Suffolk Reporter

Stony Brook University's Mason Youngblood has released a study in Science Advances that explores the efficiency of whale communication, drawing parallels to human speech. Youngblood, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science, analyzed vocal sequences from 16 whale species alongside 51 human languages. The study found that whales often "compress" their calls similarly to humans, adhering to linguistic principles like Menzerath’s law and Zipf’s law of abbreviation.

Eleven whale species demonstrated Menzerath’s law by using shorter elements within longer vocal sequences. Humpback and blue whales also followed Zipf’s law, using shorter sounds more frequently. This suggests an evolutionary adaptation towards efficient communication that could conserve energy and reduce predator detection.

However, not all whales exhibit these patterns. Certain dolphin species, such as those in the Cephalorhynchus genus, do not show evidence of such efficiency, possibly due to their reliance on ultrasonic sounds for stealth rather than timing optimization. Within species variations exist too; killer whales compress call sequences but not individual elements.

Youngblood's research implies that efficient communication is influenced by biology, behavior, and environment rather than being universal. “I find it fascinating that communication evolves in similar ways across species," said Youngblood. He noted that while different species use vocalizations for varied purposes—such as attracting mates or coordinating activities—their sequences often reflect the same efficiency patterns seen in human language.

This study underscores the complexity of whale communication systems and indicates much remains to be discovered about these marine mammals' linguistic capabilities.