oricnus orcas

Due to recent controversies arising from the documentary “Blackfish”, light has been shown on the emotional and social lives of killer whales as well as other highly developed mammals in captivity. Another mammal receiving considerable social attention is the African elephants due to their long lasting problem that they hunted for their tusks and captured for entertainment. Both the killer whales and the African elephants are highly developed mammals with extensively developed social and active lives. These both species exhibit highly organized family structures and reproduction. Due to their active social lives, they need a way to communicate with their kin. This literature review will thoroughly discuss and analyze the highly complex communication system and socialization between killer whales and the African elephant with their families and stranger.

The killer whale’s scientific name is Orcinus orca. Its genus name, Orcinus, means of “the kingdom of the dead” (Ford, Ellis, & Balcomb, 2000). Their morphology consists of a black body with a white ventral side and white spots on their sides and a characteristic white spot near their eye. They are the second most dispersed mammals around the world, second to humans. These organisms are a group of highly social and intellectual mammals. They live in social groups known as “pods”. These pods are stable family groups consisting of female orcas with their young and post-reproductive females and can range between ten and twenty-five members (Ford, Ellis, & Balcomb, 2000, p. 16).

Female orcas have a strong emotional connection with their offspring and spend their whole lives with their offspring, especially the male. In these pods, female orcas can live between the ages of 80 and 90 an...

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...the individual to continue living in their pod reaping its benefits.

Another importance to similar call types is to be able to distinguish between individuals in the family and individuals outside of the family to avoid incest and inbreeding (Weiß, Ladich, Spong, & Symonds, 2006). Group specific and individual specific calls are also effective because underwater visual communication cues are only effective when communicating within short distances. According to Weiß et al. (2006), births of calves where led to an increase in excitement and family-specific call rates which suggest that adult orcas in the pod actively teach their vocalizations because it is crucial for life and identification within the pod. This change in call frequency last for up to two weeks until after the calf is born.

The Loxodonta africana’s communication consists of body touches and calls.