title: Sperm whale codas may encode individuality as well as clan identity.
abstract: Sperm whales produce codas for communication that can be grouped into different types according to their temporal patterns. Codas have led researchers to propose that sperm whales belong to distinct cultural clans, but it is presently unclear if they also convey individual information. Coda clicks comprise a series of pulses and the delay between pulses is a function of organ size, and therefore body size, and so is one potential source of individual information. Another potential individual-specific parameter could be the inter-click intervals within codas. To test whether these parameters provide reliable individual cues, stereo-hydrophone acoustic tags (Dtags) were attached to five sperm whales of the Azores, recording a total of 802 codas. A discriminant function analysis was used to distinguish 288 5 Regular codas from four of the sperm whales and 183 3 Regular codas from two sperm whales. The results suggest that codas have consistent individual features in their inter-click intervals and inter-pulse intervals which may contribute to individual identification. Additionally, two whales produced different coda types in distinct foraging dive phases. Codas may therefore be used by sperm whales to convey information of identity as well as activity within a social group to a larger extent than previously assumed.
authors.affiliation: Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and Institute of Marine Research, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Universidade dos Açores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wahlberg
authors.affiliation: Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and Institute of Marine Research, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Universidade dos Açores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mónica A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Ocean Giants Program, Global Conservation Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10460, USA.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Danuta M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wisniewska
authors.affiliation: Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fais
authors.affiliation: Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and Institute of Marine Research, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, Universidade dos Açores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Madsen
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation; D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003463:Cues; D004242:Diving; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012919:Social Behavior; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013045:Species Specificity; D050661:Sperm Whale / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D014159:Transducers; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000145:classification