Elephants Discovered to Use Unique Names to Communicate
Image Source: (Credit: George Wittemyer)
African Elephants Among Few Species Known to Call Each Other by Name
A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution reveals a surprising discovery about African elephants: they use unique low rumbles to address each other by name. This finding places elephants among a rare group of wild animals, alongside dolphins and parrots, who possess the ability to identify and call out to specific individuals.
Researchers from Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources employed machine learning to analyze recordings collected in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve and Amboseli National Park. The recordings captured complex low-frequency rumbles that carry over long distances across the savanna.
To verify their findings, the scientists played back the recorded calls to individual elephants. The elephants responded with increased energy, such as flapping their ears and raising their trunks, only when they heard the rumbles believed to contain their own “names.”
Professor George Wittemeyer, a co-author of the study, highlighted the challenges of capturing the entirety of elephant communication due to the animals’ use of infrasonic and sonic frequencies. Special microphones were required to record these calls, as nearly half the sound falls below the range of human hearing.
The research team also observed elephant behavior in response to the calls. They documented instances where mothers called to calves and matriarchs summoned straying members back to the family group.
“Elephants exhibit fascinating behaviors,” said Wittemeyer. “Sometimes a female will emit a call that prompts the entire group to gather around or follow her. Yet, in other situations, a seemingly similar call elicits no response from the group except for a single elephant. This suggests they possess a method for addressing specific individuals,” he further explained.
The ability to use unique names is uncommon among wild animals. Similar “naming” behaviors have only been observed in dolphins and parrots, both of which, like elephants, can learn new sounds throughout their lives.
“There’s immense potential to learn more about elephant communication,” remarked Michael Pardo, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the university. “We’ve likely only begun to scratch the surface of their complex vocal repertoire,” he added.
Wittemeyer acknowledged the vast amount of communication occurring within these highly social and vocal creatures, but emphasized the limitations in deciphering its meaning. “The structure of their calls is intricate,” he said. “Understanding their communication would provide a window into their thought processes,” he concluded.
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