Geograpmc Variation in South Pacific Humpback Whale Songs

Behaviour ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Helweg ◽  
Peter Jenkins ◽  
Douglas Cat ◽  
Robert McCauley ◽  
Claire Garrigue
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Song Sharing ◽  
Eastern Australia

AbstractEvery winter, (male) humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) produce long complex songs. Song content is dynamic and singers incorporate changes as they occur, thus song is shared through cultural transmission. We compared songs recorded in winter migratory termini in Tonga, New Caledonia, Eastern Australia, and on migration paths off Eastern Australia and New Zealand, in the winter of 1994. Seven themes were shared by all regions, with an additional two themes shared by all but Tonga. Differences in regional variants were most pronounced between Tongan and Eastern Australian song. New Caledonian and Kaikouran song were more similar to songs from Eastern Australia rather than Tonga. These regional differences were stable across the season. The results suggest some migratory exchange among widely separate wintering regions of Area V, consistent with tag recovery data, but the time and location at which song sharing occurs remains speculative.

scholarly journals Migratory insights from singing humpback whales recorded around central New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 201084
Author(s):  
Victoria E. Warren ◽  
Rochelle Constantine ◽  
Michael Noad ◽  
Claire Garrigue ◽  
Ellen C. Garland
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
East Coast ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
Migratory Corridor

The migration routes of wide-ranging species can be difficult to study, particularly at sea. In the western South Pacific, migratory routes of humpback whales between breeding and feeding areas are unclear. Male humpback whales sing a population-specific song, which can be used to match singers on migration to a breeding population. To investigate migratory routes and breeding area connections, passive acoustic recorders were deployed in the central New Zealand migratory corridor (2016); recorded humpback whale song was compared to song from the closest breeding populations of East Australia and New Caledonia (2015–2017). Singing northbound whales migrated past New Zealand from June to August via the east coast of the South Island and Cook Strait. Few song detections were made along the east coast of the North Island. New Zealand song matched New Caledonia song, suggesting a migratory destination, but connectivity to East Australia could not be ruled out. Two song types were present in New Zealand, illustrating the potential for easterly song transmission from East Australia to New Caledonia in this shared migratory corridor. This study enhances our understanding of western South Pacific humpback whale breeding population connectivity, and provides novel insights into the dynamic transmission of song culture.

scholarly journals Migratory convergence facilitates cultural transmission of humpback whale song

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 190337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Owen ◽  
Luke Rendell ◽  
Rochelle Constantine ◽  
Michael J. Noad ◽  
Jenny Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Vocal Learning ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Acoustic Contact ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
And Migration

Cultural transmission of behaviour is important in a wide variety of vertebrate taxa from birds to humans. Vocal traditions and vocal learning provide a strong foundation for studying culture and its transmission in both humans and cetaceans. Male humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) perform complex, culturally transmitted song displays that can change both evolutionarily (through accumulations of small changes) or revolutionarily (where a population rapidly adopts a novel song). The degree of coordination and conformity underlying song revolutions makes their study of particular interest. Acoustic contact on migratory routes may provide a mechanism for cultural revolutions of song, yet these areas of contact remain uncertain. Here, we compared songs recorded from the Kermadec Islands, a recently discovered migratory stopover, to multiple South Pacific wintering grounds. Similarities in song themes from the Kermadec Islands and multiple wintering locations (from New Caledonia across to the Cook Islands) suggest a location allowing cultural transmission of song eastward across the South Pacific, active song learning (hybrid songs) and the potential for cultural convergence after acoustic isolation at the wintering grounds. As with the correlations in humans between genes, communication and migration, the migration patterns of humpback whales are written into their songs.

scholarly journals First assessment of interchange of humpback whales between Oceania and the East coast of Australia

2020 ◽  
pp. 269-274
Author(s):  
Claire Garrigue ◽  
Trish Franklin ◽  
Rochelle Constantine ◽  
Kirsty Russell ◽  
Daniel Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
East Coast ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
American Samoa ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Cook Island ◽  
Breeding Grounds

The interchange of individual humpback whales between the wintering grounds of Oceania (South Pacific) and the east coast of Australia weredocumented by individual identification photographs collected from 1999 to 2004. Interchange was assessed using regional catalogues of flukephotographs, totalling 672 individuals from Oceania (represented by New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Cook Island,French Polynesia and American Samoa) and 1,242 individuals from Hervey Bay and Byron Bay representing the southbound and the northboundmigration along the east coast of Australia (EA). Overall, there were seven documented movements between EA and Oceania. Four instances ofmovement of four individuals were documented between EA and the closest breeding grounds of New Caledonia. A further three movements wererecorded between EA and a small catalogue (n = 13) from the New Zealand migratory corridor. In contrast, during this same period, 20 cases ofinterchange were documented among nine breeding grounds: French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatuand New Caledonia. The low level of interchange between Oceania and the east coast of Australia has important implications for understanding thestock structure and abundance of humpback whales in the South Pacific.

