Almost like humans: study shows that dolphins talk to babies in high-pitched voices

Incredible but true. It turns out that dolphins communicate with their babies in a way similar to how humans do.

Researchers analyzed the sounds made by 19 wild adult female bottlenose dolphins. They specifically looked at the piercing whistles made by dolphins both in the presence and absence of their offspring, Dailymail writes.

It turns out that dolphins consistently produce whistles with a higher maximum frequency and a larger frequency range in the presence of their offspring compared to the whistles they produced when they were alone or with other individuals.

The researchers say this change in communication may help to capture the attention of their offspring and promote bonding and vocal learning.

According to the authors of the study, the findings also suggest that bottlenose dolphins are a promising animal for studying the evolution of vocal learning and language in humans.

By imitating sound, adults tell babies how words should sound from their own mouths, scientists say. Dolphins whistle to each other and rely on "companions" to compete for the favor of potential mates.

Experts from the University of Bristol say that bottlenose dolphins may become more popular simply by voice exchange, helping to maintain weaker but more vital social relationships.

That is not all. A separate study using the same data found that the more popular a dolphin is with other males, the more successful it is when it comes to giving birth to calves.

This study, conducted by the University of Zurich, found that groups of male bottlenose dolphins will work together to compete with rival groups for access to females. It was also found that the most popular males in the group have the best mating success.