African elephants call each other by unique names, new study shows
NBCJUN 2024
This major discovery suggests there were precursors for language development in non-human primates. It also challenged the notion that communicating with each other by name is a uniquely human trait. This ability serves practical and emotional purposes across species besides allowing individuals to track and address social companions.
Anthropomorphism can lead to misunderstandings of animal behavior and inappropriate interactions with wildlife. While certain species, like primates and elephants, show behaviors that appear more "human-like," it's crucial to recognize that animal cognition and emotions may be fundamentally different from those of humans.
There's an 85% chance that any sovereign government will issue a formal apology for their treatment of farm animals by 2200, according to the Metaculus prediction community.