How animals communicate a plan to a group?

[Gannet]

The other day I was watching on TV "When Dinosaurs roamed America"

They were saying that a T.Rex mother and her two offsprings would hunt in a pack like wolves. The offsprings because they could run faster than the adults would herd the larger prey into a trap where the mother would ambush the prey.

This made me wonder, how was this complex group hunting plan communicated within a group of animals? To me this demonstrates cognitive thinking and means of communication that is not apparent to me.

I remember seeing similar feats on the part of dolphins, killer whales, and chimpanzees.

I am beginning to think that there are animals that have the same level of intelligence as "hunter/gather" early Homonids.

Would like others to share their experiences, knowledge, or thoughts on this subject.

 

[lilythmagebor]

These complicated tasks are communicated both by instinct and by communication. Nearly all animals can communicate by one of these two methods. Not all communication is achieved through voice, though in your example of dolphins, whales, and chimps, they most certainly -do- have a complex vocal language we are just incapable of understanding yet. Other methods of communication can be done by smell, where the creatures emit specific pheromones, by gestures and actions, or even by bioluminescence (fireflies for an example). Instinct can also play a role in executing these tasks. Dinosaurs like velociraptors and even our modern wolves innately understand that they can best capture prey by pack hunting. It's a simple process of understanding... the more predators going after the prey, the less likely the prey is to be able to escape.