---
title: "Bottlenose Dolphins Use Specific Whistles As Names"
description: "Bottlenose dolphins in Africa use signature whistles to identify each other, say scientists investigating dolphin communication"
date: "2014-11-19"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Andreea Popescu"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/andreeathecat"
url: "https://futurism.com/bottlenose-dolphins-use-specific-whistles-names"
categories:
  - "Biology"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "biology"
---

# Bottlenose Dolphins Use Specific Whistles As Names

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1-bottlenosedo.jpg>)

- Most dolphin species rely on a wide variety of sounds in their day to day lives. They use sound to find food and navigate, as well as communicate with each other
- Fairly common among many bird species and humans, this ability, termed vocal production learning, makes them quite special amongst mammals
- These signature whistles are exchanged by groups of dolphins when they meet at sea and are used to address each other, similar to how humans use names