Researchers have found that elephants call each other by names (Credit: George Wittemye/ colostate.edu/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Elephants are known for their exceptional intelligence, empathy, and communication skills. A new study suggests they may have another remarkable ability: assigning individual "names" to each other. The mammals are the first non-human species to exhibit this unique capability.

“Dolphins and parrots call one another by ‘name’ by imitating the signature call of the addressee,” said lead author and biologist Dr. Michael Pardo. “By contrast, our data suggest that elephants do not rely on imitation of the receiver’s calls to address one another, which is more similar to the way in which human names work.”

The research team included Dr. Joyce Poole, co-founder of ElephantVoices, a research and conservation organization based in Kenya, Africa. The scientist had frequently observed an elephant calling out, with only one responding. The rest of the group would continue feeding, seemingly oblivious to the call. This behavior led her to wonder if the mammals called each other by specific names.

"I did wonder, are they being just rude by not answering, or is it because she's actually addressing somebody specific?" Dr. Poole said.

The researchers recorded elephant vocalizations in Kenya for their study (Credit: George Wittemyer/ colostate.edu/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

For their study, the team selected over 600 recorded elephant calls, or "rumbles." They all seemed to be directed toward specific elephants. These calls were collected over almost 30 years from wild elephants in Kenya's National Parks.

The mammal's low frequency sounds are hard for humans to decipher. So, the researchers turned to machine learning tools to analyze the audio. The computer model correctly guessed the receiving elephant's identity 28 percent of the time. While the number may seem low, the researchers say the mammals probably do not use names all the time.

"Just like humans, elephants use names, but probably don't use names in the majority of utterances, so we wouldn't expect 100%," Dr. Pardo told Sky News.

The scientists next plan to see if elephants have names for other things as well (Credit: George Wittemyer/ colostate.edu/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

To verify the findings, some of the rumbles were played back to 17 wild elephants through a speaker. Sure enough, the elephants only reacted to calls meant for them while ignoring the rest. The researchers said the mammals were likelier to address each other by name over long distances or when calling out to their calves.

The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution on June 10, 2024. Next, Dr. Pardo and his team aim to explore whether elephants also "name" other important elements, like food, water, and locations.

Resources: Washingtonpost.com, Newscientist.com, LiveScience.com