Mercado is a cognitive scientist and a 2023 fellow of the Guggenheim Foundation. He knows how certain sounds, such as whale ...

The ocean holds secrets we're only beginning to understand. Beneath the surface, endangered whales navigate an increasingly ...

Language has long been seen as a defining trait of human intelligence. Unlike the communication systems of other species, ...

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 ...

Eerie, fascinating and at times unnerving, whale songs are one of the most mysterious sounds to have been heard reverberating through the ocean. How baleen whales, which include humpback whales, are ...

All human languages follow the same pattern: 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 ...

A new study has found humpback whales can learn incredibly complex songs from whales from other regions. A University of Queensland-led study has found humpback whales can learn incredibly complex ...

The animals’ complex songs share structural patterns with human language that may make them easier for whales to learn, a new study suggests. By Emily Anthes The English language is full of wonderful ...

Songs have lowered in frequency, in part because of changes to ocean water. Whales in the ocean around Antarctica are changing their tune, according to a new study. Publishing their findings in the ...

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Biologist Roger Payne, the man who propelled conservation efforts by introducing the world to the sounds of whales, has died. He was 88. In 1967, Payne introduced the world to the striking sounds of ...