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## Citation

Ristau, Carolyn A. (2024) Précis of: "Birds, Bats and Minds: Tales of a Revolutionary Scientist, Donald R. Griffin". Animal Sentience 35(1)

## Author Website

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolyn_Ristau/info

## Abstract

Donald Griffin co-discovered bat sonar and founded the field of echolocation. He studied bird migration and founded Cognitive Ethology, the study of animal awareness and mental experiences. In all these endeavors, he faced hostile opposition. The biography (Ristau 2024) examines Griffin's life and the scientific explorations by him and others in these fields. This Précis emphasizes his arguments and supporting evidence for animal consciousness as well as his later research. Griffin considered the inhibiting assumptions made by scientists, including Cartesian views, the misunderstanding of innate behaviors, prejudice against lower animals, concern with violations of parsimony, and the assertions of the philosopher Thomas Nagel about “inaccessible” science. Griffin proposed ways to gather evidence supporting animal consciousness: (1) neural correlates of consciousness, (2) the versatility of animal behavior in meeting novel challenges and (3) animal communication, which Griffin considered a potential “window” on animal minds. He pondered what is a truly neutral hypothesis about animal mental experience? What is it like to be a particular animal? and how can we gather evidence to answer that question?

## Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

## Author Biography

Carolyn A. Ristau is a cognitive ethologist whose research includes field studies of cognition and communication in primates and plovers as well as work in human conflicts, community development, and conservation, predominantly in Africa. She has just completed a biography of Donald R. Griffin, founder of Cognitive Ethology, Birds, Bats and Minds: Tales of a Revolutionary Scientist, Donald R. Griffin. Website

## DOI

10.51291/2377-7478.1828

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Since October 21, 2024

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Animal Studies Commons, Comparative Psychology Commons, Evolution Commons, Philosophy of Mind Commons, Zoology Commons

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### Article Thread

Ristau, Carolyn A. (2024) Précis of: "Birds, Bats and Minds: Tales of a Revolutionary Scientist, Donald R. Griffin". Animal Sentience 35(1)

Foster, Charles (2024) Donald Griffin: A visionary in science and consciousness. Animal Sentience 35(2)

Gluck, John (2024) Donald Griffin, sentience, and animal research ethics. Animal Sentience 35(3)

Horowitz, Alexandra (2024) Attempting to answer the question of animal awareness. Animal Sentience 35(4)

Wiley, R. Haven (2024) Communication in noise is the window on cognition. Animal Sentience 35(5)

Simmons, James A (2024) What do echolocating bats perceive?. Animal Sentience 35(6)

Grinde, Bjørn (2024) To be conscious or not to be. Animal Sentience 35(7)

Nagel, Thomas (2024) Objective bat phenomenology. Animal Sentience 35(8)

Arluke, Arnold (2024) Cognitive ethology, Animals and Society, and the American Sociological Association. Animal Sentience 35(9)

Fenton, Brock (2024) Donald Griffin: A visionary in science and consciousness. Animal Sentience 35(10)

Jones, Gareth (2024) Beyond human perception: the remarkable science of Donald R. Griffin. Animal Sentience 35(11)

Gutfreund, Yoram (2024) Can animal consciousness be resolved scientifically?. Animal Sentience 35(12)

Wordsworth, Anne, she/her (2024) What is it like to be a cognitive ethologist?. Animal Sentience 35(13)

Turnbull, Oliver H (2024) What is it like to be a diplomat? Reflections on Donald Griffin and emotion. Animal Sentience 35(14)

Andrews, Kristin (2024) Griffin's slow burn revolution in philosophy and comparative cognition. Animal Sentience 35(15)

Burghardt, Gordon M (2024) Don Griffin and the early days of cognitive ethology. Animal Sentience 35(16)

D'Silva, Joyce M, Mrs (2024) Other perspectives on animals, their sentience and cognition. Animal Sentience 35(17)

Waldau, Paul (2025) Donald Griffin, Scientific Revolutions, and Reclaiming Humanity’s Place in the Living World. Animal Sentience 35(18)

Veit, Walter (2025) Donald Griffin, cognitive ethology, and animal life histories. Animal Sentience 35(19)