A study has found that the songs of humpback whales follow rules that are as efficient and systematic as human language.
An international research team, including Professor Mason Youngblood of Stony Brook University and Professor Inbal Arnon of Hebrew University, presented these research findings on the 6th and 7th, respectively (local time). The results were published in the international academic journals Science Advances and Science.
Linguistics considers brief and efficient communication advantageous. For instance, instead of saying, 'A object is flying towards you, so you must avoid it,' shouting 'Duck!' is more effective. Two representative linguistic laws explaining the efficiency of such communication are Menzerath's law and Zipf's law. Menzerath's law states that as sentences become longer, elements like syllables should be shorter to increase efficiency. Zipf's law states that the more frequently used a word or phrase is, the shorter it should be to increase efficiency.
Professor Mason analyzed 65,511 song samples from 16 species of whales and 51 components of human language to determine whether these laws apply to whale songs. The study found that 11 species of whale songs adhere to Menzerath's law at a level comparable to or even higher than human language. Zipf's law was observed only in two species: humpback whales and blue whales, with humpback whales following this law at the same level as humans.
Professor Inbal Arnon conducted a separate study to verify whether humpback whale songs are culturally transmitted through learning like human communication. She applied analytical techniques used in children's language learning to the songs of humpback whales.
The results revealed that humpback whale songs also form a systematic structure like human language and are transmitted culturally through learning. These findings suggest that even species evolutionarily distant from humans can develop complex communication systems through learning and cultural transmission. This discovery overturns the conventional belief that structural linguistic traits are exclusive to humans.
The research team noted that "the songs of humpback whales seem to follow laws and principles rather than convey clear meanings, unlike human language," but also stated, "even species that are evolutionarily distant from each other can develop similar structures in the process of learning and culturally transmitting complex communication systems."
A domestic whale researcher explained, "As is well known, marine mammals actively use sound waves for communication," adding, "International attempts to analyze their hidden laws are actively underway."
References
Science Advances (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads6014
Science (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq7055