Whale song shows ‘hallmarks’ of human language

The word “antidisestablishmentarianism” may hold a place in history as one of the longest words in the English language, but it is more of a piece of trivia than a vital part of everyday communication. This is because human language tends to favor efficiency and brevity, with statistical laws that persist across cultures and perhaps even across species.

Two recent studies have shed light on the striking structural parallels between human language and whale song, particularly in humpback whales. While we may not be any closer to deciphering the meaning behind these soulful and haunting songs, experts believe that these findings highlight the role of evolutionary pressures in complex communication.

The first study, published in Science, focused on humpback whale song as it is culturally transmitted, much like human language. Researchers spent eight years gathering recordings from a pod of humpbacks and dissecting the songs into smaller components. Drawing inspiration from how human babies learn language, they discovered a pattern known as Zipfian distribution in whale song, similar to the frequency of words in human language.

The researchers theorize that this finding suggests that language evolves to be passed down from one generation to the next, emphasizing the importance of learnability in the survival of languages. This challenges the notion that humans have evolved to be good at language, suggesting that this may apply to other species as well.

The second study, published in Science Advances, found that whale song also exhibits parallels to another aspect of human language: efficiency. Whales, including humpbacks, bowheads, blue, and fin whales, adhere to linguistic laws that prioritize reducing vocalization time. This underscores the constraints that shape the evolution of communication across different species.

While these studies offer fascinating insights into the similarities between human language and whale song, experts caution against equating the two. Just because we can detect patterns in whale song does not mean we can decipher their meaning. Whale song may be more akin to melodies in music, conveying some form of communication but not in the same way that human language does.

In conclusion, the parallels between human language and whale song highlight the intricate nature of communication across species. While we may not fully understand the meaning behind whale song, these studies provide valuable insights into the evolution and complexity of communication in the natural world.