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Last update: 15 February, 2025.
Launched: 27 December, 2011.

Note: the largest public bibliography of references on Zipf’s law for word frequencies is available here. Here we only offer a selection of references on Zipf’s law on animal behavior and organic chemistry.


Hint for browsing: Heaps’ law is another name for Herdan’s law.

75 entries « 1 of 2 »

2025

Youngblood, Mason

Language-like efficiency in whale communication Journal Article

In: Science Advances, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. eads6014, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Arnon, Inbal; Kirby, Simon; Allen, Jenny A.; Garrigue, Claire; Carroll, Emma L.; Garland, Ellen C.

Whale song shows language-like statistical structure Journal Article

In: Science, vol. 387, no. 6734, pp. 649-653, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation

2024

Youngblood, Mason

Language-like efficiency and structure in house finch song Journal Article

In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 291, no. 2020, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Zhang, Chunmian; Zheng, Ziqi; Lucas, Jeffrey R.; Wang, Yicheng; Fan, Xin; Zhao, Xin; Feng, Jiang; Sun, Congnan; Jiang, Tinglei

Do bats’ social vocalizations conform to Zipf’s law and the Menzerath-Altmann law? Journal Article

In: iScience, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 110401, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Watson, Stuart Kyle; Zali, Mara; Falk, Nikola; Widmer, Paul; Manser, Marta B

Inter-call intervals, but not call durations, adhere to Menzerath’s Law in the submissive vocal bouts of meerkats Journal Article

In: Royal Society Open Science, vol. 11, no. 12, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2023

Risueno-Segovia, Cristina; Dohmen, Deniz; Gultekin, Yasemin B.; Pomberger, Thomas; Hage, Steffen R.

Linguistic law-like compression strategies emerge to maximize coding efficiency in marmoset vocal communication Journal Article

In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 290, no. 2007, 2023.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

2022

Safryghin, A.; Cross, C.; Fallon, B.; Heesen, R.; Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Hobaiter, C.

Variable expression of linguistic laws in ape gesture: a case study from chimpanzee sexual solicitation Journal Article

In: Royal Society Open Science, vol. 9, pp. 9220849, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Torre, Iván G.

Compression principle and Zipf’s Law of brevity in infochemical communication Journal Article

In: Biology Letters, vol. 18, pp. 20220162, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Lusseau, D.; McCowan, B.

Parallels of human language in the behavior of bottlenose dolphins Journal Article

In: Linguistic Frontiers, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 5-11, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law, Menzerath-Altmann law, theory construction, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Semple, S.; Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Gustison, M.

Linguistic laws in biology Journal Article

In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 53-66, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law, Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation

2021

Valente, Daria; Gregorio, Chiara De; Favaro, Livio; Friard, Olivier; Miaretsoa, Longondraza; Raimondi, Teresa; Ratsimbazafy, Jonah; Torti, Valeria; Zanoli, Anna; Giacoma, Cristina; Gamba, Marco

Linguistic laws of brevity: conformity in Indri indri Journal Article

In: Animal Cognition, 2021, ISSN: 1435-9456.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

James, Logan S.; Mori, Chihiro; Wada, Kazuhiro; Sakata, Jon T.

Phylogeny and mechanisms of shared hierarchical patterns in birdsong Journal Article

In: Current Biology, vol. 31, no. 13, pp. 2796–2808.e9, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Gultekin, Yasemin B.; Hildebrand, David G. C.; Hammerschmidt, Kurt; Hage, Steffen R.

High plasticity in marmoset monkey vocal development from infancy to adulthood Journal Article

In: Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 27, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies

Sun, Fengjie; Caetano-Anollés, Gustavo

Menzerath–Altmann’s law of syntax in RNA accretion history Journal Article

In: Life, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 489, 2021, ISSN: 2075-1729.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Caetano-Anollés, Gustavo

The compressed vocabulary of microbial life Journal Article

In: Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 12, pp. 1273, 2021, ISSN: 1664-302X.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Herdan's law, Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation

James, Logan S.; Mori, Chihiro; Wada, Kazuhiro; Sakata, Jon T.

