On cultural inheritance: Evolution, behaviour and social structure of Eastern Caribbean sperm whales

Abstract

Cultural inheritance is a “second inheritance system” which can affect ecology and evolution in unexpected ways. However, although its implications in humans are recognized and extensively studied, cultural inheritance has yet to be incorporated into mainstream biology. As such, the overreaching objective of my thesis is to highlight the role of culture in shaping the social structure, behaviour, and evolution of a non-primate species, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). I do so by expanding our knowledge on the implications of vocal clan membership (cultural groups which can be distinguished based on their repertoires of coda vocalizations) to the whales.