Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Do Whales Sing to Their Own Tune? Comparing the Variability Within and Between Song Events of the Eastern Indian Ocean Pygmy Blue Whale

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Acoustics Australia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Acoustic data from the Perth Canyon, Western Australia, were collected for the 2017 northern migration allowing for detailed acoustic analysis of eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue (EIOPB) whale songs within a migratory season to explore fine-scale variability in song production. An algorithm was used to follow the unit II signal in time, tracking the change in frequency over the duration of the signal and enabling a comparison of song unit production within and between singing bouts. The results of this analysis indicate that units from within the same song event have relatively consistent characteristics but vary between song events, suggesting it is possible that individual whales may have distinct vocal characteristics. The presence of breaks within a unit was identified as a significant level of variability in song production within the 2017 data set and was seen to increase throughout the season. It is hypothesised that unit breaks may play a role in intra-species communication as well as represent a novel variation to song production that increases song complexity and thus may increase individual fitness through sexual selection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M Cantor LG Shoemaker RB Cabral CO Flores M Varga H Whitehead 2015 Multilevel animal societies can emerge from cultural transmission Nat. Commun. 6 10 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. M Cantor H Whitehead 2013 The interplay between social networks and culture: theoretically and among whales and dolphins Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 368 1618 10 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2012.0340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. N Creanza L Fogarty MW Feldman 2016 Cultural niche construction of repertoire size and learning strategies in songbirds Evol. Ecol. 30 2 285 305 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-015-9796-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. VB Deecke JKB Ford P Spong 2000 Dialect change in resident killer whales: implications for vocal learning and cultural transmission Anim. Behav. 60 629 638 https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2000.1454

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. OA Filatova FIP Samarra VB Deecke JKB Ford PJO Miller H Yurk 2015 Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences Behaviour 152 15 2001 2038 https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Galef, B.G.: Where's the beef? Evidence of culture, imitation, and teaching, in cetaceans? Behav. Brain Sci. 24(2), 335-+ (2001). https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x01343960

  7. AM Kopps CY Ackermann WB Sherwin SJ Allen L Bejder M Krützen 2014 Cultural transmission of tool use combined with habitat specializations leads to fine-scale genetic structure in bottlenose dolphins Proc Royal Soc B: Biol Sci 281 1782 20133245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. M Krützen J Mann MR Heithaus RC Connor L Bejder WB Sherwin 2005 Cultural transmission of tool use in bottlenose dolphins Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102 25 8939 8943

    Article  ADS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. S Cerchio JK Jacobsen TF Norris 2001 Temporal and geographical variation in songs of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae: synchronous change in Hawaiian and Mexican breeding assemblages Anim. Behav. 62 313 329 https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2001.1747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. EC Garland AW Goldizen MS Lilley ML Rekdahl C Garrigue R Constantine ND Hauser MM Poole J Robbins MJ Noad 2015 Population structure of humpback whales in the western and central South Pacific Ocean as determined by vocal exchange among populations Conserv. Biol. 29 4 1198 1207 https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12492

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. EC Garland L Rendell L Lamoni MM Poole MJ Noad 2017 Song hybridization events during revolutionary song change provide insights into cultural transmission in humpback whales Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114 30 7822 7829 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1621072114

    Article  ADS  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. DA Helweg DH Cato PF Jenkins C Garrigue RD McCauley 1998 Geographic variation in South Pacific humpback whale songs Behaviour 135 1 27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. ML Rekdahl RA Dunlop MJ Noad AW Goldizen 2013 Temporal stability and change in the social call repertoire of migrating humpback whales J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 133 3 1785 1795 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4789941

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. MJ Noad DH Cato MM Bryden MN Jenner KCS Jenner 2000 Cultural revolution in whale songs Nature 408 6812 537 537 https://doi.org/10.1038/35046199

    Article  ADS  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. DL Campbell ME Hauber 2010 Conspecific-only experience during development reduces the strength of heterospecific song discrimination in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata): a test of the optimal acceptance threshold hypothesis J. Ornithol. 151 2 379 389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Beck, C.D.: Vocal behaviour of the eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whale and its changes over time and between aggregations. PhD, Curtin (2019)

