Dolphin Signature Whistles

The term 'signature' has often been applied to animal vocalizations when an individually distinctive pattern was found in them. The vast majority of animals achieve this by means of voice cues, which result from individual variability in the shape and size of the vocal tract. Dolphin signature whistles are qualitatively different from most individually distinctive signals seen in other mammalian species. Identity is encoded in a frequency modulation pattern that is learned or invented early in life. These whistles are used in individual recognition and in maintaining group cohesion and seem to function similarly to human names.