A recent
article published in Current Biology (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.035),
shows that Northern elephant seals have the ability to memorize the rhythm and
timbre of other seals. The ability to perceive rhythmic sound is thought to be
rare in mammals other than humans. The documented cases are a result of
behavioral training.
Mathevon, et.
al., 2017, state that “In the northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris, the calls of mature males comprise a rhythmic series
of pulses, with the call of each individual characterized by its tempo and
timbre; these individual vocal signatures are stable over years and across
contexts”. Their research shows that elephant seals use this information to
identify individual rivals.
To read the entire study:
Nicolas Mathevon, Caroline Casey, Colleen
Reichmuth, Isabelle Charrier, Northern Elephant Seals Memorize the Rhythm and
Timbre of Their Rivals’ Voices, Current Biology, Available online 20 July 2017,
ISSN 0960-9822, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.035.
Image: By original image by Jan Roletto,
uploaded 18:58, Feb 26, 2004 - de:Wikipedia by de:User:Baldhur, edited by
Matthew Field - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(http://www.noaa.gov), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3440642
Keywords: rhythm perception; metrical patterns;
rhythm; timbre; individual vocal recognition; mammal; rival assessment
