Familial Identification (07:04)

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Elephants use low frequency sounds to communicate over miles. Angela Stoger studies how Addo Park herds stay in contact. Her research reveals that males are more social than previously believed; they distinguish each other by voice cues.

Signature Whistles (02:24)

Dolphins embed communications within vocal cues functioning as individual names. Infants begin learning language from birth; they babble, displaying vocal learning.

Masters of Modulation (04:07)

Songbirds have great capacity for vocal elarning; geography influences species sounds. Zebra finch colonies are isolated and taught a specific call for a University of Nanterre laboratory experiment; after several generations, artificial dialects form.

Proto-Syntax (07:45)

In thick African forests, monkeys stay connected through vocalizations. Prof. Alban Lemasson has discovered acoustic structure and language properties. Females communicate with family through contact calls. Males protect groups, using specific warnings for different predators, including suffixes indicating threat’s urgency.

Vocal Learning (04:43)

Gustavo Arrillaga has found that all creatures have the capacity to learn vocalization in continuum. He experiments with mice, finding that males sing to females in ultrasonic range; he believes sexual selection led to other species communication advancements.

Creating Sound Maps (05:25)

Bats produce clicks for navigation and songs to communicate; they can hunt and converse simultaneously. Newborns babble, learning communication by imitation and practice; family groups share sound signatures and can identify strangers.

Communal Sound Strategy (09:28)

Fission-fusion societies require members to communicate with many individuals, joining and splitting with groups for different activities. Dolphins use echolocation to hunt and stay in contact. An experiment in Guadalupe finds they use silence and strategic behavior when exploring unknown territories.

Silent Communication (02:45)

Wolves communicate over long distances with howls, signaling individual locations and hunting intentions. An experiment reveals that wolves convey complicated instructions without vocalization to obtain treats.

Deceptive Communication (05:39)

Vienna Veterinarian School researchers find that pigs manipulate each other with false information. They conduct an experiment wherein the weakest member learns the placement of corn and leads the dominant male elsewhere before hurrying to obtain the food first. Hear an episode summary.

Credits: Animal Conversations - When Animals Talk to Animals (00:48)

Credits: Animal Conversations - When Animals Talk to Animals