"Sperm whales communicate in a series of short clicks called codas. Analysis of these clicks shows that the whales can differentiate vowels through the short or elongated clicks or through rising or falling tones, using patterns similar to languages such as Mandarin, Latin and Slovenian."
"The structure of the whales' communication has close parallels in the phonetics and phonology of human languages, suggesting independent evolution. Sperm whale coda vocalizations are highly complex and represent one of the closest parallels to human phonology of any analyzed animal communication system."
"Modern technology, including artificial intelligence, is helping unlock the language of these creatures with unexpected similarities to our own speech. I think it's another humbling moment that we're not the only species with rich, communicative, communal and cultural lives."
Sperm whales possess a form of communication that resembles human language, including an alphabet and vowel structures. Their vocalizations, known as codas, consist of short clicks that can differentiate vowels through variations in length and tone. This complexity parallels human phonetics and phonology, indicating independent evolution. The findings, part of Project Ceti's research, reveal that sperm whales have rich communicative and cultural lives, challenging previous assumptions about animal communication. Modern technology, including AI, aids in understanding these similarities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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