Whale songs follow the laws of human languages
Two studies reveal that the communication systems of most cetaceans examined adhere to the principles of efficiency and economy found in language
“Humpback whale songs are the most complex acoustic display in the animal kingdom,” says Ellen Garland, a marine biologist at the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom. Only males sing, and their vocalizations can be heard thousands of miles away. The males within each population sing the same song, but periodically learn new tunes from other populations — sometimes up to 8,700 miles away — replacing their own. “This achievement is found in no other animal, except humans,” says Garland.
