Dolphin's Language - Essay Example

Proposal Topic: The language of dolphins; how dolphins communicate with each other. ment: The sounds made by Dolphins are divided by the scientists into three main categories. Each category has its own function. Specifics: 1. How are the sounds of dolphins classified? Dolphins produce different types of sounds. The sounds made by dolphins are divided into 3 main types: click, whistles, and burst-pulse sounds. 2. How do dolphins communicate with each other? It is admitted that whistles are used by dolphins to talk to each other. There is a signal called “signature”, which is unique with different dolphins. It is a well-known fact that dolphins does have “signature” from their birth, it is developed later. 3. What are the two main theories, which explain the nature of dolphins’ sounds? The scientists explain how dolphins produce sounds using two important theories. Nasal sac theory is one of the most popular. Another theory explains the nature of sounds by means of acoustical mirror References: Dolphin Research Center. How Dolphins Produce Sounds, 2007 Accessed November 16, 2014. http://www.dolphins.org/marineed_acoustics.php BioExpendition. The discovery of Dolphin Language, 2012 Accessed November 16, 2014http://www.dolphins-world.com/Dolphin_Language.html Herman, Louis M. Language Learning, 2002 Accessed November 16, 2014. http://www.dolphin-institute.org/resource_guide/animal_language.htm Rasmussen, Marianne H. and Miller, Lee A. Whistles and clicks from white-beaked dolphins, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, recorded in Faxaflói Bay, Iceland. Center for Sound Communication, Institute of Biology, SDU—Odense University, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark Dolphin’s Language Dolphins are considered to be very intelligent animals. The size of their brain is enough to form an appropriate brain-to-body-weight ratio. The ratio of dolphins is greater than the ratio of other animals and is almost the same early humanoid ancestors had. The look of a brain of dolphins is also very close to humans’ one. A great number of investigators and scholars state that dolphins are able to communicate with each other by means of their own language. Everybody who saw dolphins can state that they seem communicating in their own language, talking to each other like humans. Moreover, scientists try to translate the language of dolphins to be able to understand what they want to say. Dolphins have been always considered to be very clever. They can communicate with little children and are never able to hurt a child. Parents trust dolphins much and let them teach their children to swim. Moreover, it is proved that the communication with dolphins is very useful for our health. They are able to help people who suffer from incurable diseases. At last these animals are very kind and trustworthy. However, it is really strange and maybe too early to state that dolphins can communicate and have their own language. Notwithstanding that scientists can’t state this, there are some fact which can be called almost proved. Certainly, the speech apparatus of dolphins differs much from humans’ one. They are able to communicate through blowholes and it is interesting that they can make sounds both under the water and in air. The blowholes of dolphins are controlled with the help of muscles and the sounds vary depending on how wide the hole is opened. The researchers are sure that producing sounds under water dolphins communicate with each other, but producing sounds in air they want to attract the attention of humans. The scientists from Dolphin Research Center state that dolphins produce different sounds, which can be combined into one beautiful song, for those who walk near the water. However, the sounds under water are made with different purpose: they talk to other dolphins, share some information, look for food. Notwithstanding that the way of producing sounds by dolphins is not studied well, there are still two main theories, which provide some explanation on the issue. Nasal sac theory is one of the widely applied. According to it, sounds are made by dolphins with the help of three pairs of air sacs. When the blowhole is closed, air appears in the one or more sacs. The sacs in their turn are closed with a plug. The air is forced through the plug to produce sounds like an air is forced through the full balloon. The next theory explains the nature of sounds by means of acoustical mirror, a tissue under the blowhole, which work like lips. By now scientists have studied the sounds made by dolphins well enough to classify them into three categories. They are click sounds, burst-pulled sounds and whistles. Every category has its own functions. “The echolocation sounds of most delphinid species studied are short, broadband pulses. They are emitted in low repetition rate trains or in high repetition rate bursts. Bursts of pulses can be used during prey capture”1. Clicks are used by dolphins to get food and collect information. Click sounds are also used to examine different objects. When a dolphin examines an object, it makes a sound like echo to get information about it. “Clicks have a peak frequency at about 115 kHz and some clicks had another lower amplitude peak at about 250 kHz. Click intervals varied between 2.8 ms to 56.2 ms in 23 click sequences analyzed. Duration of a click was between 10 to 29 µs. Clicks from three sequences were analyzed in detail for acoustical properties, center frequency (about 90 kHz) and width (about 50 kHz), rms bandwidth (about 30 kHz) and 90% energy bandwidth (about 70 kHz)”2 Speaking about whistles, there are any types, which can be made by dolphins. It is essential to mention that different dolphins can produce different sounds. There is even a signal called “signature”, which is unique with different dolphins. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that dolphins does have “signature” from their birth. This sound is developed during the first several months of their life. “Whistles from white-beaked dolphins contained higher frequencies than reported from other dolphin species. Although we used a DAT to record most of the whistles, some were recorded on a racal tape recorder with a tape speed at 30 ips giving a frequency range up to 150 kHz” It is interesting that scientists already have some evidence of dolphins’ linguistics. Every dolphin has its own family and prefers to stay in it, because every group has its own language, while the representatives of other groups are considered to be “foreign” dolphins. The speech of “foreign” dolphins is difficult to understand by the representatives of another group. It was determined that some dolphins have their own unique whistles compared to other dolphins. There is a one unique feature that makes dolphin significant among other animals: they turn their heads when communicate. This testifies that dolphins really communicate consciously. Also it can be admitted that dolphins use the sound patterns applied by humans. Burst pulse sounds are the ones used by dolphins to express their emotions. Also such sounds are applied to prove and maintain the position of a dolphin in the society without any conflicts, especially physical ones. Some of burst pulse sounds of dolphins are striking; they are used to kill fish and are very loud. Currently the researchers are looking for the evidences of dolphins’ ability to attack with a sound. The essential issue to discuss is the differences and similarities between people and dolphins. As we can see that researchers were not able to choose the right theory, we can’t state for sure that dolphins can really make sounds like humans. However, something has already been proved: dolphins are able to communicate like people. They talk to each other with the help of sounds they produce: one seems saying something and another one seems answering him vocalizing. Everybody who saw dolphins can state this. Dolphins are animals, which are considered to be very clever. We trust these animals and allow them to teach our children to swim, because they seem very kind and reliable. There are cases when dolphins saved Dolphins seem communicating in their own manner, but this manner is very close to the way of communicating used by human beings. We use mimic and gestures and dolphins use turns and moves to express their feelings, thoughts and emotions. References: References: Dolphin Research Center. How Dolphins Produce Sounds, 2007 Accessed November 16, 2014. http://www.dolphins.org/marineed_acoustics.php BioExpendition. The discovery of Dolphin Language, 2012 Accessed November 16, 2014http://www.dolphins-world.com/Dolphin_Language.html Herman, Louis M. Language Learning, 2002 Accessed November 16, 2014. http://www.dolphin-institute.org/resource_guide/animal_language.htm Rasmussen, Marianne H. and Miller, Lee A. Whistles and clicks from white-beaked dolphins, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, recorded in Faxaflói Bay, Iceland. Center for Sound Communication, Institute of Biology, SDU—Odense University, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark Read More