Author: Paul Handover

German Shepherd Dogs

How to find a good breeder.

This is a long and comprehensive guest post from Michael Kempkes.

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5 Best German Shepherd Dog Breeders in California.

If you are looking for the highest-quality German Shepherd in California, you must choose the right breeder first and this selection will make all the difference. A well-bred German Shepherd is a loyal companion, a skilled working dog, and a trusted member of your family, so the right choice is extremely important. But with so many options available, how to pick a reputable breeder? In this post, we have compiled a list of the top 5 German Shepherd breeders in California for 2025. These breeders are known for their commitment to health, temperament, and ethical breeding practices and for producing strong, well-balanced dogs with excellent genetics. All these breeders provide German shepherds for different purposes whether you are looking for a family protector, a sports dog, or a working-line GSD.

So, let’s just find out the best places to get a well-bred German Shepherd in California.

1. Kempkes Executive K9s (Agua Dulce, CA)

  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Location: 9450 Yucca Hills Rd, Agua Dulce, CA 91390
  • Specialization: Elite German & European Bloodline GSD
  • Certifications: SV, FCI, VA, Schutzhund/IPO Titled German Shepherd Dogs


Kempkes Executive K9s has over 30 years of experience in breeding top-quality German Shepherds. They focus on elite German and European bloodlines, their expertise makes them one of the best breeders in the world. You can trust their dogs to have exceptional traits and strong lineage. They provide top-tier, fully trained imported GSDs from the finest bloodlines perfect as protection dogs and family companions. They put health first, train with care, and build strong temperaments for 100% customer satisfaction. This commitment to quality sets them apart as a top breeder in California. A name you can trust for well-bred, highly trained dogs. They have years of experience working with all types of German bloodline dogs. This includes Malinois, West German Showline German Shepherds, Working Line German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and Schnauzers. Their team is skilled in handling these dogs, making sure they receive the best training.

What Makes Kempkes Executive K9s Stand Out?

  • Kempkes Executive K9s is renowned for producing elite German Shepherds with exceptional quality and temperament.
  • Each puppy and dog is carefully selected from the top European bloodline to ensure superior genetics and health.
  • Their German Shepherds undergo three levels of protection training, including guarding, bomb detection, and search and rescue, providing unmatched security.
  • They deliver advanced personalized training program packages to satisfy the personal needs of each family or individual.
  • All dogs are free from genetic health issues, ensuring a long and healthy life for your companion.
  • Their trainers have a deep understanding of German Shepherds’ behavior. They know the behavioral patterns and instincts of dogs. Using this knowledge, they apply proven training techniques to develop effective obedience and confidence in GSDs.
  • Their training programs help improve communication and build trust. Both the dog and owner will feel safe and supported during the entire training.

2. Vom Walters Kennels (Pilot Hill, CA)

  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Location: 5580 Salmon Falls Rd, Pilot Hill, CA 95664, United States
  • Specialization: Finest German VA, V, & Schutzhund imported lines.
  • Certifications: AKC-registered & OFA-certified

Vom Walters Kennels breeds top-quality German Shepherds. They focus on the best German VA, V, and Schutzhund bloodlines. Years of experience help them raise dogs with great temperaments and strong abilities. Passion and commitment set them apart. First-time owners and experienced handlers will find the right match here. Their dogs come with expert care and full support. You also get a pet free from hip and elbow dysplasia.

What Makes Vom Walters Kennels Stand Out?

  • Vom Walters Kennels breeds come from elite bloodlines. These lines have strong genetics, high intelligence, and excellent working skills. 
  • Every dog at Vom Walters Kennels goes through strict health tests and gets OFA certification. They are checked for hip and elbow issues to make sure they are free from dysplasia. This focus on health gives buyers confidence. They can trust their dog will live a long and healthy life.
  • Vom Walters Kennels has dogs grow up in a caring environment and adjust well to different roles. They make great family pets, work with law enforcement, and excel in sports.
  • Vom Walters Kennels goes the extra mile to support their clients for life. They help you choose the right puppy, offer training advice, and continue to assist you throughout your journey together. Their dedication to your success goes beyond just getting a dog. You’ll always have the guidance and resources needed to build a strong bond with your pet.
  • Vom Walters Kennels values quality above all. The health and happiness of their dogs come first. Their breeding program focuses on strong health, good temperament, and following breed standards. Each puppy is carefully bred to represent the true German Shepherd breed.

