Non‐geographically based population structure of South Pacific sperm whales: dialects, fluke‐markings and genetics

Abstract

Summary 0[ This study addresses the issue of structure in sperm whale "Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus# populations and whether it is geographically based[ 1[ During a survey around the South Paci_c Ocean\ we collected sloughed skin for genetic analyses\ recorded coda vocalizations\ and photographed~uke markings[ 2[ Groups of female and immature sperm whales had characteristic mitochondrial haplotypes\ coda repertoires\ and~uke!mark patterns\ but there was no clear geo! graphical structure in any of these attributes[ 3[ However\ similarities of coda repertoire and mitochondrial haplotype distribution were signi_cantly correlated among pairs of groups in a manner that was not geo! graphically based[ There was also a signi_cant canonical correlation coe.cient between coda repertoire and~uke!mark patterns[ 4[ These results suggest that attributes "such as vocal repertoire and techniques of predator defence# which are acquired matrilineally\ and probably culturally\ are conserved during the _ssion and dispersal of groups[

Convergence of calls as animals form social bonds, active compensation for noisy communication channels, and the evolution of vocal learning in mammals.

“…Even for sympatric animals, small differences in location of calling or receiving may change the desired qualities of a signal (Parris, 2002). Vocal dialects have been described among killer whales (Ford 1991) and sperm whales (Whitehead et al 1998), but dialects in these highly mobile animals, do not only occur across broad geographical regions, but also are defined by sympatric social groupings. Differences in killer whale calls closely follow matrilines, and there is a correlation between coda repertoire and mitochondrial haplotype in sperm whales.…”

Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) vocalizations and call classification from the eastern Beaufort Sea population

“…Dialect differences have been used to indicate structure in many bird species such as mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha; MacDougall-Shackleton and MacDougallShackleton, 2001) and yellow-naped amazon parrots (Amazona auropalliata and A. ochrocephala; Wright and Wilkinson, 2001) as well as a diverse array of other taxa including rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis; Kershenbaum et al, 2012), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus; Whitehead et al, 1998), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus; Delarue et al, 2009), killer whales (Orcinus orca; Ford, 1991), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae; Garland et al, 2013). For example, killer whales display subtle differences in the structure of calls among different matrilines within a pod (Miller and Bain, 2000), while differences in the use and structure of calls exist among pods to produce a group-specific dialect (Ford, 1991).…”

Vocalizations of Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis): Characterization, effect of physical environment and differences between populations

“…In cetaceans, such differences have been considered useful in providing insights into the social organization and association patterns among individuals (Whitehead et al, 1998;Deecke et al, 1999;Miller and Bain, 2000;Yurk et al, 2002;Bazu a-Dur an and Au, 2004). …”