They found that sperm whale codas have five features similar to human patterns and organisations of speech.<\/p>\n
They identified a-codas \u2013 which are naturally longer \u2013 and i-codas, which can be both short or long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They also found that when a whale moves from one coda to the next, the first click of the new sound sometimes matches the sound quality of the previous or following coda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is similar to coarticulation in human speech, where our mouths prepare for the next sound while still finishing the current one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, when saying the word \u201cspoon,\u201d a human\u2019s lips will begin to round for the \u201coo\u201d sound while they are still pronouncing the \u201cs,\u201d physically blending the two sounds together.<\/p>\n
Individual whales also have their own unique timing, meaning some click faster, and some click slower, than others.<\/p>\n
Whales can create thousands of possible combinations of these features scientist identified, suggesting a rich communication system.<\/p>\n
The impact of this discovery could be enormous.<\/p>\n
Project Ceti has set a goal of being able to comprehend 20 different vocalised expressions, relating to actions such as diving and sleeping, within the next five years.<\/p>\n
The more we learn about whale communication, the closer we might be to being able to decipher their clicks and understand what these deep-sea giants are saying to each other.<\/p>\n