Dolphin utters 'word' for first time

Computer software has decoded the first recorded word to ever be spoken by a dolphin.

Dolphin expert Dr Denise Herzing made the find while in the Caribbean late last year.

The dolphin pod she had been tracking for 25 years were playing around her boat when suddenly she heard one of them say, "sargassum" - a type of seaweed.

Dolphin utters 'word' for first time

During her time with the pod, Dr Herzing invented a whistling sound for sargussum which is distinctly different from the whistling sound dolphins make themselves.

Dr Herzing and her team had hoped the pod would learn and adopt the new language.

They were not disappointed.

I don't have much to add, except that i think this is a pretty cool development, and hopefully the new breakthrough could further push the boundaries of understanding dolphins and their language.

With that said, i am wondering if the above case was little more than just a dolphin repeating what Dr Herzing has been 'whistling' to the pod for quite a while...i know the goal was to get the dolphins to adapt to the new language, but if they only hit a one off, and the word spoken by the dolphin was one used regularly by the scientist, than it could be little more than just the dolphin adapting to and repeating the word, rather than actually learning it and the language.

Daas.

There's always been a thought that dolphins were the next species to evolve and develop, they already use some of our garbage to make rudimentary tools for themselves (if i read an article a while back correctly) and language or the beginnings of it wouldn't be far behind or so I would think...

reply to post by daaskapital


If only dolphins could talk, if only they could give press interviews and join in protests against how humans use the sea for a dumping and killing ground, if only they could speak to us about how they feel when humans capture members of the dolphin community to force them into slavery and encase them in watery prisons that to them are the size of a very small broom closet. Dolphins need a voice in these matters, and in this era of humanity's awakening it must be humans who provide that voice.

On the other hand, if they could talk, they'd always be begging for more fish, laughing at us, and we could probably never shut them up.

reply to post by daaskapital


It sounds like the dolphin is just relating a specific whistle sound to an object, in this case a type of seaweed.

I don't think this brings us close to understanding dolphin "language", rather it proves what we already knew and that dolphins are smart enough to be able to relate a sound with an object.

reply to post by daaskapital


Very cool indeed. They are a very interesting and cool animal.

I wonder if they can "speak" other words...? I know they use complex sounds for communication, but I wonder if they can actually "speak" more words.

Star and flag.

-SAP-

vkey08
There's always been a thought that dolphins were the next species to evolve and develop, they already use some of our garbage to make rudimentary tools for themselves (if i read an article a while back correctly) and language or the beginnings of it wouldn't be far behind or so I would think...

I think its amazing how many species actually DO use tools and language. It has long been held, for whatever reason, that that was kind of "our" thing. I think we just had not noticed before, personally, rather than a species evolving right before our eyes.

That said, I cant imagine where all of these species will be in a thousand years, a hundred thousand, etc. I wish I was around to see how they changed!

That is pretty cool. I'm sure, over time, we will be able to communicate with them - at least on a fundamental basis.

"So Long and Thanks For All the Fish!"

AlphaHawk
reply to post by daaskapital

 

It sounds like the dolphin is just relating a specific whistle sound to an object, in this case a type of seaweed.

I don't think this brings us close to understanding dolphin "language", rather it proves what we already knew and that dolphins are smart enough to be able to relate a sound with an object.

I agree someone what.

How does it not bring us closer to understanding dolphin's language though? I feel being able to identify objects together as one sound from two different species as a stepping stone into building up a vocabulary we'd both recognize. Which would hopefully progress into one language we can use to communicate and in the long run, possibly use to understand each other's languages.

Yeah they are certainly intelligent creatures. Who's to say they they won't evolve to be like us but in their own form sort of ways. For all we known, we could have evolved from that point billions of years ago. We only survived because we are lucky the environment was just.

