In the vast and mysterious world of animal communication, a recent discovery has brought to light a surprising aspect of elephant behavior. These majestic giants, known for their intelligence and emotional complexity, have now demonstrated that they possess a form of communication that goes beyond all expectations. Which? the use of specific “names” to identify individuals within their group.
This revelation, which emerged from a study published on BioRxiv (I link it here), not only reveals new details about the sophisticated social life of elephants but also opens up new avenues for understanding the animals' cognitive capacity.
Field research
The research team, led by animal behavior experts, conducted an in-depth study in Kenya, recording over 600 African savannah elephant vocalizations. By analyzing these sounds with the help of computer models, scientists discovered that elephants emit rumbles specific to each individual in the group, a sort of unique "name".
This phenomenon differs considerably from the communications of other animals, such as dolphins and parrots, which tend more than anything to imitate the sounds of other members of their group (although they recognize their own "name" when it is given to them, or after appropriate training).
Cognitive and social implications
This finding has important implications for understanding the cognition and social life of elephants. It indicates that these animals not only recognize members of their group but also identify them through a complex communication system. It's a behavior that requires a high degree of social and cognitive intelligence, and suggests that elephants have a deeper understanding of their social environment than previously assumed.
What's more: elephants' ability to use "names" for other group members surprisingly brings their communicative behavior closer to that of human beings. In the past, it was believed that only humans had the ability to assign and use specific names. And if elephants call themselves and others by name, the researchers think, it is very likely that they have a form of nominal language like ours.
Future perspectives
The discovery opens new perspectives for future research. It could, for example, lead to a better understanding of how elephants make group decisions, manage social relationships and navigate their environment. Furthermore, it could have implications for elephant conservation, providing new tools to monitor and protect these extraordinary animals.
It enriches our knowledge of elephants and pushes us to move beyond our current conceptions of communication and intelligence in the animal kingdom. Who knows, in the distant future (perhaps with the help of artificial intelligence) we will even manage to decipher the language of animals, and to communicate directly with them.
Maybe for to apologize.
