Humans have long mastered the art of expressing their goals and needs through both language and gestures. Interestingly, this behavior is not limited to humans; it is also observed in non-human primates, who utilize complex gestures to convey their desires. However, a recent study sheds light on whether this use of deliberate gestures extends beyond primates to other members of the animal kingdom.
A recent study published in Royal Society Open Science provides the first-ever evidence that elephants, in the presence of a visually attentive audience, are capable of using a wide range of gestures to express their needs and desires. The researchers aimed to test whether elephants intentionally gesture to communicate their goals by observing 17 semi-captive African Savannah elephants in Zimbabwe.
During the study, the elephants were presented with two trays: one containing six apples, which represented the desired item, and the other tray was empty, symbolizing the non-desired item. The researchers meticulously recorded the elephants' attempts to communicate with experimenters across three different scenarios.
The first scenario involved successful communication, where the experimenter granted the elephant all six apples. In the second scenario, the elephants did not achieve their goals and were given the empty tray instead. The final scenario occurred when their goals were partially met, resulting in the elephants receiving only one apple from the tray.
Throughout this process, the researchers observed clear signs of goal-directed intentionality in the elephants' gestures. Notably, their gestures were directed exclusively toward an attentive human or the object of their desire, avoiding irrelevant objects. When their goals were unmet, the elephants demonstrated creativity by inventing new gestures to communicate their intentions, rather than repeating the same actions.
The intentionality of communication is a key factor that distinguishes human language from other forms of animal communication. Our words and gestures aim to achieve specific goals, ranging from simple greetings to complex negotiations. Scientists categorize intentionality into different complexity levels. Zero-order intentionality refers to reactions to stimuli, such as pain or touch. First-order intentionality involves deliberate communication to influence someone’s behavior, while second-order intentionality aims to change someone’s mind.
While several studies have demonstrated that non-human apes use gestures with first-order intentionality, little was known about similar behaviors in non-primates until now. Given the elephants' complex social structures and advanced cognitive abilities, the researchers were motivated to investigate their ability to gesture with intentionality.
The researchers identified 38 different types of gestures and recorded a total of 313 gesture tokens—individual instances of gestures used—by the 17 semi-captive elephants participating in the study. The elephants communicated their desire to obtain apples only when a visually attentive experimenter was present nearby. Remarkably, they were more likely to continue gesturing when their goal was partially met, such as receiving some but not all apples, compared to when they were fully satisfied.
Furthermore, the elephants elaborated their gestures when their goals were unmet, in contrast to when their goals were completely fulfilled. This study establishes the existence of goal-directed communication in semi-captive elephants, providing vital insights into the complexity of animal communication.
The researchers encourage further studies to explore intentionality in other highly social species that possess a large repertoire of signals and gestures. This exploration could deepen our understanding of how the capacity for intentional communication may have evolved across different species.
In conclusion, this groundbreaking research highlights the remarkable ability of elephants to use gestures intentionally to communicate their desires, bridging the gap between human and animal communication. The findings pave the way for a new understanding of the cognitive abilities of non-human animals and their methods of interaction.