3. Lundborg-Land (Southern CA)

  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Location: 15110 Harness Hill Drive Perris, California 92570
  • Specialization: Show and Work quality dogs & puppies
  • Certifications: AKC, SV, Schutzhund titled, Hip Certified Dogs

Lundborg-Land is a distinguished breeder located in Southern California, specializing in show and work-quality German Shepherds. With a focus on breeding the German “SV” way, they produce dogs with exceptional temperament, intelligence, and physical structure. They raise puppies and adult dogs in an affectionate environment, which helps them grow confident, friendly, and ready for different roles. Some become loving family pets, while others shine in shows or as working dogs. Lundborg-Land focuses on top health and quality, that’s why German Shepherd lovers trust them.

What Makes Lundborg-Land Stand Out?

  • Lundborg-Land carefully selects their breed for their conformation, intelligence, and drive, making them versatile companions for families, competitors, and working professionals.
  • All dogs at Lundborg-Land are bred for the highest quality and good temperament. They are hip-certified and come from Schutzhund-titled, health-certified parents. This ensures they are free from genetic health issues and have stable, confident personalities.
  • Lundborg-Land breeds German Shepherds with excellence and maintains heritage. They stick to the highest standards set by the German Shepherd Club (SV). 
  • They train puppies well, each one learns obedience training and becomes a well-mannered and well-adjusted adult. 
  • Lundborg-Land offers dog boarding for your convenience, as well as new crates tailored to your dog’s size. They also assist with airplane flight costs, making it easier for out-of-state clients to bring home their new companions.

4. Mountain Valley K9 (Lindsay, CA)

  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Location: 2500 Ave 220, Lindsay, CA 93247, US
  • Specialization: Working Line German Shepherd breeding
  • Certifications: AKC Registration, Hip & Elbow OFA, Schutzhund-titled dogs

Mountain Valley K9, based in Lindsay, California, breeds working-line German Shepherds. They focus on dogs that are smart, strong, and full of energy. These dogs are trained for jobs like family protection and sports. The puppies are raised in a loving home, helping them grow confident and social. The breeder cares about their dogs’ health, temperament, and abilities, making them a top choice for those looking for working dogs.

What Makes Mountain Valley K9 Stand Out?

  • Mountain Valley K9 specializes in breeding German Shepherds, these dogs are known for their strong instincts and quick learning abilities. They excel in protection, search and rescue, and even sports with smooth and efficient training programs. 
  • The breeding program pays close attention to structure, movement, and coat quality. This way, the dogs are not only capable but also look great.
  • Each puppy is checked by a vet, vaccinated, dewormed, and given plenty of love and care. This ensures they are healthy and ready for their new home.
  • Socialization starts early, with puppies being exposed to different sounds and sights. This helps them grow into confident, well-adjusted dogs.
  • Mountain Valley K9 stands behind their puppies. They offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and provide ongoing support to make sure your dog thrives in your home.

5. Royal Tribes K9 (Beverly Hills, CA)

  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Location: 113 North San Vicente Blvd. Suite 348, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
  • Specialization: Black and Long Hair German Shepherd
  • Certifications: Health Guarantee Certificate

Royal Tribes K9 is a luxury breeder based in Beverly Hills. They specialize in rare black and long-haired German Shepherds, these dogs are known for their beauty and wonderful temperaments. The puppies are bred to meet high standards of health, intelligence, and appearance. Royal Tribes K9 aims to provide top-tier companions for clients who want only the best. Each puppy is raised with great care, they are not only stunning to look at but also well-socialized. These dogs are ready to become a beloved member of your family.

What Makes Royal Tribes K9 Stand Out?

  • Royal Tribes K9 specializes in rare black, long-haired German Shepherds. These dogs offer a luxurious choice for anyone looking for a unique companion.
  • Each puppy undergoes thorough health checks to ensure they are in top condition, giving you confidence in their well-being.
  • The puppies are kept up-to-date on vaccinations and follow a strict care routine. This helps lay the foundation for a healthy, happy life.
  • If your puppy develops a hereditary genetic issue within five years, Royal Tribes K9 will replace it with a puppy of equal value. This shows their dedication to customer satisfaction.
  • To help your puppy stay healthy, they provide detailed food and supplement plans. These plans ensure your dog thrives in its new home.

