Calves and their Mothers Have 'Conversations?'

Animals have developed all sorts of way to communicate with one another, whether it's through colorful fins like in killifish, signature whistles as among dolphins, or hand gestures like chimpanzees use. Now new research shows that at least among cows, calves and their mothers can have actual "conversations" with each other.

It has long been thought that cows had developed individual calls for talking to each other, but until now this was just a theory. After eavesdropping on two herds of free-range cattle on a farm in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, researchers have shown that this prior notion is in fact true, with certain types of mother-offspring contact calls having been identified.

According to the study, cow mothers have two distinct maternal "calls." One low frequency call is used when cows are close to their calves, while another loud, high frequency cry is used when mothers and their calves were separated and could not see one another.

But this wasn't just a one-way street. Calves were reportedly capable of conversing with their mothers by calling out to them when they wanted to start suckling.

Additionally, all three of these calls were individualized, meaning researchers could identify mothers and their respective calves based on their cries alone.

"The research shows for the first time that mother-offspring cattle 'calls' are individualized - each calf and cow have a characteristic and exclusive call of their own," Dr. Mónica Padilla de la Torre from the University of Nottingham, who led the research, said in a statement. "Acoustic analysis also reveals that certain information is conveyed within the calf calls - age, but not gender."

Researchers hope that this newfound discovery can help in the care of cattle.

"This is the first time that complex cattle calls of have been analyzed using the latest and best techniques. Our results provide an excellent foundation for investigating vocal indicators of cattle welfare," added co-author Dr. Alan McElligott, at Queen Mary University of London.

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