  17. Jolliffe, C.D., McCauley, R.D., Gavrilov, A.N., Jenner, C., Jenner, M.N.: Comparing the Acoustic Behaviour of the Eastern Indian Ocean Pygmy Blue Whale on Two Australian Feeding Grounds. Acoustics Australia, pp. 1–14 (2021)

  18. CD Jolliffe RD McCauley AN Gavrilov CS Jenner MN Jenner A Duncan 2019 Song variation of the Eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whale population PLoS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208619

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. J Mann Eds 2017 Deep thinkers Ivy Press London, United Kingdom

    Google Scholar 

  20. RS Payne S McVay 1971 Songs of humpback whales Science 173 3997 585 597 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.173.3997.585

    Article  ADS  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. K Payne R Payne 1985 Large-scale changes over 19 years in songs of humpback whales in bermuda J. Comp. Ethol. 68 2 89 114

    Google Scholar 

  22. LN Guinee KB Payne 1988 Rhyme-like repetitions in song of humpback whales Ethology 79 4 295 306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. S Handel SK Todd AM Zoidis 2012 Hierarchical and rhythmic organization in the songs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Bioacoustics 21 2 141 156 https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2012.668324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. DM Cholewiak RS Sousa-Lima S Cerchio 2013 Humpback whale song hierarchical structure: historical context and discussion of current classification issues Mar. Mamm. Sci. 29 3 E312 E332 https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. McDonald, M.A., Hildebrand, J.A., Mesnick, S.L.: Biogeographic characterization of blue whale song worldwide: using song to identify populations. J. Cetacean Res. Manag. 55 (2006)

  26. LA Lewis A Sirovic 2018 Variability in blue whale acoustic behavior off southern California Mar. Mamm. Sci. 34 2 311 329 https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lewis, L.A., Calambokidis, J., Stimpert, A.K., Fahlbusch, J., Friedlaender, A.S., McKenna, M.F., Mesnick, S.L., Oleson, E.M., Southall, B.L., Szesciorka, A.R., Sirović, A.: Context-dependent variability in blue whale acoustic behaviour. Royal Soc. Open Sci. 5(8) (2018). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180241

  28. JL Miksis-Olds SL Nieukirk DV Harris 2018 Two unit analysis of Sri Lankan pygmy blue whale song over a decade J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 144 6 3618 3626 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5084269

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. A Sirovic JA Hildebrand SM Wiggins 2007 Blue and fin whale call source levels and propagation range in the Southern Ocean J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122 2 1208 1215 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2749452

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. EL Hazen AS Friedlaender JA Goldbogen 2015 Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) optimize foraging efficiency by balancing oxygen use and energy gain as a function of prey density Sci. Adv. 1 9 7 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Sirovic, A., Oleson, E.M., Buccowich, J., Rice, A., Bayless, A.R.: Fin whale song variability in southern California and the Gulf of California. Sci. Rep. 7 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09979-4

  32. CM Attard L Beheregaray C Jenner P Gill M Jenner M Morrice J Bannister R LeDuc L Möller 2010 Genetic diversity and structure of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in Australian feeding aggregations Conserv. Genet. 11 6 2437 2441 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0121-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Attard, C.R.M., Beheregaray, L.B., Jenner, K.C.S., Gill, P.C., Jenner, M.N.M., Morrice, M.G., Teske, P.R., Moller, L.M.: Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts. Biol. Lett. 11(5) (2015). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037

  34. DM Webb J Zhang 2005 FoxP2 in Song-Learning Birds and Vocal-Learning Mammals J. Hered. 96 3 212 216 https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esi025

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. L Koren O Mokady E Geffen 2008 Social status and cortisol levels in singing rock hyraxes Horm. Behav. 54 1 212 216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. L Koren E Geffen 2009 Complex call in male rock hyrax (Procavia capensis): a multi-information distributing channel Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 63 4 581 590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. L Koren E Geffen 2011 Individual identity is communicated through multiple pathways in male rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) songs Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 65 4 675 684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. V Demartsev A Kershenbaum A Ilany A Barocas E Bar Ziv L Koren E Geffen 2014 Male hyraxes increase song complexity and duration in the presence of alert individuals Behav. Ecol. 25 6 1451 1458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Rennie, S., Hanson, C.E., McCauley, R.D., Pattiaratchi, C., Burton, C., al., e.: Physical properties and processes in the Perth Canyon, Western Australia: Links to water column production and seasonal pygmy blue whale abundance. J. Marine Syst. 77, 21–44 (2009).

