Recurring patterns in the songs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

摘要: Humpback whales, unlike most mammalian species, learn new songs as adults. Populations of singers progressively and collectively change the sounds patterns within their throughout lives across generations. In this study, humpback whale recorded in Hawaii from 1985 to 1995 were analyzed using self-organizing maps (SOMs) classify songs, identify sound that present multiple years. These analyses supported hypothesis recurring, persistent exist these are defined at least part by acoustic relationships between adjacent songs. Sound classification based on differences yielded more consistent year than classifications properties single sounds. Maintenance fixed ratios modulation sounds, despite large variations individual suggests intrinsic constraints how Such acoustically invariant cues may enable whales recognize assess propagation-related distortion yearly changes