4 ms·

The article mentions that dolphins are the only species known to use names in the wild, but that's not quite true: http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/07/dont_ca

• tzs 11y ago
  Penguins [1] might also be an example. At least according to a documentary I saw, when the one of a pair that went off to hunt returns to the egg or hatchling to take its mate's place so the mate can go hunt, it finds its mate by recognizing the mate's distinct call among the thousands of other penguins calling out for their mates. Wouldn't that count as a name? It meets the dictionary definition: "a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to" (assuming an animal sound can count as a word). The article did say that the dolphins choose their own sound. The penguin documentary did not say how penguins get their distinct sound. I wonder if the article is only counting as names things that are chosen, so if the penguin's distinct sound is not something chosen by the penguin it does not count? [1] I'm not sure what specific species I'm talking about here.
  • gizmo686 11y ago
    It is common for animals to have personally identifiable sounds. However, most animals only make their own sound, not the sound of others. For example, a penguin might identify himself as Bob, but a penguin will not ask where Bob is.