2026-10-27 · ArXiv
arXiv:2606.16084v4 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: Sperm-whale codas are usually described by the number and timing of their clicks. These measures have revealed patterns in whale communication, but leave open how click sound contributes beyond timing and whether the order of whole codas carries additional structure. We investigate these questions through two tiers of acoustic organization, first within codas and then across coda sequences. Frozen pretrained audio encoders provide a framework for measuring acoustic variation beyond timing. We use them to identify recurring forms independently for clicks and whole codas in 1,483 codas, then validate their differences through direct waveform measurements. Within codas, click sound provides information beyond timing alone, while timing remains informative when click composition is held fixed. At the level of complete codas, we also find recurring acoustic forms whose differences are not fully captured by conventional timing-based types. With these forms identified, we examine how ordering contributes at each tier. Within codas, click-form order adds little predictive information beyond composition. Across codas, knowing the last two codas improves prediction over knowing only the last one. Together, these findings support two tiers with different organizing rules: acoustic composition and rhythmic timing within codas, and predictive relationships among whole codas across recorded sequences.
原文链接：https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.16084
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