Wolves, like dogs, can distinguish human voices – forever young

A study that may have broader implications, for interactions between different species, says that wolves, like dogs, can distinguish human sounds familiar to them from unfamiliar ones.

The prevailing hypothesis for a long time was that the ability of dogs to distinguish between human voices was explained by the selective breeding of domesticated dogs over the centuries.

To question this theory, 24 gray wolves, male and female, from five zoos and parks in Spain, took part in a study conducted by a research team, which included Holly Root-Guttridge, of the University of Lincoln (England), and co-author of the publication published this week in the journal Animal Cognition.

The team installed loudspeakers near the wolves. First, strangers’ voices were broadcast to get them used to not worrying about them. Then, their caregiver’s voice was relayed, with familiar comments like “Hi baby, how are you?”

At these sounds, the wolves raised their heads, pricked their ears, and leaned towards the loudspeaker, just as dogs do.

The unknown sounds that were repeated after that did not catch his attention. Even if the guard said something different from the usual instructions, the wolves recognized his voice and continued to respond.

The study allows, therefore, to prove that wild dogs are able to distinguish between human voices, as highlighted by Holly Root-Guttridge to AFP (AFP).

Some investigations have already been done on this topic, and scientists indicate that gorillas, our closest relatives, are able to hear humans.

It has also been proven that elephants are able to distinguish sounds based on the gender, age, and even race of the speaker.

In particular, these animals are more afraid of male voices than females or babies.

This new study shows that “there is indeed a good chance that many species are listening to humans and marking them as individuals,” the scientist explained.

According to Holly Root-Gutteridge, this feature doesn’t just happen to humans—dogs can distinguish the meows of many cats, for example.

“If these skills are widespread, it means that animals could have many more interactions between species than previously thought,” he said.