Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas
The ‘social complexity hypothesis’ suggests that complex social structure is a driver of diversity in animal communication systems. Sperm whales have a hierarchically structured society in which the largest affiliative structures, the vocal clans, are marked on ocean-basin scales by culturally trans...
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Online Access: | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/individual-unit-and-vocal-clan-level-identity-cues-in-sperm-whale-codas(013eba7c-bbeb-463c-864b-3e97784848b4).html https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/8071/1/Gero_2015_RSOS_150372.pdf |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/013eba7c-bbeb-463c-864b-3e97784848b4 2023-05-15T18:26:39+02:00 Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas Gero, Shane Whitehead, Hal Rendell, Luke 2016-01-01 application/pdf https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/individual-unit-and-vocal-clan-level-identity-cues-in-sperm-whale-codas(013eba7c-bbeb-463c-864b-3e97784848b4).html https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/8071/1/Gero_2015_RSOS_150372.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Gero , S , Whitehead , H & Rendell , L 2016 , ' Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas ' , Royal Society Open Science , vol. 3 , no. 1 , 150372 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 Social complexity hypothesis Conformism Individuality Communication Social structure Cetaceans article 2016 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 2022-06-02T07:45:30Z The ‘social complexity hypothesis’ suggests that complex social structure is a driver of diversity in animal communication systems. Sperm whales have a hierarchically structured society in which the largest affiliative structures, the vocal clans, are marked on ocean-basin scales by culturally transmitted dialects of acoustic signals known as ‘codas’. We examined variation in coda repertoires among both individual whales and social units—the basic element of sperm whale society—using data from nine Caribbean social units across six years. Codas were assigned to individuals using photo-identification and acoustic size measurement, and we calculated similarity between repertoires using both continuous and categorical methods. We identified 21 coda types. Two of those (‘1+1+3’ and ‘5R 1 ’) made up 65% of the codas recorded, were shared across all units and have dominated repertoires in this population for at least 30 years. Individuals appear to differ in the way they produce ‘5R 1 ’ but not ‘1+1+3’ coda. Units use distinct 4-click coda types which contribute to making unit repertoires distinctive. Our results support the social complexity hypothesis in a marine species as different patterns of variation between coda types suggest divergent functions, perhaps representing selection for identity signals at several levels of social structure. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sperm whale University of St Andrews: Research Portal Royal Society Open Science 3 1 150372 |
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University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
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ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Social complexity hypothesis Conformism Individuality Communication Social structure Cetaceans |
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Social complexity hypothesis Conformism Individuality Communication Social structure Cetaceans Gero, Shane Whitehead, Hal Rendell, Luke Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
topic_facet |
Social complexity hypothesis Conformism Individuality Communication Social structure Cetaceans |
description |
The ‘social complexity hypothesis’ suggests that complex social structure is a driver of diversity in animal communication systems. Sperm whales have a hierarchically structured society in which the largest affiliative structures, the vocal clans, are marked on ocean-basin scales by culturally transmitted dialects of acoustic signals known as ‘codas’. We examined variation in coda repertoires among both individual whales and social units—the basic element of sperm whale society—using data from nine Caribbean social units across six years. Codas were assigned to individuals using photo-identification and acoustic size measurement, and we calculated similarity between repertoires using both continuous and categorical methods. We identified 21 coda types. Two of those (‘1+1+3’ and ‘5R 1 ’) made up 65% of the codas recorded, were shared across all units and have dominated repertoires in this population for at least 30 years. Individuals appear to differ in the way they produce ‘5R 1 ’ but not ‘1+1+3’ coda. Units use distinct 4-click coda types which contribute to making unit repertoires distinctive. Our results support the social complexity hypothesis in a marine species as different patterns of variation between coda types suggest divergent functions, perhaps representing selection for identity signals at several levels of social structure. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gero, Shane Whitehead, Hal Rendell, Luke |
author_facet |
Gero, Shane Whitehead, Hal Rendell, Luke |
author_sort |
Gero, Shane |
title |
Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
title_short |
Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
title_full |
Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
title_fullStr |
Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
title_full_unstemmed |
Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
title_sort |
individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/individual-unit-and-vocal-clan-level-identity-cues-in-sperm-whale-codas(013eba7c-bbeb-463c-864b-3e97784848b4).html https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/10023/8071/1/Gero_2015_RSOS_150372.pdf |
genre |
Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Sperm whale |
op_source |
Gero , S , Whitehead , H & Rendell , L 2016 , ' Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas ' , Royal Society Open Science , vol. 3 , no. 1 , 150372 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150372 |
container_title |
Royal Society Open Science |
container_volume |
3 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
150372 |
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1766208625985978368 |