These tiny mammals sing songs that hint at complex language
skills  The rock hyrax doesn't look like much, but it just
joined an elite group of animals who display the rudiments of
language. The lengthy songs these social mammals sing to each
other show evidence of syntax and even regional dialects.
Hyraxes are native to Africa and the Middle East, and a recent
study of the creatures in Israel turned up evidence that the way
they order the notes in their song actually matters, meaning
they use syntax in their communications. According to head
researcher Arik Kerschenbaum of Israel's University of Haifa,
this is an incredibly rare find to make, making hyraxes an
unlikely addition to a list of communicators that includes
primates, cetaceans, birds, and bats. Speaking to BBC News, Dr.
Kerschenbaum explains how the songs work:  "A typical hyrax song
can last for several minutes, and their songs are broken down
into small bouts, with each bout lasting for maybe 10 to 20
seconds. Each bout is composed of a number