The elephants also appear to know each other by name. This is evident from surprising new scientific research, reports sciencealert. If the results are confirmed, the elephant will be the only animal species – after humans – capable of doing this.
Bottlenose dolphins (a type of dolphin; editor) communicate in a similar way, but imitate a unique series of whistle sounds. This system still differs from our way of naming: Liams and Olivias did not come into this world because they made such a sound. It seems that elephants are now more likely to follow the example of humans, which is a random name.
Low frequency
Elephants are known for their trumpet-like sounds, but in reality they communicate mainly through “grunts.” These tones have such a low frequency that they are inaudible to humans. In this way, legionnaires can “talk” to each other over a distance of up to six kilometres.
It is useful, for example, not to lose sight of the herd when searching for food. Calling each other by name will be an added asset.
625 roar
In this context, behavioral ecologist Michael Pardo’s team examined 625 caries in two different sites in Kenya. After analyzing various characteristics, the machine learning algorithm was able to correctly predict the intended destination of the roar.
The elephants moved faster when they heard their name and also responded more quickly. In fact, many quadrupeds used the same growl to address the same recipient. From this, scientists concluded that elephants know each other “by name.” The study still needs to undergo peer review.
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