A recent interdisciplinary study reveals that the complex songs of humpback whales adhere to Zipf's law, a statistical pattern also observed in human language usage. The research suggests that, while whale songs are not equivalent to human language, they share structural properties that indicate a form of cultural communication. The study's authors, including language evolution expert Simon Kirby, posit that such vocalizations may evolve to be easily learnable. Published in *Science*, the findings bridge understanding between linguistic behaviors in humans and diverse forms of animal communication.
The study highlights that the intricate songs of humpback whales follow the same statistical pattern found in human languages, known as Zipf's law.
Simon Kirby notes that the findings challenge the perception of whale song as simple, suggesting it reflects a sophisticated form of cultural transmission.
The research implies that both human language and whale song share structural properties, evolving to be easy to learn and culturally transmitted.
The study was published in Science, reinforcing the idea that complex vocal communications, though different, may follow similar rules across species.
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