Wild African elephants communicate using individual vocal labels embedded within their infrasonic rumbles, according to research published in Nature Ecology and Evolution in June 2024. Scientists analyzed 469 rumbling calls from 101 elephants across Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, and Amboseli National Park using machine learning algorithms that correctly identified intended recipients 27.5% of the time. The discovery places African elephants among only three animal groups known to use name-like calls, joining bottlenose dolphins and certain parrots. However, elephants differ from these species by using arbitrary vocal labels rather than imitating the sounds made by the animals … Continue reading Elephants Use Names: AI Decodes 27.5% of 469 Calls from Kenya Study with 87-Second Response Data