Birdsong follows a fundamental law of human language
A fundamental law of human language has now been found in both songbirds and whales
A recent study has revealed that a fundamental law of human language, known as Zipf's law, also applies to the vocalizations of songbirds and whales. Zipf's law states that a small number of words or vocalizations tend to occur frequently, while most are rare. This principle has been documented in humpback whale song, raising the possibility that it may be present in other species as well.
Simon Kirby, a cognitive scientist at the University of Edinburgh, notes that the discovery challenges the notion of human language's uniqueness. The researchers believe that the abundance of common words or vocalizations in Zipf's law may aid in the learning process for young birds and whales. By understanding this shared linguistic pattern, we may gain new insights into the evolution of communication systems across different species.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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