The cultural evolution of humpback whale song in the North Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans : a study of cumulative culture, fine-scale evolution, and public engagement ...

• Main Author: Sinclair, Natalie Catherine
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The University of St Andrews 2024
• Subjects: Whale song; Cultural evolution; Cumulative cultural evolution; Public engagement evaluation; Cumulative cultural evolution and aesthetics; QL737.C424S5; Humpback whale > Vocalization; Humpback whale > Behavior; Animal communication; Whale sounds; Social behaviour in animals; Pacific; Humpback Whale; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17630/sta/696; https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/29004

This PhD thesis explores humpback whale song research, cumulative cultural evolution (CCE), aesthetics, and public engagement. It comprises five chapters, each offering a comprehensive analysis of these topics. Chapter 1 outlines humpback whale song research and its relevance to CCE and vocal learning debates. It emphasises the effective use of whale song in public engagement for science and conservation. Chapter 2 presents a conceptual analysis of the compatibility between CCE and aesthetics. Interdisciplinary discussions explore challenges in reconciling aesthetic culture with prevailing philosophical views. The chapter also highlights tensions between cultural evolution in aesthetic and technological domains, contributing to debates on reconstructive and preservative theories. Chapter 3 tracks the evolution of a specific humpback whale song unit type across different themes within a song type over a breeding season. Methodological efficiencies enable a larger dataset analysis, providing insights into ...