Dolphins possess their own vocal “signatures” — unique acoustic identities they use to recognize and call one another.
For centuries, the ability to assign names — to living beings and even to inanimate objects — was considered an exclusively human trait. Yet research suggests that dolphins rely on a remarkably similar mechanism. In a column for Forbes, American evolutionary biologist Scott Travers explains that these marine mammals may, in their own way, use something strikingly close to names.
Dolphins rank among the most intellectually advanced animals on Earth. Their acoustic repertoire is extraordinarily rich, ranging from rapid-fire clicks to intricate, high-frequency whistles. According to Travers, certain sound combinations function much like human names. Drawing on scientific studies published in 2006, 2013, and 2023, he notes that dolphins not only produce their own distinctive “melodies,” but can also imitate the signature signals of other individuals. Even more compelling, they respond to these sounds when recordings are played back through speakers — a powerful indication of recognition.
Still, Travers cautions against oversimplification. Dolphin communication is fundamentally different from human language. Their whistles lack letters, grammar, and the symbolic or emotional layers we associate with words. Any comparison to human naming must therefore remain metaphorical.
Yet the evidence points to something profound: these whistles serve a referential function. A specific signal can designate a specific individual — much as a name identifies a person in human conversation.
The most striking difference lies in origin. Humans are given names by their parents. Dolphins, by contrast, create their own. As they mature and gain social experience, they develop a unique acoustic signature — a self-fashioned identity in sound. That signature becomes the call others use to address them, a living emblem of individuality carried on the currents of the sea.
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