Hi.
YetAnotherBloodyCheek raised a very interesting question during the episode #34-1 discussion:
http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/s...ll=1#post48551
In short: Do zombies/ Little Ones communicate, and if so, how?
This is, what I think:
We know about two distinct ways of communications only so far:
a) Attacks of hordes of Zombies, because some zombie-d-bag howls like crazy, AND
b) most likely Ink/ Pinstripes/ Bill Roberts/ 'Smart Ones' (all with a questions mark!) giving very simple commands ("leave her alone" in CJ's Tower).
Thus the show does not provide us with evidence or witness-reports if and how the zombies communicate with each other in general, but only in distinct situations. And yes, even CJ does not know, what type of zombie actually ordered the Regulars to leave her alone, because the one speaking was out of her sight; but we assume it was Ink, since we only ever encountered him being capable of uttering some words.
And we know something else as well: zombies acting like a hungry and noise-pained bunch killing everything in reach of their scent, hearing or whatever; and there are many different occasions in which zombies either follow certain strategies (ambush site, setting up traps and imprisoning victims for whatever reason, organized attacks (both Towers, the Colony), or organized mass-movements (areny -> hospital)) or let Ink/ Bill Roberts/ Pinstripes do things to individual zombies (Devil's workshop - modifing finger nails and numbering the first generation Little Ones). This concludes the question: Do they actually communicate? And if so, how do they do this?
Well, according to the report by CJ part of the communication is the utterance of words. Thus zombies know or 'easily' learn the understanding of at least simple commands. And since zombies seem to be capable of moving according to kind of an 'organized plan', I really see the need of some means of communication - even if it is only some very basic thing like what you have in herds of animals where alphas are accepted based on what they 'say' through their deeds, means of repressing others, leading somewhere ...
And ever since I wondered: What if the zombies "howl" and "gurgle" in the noticeable wave-spectrum recognizable by human ears as an side-effect, because they may also have subsonic or different wavelength-communication as well? Or what, if the sounds created by the Zombies, which are actually very different and distinguishable, especially regarding the Little Ones, are a kind of speach as well? This is just simple mad fantasy; and both theories would only allow some very basic means of communcation considering the short duration of the zeeh-pocalyspe. And although both theories are totally crazy - even too me - I wouldn't want to neglect them as too crazy ...
All theory. Future may tell us ...
Yet I consider it as a safe assumption that there is some basic level of communication which allows the Little Ones/ zombies in general to communicate. Even if there is no special level of communication regarding the wave-lengths or frequencies, I would even consider some kind of nonverbal communication, especially gestures and hormones (we have the quite solid estimate supported by Tanya that zombies have some bio-chemical activities which allows the 'use' of hormones/ pheromones ...). And this would enable them to somehow-ish organize or give structure to their in-Boulder-attacks.
Thoughts? Oppinions? Ideas?
All the best!
Liam
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