Dolphins, like humans, recognize names CNN article

Alexa · 05-09-2006, 09:38 PM

As per an CNN article, dolphins are the only animals besides humans capable to recognize their names.

Quote:

"They are known to produce these individually distinctive signature whistles, like names," Sayigh said in a telephone interview. She said the researchers wanted to know what information in the whistles helped dolphins identify each other's names.

See the article on http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/05/09/dolphins.names.reut/index.html

What do you think ? Are dophins the only animals beside humans capable to recognize their names ? What about cimpanzee, dogs and cats or other animals ?

steve12553 · 05-13-2006, 03:56 PM

Cats and dogs certainly know their own names, (although, I suspect that sometimes cats refuse to except the names you give them and would rather keep the ones they gave themselves that you don't know about) but I don't think a dog or cat can make a noise that specically calls a particular other animal. They may make a unique sound that other animals recognize which gets the response they need or want. I've never been around chimps.

Alexa · 05-14-2006, 03:26 PM

Cats and dogs have a certain vocabulary. I surveyed my cats and they don't meow for everything. They make other sounds that I'm not able to reproduce. The meow may be on different tone depending on what they want. For the dogs, it's the same. Plus, if a dog makes some noise, the others follow him quickly.

I cannot pronouce myself for cimps, either.

My point is, other animals than dolphins are able to speak.

Leto · 05-15-2006, 05:04 PM

Certainly. even insects like bees.
As for cats their language is very different if they're talking to another cat, to their owner(s) or to a random human. Some says they mimicked their hunger meows listening to new born babies crying to be fed.

Alexa · 05-16-2006, 01:10 AM

Maybe because they usually mark or defend their teritory.

You know what's funny ? I began to recognize what they want by the sound they do. In a few moths I,ll be able to tell to everybody, I do understand the feline language.

How's the trip ?