Elephants are known to be highly social animals, living and traveling in large family communities. Recent investigations into their vocalizations lead researchers to believe that elephants have unique names for one another, an uncommon occurrence in wild animals (Pardo et al, 2024). Elephants can produce a wide range of sounds and have the capacity to produce unique patterns that reflect their language capabilities. Their low-frequency rumbles can be heard over long distances, allowing communication and the ability to find each other should they become separated.
Researchers used a computer model to predict which elephant was being addressed. This model was correct 28 percent of the time compared to 8 percent correct using a control.
References
NBC News. (2024) African elephants call each other by unique names, new study shows. (accessed July 2, 2024).
Pardo MA, Fristrup K, Lolchuragi DS, et al. (2024) African elephants address one another with individually specific name-like calls. Nat Ecol Evol.
Recent Posts
AMA Releases 2026 CPT Codebook With New Hearing Device Services Codes
The American Medical Association (AMA) has released CPT 2026, the official codebook for the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Editorial Panel. This annual update replaces CPT…
Appropriations Update
As Congress returns from the August recess, its primary goal is to pass the appropriations bills that fund the federal government by September 30, 2025….
Clinical Decision Support for Vestibular Diagnosis: Large-Scale Machine Learning with Lived Experience Coaching
Pastor et al. (2025) developed a machine learning system (MLS) to help make a vestibular diagnosis based on patient symptoms. They utilized diagnostic data from…