Horizontal transmission of vocal traditions in killer whale (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orcinus orca</Emphasis>) dialects |
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Authors: | O A Filatova A M Burdin E Hoyt |
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Institution: | (1) Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK;(2) Cetacean Research Laboratory, Vancouver Aquarium, P.O. Box 3232, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X8, Canada;(3) Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z9, Canada;(4) OrcaLab, Hanson Island, P.O. Box 510, Alert Bay, BC, V0N 1A0, Canada;(5) Cetacean Research Program, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6N7, Canada |
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Abstract: | Unlike most other mammals, killer whales are capable of vocal learning and learn the dialect of their natal pod from their
mothers. The classical model of killer whale dialect development suggests that the repertoire of calls is learned only “vertically”
from mother to offspring, and calls evolve gradually with time by random drift caused by the accumulation of copying errors.
However, some observations suggest that not only “vertical” (from mother to offspring) vocal learning can occur in killer
whales, but also “horizontal” (between adult animals). In this study we analyzed the distribution of different call types
and similarity of calls from the same type in different pods of killer whales from Kamchatka waters to estimate the probability
of existence of interpod horizontal transmission of vocal traditions in killer whales. We found that the degree of similarity
of K1 calls and K5 calls in different pods can differ. This situation contradicts the classical hypothesis and is possible
in two cases: if different call types change with various speed in different pods, or if horizontal transmission of call features
takes place. The distribution of K4 and K10 call types across pods also suggests the existence of horizontal transmission:
K4 calls occur in the dialects of five of ten pods, and K10 calls, in six of ten pods, but only one pod has both K4 and K10
calls. Our results suggest that the real picture of the distribution of call features and call types in killer whale dialects
contradicts the classical hypothesis of killer whale dialect evolution through the accumulation of copying errors. |
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