Mediterranean Sperm Whales Are Splitting Into Two Dialect Groups
An isolated population of sperm whales in the Mediterranean Sea is diverging into two groups with distinct dialects, offering rare insight into non-human langua
Sperm whales in the Mediterranean appear to have split into two distinct populations with their own dialects. (Image credit: Asociación Tursiops)
An isolated population of sperm whales in the Mediterranean Sea are splitting into two distinct groups with different dialects, a new study reveals. This shift has likely been happening for thousands of years, as two groups split from an initial single population.
The findings, published Tuesday (June 23) in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, are providing a rare insight into the process of different dialects emerging among non-human species.