Researchers discover elephants potentially communicate using names.
Not only humans use personal names. Recently, scientists in Africa have discovered something fascinating - elephants may use names within their herd! These clever creatures could be utilizing specialized calls that function as personal identifiers, suggests a study published in "Nature Ecology & Evolution." A single animal within a family group is often assigned the same designation. Furthermore, several names could circulate for a specific family member.
While numerous animal species issue calls for specific tasks like finding food or signaling a predator, these innate sounds are their primary method of communication. However, learned designations, like personal names, broaden the expressiveness of communication and can encourage cooperative behavior.
Prior to this discovery, personal names were believed to be exclusive to humans. Bottlenose dolphins and African grey parrots exhibit advanced communication skills, but they don't use names; rather, they imitate the sounds of the individual they are addressing. In the case of elephants, it appears that their approach is unique.
The intricacies of their social structure
Elephants, with lifespans up to several decades, forge long-lasting and varied social relationships with many individuals. Their vocalizations convey information about factors such as age, gender, and emotional state. Elephants often call to contact a distant animal, greet an incoming one, or engage in nurturing behaviors like suckling, soothing, or waking up a calf.
In their study, researchers examined the low-frequency rumbling and knocking produced by African elephant calves in the Amboseli National Park and the Samburu and Buffalo Springs Reserves in Kenya. They analyzed 469 calls, using a machine learning model to map these calls to the intended recipient. The results astonished them as the calls were more often attributed to the correct recipient than would be expected by chance.
Here I am!
The researchers observed the responses of 17 African elephants, and noticed that when called by their own names, they approached the caller quicker and responded more loudly than when hearing calls meant for other group members.
Additional investigations are needed to understand the scope of this name-like communication and its use, according to the scientists.
Read also:
- Behavioral research in Asia and Africa has highlighted the complexity of animal welfare, with recent studies suggesting that elephants might use personal names within their herd for communication, much like humans do.
- In the context of education, this discovery challenges the conventional belief that personal names are exclusive to humans and expands our understanding of animal cognition and communication.
- Animal welfare organizations and educational institutions in Kenya, particularly those focused on elephants, can integrate this finding into their curricula to inspire younger generations and foster a deeper appreciation for the remarkable intelligence of these animals.
- Studies on behavioral research in East Africa have shown that elephants assign unique designations to each member of their family group, with multiple names often circulating for a single member.
- This groundbreaking discovery in behavioral research has significant implications for scientific communities, particularly in the fields of psychology, cognitive science, and animal behavior, encouraging further exploration of animal communication and its potential parallels with human language.