Phylogeny and mechanisms of shared hierarchical patterns in birdsong Journal Article

In: Current Biology, vol. 31, no. 13, pp. 2796-2808.e9, 2021, ISSN: 0960-9822.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Kang, Tarandeep Singh

Linguistic laws and compression in a comparative perspective: A conceptual review and phylogenetic test in mammals Masters Thesis

Durham University, Durham, UK, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Vradi, Amalia Alkisti

Dolphin communication: a quantitative linguistics approach Masters Thesis

Barcelona School of Informatics, Barcelona, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

2020

Favaro, Livio; Gamba, Marco; Cresta, Eleonora; Fumagalli, Elena; Bandoli, Francesca; Pilenga, Cristina; Isaja, Valentina; Mathevon, Nicolas; Reby, David

Do penguins' vocal sequences conform to linguistic laws? Journal Article

In: Biology Letters, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 20190589, 2020.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Watson, Stuart K.; Heesen, Raphaela; Hedwig, Daniela; Robbins, Martha M.; Townsend, Simon W.

An exploration of Menzerath's law in wild mountain gorilla vocal sequences Journal Article

In: Biology Letters, vol. 16, no. 10, pp. 20200380, 2020.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Clink, Abdul Hamid Ahmad Dena J.; Klinck, Holger

Brevity is not a universal in animal communication: evidence for compression depends on the unit of analysis in small ape vocalizations Journal Article

In: Royal Society Open Science, pp. 7200151, 2020.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

Huang, Mingpan; Ma, Haigang; Ma, Changyong; Garber, Paul A.; Fan, Pengfei

Male gibbon loud morning calls conform to Zipf's law of brevity and Menzerath's law: insights into the origin of human language Journal Article

In: Animal Behaviour, vol. 160, pp. 145 - 155, 2020, ISSN: 0003-3472.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

2019

Heesen, Raphaela; Hobaiter, Catherine; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; Semple, Stuart

Linguistic laws in chimpanzee gestural communication Journal Article

In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 286, no. 1896, pp. 20182900, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Allen, Jenny A.; Garland, Ellen C.; Dunlop, Rebecca A.; Noad, Michael J.

Network analysis reveals underlying syntactic features in a vocally learnt mammalian display, humpback whale song Journal Article

In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 286, no. 1917, pp. 20192014, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies

Demartsev, Vlad; Gordon, Naomi; Barocas, Adi; Bar-Ziv, Einat; Ilany, Tchia; Goll, Yael; Ilany, Amiyaal; Geffen, Eli

The “Law of Brevity” in animal communication: Sex-specific signaling optimization is determined by call amplitude rather than duration Journal Article

In: Evolution Letters, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 623-634, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law, Zipf's law of abbreviation

2017

Nasir, Arshan; Kim, Kyung Mo; Caetano-Anollés, Gustavo

Phylogenetic Tracings of Proteome Size Support the Gradual Accretion of Protein Structural Domains and the Early Origin of Viruses from Primordial Cells Journal Article

In: Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 8, pp. 1178, 2017, ISSN: 1664-302X.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Herdan's law

Gustison, Morgan L.; Bergman, Thore J.

Divergent acoustic properties of gelada and baboon vocalizations and their implications for the evolution of human speech Journal Article

In: Journal of Language Evolution, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 20-36, 2017, ISSN: 2058-4571.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Fedurek, Pawel; Zuberbühler, Klaus; Semple, Stuart

Trade-offs in the production of animal vocal sequences: insights from the structure of wild chimpanzee pant hoots Journal Article

In: Frontiers in Zoology, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 50, 2017, ISSN: 1742-9994.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2016

Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon

The Infochemical Core Journal Article

In: Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 133-153, 2016.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Polytextuality (polytexty) versus rank

Gustison, Morgan L.; Semple, Stuart; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; Bergman, Thore J.

Gelada vocal sequences follow Menzerath’s linguistic law Journal Article

In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 113, no. 19, pp. E2750–E2758, 2016, ISSN: 0027-8424.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2015

Shahzad, Khuram; Mittenthal, Jay E.; Caetano-Anollés, Gustavo

The organization of domains in proteins obeys Menzerath-Altmann's law of language Journal Article

In: BMC Systems Biology, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 44, 2015, ISSN: 1752-0509.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Eroglu, Sertac

Self-organization of genic and intergenic sequence lengths in genomes: Statistical properties and linguistic coherence Journal Article

In: Complexity, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 268-282, 2015.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2014

Hobaiter, Catherine; Byrne, Richard W

The Meanings of Chimpanzee Gestures Journal Article

In: Current Biology, vol. 24, no. 14, pp. 1596-1600, 2014, ISSN: 0960-9822.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law

Cadeddu, Andrea; Wylie, Elizabeth K.; Jurczak, Janusz; Wampler-Doty, Matthew; Grzybowski, Bartosz A.

