When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song
Culture presents a second inheritance system by which innovations can be transmitted between generations and among individuals. Some vocal behaviours present compelling examples of cultural evolution. Where modifications accumulate over time, such a process can become cumulative cultural evolution....
Published in: | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:10670/1.w23in9 2023-05-15T16:35:51+02:00 When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song Garland, Ellen C. Garrigue, Claire Noad, Michael J. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0313 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90301.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90302.docx en eng The Royal Society doi:10.1098/rstb.2020.0313 10670/1.w23in9 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90301.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90302.docx other Archimer, archive institutionnelle de l'Ifremer Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B-biological Sciences (0962-8436) (The Royal Society), 2022-01 , Vol. 377 , N. 1843 , P. 20200313 (11p.) musiq envir Text https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_18cf/ fttriple https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0313 2023-01-22T18:26:44Z Culture presents a second inheritance system by which innovations can be transmitted between generations and among individuals. Some vocal behaviours present compelling examples of cultural evolution. Where modifications accumulate over time, such a process can become cumulative cultural evolution. The existence of cumulative cultural evolution in non-human animals is controversial. When physical products of such a process do not exist, modifications may not be clearly visible over time. Here, we investigate whether the constantly evolving songs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are indicative of cumulative cultural evolution. Using nine years of song data recorded from the New Caledonian humpback whale population, we quantified song evolution and complexity, and formally evaluated this process in light of criteria for cumulative cultural evolution. Song accumulates changes shown by an increase in complexity, but this process is punctuated by rapid loss of song material. While such changes tentatively satisfy the core criteria for cumulative cultural evolution, this claim hinges on the assumption that novel songs are preferred by females. While parsimonious, until such time as studies can link fitness benefits (reproductive success) to individual singers, any claims that humpback whale song evolution represents a form of cumulative cultural evolution may remain open to interpretation. Text Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Unknown Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 377 1843 |
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musiq envir Garland, Ellen C. Garrigue, Claire Noad, Michael J. When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song |
topic_facet |
musiq envir |
description |
Culture presents a second inheritance system by which innovations can be transmitted between generations and among individuals. Some vocal behaviours present compelling examples of cultural evolution. Where modifications accumulate over time, such a process can become cumulative cultural evolution. The existence of cumulative cultural evolution in non-human animals is controversial. When physical products of such a process do not exist, modifications may not be clearly visible over time. Here, we investigate whether the constantly evolving songs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are indicative of cumulative cultural evolution. Using nine years of song data recorded from the New Caledonian humpback whale population, we quantified song evolution and complexity, and formally evaluated this process in light of criteria for cumulative cultural evolution. Song accumulates changes shown by an increase in complexity, but this process is punctuated by rapid loss of song material. While such changes tentatively satisfy the core criteria for cumulative cultural evolution, this claim hinges on the assumption that novel songs are preferred by females. While parsimonious, until such time as studies can link fitness benefits (reproductive success) to individual singers, any claims that humpback whale song evolution represents a form of cumulative cultural evolution may remain open to interpretation. |
format |
Text |
author |
Garland, Ellen C. Garrigue, Claire Noad, Michael J. |
author_facet |
Garland, Ellen C. Garrigue, Claire Noad, Michael J. |
author_sort |
Garland, Ellen C. |
title |
When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song |
title_short |
When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song |
title_full |
When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song |
title_fullStr |
When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song |
title_full_unstemmed |
When does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? A case study of humpback whale song |
title_sort |
when does cultural evolution become cumulative culture? a case study of humpback whale song |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0313 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90301.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90302.docx |
genre |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_source |
Archimer, archive institutionnelle de l'Ifremer Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B-biological Sciences (0962-8436) (The Royal Society), 2022-01 , Vol. 377 , N. 1843 , P. 20200313 (11p.) |
op_relation |
doi:10.1098/rstb.2020.0313 10670/1.w23in9 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90301.pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00741/85272/90302.docx |
op_rights |
other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0313 |
container_title |
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
377 |
container_issue |
1843 |
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1766026156599934976 |