• Study Finds Evidence Of Sperm Whale Culture
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[img]http://i.imgur.com/p8zNK.jpg[/img] [release][b]ST ANDREWS, Fife -- Differences in the patterned clicks that sperm whales use to communicate with each other seem to be down to culture and not genetics, say researchers.[/b] The finding could influence conservation efforts; instead of focusing solely on where the animals live, protection should also consider which dialect they use. All sperm whales in a pod use the same small selection of patterned clicks. Scientists think they use the sounds to show other whales that they're part of the same gang. [b]But in the Pacific, scientists have discovered that the whales belong to one of five clans, with each clan using a different dialect. Each dialect is made up of a different handful of similar Morse code-like patterned clicks called codas. The whales may use the clicks to communicate that they belong to a particular pod, and to maintain social bonds.[/b] Luke Rendell from the University of St Andrews and his colleagues wondered if maybe the difference between clans was down to genetics. 'It's an obvious question to ask. What are the genetics of these populations? Are these dialects culturally transmitted or genetic?' says Rendell. To find out, Rendell and colleagues from the US and Canada extracted DNA from the whales' sloughed skin to see if they could see any genetic differences between the clans. In total, they analysed DNA from 194 sperm whales belonging to 30 different social groups from three of the vocal clans across the Pacific Ocean. If the whales' dialects were biologically determined, those that share the same dialect would have similar genes too. But this isn't what the researchers found. [b]Instead, they found that whales with different repertoires of codas are often genetically similar. This suggests that the genetic differences don't explain clan differences, and that dialects must be passed down through the generations. It turns out that the clans don't just have different dialects; they also have different hunting patterns, parenting habits, and reproductive rates.[/b] 'All the evidence for culture relies on methods of exclusion. [b]It's very difficult to actually prove cultural transmission,' says Rendell. 'But our finding isn't consistent with anything other than cultural dialects.'[/b] Sperm whale pods are made up of females – with a few young – and average around 12 individuals. Male sperm whales leave the pod when they're juveniles and join all-male pods for a few years, before beginning a solitary life roaming the oceans. [b]This latest study, published in Behaviour Genetics suggests that sperm whale groups are made up of individuals that use the same dialect, rather than those that come from a similar area of the Pacific.[/b] The creatures hold a range of records: they're the deepest diving mammal, the largest toothed whale and have the biggest brain on Earth. But they don't have the sharpest eyesight or sense of smell. So they communicate using codas, which can be incredibly loud. The sounds are very different to the sounds made by other marine mammals like humpback whales, which sing haunting songs to each other, or dolphins which whistle. The whales make the sounds in the 'big tub of oil at the front of their huge heads', explains Rendell. Along with air sacs in the whales' heads, the structure produces multiple pulses, just fractions of a second apart. 'We hope our finding will get people thinking about conservation, and the idea that behavior in marine mammals is culturally-determined,' Rendell says.[/release] [url]http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=30527811049[/url] [url]http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=1115[/url] Sperm whales are not the only cetaceans that do this, either. Pretty amazing.
I have no word for how fucking cool that is.
I'm imagining whale gangs now. Flips vs Floods
Do they have their own little animal society? My avatar likes little animal societies.
Killing them should be a crime against humanity.
That is so cool.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;33651328]Killing them should be a crime against humanity.[/QUOTE] Don't see how that would work, given it's whales, not humanity. It's definitely a crime against morality and ethics, though.
As a linguistics nerd, this is like my wet dream. No pun intended.
[QUOTE=mechanarchy;33651364]Don't see how that would work, given it's whales, not humanity. It's definitely a crime against morality and ethics, though.[/QUOTE] I find it inhumane to kill other clearly sapient beings, human or not. Mainly when they are zero threat to us.
I would think this is a very huge discovery.
Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?
Now while this is amazing news, I was little baffled about the english name of their species, Sperm Whales. I thought news had something to do with their sperm and using that as their communication.
[QUOTE=Careld;33652233]Now while this is amazing news, I was little baffled about the english name of their species, Sperm Whales. I thought news had something to do with their sperm and using that as their communication.[/QUOTE] They're called Sperm whales because of the spermaceti oil in their heads. Which is the reason why Sperm whales were hunted. The truth is, the Petroleum industry saved the whales.
I read this as "Study Finds Evidence Of Whale Sperm Culture" and I was like :tinfoil:
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;33652537]I read this as "Study Finds Evidence Of Whale Sperm Culture" and I was like :tinfoil:[/QUOTE] um, that IS the title oh wow, I didn't notice the last two words :v:
Maybe we can decipher the code and then we can talk with whales. How fucking cool is that?
whale gang fights would be fun to watch
Somewhat relevant: [video=youtube;aqDZf3smobI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqDZf3smobI[/video]
To be honest when I read the title I thought they were culturing whale sperm.
Still no match for the Tunnel Snakes.
I think they found the same to be true with Killer Whales. Some even have their own specific diets, some Killer Whales in the South Pole like to eat Penguins, while farther north their diet changes. I can't remember in entirety what it was about, but it even discovered all the Killer Whale pods had their own dialects as well.
[img]http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgzm2trrdM1qzrxumo1_500.png[/img] Indeed.
I hope soon they create cultural dances....whale dances
[QUOTE=BldrGyMnGy;33651021]I have no word for how fucking cool that is.[/QUOTE] The whales probably do.
I understood the article as if whales ejaculated sperm in patterns to communicate with each other.
XXXXX ODD FUTURE WHALE GANG KILL THEM ALL XXXXX SWAG TO THE MILLION
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;33651328]Killing them should be a crime against humanity.[/QUOTE] n1 [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Awesomecaek;33651431]I find it inhumane to kill other clearly sapient beings, human or not. Mainly when they are zero threat to us.[/QUOTE] mmmmno that doesn't classify it as a crime against humanity
what if they find a way to write down clicks and start recording history then we're FUCKED
[QUOTE=Jack Noir;33656815]what if they find a way to write down clicks and start recording history then we're FUCKED[/QUOTE] If they keep history then it's probably passed down verbally. We already know they can teach their young. There are pods of dolphins that use tools that other pods don't and they teach their kids how to use them. Not sure what kind of history it would be unless they have some amazing battles in the deep ocean with Giant Squids or other whale gangs. Or maybe even the dark stuff like when their entire species was nearly whipped out by mysterious bipedal aliens with sharp sticks. [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=DrLuke;33652640]Maybe we can decipher the code and then we can talk with whales. How fucking cool is that?[/QUOTE] They're working on it. It's really hard though. I'm more interested in the idea of teaching dolphins English. We already know that they can recognize and relate objects and symbols. So why not give them 26 symbols (on blocks they can pick up) and have them relate simple arrangements (words like Boat, Dolphin, Human, etc) of those symbols to objects. (Simple silhouettes of a boat, dolphin, human, etc) Dolphins have proven to have an amazing cognitive ability, I think it would be very similar to teaching a baby how to read. We even think they have names for each other in the pod, so associating a method of speech to one another would not be a new concept to them. It would just be a very long and time consuming effort. We already have one way communication and can tell them sign language commands in full sentences, so why not open up a two way communication? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TN7GJvNN5Y[/media] (I recommend you watch the rest of this) Cetaceans are incredible animals and I think were looking too hard for intelligent life when we got multiple examples here on our own blue planet.
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