On cultural inheritance: Evolution, behaviour and social structure of Eastern Caribbean sperm whales

• Main Author: Vachon, Felicia
• Other Authors: Department of Biology, Doctor of Philosophy, Leszek Karczmarski, Daniel Ruzzante, Shane Gero, Boris Worm, Hal Whitehead, Not Applicable, Yes, No
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: culture; cultural inheritance; evolution; sperm whale; Caribbean; behaviour; conservation; vocal clan; social learning; animal culture; Physeter macrocephalus; Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10222/81888

Cultural inheritance is a “second inheritance system” which can affect ecology and evolution in unexpected ways. However, although its implications in humans are recognized and extensively studied, cultural inheritance has yet to be incorporated into mainstream biology. As such, the overreaching objective of my thesis is to highlight the role of culture in shaping the social structure, behaviour, and evolution of a non-primate species, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). I do so by expanding our knowledge on the implications of vocal clan membership (cultural groups which can be distinguished based on their repertoires of coda vocalizations) to the whales.