Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
Gene Flow02:39

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
What is Population Genetics?01:25

What is Population Genetics?

A population is composed of members of the same species that simultaneously live and interact in the same area. When individuals in a population breed, they pass down their genes to their offspring. Many of these genes are polymorphic, meaning that they occur in multiple variants. Such variations of a gene are referred to as alleles. The collective set of all the alleles within a population is known as the gene pool.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Correction: Sperm whales habituate to research vessels engaged in photoidentification.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Fine-scale quantitative analysis of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) song shows varying stability of song types.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same author

Dialect variation in Mediterranean sperm whales shows evidence of cultural evolution in an isolated population.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Sperm whales habituate to research vessels engaged in photoidentification.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Inferring sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) sex and developmental stage using aerial photogrammetry.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Towards a causal understanding of bidirectional effects in ecology and evolution.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs
08:44

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs

Published on: May 9, 2017

Can genetic differences explain vocal dialect variation in sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus?

Luke Rendell1, Sarah L Mesnick, Merel L Dalebout

  • 1Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK. ler4@st-andrews.ac.uk

Behavior Genetics
|October 22, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Sperm whale vocal clans show distinct genetic structures, with vocal dialect being more influential than geography. This suggests cultural transmission, not just genetics, shapes these matrilineal groups.

More Related Videos

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs
08:44

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs

Published on: May 9, 2017

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Population Genetics
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • Sperm whale social groups are organized into vocal clans identified by unique coda patterns.
  • The relationship between these vocal differences and genetic variation is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation within and among sympatric sperm whale vocal clans in the Pacific Ocean.
  • To determine if genetic variation correlates with the observed behavioral differences in vocal clans.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mtDNA control region sequences from 194 sperm whales across 30 social groups from three vocal clans.
  • Utilized hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and partial Mantel tests to assess population structure.

Main Results:

  • Low overall mtDNA diversity (π = 0.003) with 14 haplotypes found.
  • Vocal clan significantly structured matrilineal genetic variation, explaining 7.7% of the variance, a higher proportion than previously seen in birds.
  • Geographic distance had a negligible impact on genetic structure.
  • Common haplotypes were present across clans, indicating mtDNA variation does not explain behavioral differences.

Conclusions:

  • Sperm whale vocal clan affiliation is a stronger determinant of matrilineal genetic structure than geographic location.
  • Behavioral variation between clans is not explained by mtDNA control region variation, suggesting cultural transmission plays a key role.
  • Culturally-defined vocal clans may be more appropriate units for sperm whale population management than traditional geographic stocks.