  40. RD McCauley F Thomas MJG Parsons C Erbe DH Cato AJ Duncan AN Gavrilov IM Parnum CP Salgado-Kent 2017 Developing an underwater sound recorder: the long and short (time) of it Acoustics Australia 45 2 301 311 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-017-0113-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. AN Gavrilov RD McCauley C Salgado-Kent J Tripovich C Burton 2011 Vocal characteristics of pygmy blue whales and their change over time J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130 3651 3660

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. C Jolliffe R McCauley A Gavrilov 2023 Variability in temporal characteristics of the south eastern indian ocean pygmy blue whale song Animal Behavior and Cognition 10 211 231 https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.10.03.02.2023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. RA Dunlop 2017 Potential motivational information encoded within humpback whale non-song vocal sounds J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141 3 2204 2213 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4978615

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Rendell, L., Whitehead, H.: Culture in whales and dolphins. Behav. Brain Sci. 24(2), 309-+ (2001). https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x0100396x

  45. R Smith 2014 Complexity in animal communication: estimating the size of n-gram structures Entropy 16 1 526 542 https://doi.org/10.3390/e16010526

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. LM Herman 2017 The multiple functions of male song within the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mating system: review, evaluation, and synthesis Biol. Rev. 92 3 1795 1818 https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12309

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Cholewiak, D.M., Cerchio, S., Jacobsen, J.K., Urban-R, J., Clark, C.W.: Songbird dynamics under the sea: acoustic interactions between humpback whales suggest song mediates male interactions. Royal Soc. Open Sci. 5(2) (2018). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.171298

  48. Berchok, C.L., Bradley, D.L., Gabrielson, T.B.: St. Lawrence blue whale vocalizations revisited: characterization of calls detected from 1998 to 2001. J. Acoustic Soc. Am. 120(4), 2340–2354 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2335676

  49. JL Morano DP Salisbury AN Rice KL Conklin KL Falk CW Clark 2012 Seasonal and geographical patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic Ocean J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132 2 1207 1212 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4730890

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. EM Oleson A Slrovic AR Bayless JA Hildebrand 2014 Synchronous seasonal change in fin whale song in the North Pacific PLoS ONE 9 12 18 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Kello, C.T., Dalla Bella, S., Mede, B., Balasubramaniam, R.: Hierarchical temporal structure in music, speech and animal vocalizations: jazz is like a conversation, humpbacks sing like hermit thrushes. J. Royal Soc. Interface 14(135) (2017). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2017.0231

  52. KM Fristrup LT Hatch CW Clark 2003 Variation in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song length in relation to low-frequency sound broadcasts J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113 6 3411 3424 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1573637

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Weirathmueller, M.J., Stafford, K.M., Wilcock, W.S.D., Hilmo, R.S., Dziak, R.P., Tréhu, A.M.: Spatial and temporal trends in fin whale vocalizations recorded in the NE Pacific Ocean between 2003–2013. PLoS One 12(10) (2017). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186127

  54. Reidenberg, J.S., Laitman, J.T.: Anatomy of underwater sound production with a focus on ultrasonic vocalization in toothed whales including dolphins and porpoises. In: Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 25. pp. 509–519. (2018)

  55. O Adam D Cazau N Gandilhon B Fabre JT Laitman JS Reidenberg 2013 New acoustic model for humpback whale sound production Appl. Acoust. 74 10 1182 1190 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2013.04.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. OM Tervo MF Christoffersen SE Parks R Mbjerg Kristensen P Teglberg Madsen 2011 Evidence for simultaneous sound production in the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130 4 2257 2262 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3628327

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. AN Gavrilov RD McCauley J Gedamke 2012 Steady inter and intra-annual decrease in the vocalization frequency of Antarctic blue whales J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 131 6 4476 4480 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4707425

