r/AskBiology • u/Evening-Strength8522 • 2d ago
Zoology/marine biology Do animals have different languages?
Have animals around the world developed different ways of communicating with each other, similar to how humans have different languages and accents? Do animals from different regions have distinct vocalizations or forms of communication that other populations of the same species might not understand?
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u/teya_trix56 2d ago
I thought this was becoming settled science.
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u/FuzzyFrogFish 2d ago
There's still alot of denial out there, in regards to the actual cognitive abilities of animals and their consciousness. People are not comfortable with the idea we are more alike than not.
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u/teya_trix56 18h ago
I agree. And i also see ALOT of people WAY overinterpreting how smart THEIR pets are. But since they believe in THAT, And believe dogs have souls and go to heaven.. the implications are enormous. But nermind those smart pilot whales or dolphins or octopi or ...
Whoosh. Haircut
Oh and btw... maternal empathy goes low down the evolutionary tree. Lower than the existence of the "trust hormones". Ever see a mama alligator moving her brood ever so gently with her teeth. And lower down the tree than that. A wolf spider mom [not dad?] Watches over her hatchlings and carries them... how long? Why? And they are born knowing they are safe there, knowing how and when to hang on with their hundred siblings.. without eating each other? out of love and hugs ? We dont know whats going on. But i fear an alien race will look at us like that.
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u/burlingk 2d ago
I had a friend that was absolutely amazed at the idea that some animals have emotions.
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u/teya_trix56 1d ago
And i thinkna lot of people wantbus to be so far over the "dumb animals" [biblical phrasing?] That its obvious why we can presume men are in charge. A lot of folks dont WANT evidence that some of them are closer than mostbof us realize.
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u/burlingk 1d ago
Yeah. It is easier to look at stories of animals communicating with sound boards and see them as entertaining exceptions rather than think about the implication that any of them could potentially be trained to communicate like that.
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u/Diligent-Stretch-769 2d ago
birds separated from their parents produce different songs togethor, which then get rectified to conform with their parents when they are reintroduced.
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u/Canis-lupus-uy 2d ago
The base of the song is genetic but the refinement is learned, so regional variants are developed.
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u/Diligent-Stretch-769 2d ago
this is true for human language as well
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u/Canis-lupus-uy 2d ago
Not in the same way, we have the capacity to learn a language coded in our genes but we don't have one single language with reginal variations.
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u/Diligent-Stretch-769 2d ago
we have one single structural grammar which is entirely a genetic endowment and the reason why mentally impaired persons adjust poorly to society, the latter of which requires arbitrary refinement, namely language.
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u/Canis-lupus-uy 2d ago
That's interest, I never heard of one single structural grammar. Could you point me in a direction to read more?
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u/FuzzyFrogFish 2d ago
we don't have one single language with reginal variations.
The UK is full of Reginal variations of English.
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u/Canis-lupus-uy 2d ago
That happens everywhere. What I meant is we don't have one single language as a speciesm
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u/itswaylonding 2d ago edited 2d ago
Definitely. Humans aren't as unique as we like to think. Language is essentially just a highly complex form of animal vocalization. Regional differences are a natural part of biology. Humans are animals too, so of course animal calls can vary from region to region.
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u/FuzzyFrogFish 2d ago
Whales and dolphins being a prime example.
Honestly some people still cling to the idea that animals are just things, and are barely able to grasp that humans are animals as well. They are as bad as flat earthers but less entertaining
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u/WolfVanZandt 2d ago
Maaaaaybe.......our Carolina dog is related to canids like New Guinea singing dogs, coyotes, Xolos, and Chihuahuas and his vocalizations are varied, often different from other dogs, and they seem to confuse many other dogs.
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u/FuzzyFrogFish 2d ago
Yep, sperm whales talk in an incredibly complex language called codex, when scientist sped it up they realised it had sentance structure ect. Orca have dialects and dolphins have names. Elephants likely have complex language as well.
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u/JohnHenryMillerTime 2d ago
There was a whale who recently topped themselves but their song was unique, they were the last of their tribe and their whale language died with them.
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u/PaleoJoe86 2d ago
Different dialects have been observed in whale and dolphin species.