scholarly journals Social Behaviour of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hervey Bay, Eastern Australia, a Preferential Female Stopover During the Southern Migration

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trish Franklin ◽  
Wally Franklin ◽  
Lyndon Brooks ◽  
Peter Harrison ◽  
Adam A. Pack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
The Social ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Competitive Behaviour ◽  
Males And Females

Agonistic competitive social behaviour in humpback whales [Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)] has been extensively studied and reported in previous research. However, non-agonistic social behaviour in humpback whale pods has not been systematically studied. We investigated the social behaviour of 3,949 humpback whale pods over a period of 14 years during August, September, and October in Hervey Bay (Queensland, eastern Australia), a preferential female stopover early in the southern migration. Modelling and analyses of the data examined the factors influencing the occurrence and timing of non-agonistic social behaviour pods, agonistic competitive pods and newly associated pods. Non-agonistic social behaviour was observed more frequently during August when mature females, including early pregnant and resting females, co-occur and socially interact with immature males and females. Overall, relatively few mature males visit Hervey Bay. Agonistic competitive behaviour was observed with increasing frequency during September and October when mother-calf pods, with few escorts predominated. Mother-calf pods in Hervey Bay spent most of their time alone involved in maternal care. Agonistic competitive behaviour is related to the decreasing numbers of potentially oestrous females toward the end of the season. Non-agonistic social behaviour and agonistic competitive behaviour were more frequently observed in larger and newly associated pods. Overall, non-agonistic social behaviour pods were more prevalent than agonistic competitive social behaviour pods. The results of this study substantiate that non-agonistic social behaviour may be more prevalent than aggressive agonistic social behaviour in site-specific locations and habitats, depending upon the classes and timings of humpback whales using such habitats.

scholarly journals Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Song on a Subarctic Feeding Ground

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saskia C. Martin ◽  
Ana S. Aniceto ◽  
Heidi Ahonen ◽  
Geir Pedersen ◽  
Ulf Lindstrøm
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Low Latitude ◽  
Feeding Ground ◽  
The North ◽  
Singing Behavior ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Singing Activity

Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known to produce long complex sequences of structured vocalizations called song. Singing behavior has traditionally been associated with low latitude breeding grounds but is increasingly reported outside these areas. This study provides the first report of humpback whale songs in the subarctic waters of Northern Norway using a long-term bottom-moored hydrophone. Data processed included the months January–June 2018 and December 2018–January 2019. Out of 189 days with recordings, humpback whale singing was heard on 79 days. Singing was first detected beginning of January 2018 with a peak in February and was heard until mid-April. No singing activity was found during the summer months and was heard again in December 2018, continuing over January 2019. A total of 131 song sessions, including 35 full sessions, were identified throughout the study period. The longest and shortest complete sessions lasted 815 and 13 min, respectively. The results confirm that singing can be heard over several months in winter and spring on a high latitude feeding ground. This provides additional evidence to the growing literature that singing is not an explicit behavior confined to low latitude breeding grounds. The peak of song occurrence in February appears to coincide with the reproductive cycle of humpback whales. Finally, this study indicates that song occurrence on a subarctic feeding ground likely aids the cultural transmission for the North Atlantic humpback whale population.

scholarly journals Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) observations in Laskeek Bay, western Hecate Strait, in spring and early summer, 1990–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-269
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Gaston ◽  
Neil G. Pilgrim ◽  
Vivian Pattison
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
The West ◽  
Peak Period ◽  
West Side

We describe observations of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) made along the west side of central Hecate Strait, British Columbia, during the spring and summer of 1990–2018. From none in March, the frequency of sightings increased from early April to a peak in May, then fell in June with few in July. The frequency of sightings during the peak period (1 May–20 June) increased over the course of the study at a mean rate of 6% a year, similar to increases recorded elsewhere in British Columbian waters. The frequency of sightings was highest in years when the Oceanic Niño Index for January–March was low and peaked earlier in years when the Oceanic Niño Index was high. Both of these relationships suggest a connection between Humpback Whale sightings in western Hecate Strait and the larger oceanographic context, with sightings more frequent in years of lower water temperatures.

Multiple visits of individual humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) between the Hawaiian and Japanese winter grounds

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 504-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan R Salden ◽  
Louis M Herman ◽  
Manami Yamaguchi ◽  
Fumihiko Sato
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Winter Ground ◽  
The Third ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Published Report

We document through photographic identifications three humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) winter ground interchanges between Hawai'i and Japan. Two of these whales, identified as male by their behavioral roles, made multiple interchanges across years; i.e., they were initially seen in Hawai'i, were later observed in Japan, and subsequently, returned to Hawai'i. The third whale was seen in only 2 different years, once in Japan and then in Hawai'i. Prior to this report, there has been only one published report of a Hawai'i-Japan interchange and only eight between Hawai'i and Mexico. None of these involved multiple interchanges. The current findings demonstrate that individual whales may be highly flexible in their annual choice of widely separated winter destinations and suggest that these wanderers may be mainly males. The occurrence of wanderers provides a mechanism for increasing genetic variability in the breeding populations and also suggests a mechanism for noted song similarities across different North Pacific winter grounds.