Is our Humanity existence that selfish to deny another intelligent creature the chance to experience it's own existence.

reply to post by Serdgiam


Oh, we had noticed before. Ancient man had more time outdoors that we do, and he was a master observer (observation skills are key to surviving in a world with sabre toothed anything). Ancient man was a problem solver.

Pythagoras, thousands of years ago, declared that eating meat was akin to murder. He knew.

reply to post by jrflipjr


We already do communicate with them!

Thats what the whole training thing is about. Its just bridging a language barrier, of sorts.

reply to post by daaskapital


Dolphins are truly emotional and highly intelligent, the best and most horrible example being the suicide of Flipper in front of his trainer.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Would you mind providing links?

I would love to read about ancient man teaching dolphins new "words" added into their vocab!

AlphaHawk
It sounds like the dolphin is just relating a specific whistle sound to an object, in this case a type of seaweed.


I don't think this brings us close to understanding dolphin "language", rather it proves what we already knew and that dolphins are smart enough to be able to relate a sound with an object.

Just like us relating specific vocal noises to objects then?

I am quite astonished though that the first word we supposedly hear them say is in Latin....

Although I am still sceptical it did speak. I have no doubt they have their own language, but Dolphins that speak Latin?

Serdgiam
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Would you mind providing links?

I would love to read about ancient man teaching dolphins new "words" added into their vocab!

I would too. Seems you missed a circuit or something on comprehending what was being said. You said this:

I think its amazing how many species actually DO use tools and language. It has long been held, for whatever reason, that that was kind of "our" thing. I think we just had not noticed before - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

To which I based my reply on.

stumason

AlphaHawk
It sounds like the dolphin is just relating a specific whistle sound to an object, in this case a type of seaweed.


I don't think this brings us close to understanding dolphin "language", rather it proves what we already knew and that dolphins are smart enough to be able to relate a sound with an object.

Just like us relating specific vocal noises to objects then?

I am quite astonished though that the first word we supposedly hear them say is in Latin....

Although I am still sceptical it did speak. I have no doubt they have their own language, but Dolphins that speak Latin?

edit on 28/3/14 by stumason because: (no reason given)

You misunderstood.

She taught them to associate a specific whistle sound to the object. She didn't teach them to speak latin, or dolphin latin. Essentially, imagine you were in the camp of a people who spoke a different language than you. Instead of you learning each others language, you create a third language that you both understand. That is what happened here.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Missed a circuit? Fair enough...

I was genuinely interested in hearing about how ancient peoples tried bridging the language barrier. Obviously, they noticed them using tools, etc.

*beezzer hops into the room*

If dolphins can talk, then. . . . I wonder. . . . do they have religion?

*after tossing a hand grenade into the room, hops back out*

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...


Having re-read the article, that makes sense.. So it didn't actually say "Sargassum", just the new whistle sound associated with it... Gotcha..

Serdgiam
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Missed a circuit? Fair enough...

I was genuinely interested in hearing about how ancient peoples tried bridging the language barrier. Obviously, they noticed them using tools, etc.

I think they noticed them using tools, absolutely.

i also believe that the ages old axiom "as above, so below" would have been realized in regards to animals. It would have been realized that all that bleating and what not was language. Among a people whose lives depended on stealthy movement, I am sure that they have a very abstract understanding of what was and was not language. For example, i can gesture to you with my hand, and it can have a meaning. That is language. Taking that a little further, when I am talking to you my brows will move up or down, conveying emotion. This is part of our language.

I am absolutely certain that ancient man realized this. Maybe not each person on an individual level. And there certainly was no cohesive macro society, like our current globalized culture. So you would expect various pieces of knowledge and understanding to be isolated in pockets, depending on availability of ears/mouths to connect, and a desire to actually share information.

Pythagoras doesn't have much literature that survived the fire. But a few of his quotes and ideas survived. One of them relates to how he viewed animals. The current view of animals, that we refer to when we referenced the knowledge that "we" have collectively....it is a European view born of the time after the advent of the Roman Catholic Church. It is, in short, the Roman viewpoint.