Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 3 d ago, last 3 d ago, peak #4
Wild elephants use intentional gestures to communicate, study finds
Original: 8-Oct-2026 ‘Move away’ and ‘stop that!’: Wild # elephants use a rich gestural repertoire intentionally to “mean business
Researchers have documented that wild elephants use a rich repertoire of deliberate gestures, such as signals meaning 'move away' or 'stop that'. The animals check whether others are paying attention, wait for a response, and persist with further gestures when their goal is not met. The findings suggest elephants communicate intentionally, a trait previously associated mainly with great apes.
Why now: New research showing intentional, goal-directed communication in elephants is striking to people interested in animal cognition.
Evidence
API: https://socialmediatrends-api.osmike.com/v1/trends/1621357