Humans, squirrel monkeys, zebra finches, and rhesus macaques, aren't the only ones who use baby talk. A new study has revealed that mother dolphins communicate with their children in a unique way, too.
Baby Talk Among Dolphin Mothers and Children
CBS News reports that bottlenose dolphin mothers adapt a different tone when they address their calves. As part of the study, the researchers recorded the whistles of 19 mother dolphins from Florida. These mothers were either joining their children, swimming on their own, or joining other adults.
The unique findings were detailed in the PNAS journal. The signature whistle of dolphins is a vital and distinct signal that is akin to dolphins calling out each other's names.
Laela Sayigh, a co-author of the study and marine biologist from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, explains that dolphins make use of such whistles to monitor each other. It is their way of relaying their presence.
Per National Geographic, Sayigh discovered that dolphin mothers' signature whistles came in wider frequency ranges when their calves were near. Their lower pitches went lower, while their higher pitches went even higher. These high-pitched sounds are beyond the range that humans can hear. This was observed in all 19 mother dolphins that the study covered.
It was not easy for the scientists to gather such data. For over thirty years, researchers attached distinct microphones many times to the same dolphin mothers in the Sarasota Bay of Florida in order to record the signature whistles. The period covered when the mother had and did not have calves.
Mauricio Cantor, a marine biologist from Oregon State University who did not participate in the study, notes that the data is unprecedented and remarkably fantastic. Cantor adds that the findings resulted from intense efforts.
According to ABC 15 Arizona, zoologists refer to this communication style as "infant-directed speech" or "motherese."
Why Do Dolphins Baby Talk?
The exact reason behind this unique baby-talk communication is not clear. However, scientists think that this method of talking can help the calves learn the pronunciation of sounds, CBS News explains.
In this particular study, the researchers exclusively focused on the signature whistles. Hence, they do not know if these creatures also make use of baby talk for other kinds of exchanges or if this baby talk helps the young learn how to "talk."
CBS News adds that another possible reason for this unique way of talking could be to catch the attention of the calves. Janet Mann, a Georgetown University marine biologist who did not participate in the study, explains how important it is for the young dolphin to know that its mother is talking to her specific child.
For other creatures that do baby talk, some observations have been made. For one, female rhesus monkeys have been observed to change their calls in order to hold and attract their offspring's attention. Zebra finches, on the other hand, increase their pitch and slow down their songs to address their chicks.
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