AI Decodes Coordinated Chorus Rumbles of African Savanna Elephants in Amboseli National Park
A study published in Scientific Reports on October 1 looked at 902 audio recordings of rumbles from wild African savanna elephant families in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, collected between 1986 and 2022. These recordings showcased various rumbles used during social interactions, like "coo," "contact," and "greeting." Researchers used a machine learning algorithm that could predict the elephants' activities more accurately than random chance, though it wasn't perfect. Sara Keen, a co-author from the Earth Species Project, shared her excitement about decoding these sounds. The findings suggest these vocalizations might convey complex information, with certain rumbles showing vocal convergence for better coordination. Andrew McLean highlighted the elephants' social nature, while Stephanie King mentioned A.I.'s potential in studying other animal communications.
Key facts
- A study published October 1 in Scientific Reports used machine learning to analyze 902 recordings of African savanna elephant rumbles
- The recordings came from wild elephant family groups in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, and were collected between 1986 and 2022
- Rumbles were made during six social contexts: coo, contact, let's-go, cadenced, little-greeting and greeting
- The algorithm predicted elephant activities better than chance but still made many mistakes
- Choruses appear to contain information about who is calling and what they are doing, sometimes adding fine-grained detail beyond individual rumbles
- Vocal convergence occurred only during cadenced, contact and greeting rumbles
- Sara Keen is a behavioral ecologist at the Earth Species Project
- Andrew McLean is an independent animal behavior researcher and member of the IUCN's Asian Elephant Specialist Group
- Stephanie King is a behavioral biologist at the University of Bristol in England
Entities
Artists
- Sara Keen
- Jackie Flynn Mogensen
- Christa Lesté-Lasserre
- Andrew McLean
- Stephanie King
- Amy Martin
- Sarah Kuta
Institutions
- Scientific Reports
- Earth Species Project
- Scientific American
- New Scientist
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Asian Elephant Specialist Group
- University of Bristol
- Guardian
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Amboseli National Park
- Kenya
- England
- Longmont
- Colorado