Talk2NatureMarine mammals / Controlled playback study
A familiar whistle can address an individual
Source year 2013 · Note reviewed 2026-10-04
Dolphins responded vocally to copies of their own signature whistles more than to the control whistles described in the study, supporting individual-directed use of learned signals.
What we reviewed · Selected evidence reviewed
Indexed primary abstract, discussion and methods location passage reviewed. Complete methods, supplements and raw recordings not obtained.
Not yet independently reviewed by a scientific specialist.
What this does — and doesn’t — establish
Individual addressing does not establish open-ended conversation. The authors discuss alternative mechanisms; this note has not independently checked the complete experimental design.
What we can build on
Separate caller identity, receiver identity and acoustic similarity when evaluating a proposed exchange.
See the related tools and reading paths →
The next reading task
Obtain full methods, verify controls and recording periods, and review later evidence before proposing an intervention.
Go to the sources
- Dolphin signature whistles used in addressing ↗
King and Janik (2013). Indexed primary abstract, discussion and location passage reviewed. Full methods and supplementary files were not obtained in this pass.
Original editorial note by Talk2Nature contributors. AI-assisted, source-grounded synthesis; not a peer review or an independent replication. Linked works retain their own rights.