Breakthrough Study Reveals Possible Language-Like Communication Among Dolphins.

In a landmark achievement for animal communication research, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and its collaborators have been awarded the first-ever Coller Dolittle Challenge prize for their pioneering work on dolphin communication. Their study offers compelling evidence that bottlenose dolphins may use language-like vocalizations, marking a potential breakthrough in understanding non-human communication systems.

The $100,000 prize was announced by the Jeremy Coller Foundation and Tel Aviv University during a virtual event that spotlighted four exceptional research teams from the United States, Germany, France, and Israel. These groups presented findings on the communication behaviors of monkeys, nightingales, cuttlefish, and dolphins, all relying on advanced technologies and innovative methods to engage with non-human species.

Biologist Laela Sayigh led the WHOI team, which included contributions from WHOI’s Peter Tyack, Vincent Janik of the University of St. Andrews, Frants Jensen of Aarhus University, and Katie McHugh and Randall Wells from the Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP). Their work focused on a well-studied community of resident bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota, Florida.

The researchers examined non-signature whistles, which make up nearly half of the vocalizations produced by these dolphins. Unlike signature whistles—which function similarly to names—non-signature whistles have received limited scientific attention. Sayigh emphasized that the extensive vocalization archive developed over five decades by the SDRP was instrumental in conducting this research.

The team discovered specific non-signature whistles used consistently by multiple dolphins. Playback experiments conducted in natural settings revealed that one whistle triggered avoidance behavior, suggesting it serves as an alarm. Another appeared to function as a query, commonly used when dolphins encountered unexpected scenarios.

To gather the data, the scientists employed non-invasive suction-cup hydrophones and digital acoustic tags during controlled catch-and-release health assessments, ensuring minimal disturbance to the animals.

Jeremy Coller, founder of the Coller Dolittle Challenge, praised the team’s innovative approach: “For too long, humans have communicated only among themselves. This research opens the door to broader interspecies understanding.” He expressed excitement about the team's future plans to leverage AI to further decode these complex vocal patterns.

This study, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, signals a significant step toward unlocking the mysteries of animal language.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-evidence-language-communication-dolphins.html

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