Science reveals birdsong shares hidden pattern with human language
Researchers found the finches’ note sequences follow Zipf’s law, a pattern that helps human infants learn speech, the study said.
- Researchers published findings in Science Advances showing Bengalese Finches organize their songs using Zipfian distribution, the same statistical pattern found in human language.
- Scientists have long known songbirds learn by listening to adults, much as children learn language. Professor Simon Kirby of the University of Edinburgh found birds unconsciously learn statistical patterns to organize their songs.
- The team applied methods developed for humpback whale songs, which also exhibit Zipfian patterns. Professor Kazuo Okanoya of Teikyo University, Japan, noted it was "a pleasant surprise to discover" the finch songs share this property.
- Professor Inbal Arnon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said findings suggest fundamental language properties emerge wherever communication is passed between generations, helping identify recurring "chunks" of speech.
- While these song patterns facilitate learning, researchers noted they likely do not convey specific meaning like human words. Next, the team plans to identify further parallels with human language beyond Zipf's law.
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12 Articles
The Guam Daily Post
Science reveals birdsong shares hidden pattern with human language
By Stephen Beech Birdsong shows patterns similar to human language, according to a new study. Researchers have uncovered a previously undetected structure in the songs of Bengalese finches that has
Madrid.- First were the humpback whales and now the finches: scientists have found that the songs of these birds also follow the ‘mathematic’ patterns that help babies learn language naturally, according to a study in Science Advances magazine. Findings show that whales and finches share with humans some of the most fundamental components of language, which indicates, according to researchers at Edinburgh and Teikyo universities in Japan, that e…
AGI - For years we have thought of ourselves as the only holders of an articulated communication. But we were wrong. The vocalizations of humming whales and those of Japan's sparrows are characterized by complex statistical structures, similar to those typical of human language. The study on animal singing This curious result emerges from a study, published in the journal Science Advances, conducted by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, …
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