African elephants use 'names' to communicate with each other in the same way that humans do, researchers have discovered.A new study, carried out by Colorado State University scientists who analyzed hundreds of elephant calls, found that wild African Savannah elephants address each other using personalized sounds, instead of relying on the imitation of noises made by others.This suggests that they recognize individual calls addressed to them, which is rare among animals.
The ability to learn to produce new sounds, which is necessary for identifying individuals by name, is very rare among animals.This kind of communication–called 'arbitrary communication'–is thought to represent higher cognitive ability. According to the researchers, this behavior may mean elephants are capable of abstract thought, which is the ability to consider concepts beyond what we observe physically. This is required for analyzing ideas and problem-solving.