On the feasibility of dependency parsing of non-human sequences without a gold standard. Is evaluation possible in other species?

Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho, Catherine Hobaiter, Thore Bergman, Morgan Gustison|July 7, 2026arXiv

Key Takeaway

Dependency parsing of animal communication is paradoxically easier to evaluate than human language because primate sequences have mathematical properties that constrain parser accuracy, enabling validation without labeled data.

Summary

This paper explores whether dependency parsing—finding tree structures in sequences—can work for animal communication without labeled training data. Using network science, the authors show that primate vocalizations and gestures have mathematical properties that force parsers to be accurate, making evaluation possible without gold standards.

evaluation data

Key Terms

dependency-parsing unsupervised-learning gold-standard