Organic Chemistry as a Language and the Implications of Chemical Linguistics for Structural and Retrosynthetic Analyses Journal Article

In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol. 53, no. 31, pp. 8108-8112, 2014.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies

Nikolaou, Christoforos

Menzerath–Altmann law in mammalian exons reflects the dynamics of gene structure evolution Journal Article

In: Computational Biology and Chemistry, vol. 53, pp. 134 - 143, 2014, ISSN: 1476-9271, (Complexity in Genomes).

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Hernández-Fernández, A.; Baixeries, J.; Dębowski, Ł.; Mačutek, J.

When is Menzerath-Altmann law mathematically trivial? A new approach Journal Article

In: Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology, vol. 13, iss. 6, pp. 633-644, 2014.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2013

Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Hernández-Fernández, A.

The failure of the law of brevity in two New World primates. Statistical caveats Journal Article

In: Glottotheory, vol. 4, no. 1, 2013.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Ferrer-I-Cancho, Ramon; Forns, Núria; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Bel-enguix, Gemma; Baixeries, Jaume

The challenges of statistical patterns of language: The case of Menzerath's law in genomes Journal Article

In: Complexity, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 11-17, 2013.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Lusseau, David; Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy; Hsu, Minna J.; Semple, Stuart

Compression as a Universal Principle of Animal Behavior Journal Article

In: Cognitive Science, vol. 37, no. 8, pp. 1565-1578, 2013.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Semple, Stuart; Hsu, Minna J.; Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon

The Law of Brevity in Macaque Vocal Communication is not an Artefact of Analysing Mean Call Durations Journal Article

In: Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 209-217, 2013.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Luo, B.; Jiang, T.; Liu, Y.; Wang, J.; Lin, A.; Wei, X.; Feng, J.

Brevity is prevalent in bat short-range communication Journal Article

In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A, vol. 199, iss. 4, pp. 325-333, 2013.

Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; Baixeries, Jaume; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni

Erratum to “Random models of Menzerath–Altmann law in genomes” (BioSystems 107(3) (2012) 167–173) Journal Article

In: Biosystems, vol. 111, no. 3, pp. 216 - 217, 2013, ISSN: 0303-2647.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Baixeries, Jaume; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Forns, Núria; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon

The Parameters of the Menzerath-Altmann Law in Genomes Journal Article

In: Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 94-104, 2013.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2012

Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; McCowan, Brenda

The span of correlations in dolphin whistle sequences Journal Article

In: Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment, vol. 2012, no. 06, pp. P06002, 2012.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies

Freeberg, T. M.; Lucas, J. R.

Information theoretical approaches to chick-a-dee calls of Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) Journal Article

In: Journal of Comparative Psychology, vol. 126, iss. 1, pp. 68–81, 2012.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies

Li, Wentian

Menzerath's law at the gene-exon level in the human genome Journal Article

In: Complexity, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 49-53, 2012.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Baixeries, Jaume; Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon

Random models of Menzerath–Altmann law in genomes Journal Article

In: Biosystems, vol. 107, no. 3, pp. 167 - 173, 2012, ISSN: 0303-2647.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

2011

Hernández-Fernández, Antoni; Baixeries, Jaume; Forns, Núria; Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon

Size of the Whole versus Number of Parts in Genomes Journal Article

In: Entropy, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1465–1480, 2011, ISSN: 1099-4300.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Menzerath-Altmann law

Bezerra, Bruna M.; Souto, Antonio S.; Radford, Andrew N.; Jones, Gareth

Brevity is not always a virtue in primate communication Journal Article

In: Biology Letters, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 23-25, 2011.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law of abbreviation

Doyle, Laurance R.; McCowan, Brenda; Johnston, Simon; Hanser, Sean F.

Information theory, animal communication, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence Journal Article

In: Acta Astronautica, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 406 - 417, 2011, ISSN: 0094-5765, (SETI Special Edition).

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Zipf's law for word frequencies

75 entries « 1 of 2 »