What to Look for in a German Shepherd Breeder

You need to choose the right German Shepherd breeder to bring home a healthy, well-behaved dog. This decision is crucial. Here are four important things to consider when picking a breeder:

1. Health Screenings & Genetic Testing

An authentic breeder would really keep dogs in good health. Health screenings and genetic testing done on the dog would fetch out any potential problems. German Shepherds can have problems like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy, and ask the breeder for health clearances for the parents. This includes hip and elbow clearances from OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals). They should also test for degenerative myelopathy and other issues. Healthy puppies come from healthy parents, so make sure to ask for this information.

2. Ethical Breeding Practices & Socialization

Ethical breeding and proper socialization are key to raising German Shepherd dogs. These practices help make sure the dogs grow up healthy and well-balanced. They also build confidence and make them better suited for life with families. A responsible breeder follows ethical practices to raise puppies in a clean and smooth environment. Socializing puppies is also key, early exposure to various sights, sounds, and experiences helps build their confidence. It’s important to ask the breeder about:

  • How do they socialize their puppies? 
  • Do they introduce the pups to different people, places, and new things?

This early interaction helps them become well-adjusted adults later on.

3. Registration & Pedigree Verification

A reliable breeder will give you registration papers and pedigree details for their puppies. This shows the dog comes from a proven lineage and follows breed standards. Choose breeders who register their dogs with trusted groups like the:

  • American Kennel Club (AKC)
  • Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde (SV)
  • Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)
  • the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA)

Pedigree details also show the dog’s family history. You can see if its parents or grandparents earned titles or awards. This can help you gauge the dog’s quality and temperament.

4. Customer Reviews and Breeder Transparency

Customer reviews and breeder transparency are key signs of a breeder’s trustworthiness. Check for feedback from past clients. Feel free to ask for references, a reliable breeder will answer all your questions openly. They’ll also let you visit their facility to meet the puppies and their parents. Trustworthy breeders are clear about their practices. Avoid breeders who seem secretive or refuse to share details about their breeding process.

The Bottom Line

The breeders listed here are known for their priority on health, ethical breeding, and expert training. If you need a working-line GSD, a show-quality champion, or a loyal family protector, these breeders deliver top-quality dogs with strong genetics and great temperaments.

You should first visit the breeder to inquire about the breeding standards, health, and many other aspects. The health certifications are of great importance to ensure the dog’s health. A well-bred German Shepherd is a long-term investment that will bring years of loyalty, protection, and companionship. The right breeder will help you find a dog that fits your home and lifestyle.

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The Author’s Bio.

Michael Kempkes grew up in Borken, Germany, and discovered his passion for German Shepherds at the age of nine. Over the years, he has gained deep experience in training, titling, and showing these incredible dogs. Michael has worked with the German Military, training dogs for Personal Protection, Guard duty, bomb detection, and search and rescue. He has earned his official certifications through one of the top schools in the world for K9 training in Koblenz, Germany.

My thanks to Michael.

This was a great guest post. Very informative and very useful information.

Finally, it is shame that all dogs do not live long enough, especially the German Shepherd!

Why do we love dogs?

A fifteen-minute programme from the BBC.

I recently listened to this episode. It is part of a series on the BBC (Radio 4) that is entitled Why Do We Do That?

Hopefully you can also listen to the programme by using this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0027v43

The information about this episode is published below.

Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we love dogs? Dogs evolved from wolves but why did they choose us humans to be their best friends? They say dogs are a man’s best friend but all dogs, even chihuahuas are descended from wolves, the grey wolf, a majestic, fierce and incredibly dangerous species. How did this happen but more importantly, why did we start trusting wolves? And when did wolves turn into dogs? Dogs have been a part of our story for a long time. They are depicted in cave and rock art and dogs are a part of our story because of how useful they are. From the mundane everyday hunting and guarding to the epic stories of life saving dogs . But how did we get here? Oxford Professor Greger Lawson studies ancient dog DNA and thinks the evolution from wolves into dogs began when we both realised we could help each other.

Enjoy!

Scamming

It is becoming very large!

