Researchers at Colorado State University have found that elephants use unique, invented vocalizations to call out to each other, a phenomenon distinct from imitation.

According to a new study, They are the only known non-human animals to create original vocal sounds to address individuals, unlike dolphins and parrots, which mimic sounds to communicate with others, as reported by the Guardian.

The study found that it can understand and respond to calls specifically directed at them while ignoring those intended for others. They use unique vocalizations to achieve this. Michael Pardo of Colorado State University, who is a behavioral ecologist and research lead author, said 

"They can tell if a call was meant for them simply by hearing it, even when it is not in the setting that it was intended for.”

The Guardian reported on a 36-year study that investigated elephant "rumbles" in Kenya's Amboseli National Park and Samburu National Reserve. Using a machine learning system, researchers identified 469 unique sounds, of which 101 were made by elephants and 117 were responded to.

According to the BBC, produce a range of sounds, from high-pitched trumpets to low-pitched rumbles inaudible to humans. Names were often communicated over long distances, even if not always vocalized, particularly when parents addressed their children. The observation that adults use names more frequently than calves indicates that mastering this skill could take years.

Elephants
Image Source: Live Science

The study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution described the most common call as "a harmonically rich, low-frequency sound." When recordings of a friend or family member saying their name were played, elephants responded positively and enthusiastically. However, they showed less enthusiasm when recordings of other elephants' names were played.

George Wittemyer, the senior study author, said, "The evidence provided here that elephants use non-imitative sounds to label others indicates they have the ability for abstract thought.”

The study suggests further research into the evolutionary origins of this naming ability, noting that elephants' ancestors diverged from those of primates and cetaceans approximately 90 million years ago.

Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants, highlighted the similarities between humans and elephants, such as their extended family units and highly developed brains. He stated, "That elephants use names for one another is likely only the start of the revelations to come.”

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