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Humpback whales, known for their precise and rhythmic sounds, sing the same songs for a few years before adding embellishments to make them more complicated. However, according to research from the University of Queensland, after a few years, whales are turning to newer and simpler songs, demonstrating their ability to learn new material.
The study, published November 21 in the Proceedings journal of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, studied the structure and complexity of the songs played by Australian humpback whale populations for 13 consecutive years. Humpback whale songs were recorded annually from 2002 to 2014 on the southeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, using fixed hydrophone pods, standalone recorders and live recorders. Records on boats.
The researchers found that although the songs sung by the whales gradually changed each year, the whales also replaced them completely with new songs every few years, in what the researchers called a "cultural revolution".
"The complexity increases as the songs evolve, resulting in longer songs containing more sound units, types of units, and themes." As a result of the revolutions, the complexity decreases, so that new songs are shorter and contain fewer units, types of units and themes, "says the study.
"Generally, these songs have changed gradually, perhaps thanks to the embellishments of individual singers," said Dr. Jenny Allen, of the Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory of the University of Toronto. Queensland, the lead author of the report, in a press release issued Nov. 22.
"We think that the embellishments allow the bulls to stand out from their peers, much like teenagers trying to stand out from the crowd, but the songs are replaced every few years – always by something simpler – suggesting a limit whale capacity to learn new equipment, "said Allen.
The study is a good model for cultural learning in animals, noted Allen, adding that humpback whale songs are scattered across populations and animal ponds.
"It is a cultural transmission on a scale comparable to that found in people," she said.
"By learning more about the culture and social learning of animal species such as humpback whales, we can better understand what has led to its development and evolutionary value." animals, we may be able to clarify why cultural and social development has taken place to a degree so unique in humans, "she added.
Allen did not immediately respond to Sputnik's request for comment
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