"An astonishing, unconstrained exploration of the nature and practice of cetacean culture... a revolutionary book." -- Philip Hoare, author of The Whale

In the songs and bubble feeding of humpback whales; in young killer whales learning to knock a seal from an ice floe in the same way their mother does; and in the use of sea sponges by the dolphins of Shark Bay, Australia, to protect their beaks while foraging for fish, we find clear examples of the transmission of information among cetaceans. Just as human cultures pass on languages and turns of phrase, tastes in food (and in how it is acquired), and modes of dress, could whales and dolphins have developed a culture of their very own?

Unequivocally: yes. In The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins, cetacean biologists Hal Whitehead, who has spent much of his life on the ocean trying to understand whales, and Luke Rendell, whose research focuses on the evolution of social learning, open an astounding porthole onto the fascinating culture beneath the waves. As Whitehead and Rendell show, cetacean culture and its transmission are shaped by a blend of adaptations, innate sociality, and the unique environment in which whales and dolphins live.

Drawing on their own research as well as a scientific literature as immense as the sea -- including evolutionary biology, animal behavior, ecology, anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience -- Whitehead and Rendell dive into realms both humbling and enlightening as they seek to define what cetacean culture is, why it exists, and what it means for the future of whales and dolphins. And, ultimately, what it means for our future, as well.

• We started tracking this book on November 24, 2014.
• This book was £14.94 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 70 times in the past 3,613 days.
• The current price of this book is £12.99 last checked 23 hours ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past 90 days is £3.99.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is £1.99.
• The lowest price to date was £1.99 last reached on April 3, 2024.
• This book has been £1.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £24.99 last reached on November 21, 2023.
• This book has been £24.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• Science & MathsBiological SciencesBiologyMarine Biology
• Science & MathsBiological SciencesZoology

• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 632 Pages
• File Size: 18,592 KB