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(Image source: Dr. Louis M. Herman/NOAA)
BY LORA VLAEVA
A study published in the journal Science Thursday found new evidence humans and other primates
might not be the only species to develop a culture — a set of shared behaviors acquired
through social learning.
Humpback whales, which are known for their beautiful singing, showed evidence of social
learning after a new hunting technique, which developed in the 1980's, spread to over 40%
of the species's population off the coast of New England. (Via BBC)
Humpback whales usually hunt using the bubble-net feeding technique. After shaking its tail
on the water's surface to bring the fish up, the animal blows columns of air bubbles creating
a net around the prey. (Via National Geographic)
The net forces the fish into one area so the whale can swallow more of them in one gulp.
The whales' favorite food is herring. But in the 1980's the herring population collapsed,
forcing the humpbacks to find new prey.
Science reports that's when a new hunting technique was first observed in a single whale
hunting fish called sand lance. It would later be called the lobtail feeding technique.
National Geographic describes it: "In lobtail feeding, the humpback slaps the surface of
the water one to four times with the underside of its tail before diving down and blowing
the bubble net."
It may seem simple for whales to mimic a new hunting trick, but according to scientists
it's one of only a few examples of non-primates demonstrating social learning.
What's more, there's not even a clear benefit to the technique. Scientists expected there
to be an obvious reason why lobtailing would catch more sand lance, but the lead author
told NBC — there isn't one. (Via KPBS)
"They haven't noticed that lobtail feeders are any healthier or having more babies. They
seem to have picked up the trick from each other just because they could...'No matter
how you slice it, the only model that fit this data well was social learning...'"
Humpbacks are also known to pass around popular songs — yet another example of social learning
that could be considered a culture. Just wait till they discover internet memes.