Different sperm whale ‘dialects’ detected on separate sides of the Mediterranean
Summary
Researchers found that sperm whales in the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea use different versions of their clicking sounds, called dialects. These dialects help whales form social groups and may develop slowly when groups become isolated from each other.Key Facts
- Sperm whales communicate using sequences of clicking sounds called codas.
- Different groups of whales have distinct rhythmic patterns in their clicks, known as dialects.
- Whales mostly associate with others that share their dialect, forming “vocal clans.”
- The study recorded whale sounds near Greece (east) and near Spain (west) over many years.
- Western Mediterranean whales use a pattern with three clicks then a pause, followed by one click; eastern whales have a faster version of this pattern.
- Some whales in the eastern group occasionally use the western dialect.
- Researchers think whales first settled in the western Mediterranean, then moved east and developed a slightly different dialect.
- Dialect formation seems slow and requires some isolation between whale groups, similar to how human languages and bird songs change over time.
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