African Elephants Also Call Each Other by Name

Show More Enthusiastic Responses to "Hoching" Calls
Different from Dolphins and Parrots... Operates Similarly to Humans

A study suggests that African elephants, known to have intelligence comparable to that of 3- to 4-year-old children, possess the ability to communicate by calling each other’s names like humans.

[Image source=International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)]

On the 10th, major foreign media including AFP reported, "A research team led by American behavioral ecologist Mickey Pardoe published these findings in a paper in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution." The paper revealed that African savanna elephants learn, recognize, and use individual 'name-like' 'calling sounds.'

The research team analyzed sounds from over 100 elephants in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park and Samburu National Reserve. Using machine learning models, they classified 469 acoustic signals presumed to be calls directed at specific elephants. They then played these sounds back to the respective elephants to observe their reactions.

As a result, each elephant showed a stronger response on average to the specific sounds classified as calling them. They appeared indifferent to calls directed at other elephants, tended to respond more loudly to calls directed at themselves, and sometimes approached the audio device playing the sound. Notably, they reacted more enthusiastically when friends or family members’ calls were played. The study also found that, like humans, elephants do not always call each other’s names during conversations. However, adult elephants called the names of younger elephants more frequently, as well as when communicating over long distances.

Furthermore, these elephants seemed to arbitrarily assign 'name sounds' to refer to others, similar to humans. This differs from species like dolphins and parrots, which are known to call others using specific sounds but do so by imitating the other’s sound. Foreign media emphasized this research as "a phenomenon previously known to occur only in human language."

Pardoe explained, "For elephants to call each other in this way, they must associate specific sounds with specific individuals and learn to use those sounds to attract the attention of the intended target." He added, "This requires sophisticated learning abilities and an understanding of social relationships," and noted, "Referring to others by arbitrarily assigned names requires a certain level of abstract thinking." However, the research team stated, "Much more data is needed to determine whether elephants also assign names to concepts such as food, water, or places," and said, "Conversing with elephants is still a distant future." Co-author George Whitmire added, "This study shows how intelligent and fascinating elephants are," and expressed hope that "this will lead to greater interest in elephant conservation and protection."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.