Male humpback whales sing cooperatively to draw females
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027277
Science : Male humpback whales, young and old alike, sing in a chorus to attract the attention of females, according to a study published in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Previously, scientists had thought that only adult males sing. But after studying digital videos of some 87 male whales near Hawaii and data on whale sizes recorded by biologists aboard 20th-century Japanese whaling vessels, they determined that at least 13 of the 87 were not yet sexually mature yet were participating in the singing. Louis Herman of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, lead author of the study, and his colleagues say there are several benefits to the arrangement: The younger singers get a chance to learn the music, and they help amplify the song, which may attract more females.
