O que os elefantes querem dizer com suas trombas?

Um novo estudo publicado na Royal Society Open Science mostra 38 estratégias gestuais que os elefantes usam para se comunicar com humanos

[{"selector":"#anim-7913b93a-bbc7-428a-b1af-d7757ad59eb1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.4945344651722117%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7609d0e4-86c0-436d-bb95-9c9013ac2ecc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a3c14b9-90b0-4131-b519-669c8931d672","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6629043b-da9b-4a46-9b81-c5862b9edd16","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6f250060-6057-472d-b54e-c192b0dc01b3","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(-429.99998%, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

A pesquisa feita com elefantes do Zimbábue tenta responder à pergunta: os animais podem usar gestos intencionais para influenciar o comportamento de outros?

[{"selector":"#anim-71b5fb5a-6cfc-46b4-af7a-04f9efbe0736 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(15.808608294826655%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a875c710-43cb-454f-8e09-44c50b539068","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b3556af-e417-4430-a151-7afb49c12312","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(109.49367%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8950e7e7-3e70-4e0d-9fd1-f37a5bd5bc8a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d02a12e1-1b89-4f5b-98d2-bd1d4051c41f","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(429.99998%, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Para testar os elefantes, os pesquisadores ofereciam duas bandejas aos animais: uma com seis maçãs, e outra vazia.

[{"selector":"#anim-d8d54b08-2cbe-4ce8-946e-31f20c82bab2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a6d9985-1856-4ac2-bc1f-551588ae4a44","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60432a15-5452-4949-9ee4-623626315641","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(108.21115%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e31c52f2-ea9d-4ec6-9bff-0bfa51a935b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6528c03-49a6-4091-ba66-639bef2c819a","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(419.99992%, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Quando ninguém os observava, os elefantes ficavam quietos. Mas, ao perceberem que os humanos estavam atentos, eles começavam a agir.

[{"selector":"#anim-01b3e652-c66e-4d71-8074-46119918e078 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fef45d88-9925-4b10-9c5d-ab0c910380f0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-379c063d-2638-4317-82a0-7e9933625a5d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(108.86076%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-30f1e43e-7fc2-4665-b920-b1a45c2e96d8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c1ae4386-ee31-43cd-aba7-7a28aaeb8896","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(419.99992%, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Os elefantes balançavam a tromba na direção da fruta ou do cuidador. Em outro momento, esticavam a tromba pedindo mais uma maçã.

[{"selector":"#anim-3048a2f5-111d-455e-b86b-2f02d832ec99 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55018047-a93c-4121-9194-22bc23dfbeeb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-376c0bdb-83cd-490c-9f9e-1032ad8323a6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(108.48484%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4194a547-8a7c-4252-9d14-bbdf0b7db06d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cfa4a79e-7244-40f2-a5d9-46a5d33ff818","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(419.99992%, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Ao todo, os pesquisadores identificaram 38 gestos diferentes nesse tipo de interação. Os resultados trazem mais peças para o quebra-cabeça da evolução da linguagem.

[{"selector":"#anim-fb4c4127-0752-4c37-acc4-5cc70e93ad2c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-39.38537586289934%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3e07fc15-b264-460c-965c-ce72ce4bd247","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2422e82-7f73-4956-819b-642d3c0c8ef8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 111.75925%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8569e1ad-77ad-4e0f-b88c-a6787f9fd279","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf7be4a0-a31d-4001-b46f-fcfe9fa40fe4","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, -804.04015%, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

O próximo passo é observar os elefantes em interações com outros elefantes, em ambientes completamente selvagens.

[{"selector":"#anim-921ead41-48a3-4159-ab4c-3c8f3b018589 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.26831043321183%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f593619-f4b2-4367-b14e-289284d8f522","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60e45796-43c3-4dc0-849e-8713430c8b33","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.40482%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14497200-bde2-4f82-8967-0c7675097760","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6079191c-7b63-472e-a73f-c7181548c7cd","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, -849.4947%, 0) rotate(271deg)","rotate(-271deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(271deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]