Migratory convergence facilitates cultural transmission of humpback whale song

• Published in: Royal Society Open Science
• Main Authors: Owen, Clare, Rendell, Luke, Constantine, Rochelle, Noad, Michael J., Allen, Jenny, Andrews, Olive, Garrigue, Claire, Michael Poole, M., Donnelly, David, Hauser, Nan, Garland, Ellen C.
• Other Authors: Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries BRAG Fund, Australian American Association University of Queensland Fellowship, Dolphin & Whale Watching Expeditions, University of Auckland, Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation, National Oceanic Society, Sidney Perry Foundation, NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit, Royal Society, The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland, E&P Sound and Marine Life Joint Industry Program, Scottish Funding Council, Australian Antarctic Division, Pew Charitable Trusts
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 2019
• Subjects: Pacific; Humpback Whale; Megaptera novaeangliae
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190337; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.190337; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsos.190337

Cultural transmission of behaviour is important in a wide variety of vertebrate taxa from birds to humans. Vocal traditions and vocal learning provide a strong foundation for studying culture and its transmission in both humans and cetaceans. Male humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) perform complex, culturally transmitted song displays that can change both evolutionarily (through accumulations of small changes) or revolutionarily (where a population rapidly adopts a novel song). The degree of coordination and conformity underlying song revolutions makes their study of particular interest. Acoustic contact on migratory routes may provide a mechanism for cultural revolutions of song, yet these areas of contact remain uncertain. Here, we compared songs recorded from the Kermadec Islands, a recently discovered migratory stopover, to multiple South Pacific wintering grounds. Similarities in song themes from the Kermadec Islands and multiple wintering locations (from New Caledonia across to the Cook Islands) suggest a location allowing cultural transmission of song eastward across the South Pacific, active song learning (hybrid songs) and the potential for cultural convergence after acoustic isolation at the wintering grounds. As with the correlations in humans between genes, communication and migration, the migration patterns of humpback whales are written into their songs.