalf of Riin Magnus, Carlo Brentari and myself, after we finished editing/revising it.

Google Scholar stats

According to Google Scholar (see my profile), my articles have altogether been cited 88 times. By now 2015 is the year I have achieved the highest number of citations, 27 (vs. 21 in 2011, many of which were self-citations). 

I currently have an h index of 5 (meaning that 5 - or 6, really - of my articles have been cited at least 5 times), and an i10 index of 2 (meaning that 2 of my articles have been cited at least 10 times).

My most cited articles to date are listed below.

A exact search on my name in Google Scholar (with quotation marks) currently returns 231 hits.