Elephants and whales both certainly have communication systems. So do dolphins, wolves, canaries, mice, ants, oak trees, slime molds etc. That’s not the same as language.
That seems like a joke to me, but sure, if you define the term “language” that way, then elephants and whales don’t have it. What whales do have is a complex communication system which supports dialects and persistent culture.
Is there evidence that elephant communication supports dialects and culture?
Is there any consistent research being done on language modes of other species? Especially cephalopods.
Learning to have a conversation with a cephalopod ranks first on my list of “things that might be worth dropping everything to pursue that I personally would have a greater than 1% chance of actually accomplishing.”
Elephants may have a language—of sorts:
“Elephant ‘secret language’ clues”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8527009.stm
Whales almost certainly do. Their auditory systems are amazing compared to our own.
Elephants and whales both certainly have communication systems. So do dolphins, wolves, canaries, mice, ants, oak trees, slime molds etc. That’s not the same as language.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language defines “language” as being a human capability.
That seems like a joke to me, but sure, if you define the term “language” that way, then elephants and whales don’t have it. What whales do have is a complex communication system which supports dialects and persistent culture.
Is there evidence that elephant communication supports dialects and culture?
Is there any consistent research being done on language modes of other species? Especially cephalopods.
Learning to have a conversation with a cephalopod ranks first on my list of “things that might be worth dropping everything to pursue that I personally would have a greater than 1% chance of actually accomplishing.”