Supra-regular recursion in primate vocal sequences

Abstract

Complex syntax is the widely accepted demarcation between animal and human communication. Although animal vocal systems occasionally contain pockets of syntax-like structures, their grammars are thought to be at best regular, whereas human language is supra-regular, i.e., including at least context-free computational complexity. Leveraging a new likelihood method for probabilistic formal grammars, we show that the call sequences of three phylogenetically diverse nonhuman primates (bonobos, olive colobus monkeys, common marmosets) include parts that are most likely generated by supra-regular recursive grammars, similar to human language. These findings challenge syntax as the major transition in hominid evolution and opens up prospects for alternative evolutionary scenarios.

Silver spoon effect: early-life environment and adult survival in a primate.
Martine Perret, Aude Anzeraey, Fabienne Aujard
HAL23 Sep 2026PreprintPublisher termsFull textGeneral biology PhysiologyHALbioRxiv
Genome-wide characterization of endogenous retroviral envelope genes across primate lineages reveals evolutionary diversity and recombination
Saili Chabukswar, Nicole Grandi, Elena Soddu +2
Scientific Reports20 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textPlant biologyCrossref
Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation of the Central Lateral Thalamus in a Non-Human Primate Model of Disorders of Consciousness
C. Lybbert, C. Garrett, T. D. Webb +3
bioRxiv15 Sep 2026PreprintAll rights reservedFull textNeurosciencebioRxiv
Neutralizing vaccination against viral interleukin-6 from a primate rhadinovirus
K. N. Huynh, J. LeSon, S. Kalavacherla +8
bioRxiv26 Oct 2026PreprintAll rights reservedFull textImmunologybioRxiv
Infant-caregiver vocal contingency changes across varying interpersonal space
Narain Viswanathan, Giovanni Esposito, Pierre Labendzki +7
Infant Behavior and Development5 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedPublisher termsFull textNeuroscienceHAL

Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{nitschke2026supraregular,
  title = {{Supra-regular recursion in primate vocal sequences}},
  author = {R. Nitschke and L. S. Krapp and C. Cathcart and Q. Gallot and A. B. Bosshard and J. M. Burkart and M. Berthet and S. W. Townsend and M. Surbeck and K. Zuberbühler and B. Bickel},
  howpublished = {bioRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.64898/2026.09.19.752870},
  url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.19.752870v1},
  note = {CC BY-ND},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Supra-regular recursion in primate vocal sequences
AU  - R. Nitschke
AU  - L. S. Krapp
AU  - C. Cathcart
AU  - Q. Gallot
AU  - A. B. Bosshard
AU  - J. M. Burkart
AU  - M. Berthet
AU  - S. W. Townsend
AU  - M. Surbeck
AU  - K. Zuberbühler
AU  - B. Bickel
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/19
PB  - bioRxiv
DO  - 10.64898/2026.09.19.752870
UR  - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.19.752870v1
AB  - Complex syntax is the widely accepted demarcation between animal and human communication. Although animal vocal systems occasionally contain pockets of syntax-like structures, their grammars are thought to be at best regular, whereas human language is supra-regular, i.e., including at least context-free computational complexity. Leveraging a new likelihood method for probabilistic formal grammars, we show that the call sequences of three phylogenetically diverse nonhuman primates (bonobos, olive colobus monkeys, common marmosets) include parts that are most likely generated by supra-regular recursive grammars, similar to human language. These findings challenge syntax as the major transition in hominid evolution and opens up prospects for alternative evolutionary scenarios.
ER  -

Abstract

Related

Cite