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It was known that sperm whales emit characteristic clicks, dolphins use whistles, and humpback whales sing. However, a new study published in the journal Open Mind suggests that the sperm whale's vocal code may be more complex than previously thought.
Scientists from the CETI Project working off the coast of Dominica in the Caribbean used artificial intelligence and linguistic analysis to uncover hidden patterns in sperm whale clicks, reports IFL Science, revealing that these marine giants can produce sounds previously thought to be exclusive to humans.
The researchers discovered that these cetaceans use simple and double vowel sounds in their vocalizations, similar to the pronunciation of 'did' or 'died' in English. This combination of vowels, called a diphthong, has the potential to radically transform our understanding of non-human intelligence, highlights David Gruber, founder and president of the CETI Project.
Studying animal communication is especially difficult because, despite all efforts, scientists cannot avoid approaching the subject with the biases inherent to human communication. A key aspect of the project was finding a way to remove these biases.
One of these biases is related to timing, since our speech is produced by vocal cords, which vibrate much faster than the vocal lips used by sperm whales.
The scientists took this difference into account and observed something unexpected: the vocalizations of these cetaceans exhibit clear patterns that allow them to be transcribed using the human alphabet.
These vowel sounds were clicks, interrupted by frequency modulation with the sounds a, e, i. Furthermore, the researchers observed that these sounds could be combined to create a vocal feature similar to a diphthong.
The fact that sperm whales use these sounds in a structured and repetitive way suggests that these subtle adjustments are crucial for conveying their messages, the experts concluded. (Text and photo: RT)
