Introduction Humpback whales live in fission-fusion societies (Rendella 2001: 311). Through test of DNA haplotypes, maternal migration traditions have been identified to guide migration route (Rendella 2001:313). Humpback calves, at first, follow their mothers to learn the migration paths between breeding and feeding grounds (Rendella 2001: 313).Yet, the most interesting and contested ideas about Humpback whether or not they have culture. The use of their songs, and their feeding techniques have often been use has explanations and evidence for culture among Humpback whales.
Elementary Arguments for Culture: The activity of humpback whales follows seasonal changes, during the summer humpback whales focus on forming bubble-net feeding groups and during the winter they head back to their breeding grounds for mating season. In 2001, Russell and Whitehead published an article claiming that Humpback whales did in fact have …show more content…
For example beginning in 1990s, studies off the east coast of Australia, Noad and team were tracking whale songs. In 1996, a humpback whale was recorded singing a completely new song with different phrases and themes. This song quickly spread and by 1997 the song by sang by most humpback in Peregian Beach (Whitehead 2015: 80). Yet, once more research was done, the new song was found to not be so new, it was the same song sang by humpbacks from the Indian Ocean. Researchers hypothesis humpback whales from the Indian Ocean could have gotten taken the wrong route on their migration to antarctic breeding grounds and ended up in the Pacif. While they took the wrong route, the Indian humpback whales would have kept singing their songs (Whitehead 80). The puzzling part about this cultural revolution is what made the Indian Ocean song irresistible to the east coast humpback
Elementary Arguments for Culture: The activity of humpback whales follows seasonal changes, during the summer humpback whales focus on forming bubble-net feeding groups and during the winter they head back to their breeding grounds for mating season. In 2001, Russell and Whitehead published an article claiming that Humpback whales did in fact have …show more content…
For example beginning in 1990s, studies off the east coast of Australia, Noad and team were tracking whale songs. In 1996, a humpback whale was recorded singing a completely new song with different phrases and themes. This song quickly spread and by 1997 the song by sang by most humpback in Peregian Beach (Whitehead 2015: 80). Yet, once more research was done, the new song was found to not be so new, it was the same song sang by humpbacks from the Indian Ocean. Researchers hypothesis humpback whales from the Indian Ocean could have gotten taken the wrong route on their migration to antarctic breeding grounds and ended up in the Pacif. While they took the wrong route, the Indian humpback whales would have kept singing their songs (Whitehead 80). The puzzling part about this cultural revolution is what made the Indian Ocean song irresistible to the east coast humpback