Early on last Wednesday, February 26th, the BBC Radio 4 programme World at One, had a major item on scamming. Here are the details of that programme:

Released On: 26 Feb 2025

Back in September we revealed the knitted cardigan scam. Millions have been taken in by social media ads of expensive looking knitwear for a reasonable price. Victims hear nothing until something cheap and nasty arrives in the post months later. But it’s more than a simple con. Shari Vahl reveals what its really about. Sales of stout show no sign of stopping as more young women are turning to it. Guinness blames increased demand with supply chain issues for a recent shortage. Its rivals in the dark beer world are jumping on the opportunity with some success. Will it work? Finally, a listener tells us how his energy company gave his mobile number to a criminal who went on to steal £40,000. We find out how you can prevent this happening to you. Presenter: Shari Vahl Producer: Kevin Mousle.

Then later on that morning, I watched the video below, produced by the American Social Administration

Then there was this list of scams and frauds produced by the USA Government

Read it – that link is here: https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud

Be carefully everybody!

An article on decluttering

And it isn’t all that one might expect!

Jeannie and I are at opposite ends of the scale, so to speak. The older I get the more I want everything in the same place, primarily because I cannot remember where I previously put something.

Jeannie loves putting stuff anywhere because she can recall where it is!

So an article in The Conversation was fascinating.

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Decluttering can be stressful − a clinical psychologist explains how personal values can make it easier

Asking how discarding an item fits with a person’s goals can help them decide whether to keep it. MoMo Productions via Getty Images

Mary E. Dozier, Mississippi State University

I recently helped my mom sort through boxes she inherited when my grandparents passed away. One box was labeled – either ironically or genuinely – “toothpick holders and other treasures.” Inside were many keepsakes from moments now lost to history – although we found no toothpick holders.

My favorite of the items we sorted through was a solitary puzzle piece, an artifact reflecting my late grandmother’s penchant for hiding the final piece to a jigsaw puzzle just to swoop in at the last moment and finish it.

After several hours of reminiscing, my mom and I threw away 90% of what we had sorted.

“Why did I keep this?” is a question I hear frequently, both from my family and friends and from patients. I am a licensed clinical psychologist whose research focuses on the characterization, assessment and treatment of hoarding disorder, particularly for adults 60 years of age or older. As such, I spend a great deal of my time thinking about this question.

What drives the need to keep stuff?

Hoarding disorder is a psychiatric condition defined by urges to save items and difficulty discarding current possessions. For adults with “clinically severe” hoarding disorder, this leads to a level of household clutter that impairs daily functioning and can even create a fire hazard. In my professional experience, however, many adults struggle with clutter even if they do not meet the clinical criteria for hoarding disorder.

Holding on to things that have sentimental value or could be useful in the future is a natural part of growing older. For some people, though, this tendency to hold on to objects grows over time, to the point that they eventually do meet criteria for hoarding disorder. Age-related changes in executive function may help explain the increase in prevalence of hoarding disorder as we get older; increasing difficulty with decision-making in general also affects decisions around household clutter.

The traditional model behind hoarding disorder suggests that difficulty with discarding comes from distress during decision-making. However, my research shows that this may be less true of older adults.

A room full of piles of papers, stacked shelves and a tricycle.
Time to declutter. Kurt Whitman/Education Images via Getty Images

When I was a graduate student, I conducted a study in which we asked adults with hoarding disorder to spend 15 minutes making decisions about whether to keep or discard various items brought from their home. Participants could sort whatever items they wanted. Most chose to sort paper items such as old mail, cards or notes.

We found that age was associated with lower levels of distress during the task, such that participants who were older tended to feel less stressed when making the decision about what to keep and what to discard. We also found that many participants, particularly those who were older, actually reported positive emotions while sorting their items.

In new research publishing soon, my current team replicated this finding using a home-based version of the task. This suggests that fear of making the wrong decision isn’t a universal driver of our urge to save items.

In fact, a study my team published in August 2024 with adults over 50 with hoarding disorder suggests that altruism, a personality trait of wanting to help others, may explain why some people keep items that others might discard. My colleagues and I compared our participants’ personality profiles with that of adults in the general population of the same gender and age group. Compared with the general population, participants with hoarding disorder scored almost universally high on altruism.

Altruism also comes up frequently in my clinical work with older adults who struggle with clutter. People in our studies often tell me that they have held onto something out of a sense of responsibility, either for the item itself or to the environment.

“I need it to go to a good home” and “my grandmother gave this to me” are sentiments we commonly hear. Thus, people may keep things not out of fear of losing them but because saving them is consistent with their values. https://www.youtube.com/embed/JNVjPM1cIbg?wmode=transparent&start=0 Your values can help guide which possessions should stay in your life and which ones should go.

