global briefs
In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers identified the first nonhuman animal mother to use baby talk with their young. Bottlenose dolphin mothers use a higher pitch of their whistles when communicating with their calves. They also employ a signature whistle that functions like a name, and calves learn their names and those of their mother and members of their pod early on. Scientists from Florida’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program have been recording the whistles of adult female dolphins and their calves for decades. Analysis of the recordings of 19 pairs of mothers and calves found that dolphin mothers produced signature whistles with a significantly higher maximum frequency and wider frequency ranges when they were with their calves than not with them. It is thought that the baby talk enhances a calf’s attention, allowing for bonding with their mother and vocal learning. The research may provide insight into the evolution of vocal learning, a prerequisite for language.
A study in the journal Nature reports the discovery of a wooden structure dating back 476,000 years near Kalambo Falls, in Zambia. The structure predates the evolution of Homo sapiens by more than 120,000 years. Archaeologists found two preserved interlocking logs joined side-to-side by an intentionally cut notch. Tool marks were found on both logs, along with a collection of wooden tools. The study authors believe that the logs may have been used to build a raised platform, walkway or foundation for a dwelling in an area subject to periodic flooding. The discovery challenges the view that Stone Age hominini were nomadic. To estimate the age of the logs and tools, the team used luminescence dating techniques that roughly calculate the last time minerals in the sand surrounding the items were exposed to sunlight.
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Oldest Wooden Structure
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Baby-Talking Dolphins
