Scientists have registered semi-social elephants to intentionally adopt different gestures to achieve a specific goal-in this case, to obtain fruit from humans.
The investigators observed a amazing level of complexitywith elephants using 38 different types of gestures to communicate their goals.
In addition, the Animals demonstrated perseverancecontinuing to gesture when the objectives were only partially achieved, and Changing tactics when your request was ignored.
The intentionality directed to a goal refers to the ability to effectively communicate its objectives to others.
According to, previous studies have shown that wild monkeys can use more than a hundred types of gestures and adapt their communication in accordance, depending on the context and the recipient.
Some primates have also demonstrated intentionality directed at a goal, but few species are known to have this behavior and, when they do, it is extremely limited.
The last time we shared a common ancestor with the elephants was about 100 million years ago. However, there are some fundamental characteristics that we have in common.
Elephants, like us, have a long life and a large brain. They also maintain lasting relationships and exist in complex social structures, where the ability to communicate effectively and flexible would be beneficial.
There is already evidence that the vision and tact can play an important role in the communication of the elephants.
Recent investigations suggest that semi-social elephants have greeting behaviors with each otherfor example. However, it was unclear if they had the intentionality capacity directed at a goal.
To find out, they were presented to 17 Semi-Cativa Elephants two objects: An apple board e an empty tray. An experimenter offered the elephant the apple board (objective fulfilled), a single apple (partially fulfilled objective) or the empty board (objective unfulfilled).
The investigators considered three criteria. The first was the guidance for the public. Are gestures performed in front of an experimenter? Does the elephant respond differently depending on whether or not the experimenter is paying attention?
The second was the persistence. Does the elephant continue to gesture when the goal is only partially reached?
And the third was the elaboration. Does the elephant change gestures to clarify their meaning if previous gestures have not been successful?
In total, they registered 313 gestures e 38 different types of gestures19 of which were specific to individual elephants and 19 which were observed in two or more elephants.
Most directed gestures (161) were directed to the experimenter, followed by 29 directed to their own body and 12 to the board with apples.
The gestures were made almost exclusively when the experimenter was present and attentive (direction of the audience, tic).
The elephants continued to gesture when their goal was only partially achieved (persistence, tic). And they adopted different gestures when their goal was not achieved (elaboration, tic).
As a whole, the researchers say, these results demonstrate the existence of intentionality oriented to a goal In a non -primate species – the elephants.
The investigation suggests that nonverbal communication in semi-Cativa elephants is more complex than previously thought.
The team expects future investigation to investigate the meanings of individual gestures, as well as if it is intended for a goal extends to wild elephants and other species.
Teresa Oliveira Campos, Zap //