Leaning into values

In a 2024 study, my team demonstrated that taking a values-based approach to decluttering helps older adults to decrease household clutter and increases their positive affect, a state of mind characterized by feelings such as joy and contentment. Clinicians visited the homes of older adults with hoarding disorder for one hour per week for six weeks. At each visit, the clinicians used a technique called motivational interviewing to help participants talk through their decisions while they sorted household clutter.

We found that having participants start with identifying their values allowed them to maintain focus on their long-term goals. Too often, people focus on the immediate ability of an object to “spark joy” and forget to consider whether an object has greater meaning and purpose. Values are the abstract beliefs that we humans use to create our goals. Values are whatever drives us and can include family, faith or frivolity.

Because values are subjective, what people identify as important to keep is also subjective. For example, the dress I wore to my sister’s wedding reminded me of a wonderful day. However, when it no longer fit I gave it away because doing so was more consistent with my values of utility and helpfulness: I wanted the dress to go to someone who needed it and would use it. Someone who more strongly valued family and beauty might have prioritized keeping the dress because of the aesthetics and its link to a family event.

Additionally, we found that instead of challenging the reasons a person might have for keeping an item, it is helpful to instead focus on eliciting their reasons for discarding it and the goals they have for their home and their life.

Tips for sweeping away the old

My research on using motivational interviewing for decluttering and my observations from a current clinical trial on the approach point to some practical steps people can take to declutter their home. Although my work has been primarily with older adults, these tips should be helpful for people of all ages.

Start with writing out your values. Every object in your home should feel value-consistent for you. For example, if tradition and faith are important values for you, you might be more inclined to hold onto a cookbook that was made by the elders at your church and more able to let go of a cookbook you picked up on a whim at a bookstore.

If, instead, health and creativity are your core values, it might be more important to hold onto a cookbook of novel ways to sneak more vegetables into your diet.

Defining value-consistent goals for using your space can help to maintain motivation as you declutter. Are you clearing off your desk so you can work more efficiently? Making space on kitchen counters to bake cookies with your grandchildren?

Remember that sometimes your values will conflict. At those moments, it may help to reflect on whether keeping or discarding an object will bring you closer to your goals for the space.

Similarly, remember that values are subjective. If you are helping a loved one declutter, maintain a curious, nonjudgmental attitude. Where you might see a box filled with junk, your grandmother might see something filled with “toothpick holders and other treasures.”

For additional resources and information on hoarding disorder, visit the International OCD Foundation website.

Mary E. Dozier, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Mississippi State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Prof. Mary Dozier makes some powerful, and cogent, statements in this article. Especially that one’s values are subjective. Nevertheless, I think I should write out my values and see what they tell me.

My stray into British politics

A riveting talk by Sir John Major.

(Images may be subject to copyright. If I am emailed that I am infringing the copyright of the New Statesman this photograph will be removed.)

Wikipedia speak of Sir John as follows:

Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. He previously held Cabinet positions under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, his last as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1989 to 1990. Major was Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Huntingdonshire, from 1979 to 2001. Since stepping down as an MP in 2001, Major has focused on writing and his business, sporting, and charity work, and has occasionally commented on political developments in the role of an elder statesman.

(More of the Wikipedia article is here.)

On yesterday’s World This Weekend the programme was entirely devoted to a speech that John Major gave on February 16th. His theme was: “We are moving into a more dangerous world“

BBC Sounds have a recording of that speech that will stay available for 29 days. That link is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00282l8

I sincerely hope you can listen to it, for I found the talk riveting!

Picture Parade Four Hundred and Sixty-Two

This gorgeous dog is up for adoption.

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He is about 20 months old, a Husky and Shepard mix. Well mannered and sweet.

Please, if someone is keen to know more then please contact Carl at +1 (541) 415 0409.

Venus and Valentine’s Day

The role of the planet today!

From that post: Venus, named for the Roman goddess of love, reaches its greatest brilliancy on Valentine’s Day, February 14. Venus is currently blazing, low in the west after sunset, with Saturn below.

Wherever you are, try spotting Venus.

Our human language!

Namely a universal law.

I was attracted to an article that I read in The Conversation last a week ago.

