The song of the whales: the case of the humpback whale

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Hi @Hive Community!

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Surely, you have heard about the sounds that @whales or @dolphins make, and that these sounds are a form of communication between them.

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Photo by Andrew Bain

Although this may seem simple, the study of these sounds is as complex as a science. Bioacoustics and other branches of science have made efforts to describe these "songs", the progress has been incredible! but there is more to discover.

What is a "song" of marine mammals?

The biological definition of the song is a series of sounds that repeat over and over again. Many animals, therefore, have songs, ranging from the simple "tape" of the frogs, to the wide variety of bird songs, to the strong repetitive signals of the whales. Although whale song was introduced and has been virtually synonymous with the humpback whale, recent studies indicate that other species of baleen whales, including bowheads (Balaena mysticetus), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fins (Balaenoptera physalus), and minkes (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), also repeats sound sequences with patterns that fit the definition of the song. The studies of other mysticetos' songs are young, although this is changing rapidly. To date, there are no known songs that are as complex and dynamic as those of the humpback whale(1).

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Photo by Juan Bacab: It's the beatiful and little "Ema", she's three years old

Whales "compose" their own songs

One of the more unique characteristics of the humpback whale song is that it gradually changes over time!. Different sounds, and arrangements of sounds, form to create new phrases and themes. These are incorporated into the song gradually, while older patterns are lost. After a period of several years the song my bear little resemblance to the original version (2, 3).

This is a rare, although not unique, characteristic of biological songs. Several bird species are known to vary their song over time.
The song apparently changes as it is being sung, i.e., the progressive changes occur during the singing or breeding season, not during the off season. For example, as winter progresses, one unit in a particular phrase may be heard less and less while another becomes more common, or two units in one phrase that had been separate may become joined as one sound. These small changes may eventually lead to new phrases and themes (4).

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Photo by Satecey Morrison

Only "boys" can sing?

The evidence to date indicates that only male humpbacks sing (remember, this is for humpbacks whales). The sex of a sample of singers has been determined both by photographs of the genital region and by genetic analysis of skin samples, and so far all were males. Also, singing is a behavior pattern common to individual whales that may escort a cow with calf or compete in mating groups—both distinct male behavior patterns (5).

Singing together!

Humpback songs are loud and can be heard underwater for at least several kilometers and, in some circumstances in deep ocean basins, possibly hundreds of kilometers. A collection of dozens of singing humpbacks produce a substantial noise. On a smaller scale, several studies have focused on the interaction of individual singers with other whales. Generally, singers sing until one of two things happen: First, they are joined by other single adults, the singing stops, and the two interact in some way, ranging from a single pass to rolling, tail lobs, or breaches by one or both animals (1).

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Photo by Vivek Kumar
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Unbelieveble!

Bibliography

  1. Darling, J. (2006). Song: Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Animal Behavior.
  2. Payne , K. P., and Payne, R. S.(1985). Large scale changes over 19
    years in songs of humpback whales of Bermuda. Z. Tierpsychol. 68,
    89 – 114.
  3. Payne, K., Tyack, P., and Payne, R.(1983). Progressive changes in the
    songs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae): A detailed
    analysis of two seasons in Hawaii. In “Communication and Behavior
    in Whales” (R. Payne, ed.), pp. 9 – 57. Westview Press, Boulder.
  4. Noad, M. J., Cato, D. H., Bryden, M. M., Jenner, M. N., and Jenner, C.
    S. (2000). Cultural revolution in whale songs. Nature 408, 537.
  5. Darling, J. D., and Berube, M. (2001). Interactions of singing humpback
    whales with other males. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 17, 570 – 584.

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