Hyenas use a laughing language to communicate

A new scientific report has found that the hyena’s laugh relays information about the family hierarchy. After determining the hyena’s age and status in the hierarchy, scientists compared the sounds and found that the pitch and timbre is an indication of the hyena’s status. The pitch relates to the hyena’s age, while the frequency of sounds relates to its dominance in the group. Hyenas often laugh when eating, but they also make noise when they are frustrated or need help from other hyenas when faced with a predator. When other member’s of the hyena’s clan hear the sounds, they can distinguish if the laugh is a call for help or if it can be ignored. Their sounds can be heard up to three miles away, providing an effective defense skill.

The full article can be found here.

Other animals, like whales, have also been shown to communicate through their own language. With the help of a computer program, researchers have discovered that whales are the only other animals that use hierarchal structure in language, incorporating syntax into their communication. Before the development of this program, scientists wondered if the previous analyses were too subjective, but now scientists can objectively analyze sounds. Their songs are complex and can last from six to thirty minutes. The sounds can be used for a variety of reasons, including attracting females. Still, whales’ sounds are very different than human language, and there is still much to be learned.

You can also listen to the sounds of whales on the article website.

The fact that so many other animals have developed a form of communication, or their own language, says a lot about the importance of language for every species. Animals rely on language for survival above all. I wonder how enormously different the world would be without language. Undoubtedly, some species would cease to exist, others would not have an effective way of living in a group, and the animal kingdom would be far different than it is currently.