My concept "Umwelt transition" is mentioned in a news story from university of Tartu, "Research news: binge eating, sexually transmitted infections, zoosemiotics and rainfalls" which includes a description of Mirco Cerrone´s ph.d.:
Zoosemiotics helps to understand interspecies communication Interspecies communication is a hotly-debated topic in ever-expanding environments like cities, where it shapes the quotidian interactions of different animal agents, including humans. In a recently defended doctoral thesis, the interspecies communication taking place in hybrid environments was analysed semiotically, focusing on the interaction of humans and apes in zoological gardens and research laboratories. It was analysed through the lens of zoosemiotics, enabling the researcher to abandon an anthropocentric perspective and adopt that of other species. The umwelt model used in the research proves to be an inspiring and powerful tool that we can use to (partially) access the world of other organisms. In the thesis, the author develops the concept of "umwelt overlap", namely the idea that the umwelt should not merely be understood as a species-specific nor as an organism-specific model, but should rather be expanded to encompass areas of shared meanings. The thesis shows how interaction can lead to mutually intelligible languages that allow two different species to communicate. For instance, the acquisition and usage of new signs remarkably modify the semiotic environment of different animal species and is therefore linked to the concept of umwelt transition. The study also reveals that animals in captivity can shape institutional practices and other human-made sign systems, such as animal handling practices. The research proposes several practices to improve animal welfare in captivity.
Read more in the doctoral thesis.
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