Dolphins and parrots are also known for their ability to communicate with each other by mimicking the sounds of their species, but elephants are the first animals, aside from humans, to use names unrelated to mimicry.
Scientists from the University of Colorado (USA) conducted research on elephant herds in the Samburu forests and Amboseli National Park in Kenya, Eastern Africa.
Elephants can call each other by… names – (Photo: SCIENCE).
The team recorded 527 elephant calls at Samburu, 98 calls at Amboseli, and analyzed the data using computer technology.
Michael Pardo, the lead author of the study, stated: “This research not only shows that elephants use specific sounds for individual recognition, but they also recognize and respond to calls made to them while ignoring calls made to others.”
According to the behavioral ecologist at Colorado State University, this indicates that elephants can determine whether a call is directed at them or not.
The lead author of the new study, Michael Pardo from Colorado State University (USA), believes that these characteristic frequency sounds are essentially names that herd members use to call a specific elephant.
The team identified 119 distinct names that were differentiated by sound. This number corresponds to 20.3% of the elephants surveyed.
Named elephants as calves or mothers – (Photo: BRITANNICA).
The majority of named elephants are usually calves or mothers. This is understandable as the need for interaction among them is the highest.
Notably, 17 elephants recognized their names when Michael Pardo played recordings of calls from other elephants in the herd.
The scientists were also interested in whether any of the recorded elephant sounds were “mimicked” calls. The results showed that elephants do not exhibit mimicry skills like some dolphins or parrots.
“We believe this is one of the first pieces of evidence showing that elephants are the first animals, aside from humans, that can call each other by name. This is quite intriguing in the natural world,” Michael Pardo remarked.
The study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution noted that when researchers played recordings of family member calls, the elephants reacted positively and eagerly. However, the elephants did not respond much when calls were directed at others.
According to the research team, this indicates that both elephants and humans are two animal species known for their ability to name each other, rather than merely mimicking the sounds of the caller.
The researchers believe further studies are needed to explore the evolutionary origins of this naming ability, as the ancestors of elephants diverged from primates and crustaceans about 90 million years ago.
