DOLPHINS NAME THEMSELVES WITH SIGNATURE WHISTLES
Some bottlenose dolphin whistles appear to communicate the caller's individual "name" information, which other dolphins can recognize even when the caller's voice features are electronically removed, Scottish and U.S. researchers report. As infants, bottlenose dolphins develop their own signature whistles to use throughout their lifetimes. Signature whistles are individually distinctive signals given by the dolphins. Members of dolphin groups repeat these whistles back during vocal interactions, and researchers have found that the whistles form a system similar to that of human naming. The study's lead author, Dr. Vincent Janik from the University of St. Andrews and his colleagues, studied a group of bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida, to investigate whether individual discrimination through signature whistles is independent of voice features, as it is in human naming. This study will be reported in an upcoming issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Source: Environmental New Service 9 May 2006
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2006/2006-05-09-02.asp
