Elephants seem to invent names for each other

 

Two juvenile elephants greet each other in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya

Image courtesy of George Wittemyer.

Joel Kontinen

An analysis of their vocalisations suggests that African savannah elephants invent names for each other, making them the only animals other than humans thought to do so.

Elephants have an interesting feature. They probably invent names for each other. A survey of elephants sounds of more than 600 recordings found that “some calls from African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) seem to contain name-like components specific to certain individuals. What’s more, those individuals know their names, responding more strongly than others do when calls addressed to them are played back on a speaker.”

“I had noticed from years back that when an elephant gave a contact rumble, within a group of elephants I would see one individual lift its head, listen and give an answer,” says Joyce Poole at ElephantVoices, a small organisation that studies elephants and aims to protect them. “And the rest seemed to just ignore the elephant. So I did wonder whether the calls were being directed toward a specific individual.”

This speaks of intelligent design.

Source:

Michael Le Page 2024. Elephants seem to invent names for each other | New Scientist 10 June