It also taught me that we humans speak according to Zipf’s Law. I had not previously heard of this law.

So let me republish the article with the full permission of The Conversation.

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Whalesong patterns follow a universal law of human language, new research finds

A humpback whale mother and calf on the New Caledonian breeding grounds. Mark Quintin

Jenny Allen, Griffith University; Ellen Garland, University of St Andrews; Inbal Arnon, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Simon Kirby, University of Edinburgh

All known human languages display a surprising pattern: the most frequent word in a language is twice as frequent as the second most frequent, three times as frequent as the third, and so on. This is known as Zipf’s law.

Researchers have hunted for evidence of this pattern in communication among other species, but until now no other examples have been found.

In new research published today in Science, our team of experts in whale song, linguistics and developmental psychology analysed eight years’ of song recordings from humpback whales in New Caledonia. Led by Inbal Arnon from the Hebrew University, Ellen Garland from the University of St Andrews, and Simon Kirby from the University of Edinburgh, We used techniques inspired by the way human infants learn language to analyse humpback whale song.

We discovered that the same Zipfian pattern universally found across human languages also occurs in whale song. This complex signalling system, like human language, is culturally learned by each individual from others.

Learning like an infant

When infant humans are learning, they have to somehow discover where words start and end. Speech is continuous and does not come with gaps between words that they can use. So how do they break into language?

Thirty years of research has revealed that they do this by listening for sounds that are surprising in context: sounds within words are relatively predictable, but between words are relatively unpredictable. We analysed the whale song data using the same procedure.

Photo of a humpback whale breaching from the water.
A breaching humpback whale in New Caledonia. Operation Cetaces

Unexpectedly, using this technique revealed in whale song the same statistical properties that are found in all languages. It turns out both human language and whale song have statistically coherent parts.

In other words, they both contain recurring parts where the transitions between elements are more predictable within the part. Moreover, these recurring sub-sequences we detected follow the Zipfian frequency distribution found across all human languages, and not found before in other species.

Whale song recording (2017) Operation Cetaces 916 KB (download)

A chart showing the different frequencies of sound in whale song.
Close analysis of whale song revealed statistical structures similar to those found in human language. Operation Cetaces

How do the same statistical properties arise in two evolutionarily distant species that differ from one another in so many ways? We suggest we found these similarities because humans and whales share a learning mechanism: culture.

A cultural origin

Our findings raise an exciting question: why would such different systems in such incredibly distant species have common structures? We suggest the reason behind this is that both are culturally learned.

Cultural evolution inevitably leads to the emergence of properties that make learning easier. If a system is hard to learn, it will not survive to the next generation of learners.

There is growing evidence from experiments with humans that having statistically coherent parts, and having them follow a Zipfian distribution, makes learning easier. This suggests that learning and transmission play an important role in how these properties emerged in both human language and whale song.

So can we talk to whales now?

Finding parallel structures between whale song and human language may also lead to another question: can we talk to whales now? The short answer is no, not at all.

Our study does not examine the meaning behind whale song sequences. We have no idea what these segments might mean to the whales, if they mean anything at all.

Photo of whale backs and tails visible above the surface of the sea.
A competitive pod of humpback whales on the New Caledonian breeding grounds. Operation Cetaces

It might help to think about it like instrumental music, as music also contains similar structures. A melody can be learned, repeated, and spread – but that doesn’t give meaning to the musical notes in the same way that individual words have meaning.

Next up: birdsong

Our work also makes a bold prediction: we should find this Zipfian distribution wherever complex communication is transmitted culturally. Humans and whales are not the only species that do this.

We find what is known as “vocal production learning” in an unusual range of species across the animal kingdom. Song birds in particular may provide the best place to look as many bird species culturally learn their songs, and unlike in whales, we know a lot about precisely how birds learn song.

Equally, we expect not to find these statistical properties in the communication of species that don’t transmit complex communication by learning. This will help to reveal whether cultural evolution is the common driver of these properties between humans and whales.

Jenny Allen, Postdoctoral research associate, Griffith University; Ellen Garland, Royal Society University Research Fellow, School of Biology, University of St Andrews; Inbal Arnon, Professor of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Simon Kirby, Professor of Language Evolution, University of Edinburgh

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The research scientists have led to a prediction: … we should find this Zipfian distribution wherever complex communication is transmitted culturally. Humans and whales are not the only species that do this.

Fascinating!