Will humans ever be able to speak or even understand dolphin?
• The idea that dolphins possess a communication system as sophisticated as human language was proposed by . Despite loud protests from a sceptical scientific community, Lilly vowed that pioneering researchers would one day “crack the dolphin code” and begin an interspecies dialogue.
In the ensuing years, dolphins were taught to use artificial symbol systems, with equivocal results. Their performance is comparable to great apes where comprehension is concerned, but when it comes to using symbols to establish two-way communication with humans, dolphins have been overshadowed by linguistic prodigies such as Kanzi the bonobo.
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Dolphins’ own communication system has been the subject of much study, revealing a perplexing array of vocal and non-vocal signals. But a sober view of half a century’s worth of evidence suggests that dolphin communication – even when taking into account the referential, or word-like, nature of their mysterious “signature whistle” – is nothing more than a variation on the type of communication system seen throughout the animal world. It is complex, to be sure, though likely to be short on content. There is little to suggest that the cacophony of whistles and buzzes is used to share limitless, abstract information in a language-like fashion.
Science is destined to make great strides in unravelling the mysteries of dolphin communication, as there is much we do not yet understand about the function of their vocalisations. However, the idea that dolphins are harbouring a secret language that awaits decryption is looking increasingly like a spot of wishful thinking from a bygone era.
“The idea that dolphins have a secret language that awaits decryption looks like wishful thinking”
Justin Gregg, Research associate and vice-president, Dolphin Communication Project, Old Mystic, Connecticut, US
• Dolphins and humans can communicate, but is it possible for them to engage in meaningful conversation? Perhaps, but communication between the two species has been limited to date. In fact, there is no compelling scientific evidence that humans and dolphins can engage in exchanges of information beyond those that involve a human requesting a dolphin to perform some behaviour or those that inform a human about some object the dolphin would like but cannot obtain without human assistance.
There are many possible reasons why we cannot converse with dolphins, including the fact that we have much to learn about their communication systems. Dolphins produce a variety of sounds and other behavioural cues that appear to be communicatively significant, yet the communication units used by dolphins remain unknown. For example, are whistles separate single units or some combination of smaller units? Once the units that comprise the dolphin communication system are ascertained, the daunting task of determining what they mean remains. This will require a comparison of how individual units are used in isolation and with other units in a variety of contexts, a process that has only just begun.
Clearly, such work is necessary before conversations can occur. However, it may not be sufficient. Conversations require shared interest in a topic, so humans will need to find subjects that interest dolphins. Given the differences between us, discovering a common ground for meaningful conversations may be more difficult than some humans imagine.
“To engage in conversation, humans will need to find topics of shared interest with dolphins”
Stan Kuczaj, Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Lab, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, US