I would like to know if there had been a direct correlation with the songs of the whales and their social relationships (e.g. mating systems, predation and defense patterns).
Moreover, the role of their singing in the bigger picture of migration and evolution. I want to know the efficiency of this type of communication and if it has helped in the keeping their local populations stable.
Dear Patricia
Humpback whales sing primarily at their breeding grounds, when the males compete for mating opportunities with females. Earlier it was thought that songs are to attract females. Subsequently, it was found that females rarely move towards singing males. This led to the emergence of many other theories including song as a migratory gesture, to synchronize estrus in females and as a form of bio-sonar. It was found that song also changes over time, within isolated wintering populations, and to some extent across ocean basins. Because of these and other diverse complexities, the function of humpback song is debated for its social function and evolution.
Best
Dola
Some references:
1. Garland EC, Goldizen AW, Rekdahl ML, Constantine R, Garrigue C, et al. (2011) Dynamic horizontal cultural transmission of humpback whale song at the ocean basin scale. Current Biology 21: 687–691.
2. Frankel AS, Clark CW, Herman LM, Gabriele CM (1995) Spatial distribution, habitat utilization, and social interactions of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, off Hawaii, determined using acoustic and visual techniques. Canadian Journal of Zoology 73: 1134–1146.
3. Cholewiak DM (2008) Evaluating the role of song in the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding system with respect to intra-sexual interactions. Doctoral dissertation, Cornell University: 159 p.
4. Darling JD, Berube M (2001) Interactions of singing humpback whales with other males. Marine Mammal Science 17: 570–584.
5. Tyack P (1981) Interactions between singing Hawaiian humpback whales and conspecifics nearby. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 8: 105–116.
6. Clapham PJ, Mattila DK (1990) Humpback whale songs as indicators of migration routes. Marine Mammal Science 6: 155–160.
7. Frazer LN, Mercado E (2000) A sonar model for humpback whale song. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 25: 160–182.
Very good references Dola Bhattacharjee!
Do you heard about an interesting comparative study between the human whistled languages (el silbo is well-known) and the "singing" of humpback whales?
The "singing" of humpback whales should have evolved according to their (underwater) environment as the human languages did, shouldn't it?
Here is a good list of references about the whistled human languages and the social relationships:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/6/6-1319.html
Hello,
well it is to attract females, however different geographically isolated population have their own song which is unique to each population (like having their own dialect).
the song is sung throughout the day and night, and may continue for 24 hours or even longer with hardly a break. because most of the singing takes place at the breeding grounds, and exclusively by male, it is probably used to woo females and to warn away unwanted competition from rival males.
yet, our understanding of this behaviour is still at a neonate stage. however, the behaviour of the North Indian Ocean population is still not understood. as this population unique and breeds 6 months out of phase from the rest of the world.
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