Postscript # 111 to the "Lanzarote" paper (06/20/98)
THE EMERGENCE OF UNIVERSAL MESSAGES IN
"RHYTHM BASED COMMUNICATION" (RBC)

The following messages now appear to be identical for some marine mammals, terrestrial mammals and seabirds. 

  1. Synchronization: Establishing the "On Time" concept of a demonstrated rhythm. Synchronization literally means "happening at the same time," that is, when transmitted and received signals are intentionally simultaneous.
  2. A greeting or "passkey": "Off Time - Off Time - On Time," (where "Off Time" is a 180 degree phase shifted signal).  "Off Time" is symmetrically opposite "On Time" for any circular "string" (clock circumference) of "Rhythm Based Time" (RBT), the encoding mechanism of RBC (see postscript #112). 
  3. A reciprocal greeting: Rhythmic mimicry, or return of the above "passkey;" a sign of lowering  biological stress.
  4. A reciprocal overlapping greeting: When #3 overlaps the timing of #2; occurring most often after repeated reciprocal greetings between the same two organisms.
  5. The declarative (usually corresponding to a simple noun of linguistic grammar): Combinations of "Late" or "Early" (see "b" and "d" below), "Off Time" or "On Time;" an example would be "Late - On Time - Late - Early," to represent (by conditional response) "Trinity" (the harbor mouth).
  6. The interrogative: Rhythmic, "time-symmetric," signals, mirror images of the declarative; an example would be "Early - On Time - Early - Late," to represent "Trinity" followed by a question mark, or: "Are you going to Trinity?" This is a reversal of the circular direction of RBT.
  7. The affirmative: A double signal in the "On Time Window" (see "a" below).
  8. The negative: A double signal in the "Off Time Window" (a rhythmic, "time-symmetric" message as opposed, by opposite phase, to the affirmative).
  9. A farewell: A rhythmic, "time-symmetric" message as opposed, by opposite phase, to the greeting of #2 above. The rhythmic coding is "On Time - On Time - Off Time." This is commonly mimicked by the second organism during departure.
  10. "Time Compression": A double signal in an "RBT Window" ("a - d" below) thereby shortening a message by one RBT "revolution;" an example would be a greeting or "passkey" with a double signal in the "Off Time Window," followed by an "On Time" signal. Time compression apparently corresponds to the emotion of  joy and is invariably followed by a breach for some cetaceans.
Experimental, human-animal, RBC rhythms differ by species and situation, ranging from 10 sec for young fox kits to 120 sec for fin whales. If for a humpback whale we use 60 sec then examples of an "On Time Window" ("a") could be from 58 to 02 sec, centered at 12 o'clock, on a common or computerized time piece. The "Late Window" ("b") would then be 13-17 sec, centered at 3 o'clock; the "Off Time Window" ("c") would be 28-32 sec, centered at 6 o'clock, and the "Early Window" ("d"),  43-47 sec centered at 9 o'clock. Such is the candor of circular, RBC time!