It turns out that humans might not be the only species that have individualized identifiers for each other. A new study found that African savanna elephants, an endangered species, have name-like calls for each other that resemble human names — a finding that potentially “radically expands the express power of language evolution.”Researchers analyzed the rumble — “a harmonically rich, low-frequency sound that is individually distinct” — of African savanna elephants, which are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List as populations continue to decline, largely due to poaching and land development. Specifically, researchers looked at 469 rumbles of three different types — contact, greeting and caregiving — from female-offspring groups between 1986 and 2022. Using a machine-learning model, they identified the recipients of more than 27% of those calls.These elephants are known for traveling with family units of about 10 females and their calves, and several family units will often combine to form a “clan,” according to the World Wildlife Fund, with males only coming around during mating.The researchers also looked at the reactions of 17 wild elephants to call recordings that were addressed to them or another elephant. The elephants who heard recordings addressed to them had quicker and more vocal responses than those who heard recordings addressed to other elephants, researchers found.And what they found is that the elephants — the world’s largest terrestrial species, according to the World Wildlife Fund — …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnIt turns out that humans might not be the only species that have individualized identifiers for each other. A new study found that African savanna elephants, an endangered species, have name-like calls for each other that resemble human names — a finding that potentially “radically expands the express power of language evolution.”Researchers analyzed the rumble — “a harmonically rich, low-frequency sound that is individually distinct” — of African savanna elephants, which are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List as populations continue to decline, largely due to poaching and land development. Specifically, researchers looked at 469 rumbles of three different types — contact, greeting and caregiving — from female-offspring groups between 1986 and 2022. Using a machine-learning model, they identified the recipients of more than 27% of those calls.These elephants are known for traveling with family units of about 10 females and their calves, and several family units will often combine to form a “clan,” according to the World Wildlife Fund, with males only coming around during mating.The researchers also looked at the reactions of 17 wild elephants to call recordings that were addressed to them or another elephant. The elephants who heard recordings addressed to them had quicker and more vocal responses than those who heard recordings addressed to other elephants, researchers found.And what they found is that the elephants — the world’s largest terrestrial species, according to the World Wildlife Fund — …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
