Culture in whales and dolphins.
Studies of animal culture have not normally included a consideration of cetaceans. However, with several long-term field studies now maturing, this situation should change. Animal culture is generally studied by either investigating transmission mechanisms experimentally, or observing patterns of be...
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/30bc1eae-8603-4913-b27e-523696b84179 2024-10-13T14:08:55+00:00 Culture in whales and dolphins. Rendell, Luke Edward Whitehead, H 2001-04 https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/30bc1eae-8603-4913-b27e-523696b84179 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034898203&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://biologybk.st-and.ac.uk/staffDB/pubsDownload/2732.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Rendell , L E & Whitehead , H 2001 , ' Culture in whales and dolphins. ' , Behavioral and Brain Sciences , vol. 24 , no. 2 , pp. 309-382 . animal culture cetaceans coevolution cognition cultural transmission dolphins evolution of culture imitation teaching whales BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS RESIDENT KILLER WHALES PACIFIC SPERM-WHALES ORCINUS-ORCA POPULATION-STRUCTURE TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS FEEDING-BEHAVIOR HUMPBACK WHALES MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA article 2001 ftunstandrewcris 2024-10-02T23:40:44Z Studies of animal culture have not normally included a consideration of cetaceans. However, with several long-term field studies now maturing, this situation should change. Animal culture is generally studied by either investigating transmission mechanisms experimentally, or observing patterns of behavioural variation in wild populations that cannot be explained by either genetic or environmental factors. Taking this second, ethnographic, approach, there is good evidence for cultural transmission in several cetacean species. However, only the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops) has been shown experimentally to possess sophisticated social learning abilities, including vocal and motor imitation; other species have not been studied. There is observational evidence for imitation and teaching in killer whales. For cetaceans and other large, wide-ranging animals, excessive reliance on experimental data for evidence of culture is not productive; we favour the ethnographic approach. The complex and stable vocal and behavioural cultures of sympatric groups of killer whales (Orcinus orca) appear to have no parallel outside humans, and represent an independent evolution of cultural faculties. The wide movements of cetaceans, the greater variability of the marine environment over large temporal scales relative to that on land, and the stable matrilineal social groups of some species are potentially important factors in the evolution of cetacean culture. There have been suggestions of gene-culture coevolution in cetaceans, and culture may be implicated in some unusual behavioural and life-history traits of whales and dolphins. We hope to stimulate discussion and research on culture in these animals. Article in Journal/Newspaper Megaptera novaeangliae Orca Orcinus orca University of St Andrews: Research Portal Pacific |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
animal culture cetaceans coevolution cognition cultural transmission dolphins evolution of culture imitation teaching whales BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS RESIDENT KILLER WHALES PACIFIC SPERM-WHALES ORCINUS-ORCA POPULATION-STRUCTURE TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS FEEDING-BEHAVIOR HUMPBACK WHALES MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA |
spellingShingle |
animal culture cetaceans coevolution cognition cultural transmission dolphins evolution of culture imitation teaching whales BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS RESIDENT KILLER WHALES PACIFIC SPERM-WHALES ORCINUS-ORCA POPULATION-STRUCTURE TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS FEEDING-BEHAVIOR HUMPBACK WHALES MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA Rendell, Luke Edward Whitehead, H Culture in whales and dolphins. |
topic_facet |
animal culture cetaceans coevolution cognition cultural transmission dolphins evolution of culture imitation teaching whales BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS RESIDENT KILLER WHALES PACIFIC SPERM-WHALES ORCINUS-ORCA POPULATION-STRUCTURE TURSIOPS-TRUNCATUS FEEDING-BEHAVIOR HUMPBACK WHALES MEGAPTERA-NOVAEANGLIAE MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA |
description |
Studies of animal culture have not normally included a consideration of cetaceans. However, with several long-term field studies now maturing, this situation should change. Animal culture is generally studied by either investigating transmission mechanisms experimentally, or observing patterns of behavioural variation in wild populations that cannot be explained by either genetic or environmental factors. Taking this second, ethnographic, approach, there is good evidence for cultural transmission in several cetacean species. However, only the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops) has been shown experimentally to possess sophisticated social learning abilities, including vocal and motor imitation; other species have not been studied. There is observational evidence for imitation and teaching in killer whales. For cetaceans and other large, wide-ranging animals, excessive reliance on experimental data for evidence of culture is not productive; we favour the ethnographic approach. The complex and stable vocal and behavioural cultures of sympatric groups of killer whales (Orcinus orca) appear to have no parallel outside humans, and represent an independent evolution of cultural faculties. The wide movements of cetaceans, the greater variability of the marine environment over large temporal scales relative to that on land, and the stable matrilineal social groups of some species are potentially important factors in the evolution of cetacean culture. There have been suggestions of gene-culture coevolution in cetaceans, and culture may be implicated in some unusual behavioural and life-history traits of whales and dolphins. We hope to stimulate discussion and research on culture in these animals. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rendell, Luke Edward Whitehead, H |
author_facet |
Rendell, Luke Edward Whitehead, H |
author_sort |
Rendell, Luke Edward |
title |
Culture in whales and dolphins. |
title_short |
Culture in whales and dolphins. |
title_full |
Culture in whales and dolphins. |
title_fullStr |
Culture in whales and dolphins. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Culture in whales and dolphins. |
title_sort |
culture in whales and dolphins. |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/publications/30bc1eae-8603-4913-b27e-523696b84179 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034898203&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://biologybk.st-and.ac.uk/staffDB/pubsDownload/2732.pdf |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Megaptera novaeangliae Orca Orcinus orca |
genre_facet |
Megaptera novaeangliae Orca Orcinus orca |
op_source |
Rendell , L E & Whitehead , H 2001 , ' Culture in whales and dolphins. ' , Behavioral and Brain Sciences , vol. 24 , no. 2 , pp. 309-382 . |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
_version_ |
1812815733799780352 |