Animal communications, information theory, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)

The idea that we can learn about possible extraterrestrial (ETI) communication systems by studying non-human communications on Earth is similar to the astrobiological idea that one might learn more about exobiology by studying the extremes of life on Earth. Such study was taken up by Dr. Brenda McCowan of University of California, at Davis, Dr. Laurance R. Doyle of the SETI Institute, and their PhD student at the time, the now Dr. Sean F. Hanser. Early work was also helped on by Dr. Jon M. Jenki