However, whether this is the case for killer whales is an open question, since they have been studied very little in laboratory settings; most studies of orca calls have been in the wild, and most of them have focused on social aspects of the communications without delving into structure and meaning, since it is so difficult to observe their underwater behavior, especially in relation to their communications. If orcas are only slightly larger versions of bottlenose dolphins, as they are frequently viewed, then their communications are also of limited scientific interest. If, instead, they are
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Orcas to dolphins as human to chimpanzee? Observation of language complicated
