New Delhi: Animals are most happy when they are in their kingdom. They break the rules and make their own rules. And when there is communication, they have more chances of survival. In a recent report, scientists found that elephants call out each other by name. Let us understand what the study says.
What does the study have to say?
Similar to humans, wild elephants have been found to call each other by unique names, according to a groundbreaking study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. This study revealed that elephants can produce distinctive and rumbling sounds when they greet each other, a trait exclusive to them among non-human animals.
Study author Michael Pardo says the research “shows that elephants use specific vocalisations for each individual, but they also recognise and react to a call addressed to them while ignoring those addressed to others.”
On the other hand, animals like dolphins and parrots are known to copy sounds, but the study suggests elephants and humans are the only two species on this planet known to invent unique names for each other. This comparison is significant as it highlights the unique nature of elephant communication, which shares a characteristic with human language that is not found in different animal species.
How was the discovery made?
The research, spanning from 1986 to 2022, was conducted at the Samburu National Reserve and Amboseli National Park in Kenya. The team of researchers meticulously studied the elephant calls or rumbles, employing an advanced AI algorithm to assist in the analysis. This detailed process of the study keeps the audience informed and engaged.
Using this technology, they identified more than 460 distinct calls, of which over 100 were of elephants giving a call and 117 were of receiving one.
According to the research, “Names were not always used in the elephant calls, but when they were, it was often over a long distance, and from adult elephants speaking to young elephants.”
The animal reacted energetically and positively. But the same elephant was not interested when they played the names of others.
Researchers said that elephants generally seemed to know that the sound recording was a message for them. The authors said, “The use of learned arbitrary labels is part of what gives human language its uniquely broad range of expression. Our results suggest the possible use of arbitrary vocal labels in elephants, which provides an opportunity to investigate the selection pressures that may have led to the evolution of this rare ability in two divergent lineages.” These findings not only shed light on the unique communication abilities of elephants but also open up new avenues for research into the evolution of language and communication in different species.
Elephants are emotional animals
Elephants, much like humans, are known to be empathetic creatures. They can perceive and understand the emotions of their fellow elephants, even responding to their pain and sadness. This unique trait of elephants evokes a sense of connection and compassion in us.
A recent study revealed that elephants, the heaviest animals in the world, greet each other by name. The new paper also revealed that elephants can make rumbling sounds. Let us understand how the research was done and where it took place. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
