We are not the only ones to sing in the animal kingdom: humpback whales also 'sing' and love to learn new 'tunes' from neighboring communities
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himWe're not the only ones singing in the animal kingdom: this study shows that humpback whales also 'sing' and love to learn new 'tunes' from neighboring communities
That humpback whale 'cantassero' is nothing new, but now a new study has analyzed the song patterns of these huge marine animals to try to understand the spread of the various 'tunes' and the differences in various areas of the world. According to what emerged from the study conducted by the Royal Holloway University of London, humpback whales in the southern hemisphere are very likely to change their song quickly, while those living in the northern hemisphere tend to change it more gradually, making only small changes to their song. main melody. But not only that: it seems plausible that animals remember old songs but are also willing to learn new ones - just like us.
Northern Hemisphere humpback whales come into contact with each other during the food supply season - and in the process the males of the species change their tune's tone. The result is that all colonies sing the same song, which however evolves slowly over time. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, the various populations of humpback whales do not all come together in the hunting season - their interactions are limited only to communities living nearby.
(Read also: Dolphins name their companions and remember who helped them even after many years. The study)
This is why not only the various colonies sing different 'tunes', but also the tone of these tunes is different: each population receives the tune from the westernmost community and transmits it to the eastern one, changing it each time. In the transition from west to east, it is possible for the 'tune' to move from larger communities to smaller ones. In this continuous change of hands (very similar to the child's play of the wireless telephone) the melody is completely distorted and ends up becoming very different from the original.
The researchers used the collected data to create computer models and demonstrate how humpback whales' song can change based on how and how different communities interact with each other. Analyzing the song patterns recorded in different humpback whale communities between 1998 and 2008 it emerged that - as in our world - the songs evolved and changed often and rapidly, with new 'melodies' spreading from the west. towards East.
Follow us on Telegram | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Youtube
Fonte: The Royal Society
We also recommend:
- By banning hunting, the population of Atlantic humpback whales has risen from 450 to 25!
- The spectacle of humpback whales swimming in the light of the northern lights (VIDEO)
- Sri Lanka: massacre of animals after the sinking of the cargo ship. Thousands of birds died, over 170 sea turtles and dolphins
