Klarinet Archive - Posting 000385.txt from 2002/07

From: w8wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: [kl] Orca song
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 13:44:21 -0400

CNN devoted a few minutes to an orca (killer whale) who swam ashore sick
was rescued and was eventually released back into the ocean.

It turns out that orcas are highly social and they remain in the 'pod'
of their birth for their entire lives. Pods interbreed during mating
season, and therefore inbreeding is not a problem.

What interested me is the social role of orca song. The potential
relevance to human music and language is obvious --- even if we can't
make music underwater the way the Squidward does.

When an orca swims ashore, how can you identify the pod from which it
came? (In this case, the biologist who was interviewed on CNN even
knew which individual in a certain pod was the baby's grandmother and
that the mother was no longer in the pod and presumed dead.)

The answer, according to the biologist, is by the pod's song . Each
pod shares a characteristic song, and each pod's song is distinct from
the song of other pods.

The abandoned orca still remembered its own song. So they released it
near the proper pod. The baby may --- the outcome is still uncertain,
there's more involved than just the song --- may be re-accepted into the
pod. Otherwise the animal in trouble.

....anyway, this situation started me to wondering if orca song (or
dolphin or whale or bird song?) includes 'harmonic elements'? Or is
harmonic structure unique to humans? By 'harmonic element', I mean
small-integer ratios of overtones and notes, a pre-selected scale, and
so forth? I assume that some portions of orca calls are not harmonic,
just as some human calls are not; but does orca song include the
harmonic aspect also?

I wish I had time to read another book. I'm sure this has been
researched. Does anyone here know the answer?

Thanks,
Bill

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D

My best guess is that music became possible because of some anatomical
invention that just happens to facilitate interactions between other,
older functions --- for example between some of the brain that does
planning for paths in space and some of the parts involved with
language, or story-like memory systems. @-----.] =A0 It might explain
why hearing certain kinds of sounds might come to give you the feeling
that you understood something, or give you the experience of being in
some other place.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0---Marvin Minsky

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