The most common word is used twice as often as the second most common word, three times as often as the third most common word, four times as often as the fourth most common word… and so on. This statistical rule is called Zipf’s law,

Language has long been considered a uniquely human trait, with features that mark it out as distinct from the communication of all other species. However, research published in Science has uncovered the same statistical structure that is a hallmark of human language in humpback whale song.

Humpback whale songs share structural similarities with human language, suggesting complex communication patterns.

The sounds that make up humpback whale songs follow some of the same statistical rules seen in human languages, which may be because of how they are learned

A groundbreaking discovery reveals that the communication of humpback whales mirrors key structural elements found in human language, challenging long-held beliefs about its uniqueness.