Animal culture: conservation in a changing world

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Conservation Science
• Animal Behavior

Background:

• Social learning and animal culture significantly influence conservation outcomes, affecting population resilience and vulnerability.
• Culturally transmitted behaviors can drive evolutionary diversification, population structure, demography, and impact fitness through reproduction and survival.
• This theme issue synthesizes current knowledge on cultural variation in vertebrates, linking social learning to conservation interventions.

Discussion:

• Integrating complex cultural processes into conservation is challenging, precluding one-size-fits-all policies.
• Conservation interventions discussed include translocations, human-wildlife interactions, and adaptation to anthropogenic change.
• The field requires balancing fundamental understanding of cultural processes with diverse practical implementations.

Key Insights:

• Conserving animal cultural capacity is a key emerging theme.
• Data sharing offers significant benefits for understanding and managing animal cultures.
• The intrinsic value of animal cultures and the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are vital considerations.

Outlook:

• Developing pathways towards conservation efficiencies by integrating animal culture is a priority.
• Future research should focus on practical applications and policy development for culturally informed conservation.
• Recognizing and valuing animal cultures can enhance conservation success and foster collaborative approaches.