A Dolphin By Any Other Name

SloppyElvis writes "CNN is reporting that scientists have proven that Dolphins can communicate with each other by name. From the article: 'researchers synthesized signature whistles with the caller's voice features removed and played them to dolphins through an underwater speaker' to which the mammals responded. This form of identification in language was previously only known to exist in the human world." Thankfully they still haven't evolved opposable thumbs.

Ever heard of parrots ?

[Jesrad]

This form of identification in language was previously only known to exist in the human world ... except for the hundreds of thousands of parrot owners througout the world. My african greys call each other by name when asking for anything.

Other Intellegences

[TheZorch]

To believe that we are the only intellegent species living on this planet is supreme stupidity. Its been known that Dolphins are very intellegent creatures and we are just now beginning to learn the truth that they could be our intellectual equals.

Oversold?

[Michael Woodhams]

This is worthwile research, but it seems well short of supporting the claim that dolphins are using names. My summary would be that each dolphin has a signature call, they react to the signature calls of friends/relations, and (the new bit in this research) they react to calls which are similar but not identical to the signature calls of friends/relations.

To support a claim of using names, I'd want evidence of dolphin Alice vocalizing dolphin Bob's signature call to gain Bob's attention.

I suppose it comes down to an argument about what constitutes a "name". But the small step from the reacting to signature calls to the reacting to sythesized signature calls seems a strange place to draw the line between "name" and "not name".

Re:Ever heard of parrots ?

[frankie]

You're talking about pets. Learning to use names after repeated exposure to human conversation doesn't count. Do these parrots have personal names and speak them IN THE WILD?

Re:Ever heard of parrots ?

[AlexanderDitto]

Just the fact that they're USING a name to selectivley call another of their species seems to indicate that there's something of a name there. Perhaps the reason we don't have information about their personal, in the wild names is that we have not been able to research whether they have language in the wild.

Anyway, anyone who has ever watched a National Geographic special on parrots knows that they DO communicate to each other. I've never seen a study done on exactly HOW they do it, though, which leads me to believe that people just aren't interested yet.

Re:I wonder...

[plunge]

"Saying dolphins have names implies they are self aware. If this is true, then much of our biological science is in error."

Hunh? What biological science supports the position that dolphins are not self-aware? They seem to be as self-aware as apes, and are certainly much more self-aware than even human infants.

"Nevertheless, the equation that dolphins make noise + response to that noise = names, then any animal that makes a noise to communicate to other like animals probably is using names."

No, you missed the point. The point is that the noises are NOT the same. They can be reproduced back in all sorts of different tones and inflections that makes them different "noises," but there is a core structure of sorts, that apparently defines the meaning apart from the noise. That's not proof of any sort complex grammatical structure, sure, but it's far more like language than cats, dogs, parrots, and so forth, which respond to and repeat noises, without any particular regard to some subtle, abstract structure.

Furthermore, I'm not sure I know of any other social animal that acts like this: individuals called specifically as individuals by other members of the same species in the wild. That's pretty amazing.

Re:Ever heard of parrots ?

[syukton]

How do humans learn to use names other than after repeated exposure to human conversation?

Further, if you isolated a group of humans from other humans ("in the wild") do you think they would come up with names for one another?

What I'm saying here is that I think a human separated from its herd/pack/society will be just as uninclined to name things as a bird would be. When integrated into society however, whether human or bird, the ability to learn enables higher-level functions like naming, understanding, counting, storytelling, and so on. That's probably the most amazing thing of all, that a bird can become "socialized" the same way a child can.

What does it matter if they do or don't have names that they speak in the wild? What if they don't? Wouldn't that make this all the more interesting?

Re:I wonder...

[mrpeebles]

Why do you think that names necessarily implies self awareness? It's a pretty heavy term, and I'm not exactly sure what it implies. I do think that it probably has to involve being able to name things. However, I think it also implies, in humans at least, a concept of time, and of one's self as having a duration in that time. I can imagine, at least, a creature using names without that concept of itself time. I would also think that self-awareness implies ethical self awareness as well, which use of a name also doesn't necessarily imply. I'm neither a philosopher nor a psychologist though :-)

statistically insignificant

[heatdeath]

In nine out of 14 cases, the dolphin would turn more often toward the speaker if it heard a whistle that sounded like a close relative's.

7 out of 14 would be expected if it were random...9 out of 14 is nothing more than a statistical fluke. They should have done more tests...this study sounds like nothing more than a coincidence.

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