Dolphins Use Baby Talk to Call Their Young
Discover the surprising parallels between human baby talk and dolphin communication. Researchers reveal how 'motherese' enhances bonding and learning in dolphin calves.
Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker
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STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- "Motherese" or baby talk is universal around the world among humans who speak different languages, and it may also transcend to other species, including bottlenose dolphins
- When communicating with their calves, dolphins' whistles changed, getting higher in pitch with a greater range
- The signature whistles were significantly higher in frequency and wider in range when their dependent calves were with them, compared to when they were not
- It's likely that the high-pitched, exaggerated tone helps to "enhance attention, bonding, and vocal learning in dolphin calves," similar to in human children
- Puppies and adult dogs may also respond to baby talk or "dog speak," so try it out as a simple way to increase bonding with your pup
Whether you're a parent to a human baby or a furbaby, you've probably used "motherese" or "parentese" when communicating with your young one. Also known as "baby talk," it's that high-pitched, exaggerated tone with lots of repetition that seems to come out automatically when in the presence of a cute baby.
Not only is motherese universal around the world among humans who speak different languages,1 but it may also transcend to other species, including bottlenose dolphins.
Mother Dolphins Use High-Pitched Whistle for Calves
Researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and colleagues recorded and analyzed the signature whistles of 19 wild bottlenose dolphins near Sarasota Bay, Florida.2 Some of the whistles were made while the dolphins were swimming with their calves while others were made while swimming with other adults or alone.3
The data was collected over a period of three decades, using microphones placed on the same wild dolphin mothers in years when they had calves with them and years they did not. Typically, dolphin calves stay with their mothers for about three years.4
The mammals use signature whistles to signal to others in their group that they're nearby, similar to yelling out your name. But when communicating with their calves, the dolphins' whistles changed, getting higher in pitch with a greater range.5
"Female bottlenose dolphins increase the maximum frequency and frequency range of the same vocalizations (signature whistles) when in the presence or absence of offspring, paralleling similar changes in human motherese," the team explained.6 The signature whistles were significantly higher in frequency and wider in range when their dependent calves were with them, compared to when they were not.
This child-directed communication (CDC) thus appears to occur in both humans and dolphins. It's likely that it helps to "enhance attention, bonding, and vocal learning in dolphin calves, as it does in human children," the researchers noted.7
Other species, including rhesus macaques, may also alter their calls to attract infants' attention,8 while zebra finches may change their songs to help teach their young.9 One study in PNAS found:10
"[A]dult finches alter the structure of their vocalizations when interacting with juveniles in ways that resemble how humans alter their speech when interacting with infants, and that could enhance learning."
Dolphins Change the Way They Communicate for Different Purposes
The featured study involved only dolphins' signature whistles, so it's unknown whether baby talk is used during other exchanges. The signature whistle is believed to identify them, like a name might identify a human. It's also believed that dolphins can imitate other dolphins' whistles, perhaps to get their attention in a large group.11
Whistles are believed to help dolphins keep track of each other, find others separated from the group and, according to the Dolphin Research Center, perhaps reveal clues about their mental state. It's also possible that mother dolphins use the whistles in baby-talk mode to get their calf's attention.
"It's really important for a calf to know 'Oh, Mom is talking to me now' — versus just announcing her presence to someone else," Janet Mann, a marine biologist at Georgetown University, told the AP.12 In addition to whistles, dolphins are known to use pulsed yelps, pulsed squeaks, buzzing click-trains and body language for communication.
In another study that demonstrates the similarities between dolphin and human communications, dolphins with the strongest social bonds used more physical touch while those with weaker social bonds preferred to communicate via whistles.13
In other words, similar to the way you may hug your close friends and family members while shouting a "hello" over the fence to a neighbor, dolphins change the way they communicate depending on who they're communicating with. Allied males with stronger social bonds had higher rates of affiliative contact, whereas those with weaker social bonds used whistles.
Your Dog Appreciates Baby Talk, Too
Whether you're trying to teach your dog some basic manners or simply bond with your pet, the way you speak your praises is equally as important as what you say — and possibly more so. Puppies are known to respond to motherese, while research published in the journal Animal Cognition14 found adult dogs were also smitten with baby talk, which the team called "dog speak."
Dogs were more likely to want to interact with people who spoke to them using dog speak and used dog-related content, such as "you're a good boy," than they were with those using adult-directed speech, which included a normal tone and content not related to dogs, such as "I went to the cinema last night."
"Adult dogs need to hear dog-relevant words spoken in a high-pitched emotional voice in order to find it relevant," study author Alex Benjamin explained.15 So, if you're looking for a simple way to bond with your pup, try speaking to her in baby talk. It's likely to elicit a lot of tail wagging and doggy kisses if nothing else. But considering so many dog owners speak to their dogs in baby talk regularly, you probably know that already.
