Weirdos of the sperm whale world
An isolated population of sperm whales in the Mediterranean Sea are splitting into two distinct groups with different dialects, a new study reveals. This shift has likely been happening for thousands of years, as two groups split from an initial single population.
The findings, published Tuesday (June 23) in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, are providing a rare insight into the process of different dialects emerging among non-human species.
The sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) live in small social units of females and young, and they associate with other groups in the same area. They use social vocalizations called codas — shortpatterns of clicks — to communicate. The particular codas they use identify them as being part of the same cultural group.
