African wild dog packs begin a hunt with a social rally: animals rise, greet, circulate and vocalise. A study in the Okavango Delta recorded these rallies systematically and counted the sharp nasal exhalations that occur during them.
The pattern was quantitative. Rallies with more sneezes were more likely to result in the pack departing to hunt, and the number of sneezes needed was lower when a dominant animal initiated the rally than when a subordinate did. The authors described this as a quorum, with unequal weighting rather than one vote each.
Two cautions belong with the finding. It comes from one population, and sneezing may partly reflect arousal that also drives departure, so the sneeze is not proven to be a signal in the strict sense. The pack's real distinction is elsewhere: hunting success on a high share of chases, long cooperative pursuit rather than ambush, and a habit of regurgitating meat for pups and for adults too injured to hunt.