Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals in the sea, and dolphin communication is some of the most complex on the planet. It has been determined that dolphins in different regions speak with different “accents” and even choose their own names. Each dolphin has a signature whistle, a precise combination of chirps and clicks, identifying that individual dolphin. Now, scientists are uncovering data indicating dolphin communication is much closer to how humans speak than previously believed.
Last week, scientists recorded a pair of dolphins and made a startling and exciting discovery. For the first time, scientists could discern that the volume and audio frequency of the dolphin clicks combined to make up individual “words.” This was partly thanks to a new type of underwater microphone that could distinguish the differences between each animal’s voice. The study, which took place at the Karadag Natural Reserve in Russia, observed the dolphins communicating, each one waiting for the other to finish before replying.
Team leader Dr. Vyacheslav Ryabov said it was like listening to a conversation between two people. “This language exhibits all the design features of the spoken human language. This indicates a high level of intelligence and consciousness in dolphins, and their language can be ostensibly considered a highly developed spoken language, akin to the human language.”
This complexity is demonstrated further in a study of pregnant dolphins by researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi. Marine biologists there have observed pregnant dolphins “talking” to their babies in the womb. Using their signature whistle, dolphins can teach their unborn baby to respond to this sound, which is, in essence, the mother’s name, much like how human babies can recognize their mother’s voice from hearing it before birth.
The sounds of expectant dolphins were recorded for two months before and after birth. In the few weeks before birth, the mother will increase the frequency with which she chirps her name, while other nearby dolphins will be much quieter. This pattern continues for the first few weeks of the baby’s life, teaching the baby to respond to and recognize his mother. After a few months, the baby dolphin will develop his signature whistle, usually very different from the other dolphins around him.
Earlier this year, a study in Florida showed that when dolphins tackle a challenging task, they become more chatty, as if discussing how to solve the problem. Dolphin communication isn’t just spoken, either. Scientists have observed these clever mammals using sign language and signaling with their flippers. It will be amazing to see how much more scientists can decipher their language as their studies continue.
