Vocal dialects of sperm whales living near the Galapagos Islands have undergone a complete turnover in the last 30 years. The change is due to a migration of different sperm whale clans: two whale populations with distinct vocal dialects populated in the area in 1980s and the 1990s, and were then replaced by two other cultural clans with different dialects from the wider Pacific. Researchers believe the whale migration was likely caused by changes in food availability. This study illustrates the role that culture, as demonstrated by vocal dialects, can play in the structure and dynamics of animal societies.
Authors:
Mauricio Cantor, Hal Whitehead, Shane Gero, Luke Rendell
Corresponding author:
Mr. Maurício Cantor, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada
Original paper published in Royal Society Open Science on October 18, 2016.
