Animal vocal sequences: not the Markov chains we thought they were.

ABSTRACT: Many animals produce vocal sequences that appear complex. Most researchers assume that these sequences are well characterized as Markov chains (i.e. that the probability of a particular vocal element can be calculated from the history of only a finite number of preceding elements). However, this assumption has never been explicitly tested. Furthermore, it is unclear how language could evolve in a single step from a Markovian origin, as is frequently assumed, as no intermediate forms have been found between animal communication and human language. Here, we assess whether animal taxa produce vocal sequences that are better described by Markov chains, or by non-Markovian dynamics such as the 'renewal process' (RP), characterized by a strong tendency to repeat elements. We examined vocal seque

SUBMITTER: Kershenbaum A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4150325 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature