A recent study conducted by Mason Youngblood, a postdoctoral fellow at Stony Brook University's Institute for Advanced Computational Science, suggests that whales and humans share similar linguistic features. Published in the journal Science Advances, the research indicates that whale communication is not only complex but also efficient, adhering to linguistic principles found in human speech.
Dr. Youngblood's analysis involved vocal sequences from 16 whale species compared with 51 human languages. The findings revealed that many whales "compress" their calls to enhance efficiency, akin to human speech patterns. Eleven whale species exhibit Menzerath’s law, where longer vocal sequences consist of shorter elements. Some species like humpback and blue whales also follow Zipf’s law of abbreviation, where frequently used sounds are shorter. This indicates that whales have evolved communication methods that streamline interactions, potentially conserving energy and evading predators.
However, not all whale species conform to these patterns. Certain dolphin species within the Cephalorhynchus genus do not display these efficiency trends, possibly due to their reliance on ultrasonic sounds for predator evasion rather than timing optimization. Additionally, variations exist within species; killer whales compress call sequences but not the smaller components within them. These observations suggest that efficient communication is influenced by biological and environmental factors rather than being universally applicable across all whale species.
Dr. Youngblood commented on the findings: “I find it fascinating that communication evolves in similar ways across species, even when the purpose is wildly different." He noted differences in purposes among various whale types: humpback and bowhead whales sing to attract mates; dolphins and killer whales use calls for coordination; sperm whales produce clicks for clan identity communication. Despite these differences in function, many vocal sequences align with efficiency patterns seen in human language.
Stony Brook University continues its mission as New York's flagship public university with over 26,000 students and a strong emphasis on research and innovation. It ranks prominently among national universities according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges listing.