Scientists believe that dolphins use whistles to communicate in a specialised language.

Something unusual unfolds in the sun-covered flat areas of Sarasota Bay. For more than 50 years, researchers have observed and documented local communities with bottlenecks. Her goal was to better understand these intelligent marine mammals. But now, a group of scientists may have moved quite a bit -- to understand how dolphins can talk to each other.

This step is not done by hopeful inference, but through data, audio analysis, and decades of patient fieldwork. With the support of institutions such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), by Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a new border for dolphin communication has been opened.

Laela Sayigh and her colleagues discovered a shock pattern in a dolphin pipe. They can have meaning, and even have traits like language. Survey Dolphins Over 50 years. The group of dolphins surveyed by the team at Sayigh is not anonymous. Researchers have been chasing individual dolphins for decades, identifying them through physical marks and patterns of behavior.

This allowed us to build one of the most comprehensive sound libraries in marine mammal research. By using a suction cup hydrophone and digital acoustic tag (DTAGE), the team recorded dolphins under natural conditions during a short health review.

These methods exhibit high-quality audio, animal security, and well-maintained wells were maintained. In this way, over 300 individual dolphins are recorded and form a unique archive with signature and non-signature pipes.

Decades ago, Signature Whistle (SWS) was identified as a named voice. They have been the focus of research for a long time. However, half of the pipes produced by the Sarasota Dolphins do not fall into this category. These unexamined sounds, known as Non-signature pipes (NSWs), have become a new focus of research.

Dolphins use a general whistle.

The team has identified 22 stereotypes of NSW types. The frequency of use was excellent for NSWA and NSWB usage. NSWA was recorded by at least 25 dolphins, and NSWB occurred with the voicing of more than 35 people. These pipes are not only common, but also repeat, share, and have different structures.

"Pocket Delphine has long fascinated animal communication researchers," says Sayigh. "Without over 50 years of research by the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, there is no such extensive library of vocal images for individual dolphins."

"To date, we have paid little attention to the attention of the findings, as well as indicating that these whistles may function like words shared by some dolphins." This is not a casual observation. The attempts at reductions showed something persuasive.

Dolphins responded differently depending on the type of pipe they were regenerated in. NSWA often caused avoidance, and NSWB usually caused curiosity and behavior. These are not random responses - suggest meaning.

How dolphins react to different pipes

To test the role of pipes, researchers conducted two studies. The first was done during a short health review for catch and release. The second, more complicated setup includes a free-floating dolphin monitored by drones and marked with Dale. The replication protocol included two examples of whistles, followed by silence. The pipe contained signature pipe, SW copy (SWC), NSW, and unknown noise.

Researchers recorded behavioral responses such as rotation, movement, and imitation. The direction and motion data collected by the accelerometer gave the results an additional dimension. NSWA regeneration leads to avoidance behavior in most attempts, which indicates an alarm function. NSWB, on the other hand, was associated with uncertain or curious behavior. In some cases, dolphins even responded to their vocalizations, often the NSWB itself.

In an astonishing attempt, two allied dolphins were asked about their pipes. They were together, but both reacted with the production of NSWB. This indicated that the breeding was unexpected and perhaps confused, which led to a query-like response.

Signs of Social Meaning

A young man who organized a 15-minute call and response session when he heard his mother's pipe. He grabbed all 18 stimuli with his signature pipe. This behavior indicates the presence of intentional and structured voice exchanges. It wasn't reflexive - it looked thoughtful and even emotional. In another case, the dolphin copied the loud noise played during the test.

These repetitive interactions mimic the date of the dialogue. This means that these animals will benefit not only from hearing, but also from their hearing. This will turn the idea of ​​passive vocalization upside down and bring you closer to conversation.

Researchers found that NSWB usually contains a 3 kHz portion of a constant frequency - Sarasota - a rare feature of the Delphin sound. NSWA includes sharp ups and downsweeps. These characteristics were unusual, but they occurred consistently in several people, which further increased the number of more important cases. Dolphin responses rely on early testing of sound type, in which high-capacity files now avoid sources.

The team reduced the amount of playback to a natural audio level. This adaptation left the dolphins still displaced, but they were less likely to escape. This showed that it answered not only the volume of the sound, but also the content. Kontrollversuche Unter Verwendung Eines Delphins Eigenen Signature -Pfeife Rief Meistens Positive Reaktionen Hervor.

This increased the early knowledge that dolphins would recognize their names and respond to them. Meanwhile, other NSW types generated mixed responses according to context and individual identity. Jeremy Koller, founder of the

Challenge, discovered that people share this planet with millions of other species, but we have spoken among ourselves for too long. "The Coller Dolittle Challenge aims to change this. I am keen on the engaging work that Laela and your team have done through dolphin communication. You are a valuable winner, and rarely see how AI can be used to further interpret this enormous amount of data."

Dolphins understand the meaning of whistles

This study provides the first concrete evidence that dolphins can use general, learned, context-specific vocalizations similar to elements of human language. Like SWS, which acts as a vocal label for a person, NSW can represent objects, events, or intents.

Variations of answers about individuals also show complexity. Just as people do not respond to the same words, dolphins can interpret the meaning of the pipe based on their age, gender, mood, or social context. If the group approaches the new subgroup after being replicated. Otherwise, the individual will avoid or remain. Some answers show curiosity. Others indicate ambivalence.

The team hopes to further narrow the analysis by including new response categories such as "interest" and "ambivalent." Further experiments and deeper analysis allow for a clearer focus on the features of each whistle type.

Dolphins and their whistles

The idea that dolphins use vocal labels to identify more than merely identify opens the door to a deeper understanding. As data suggests, when nonsignature pipes are learned and referenced, dolphins can have a basic but actual vocabulary. This is not a language in the human sense, but it may not be far away.

This study is not finished. Sayigh and their team will expand the whistle library and run attempts to play. They want to map more from this voice landscape and decipher the nuances of dolphin interaction. With each recording and attempt, researchers have come closer to deciphering the language that has puzzled the ocean for thousands of years. Only now do we start to hear it.