Killer Whales Can 'Talk' Like Dolphins When The Two Species Spend Time Together: Orcas Imitate Sounds To Help Them Communicate -- Daily Mail
* Killer whales can engage in cross-species ‘vocal learning’ by matching the types of sounds made by bottlenose dolphins when spending time with them
* Results suggest vocal imitation may enable social interactions in cetaceans
* Killer whales make clicks, whistles and pulsed calls, which are repeated brief bursts of sound punctuated with silence
* When they spent time with dolphins they altered these noises to make more dolphin-like clicks and fewer pulsed calls, which dolphins don't make
* Study was conducted by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in San Diego
Most animals make noises that are innate, not learned.
But scientists claim killer whales can learn to ‘talk’ like dolphins when the two species spend time together.
This means the ocean predators join the likes of bats, some birds and humans that each copy sounds and use them in appropriate social contexts.
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My Comment: I always find it amazing that we are still making discoveries even though we have been studying animals .... like killer whales .... for years.
