The Coffee House

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien...86516.html

Cows tell each other how they feel through their moos, according to a new study.

The animals have individual vocal characteristics and change their pitch depending on their emotions, according to research by the University of Sydney.

Alexandra Green, the study’s lead author, said: “Cows are gregarious, social animals. In one sense it isn’t surprising they assert their individual identity throughout their life.”

“This is the first time we have been able to analyse voice to have conclusive evidence of this trait.”

The study found that cows use their voice to help them maintain contact with the herd and express excitement, arousal, engagement or distress.

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I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by these stories any more: after all, a lot of studies seem to show that various animals are more intelligent than I'd given them credit for .

Still, now that we know that they can 'talk' to each other, I wonder whether we can use that knowledge to 'talk' to them ?

What's the story here? Of course they know how to communicate with each other!

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. The noises animals make have a purpose, they're not just for the sake of making noise.

(01-18-2020, 02:19 AM)Dust Bowl Wrote: [ -> ]What's the story here? Of course they know how to communicate with each other!

Sure, that bit isn't surprising . However, the fact that each cow has its own individual voice, and they know how to take turns in conversations... that's more interesting. It shows something more sophisticated than simply "They can communicate"!

"Fancy going to the moooooovies with me?"

(01-18-2020, 06:50 PM)Opal Fruit Wrote: [ -> ]"Fancy going to the moooooovies with me?"

Milking this topic for all it's worth, I see.

(01-18-2020, 06:52 PM)Kyng Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-18-2020, 06:50 PM)Opal Fruit Wrote: [ -> ]"Fancy going to the moooooovies with me?"

Milking this topic for all it's worth, I see.

Oh that is just bull.

The funny thing is most cows feel seen but not herd

Is as uttery amooosing this is, to stay on topic before Kyng has a cow over being off topic,

Yes most animals use sounds to communcate, but few have it like cows do, from what I understand.

Don't you mean udderly amooosing?

I think the interesting thing about these studies isn't so much that they've learned that the animals can communicate with each other (we already know that!), it's the manner of their interactions that is intriguing. Changing vocal pitch to reflect emotion is, to be perfectly honest, something I would never have thought a cow capable of doing. It's really cool to see the level of intelligence in creatures. Perhaps knowing that they have more personality will give people more empathy with how they treat them.

It sounds udder bonkers but I understand it all now