Elephants Assign Unique "Names" To Each Other, Just Like Humans
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Elephants are known for their exceptional intelligence, empathy, and communication skills. A new study suggests they may have another remarkable ability: assigning individual "names" to each other. The mammals are the first non-human species to exhibit this unique capability.
“Dolphins and parrots call one another by ‘name’ by imitating the signature call of the addressee,” said lead author and biologist Dr. Michael Pardo. “By contrast, our data suggest that elephants do not rely on imitation of the receiver’s calls to address one another, which is more similar to the way in which human names work.”
The research team included Dr. Joyce Poole, co-founder of ElephantVoices, a research and conservation organization based in Kenya, Africa. The scientist had frequently observed an elephant calling out, with only one responding. The rest of the group would continue feeding, seemingly oblivious to the call. This behavior led her to wonder if the mammals called each other by specific names.
"I did wonder, are they being just rude by not answering, or is it because she's actually addressing somebody specific?" Dr. Poole said.
For their study, the team selected over 600 recorded elephant calls, or "rumbles." They all seemed to be directed toward specific elephants. These calls were collected over almost 30 years from wild elephants in Kenya's National Parks.
The mammal's low frequency sounds are hard for humans to decipher. So, the researchers turned to machine learning tools to analyze the audio. The computer model correctly guessed the receiving elephant's identity 28 percent of the time. While the number may seem low, the researchers say the mammals probably do not use names all the time.
"Just like humans, elephants use names, but probably don't use names in the majority of utterances, so we wouldn't expect 100%," Dr. Pardo told Sky News.
To verify the findings, some of the rumbles were played back to 17 wild elephants through a speaker. Sure enough, the elephants only reacted to calls meant for them while ignoring the rest. The researchers said the mammals were likelier to address each other by name over long distances or when calling out to their calves.
The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution on June 10, 2024. Next, Dr. Pardo and his team aim to explore whether elephants also "name" other important elements, like food, water, and locations.
Resources: Washingtonpost.com, Newscientist.com, LiveScience.com
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39 Comments
rayray_dekufanabout 1 monthelephants used to be my 2nd favorite animal and i still think they are very smart and cool and strong ig
triceratops_65about 1 monthElephants are objectively the smartest non primate animals on land- honzabout 1 monthjust like us
awesomekumaniabout 2 monthsCats are my favorite animal, but this is cool!
dragon_stockabout 2 monthsSUPER DUPER COOL!!!!!
hgvfnbm2 monthsit was to long for me but elephants are cute
love-art2 monthsi love elephants!! 🐘
paredoilia2 monthsThis is an incredible find that might lead us to communicate fluently with other species effectively.
cheetahgirl22 monthsElephants are like my 4th favorite animal- cheetahgirl22 monthsOM goodness!!!! I never knew that elephants have their own unique names! So interesting!
