Jackass penguins talk like people
Like people, jackass penguins convey information efficiently by using shorter sounds more frequently than longer ones, and by using shorter sounds to create longer calls.The call of the jackass penguin might seem like a far cry from human speech. The birds (also known as African penguins) earned this nickname not for their personality but for their braying, donkey-like call. It turns out that these striking vocalizations follow some of the same rules as human languages, scientists reported February 5 in the journal Biology Letters. Like people, jackass penguins convey information efficiently by using shorter sounds more frequently than longer ones, and by using shorter sounds to create longer calls.The findings indicate that certain elements of communication may be widespread across the animal kingdom, says Arik Kershenbaum, a zoologist who studies animal vocal communication at the University of Cambridge who was not involved with the research. “These are very universal laws,...