A revision of Vittadinia A.Rich. (Compositae) together with reinstatement of Eurybiopsis DC. and description of a new geunus, Camptacra.

Brunonia ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
NT Burbidge
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
New Genus ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Single Species ◽  
New Combinations ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
New Subgenus ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Specific Rank

It is reported that Gaudichaud was correct in describing, under Brachycome Cass., three species, B. triloba, B. dentata and B. spathulata. Reference is made to the nomenclatural status of these species in accordance with the results of a revision of Brachycome by Davis (1948). De Candolle erred in transferring the species to Vittadinia A. Rich, for which the New Zealand V. australis is the type. Reasons are given for regarding V. triloba (Gaudich.) DC. as synonymous with V. australis var. dissecta Benth., and the variety is raised to specific rank. Included with V. australis and V. dissecta in Vittadinia s. str. (i.e. in Vittadinia subgenus Vittadinia) are V. cuneata DC. (a name which can be applied to a complex group of taxa widespread in southern and eastern Australia) and a further 17 species of which the following are new: V. cervicularis (with four varieties), V. constricta, V. condyloides, V. decora, V. eremaea, V. humerata, V. nullarborensis, V. pustulata, V. simulans and V. sulcata, while V. gracilis (J. D. Hook.) N. Burbidge and V. australasica (Turcz.) N. Burbidge are new combinations. V. scabra DC. and a group of taxa which have been referred to it or, incorrectly, to V. macrorhiza (DC.) A. Gray have been placed in a new subgenus of Vittadinia under the name Peripleura. Within this subgenus nine species are recognized: V. scabra DC., V, hispidula F. Muell. ex A. Gray (with two varieties), and the new species V. arida, V. bicolor, V. diffusa, V. obovata, V. sericea, V. spechtii (with two varieties) and V. virgata. With the exception of V. australis which is endemic to New Zealand and V. simulans, a New Caledonian species, all are endemic to Australia; however, V. hispidula has been reported for New Caledonia where it is deemed to be an alien and V. gracilis and possibly V. muelleri appear to have become naturalized in New Zealand. V. brachycomoides (F. Muell.) Benth. becomes the type of a new genus, Camptacra, with two species, both distributed in northern and north-eastern Australia. Eurybiopsis DC. is reinstated, with its single species, E. macrorhiza DC., found only in northern Australia.

Some Calliphoridae (Dipt.) from the South Pacific Islands and Australia

1927 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Bezzi
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Large Collection ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Fiji Islands ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Taxonomic Changes ◽  
South Pacific Islands

Having recently studied a large collection of Myiodaria from the Fiji Islands, and having received, through the courtesy of Dr. P. A. Buxton, a number of species from Samoa and other South Pacific Islands, I am able to make a revision of the Calliphoridae now before me, and to describe some new forms. I have also taken into consideration the specimens from New Zealand and from Eastern Australia in my collection, as well as the forms recently described by Aldrich, Hardy, Malloch, Patton and Surcouf, together with the taxonomic changes proposed by Senior-White, Shannon and Townsend.It seems that some species, probably those more closely associated with man, are widely spread through the Pacific Islands ; while several others seem to be very localised.

Phylogeny and biogeography of the Australasian centipede Henicops (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha): A combined morphological and molecular approach

2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Colgan ◽  
Gregory Edgecombe ◽  
Deirdre Sharkey
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
28S Rrna ◽  
Southeastern Australia ◽  
Lord Howe Island ◽  
Eastern Australia

AbstractThe lithobiomorph centipede Henicops is widely distributed in Australia and New Zealand, with five described species, as well as two species in New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island. Parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of ca. 800 aligned bases of sequence data from 16S rRNA and 28S rRNA were conducted on a dataset including multiple individuals of Henicops species from populations sampled from different parts of species' geographic ranges, together with the allied henicopines Lamyctes and Easonobius. Morphological characters are included in parsimony analyses. Molecular and combined datasets unite species from eastern Australia and New Zealand to the exclusion of species from Western Australia, New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island. The molecular data favour these two geographic groupings as clades, whereas inclusion of morphology resolves New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island, southwest Western Australia and Queensland as successive sisters to southeastern Australia and New Zealand. The basal position of the Lord Howe Island species in the phylogeny favours a diversification of Australasian Henicops since the late Miocene unless the Lord Howe species originated in a biota that pre-dates the island. The molecular and combined data resolve the widespread morphospecies H. maculatus as paraphyletic, with its populations contributing to the geographic groupings New South Wales + New Zealand and Tasmania + Victoria.

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