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Published online 25 July 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.984
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Marine biologists interpret whale sounds
Barks and grunts hold much meaning for humpbacks.
The splashes, barks and grunts of baleen whales carry much more meaning than biologists thought, according to the latest survey of the marine mammals.
The scientists behind the study say that these noises could be the ideal characteristics for conservationists to monitor to understand the growing impact of noises made by humans on the underwater environment.
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"a brilliant test bed for understanding the evolution of complex vocal communication" The confluence of overwhelming ignorance with overweening arrogance. Cetaceans' weltanschauung is sonar-based. They obviously communicate by sharing sonar images. To demand cetacean vocalizations are linear language is to craft specious specist buggy whips. Perform a Fourier transform not linguistic screed.
"The confluence of overwhelming ignorance with overweening arrogance" should apply to those who make such critics... Mysticetes, such as the Humpback whales, are for the moment not known to use sonar ! They do not even have anatomical structure that could be used for. In French, we have en expression that could be translated as "turn your tongue 7 times in your pouth before talking"... Biological features not always are explained by mathematical equations. Thanks to Luke Rendell for their worth reading work.