Dolphins 'have their own names'

Dolphins communicate like humans by calling each other by "name", scientists in Fife have found.

snip

Dr Vincent Janik, of the Sea Mammal Unit at St Andrews University, said they conducted the research on wild dolphins.

He said: "We captured wild dolphins using nets when they came near the shore.

"Then in the shallow water we recorded their whistles before synthesising them on a computer so that we had a computer voice of a dolphin.

"Then we played it back to the dolphins and we found they responded. This showed us that the dolphins know each other's signature whistle instead of just the voice.

"I think it is a very exciting discovery because it means that these animals have evolved the same abilities as humans.

"Now we know they have labels for each other like we do."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/4750471.stm

I have no words. I'm telling ginbarn as soon as Stephen Colbert is done interviewing Madeline Albright.

who didnt already know that.

we needed news like this today.