Dolphins call each other by name
Researchers found that bottlenose dolphins whistle for loved ones.
A new study finds that bottlenose dolphins call out the names of certain other dolphins when they become separated.
The research by the University of St. Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit in the U.K. is based on acoustic data from wild bottlenose dolphins around Sarasota Bay, Fla., from 1984 to 2009, and on the study of four captive males at The Seas Aquarium in Florida.
Previous research has found that dolphins have signature whistles for themselves, and the new research finds that dolphins who are close to them can copy their whistles to find them.
“Animals produced copies when they were separated from a close associate and this supports our belief that dolphins copy another animal’s signature whistle when they want to reunite with that specific individual,” said the study’s lead author, Stephanie King.
Bing: More dolphin news
The findings were published in the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B."
— Read it at Discovery News
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Photo: Dolphins call each other by name / Eco/UIG/Getty Images
The Dolphin has a larger Brain than Humans...They are sacred Animals who Love us and we should do everything on earth to protect them ...especially in the commercial fishing industries!! These animals are incredible and amazing and special and THEY ARE OUR FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!! They are not just some "fish" RESPECT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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