Scientists discover surprising language 'shortcuts' in birdsong – like humans
10 days ago
- #animal communication
- #birdsong
- #Zipf’s Law
- Scientists discovered that birdsong follows Zipf’s Law of Abbreviation (ZLA), similar to human language.
- The study, led by The University of Manchester and Chester Zoo, found frequently used birdsong phrases are shorter.
- Researchers developed a new method and tool, ZLAvian, to analyze ZLA in birdsong at an individual level.
- Analysis of over 600 songs from 11 bird populations showed ZLA patterns when data was combined.
- The findings suggest birds may shape vocal signals based on the 'principle of least effort,' like humans.
- Further studies across more bird species are needed to confirm these findings.