ABSTRACT
Maturana tells of research on a certain species of African bird, a close relative of the parrot that lives in a dense forest, with little or no visual contact with others of its species. Under these conditions, mating couples form through means of a common song. Researchers took a spectrogram of some of the songs. It seems each bird builds a phrase, and then the other picks it up and continues. This makes a duet, which can properly be called a conversation since the two birds do not sing simultaneously. The melody they develop is established during their mating and then remains constant for that couple’s lifetime. Offspring produce different melodies. The particular melody of each couple is peculiar to that couple and is limited to their lifespan (Maturana & Varela, 1987, p. 194).
