During the five years of training beluga learned three words

Japanese scientists claim that could teach beluga whale-three words, the newspaper The Daily Telegraph. This is the first known example of the fact that marine animals are able to associate the sound with any object.

Professor at the University Takashi Takaya Murayama (Takashi Murayama) and his colleagues for five years trained beluga named Nack (Nack). As a result of exercise Neck memorize three "words" to describe the flippers, goggles for swimming and basket. Fins on the "language" Nack designated short high-frequency sounds, glasses - long sounds with an even higher frequency and basket - the low-frequency sound. When a scientist committed to these sounds into the pool to the Knack, she learned it and defines the object.

The scientist says that the results are a breakthrough in the study of cetaceans. However, the final evidence that beluga uses sounds exactly like the word, more research is needed. Until now, science was thought that the second signal system - a form of higher nervous activity that allows you to associate abstract concepts (eg, a set of sounds or symbols) with specific events - typical only of great apes and humans. Other animals have the first signal system. That is, they respond only to direct stimuli.