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MAY: Dolphins seem to have specific names for each other, according to new research carried out in Florida.
The discovery gives a new insight into the animals' intelligence and social interactions. "Bottlenose dolphins are the only animals other than humans to have been shown to transmit identity information independent of the caller's voices," said researcher Dr. Vincent Janik, of the University of St. Andrews.
The group of dolphins has been closely studied for more than 30 years. Researchers had previously managed to isolate the signature whistles believed to be their names. They caught the animals in nets when they came near the shore, and played synthesized recordings of these sounds underwater.
They found that the dolphins generally ignored the 'names' of unknown animals, but responded strongly to those of family and associates.
"It is a very exciting discovery because it means that these animals have evolved the same abilities as humans," added Dr. Janik. "Now we know they have labels for each other like we do."
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