Elephants and Sirenians: A Comparative Review across Related Taxa in Regard to Learned Vocal Behavior

Vocal production learning is the ability to modify a vocal output in response to auditory experience. It is essential for human speech production and language acquisition. Vocal learning evolved independently several times in vertebrates, indicating evolutionary pressure in favor of this trait. This enables cross-species comparative analysis to be used to test evolutionary hypotheses. Humans share this ability with a versatile but limited group of species: songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds, bats, cetaceans, seals, and elephants. Although case studies demonstrate that African savanna and Asian elephants are capable of heterospecific imitation, including imitation of human words, our understanding of both the underlying mechanisms and the adaptive relevance within the elephant's natural communication system is limited.

Automated summary

Vocal production learning is crucial for human speech production and language acquisition and has evolved independently in various species. This ability is observed in songbirds, mammals, and elephants, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms and adaptive relevance within the elephant's natural communication system.