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. McDonald, M., Hildebrand, J.A.: Worldwide decline in tonal frequencies of blue whale songs. Endangered Species Research 9(1) (2009)

  59. LM Herman AA Pack SS Spitz EYK Herman K Rose S Hakala MH Deakos 2013 Humpback whale song: who sings? Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 67 10 1653 1663 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1576-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. JD Darling ME Jones CP Nicklin 2006 Humpback whale songs: Do they organize males during the breeding season? Behaviour 143 1051 1101 https://doi.org/10.1163/156853906778607381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. GA Wiggins P Tyack C Scharff M Rohrmeier 2015 The evolutionary roots of creativity: mechanisms and motivations Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 370 1664 129 137 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0099

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. RL Neubauer 1999 Super-normal length song preferences of female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and a theory of the evolution of bird song Evol. Ecol. 13 4 365 380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. KL Ronald T Skillman A Lin QL Li E Fernandez-Juricic JR Lucas 2015 Watch your tone: social conditions modulate singing strategies Ethology 121 11 1104 1115 https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. KW Sockman SM Lyons 2017 How song experience affects female mate-choice, male song, and monoaminergic activity in the auditory telencephalon in Lincoln's sparrows Integr. Comp. Biol. 57 4 891 901 https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icx080

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. RF Lachlan VM Janik PJB Slater 2004 The evolution of conformity-enforcing behaviour in cultural communication systems Anim Behav. 68 3 561 570 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.11.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. RF Lachlan O Ratmann S Nowicki 2018 Cultural conformity generates extremely stable traditions in bird song Nat. Commun. 9 1 2417 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04728-1

    Article  ADS  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. L Benedict N Warning 2017 Rock wrens preferentially use song types that improve long distance signal transmission during natural singing bouts J. Avian Biol. 48 9 1254 1262 https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.01357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. O Brunel-Pons S Alem MD Greenfield 2011 The complex auditory scene at leks: balancing antipredator behaviour and competitive signalling in an acoustic moth Anim. Behav. 81 1 231 239 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Oleson, E.M., Calambokidis, J., Burgess, W.C., McDonald, M.A., LeDuc, C.A.: Behavioural context of call production by eastern North Pacific blue whales. Marine Ecol. Prog. Ser. 330(269–284) (2007).

  70. EM Oleson J Calambokidis J Barlow JA Hildebrand 2007 Blue whale visual and acoustic encounter rates in the southern california bight Mar. Mamm. Sci. 23 3 574 597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. K Lomac-MacNair MA Smultea 2016 Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) behaviour and group dynamics as observed from an aircraft off Southern California Animal Behav Cognit 3 1 1 21 https://doi.org/10.12966/abc.02.01.2016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. EC Garland L Rendell MS Lilley MM Poole J Allen MJ Noad 2017 The devil is in the detail: quantifying vocal variation in a complex, multi-levelled, and rapidly evolving display J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142 1 460 472 https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4991320

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. RA Dunlop MJ Noad 2016 The "risky" business of singing: tactical use of song during joining by male humpback whales Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 70 12 2149 2160 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-016-2218-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Sea noise data sourced from the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, 2008-2017) were supported by Australian Department of Defence and Curtin University (2003–2007). All IMOS data are publicly available through the portal https://acoustic.aodn.org.au/acoustic/ or on request from https://portal.aodn.org.au/. IMOS is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. A number of proficient and professional vessel crews were involved in data collection, notably Curt and Micheline Jenner and the crew of the RV Whale Song vessels and Paul Pittorini of FV Reliance II. Mal Perry, Dave Minchin and Frank Thomas were instrumental in preparing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Capri D. Jolliffe, Robert D. McCauley & Alexander N. Gavrilov

Authors
  1. Capri D. Jolliffe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert D. McCauley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexander N. Gavrilov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Capri D. Jolliffe.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jolliffe, C.D., McCauley, R.D. & Gavrilov, A.N. Do Whales Sing to Their Own Tune? Comparing the Variability Within and Between Song Events of the Eastern Indian Ocean Pygmy Blue Whale. Acoust Aust (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-024-00314-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-024-00314-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation