Biology
The Behavioral Ecology of Vocal Learning in Humpback Whale Song Traditions
Quick fact
In a remarkable case of cultural evolution, a new humpback whale song that appeared off eastern Australia in 1996 spread across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia and even to Ecuador within just a few years—thousands of kilometers away—replacing the local songs that males had been singing.
Why this is interesting
You've probably heard that humpback whales sing, but did you know that entire ocean populations can change their 'hit song' from one year to the next, and that males somewhere far away will start singing the new hit too? How does a whale learn to sing, and why do the songs change?