Most animals communicate with innate sounds, such as the barking of dogs and the gobbling of turkeys. But some species, humans, for example, can imitate new sounds and learn how to use them correctly in social situations. This ability, called vocal learning, is one of the foundations of language. Vocal learning is present in bats, some birds and cetaceans — a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Avian scientists have identified specific neural pathways that play a role in learning birdsong, but studying language-learning in large marine animals is more difficult, the researchers said. [Deep Divers: See Photos of...
