Scientists have identified the alphabet of sperm whales

Scientists have identified variations in the “clicks” of sea giants – sperm whales, which represent something like an alphabet. Science Alert writes about it.

In one study, members of the conservation initiative Project CETI discovered that a series of clicks from sperm whales lasting less than two seconds represents a kind of code. These are the basic units of cetacean language.

“We analyzed vocalizations recorded from more than fifty different sperm whales between 2005 and 2018. In total, we identified 8,719 different codes, which we were able to divide into 21 code types of distance identified by scientists in previous studies. Whales either recite these codes individually, or create patterns at the level of individual codes, as well as the overall structure of chorus The authors of the study believe that some characteristics of the codes used by sperm whales depend on the context of the conversation ,” said the report.

According to the researchers, these characteristics include:

At the same time, the different rhythms and tempos of the clicks do not seem to correspond to a specific context. Together, this set of different code functions creates a vast combination of different sounds, similar to the phonemes in the human alphabet, according to the study’s authors.

Let’s remember that early scientists explained the mass stranding of dolphins. About half a thousand pilot whales washed ashore in Australia, and several dozen animals were rescued.