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Whales choose mates based on singing, Australian research suggests
AFP/Yahoo ^
| Wed Feb 1, 4:18 AM ET
Posted on 02/01/2006 9:19:18 AM PST by martin_fierro
Whales choose mates based on singing, Australian research suggests
Wed Feb 1, 4:18 AM ET
SYDNEY (AFP) - It's long been thought that singing is used by whales to attract mates or repel rivals, but new Australian research indicates the serenades may be the basis on which the females select their sexual partners.
University of Queensland researchers said Wednesday that they believe the male's songs are part of an elaborate courtship ritual between humpback whales as they appear to be directed more towards females than to warn off rival males.
"The male singers are spending a lot more time singing with the females," said researcher Joshua Smith.
While he cannot say the songs attract the females, they do facilitate sex.
"Certainly there's evidence for courtship. It seems to certainly be a courtship display that facilitates mating interactions with females," he said.
Smith said the characteristics of the song were possibly being used by the females to assess the singing males.
"The way they structure the songs, perhaps using particular elements like higher or lower frequencies and how well they do that could reflect attributes of that male such as his fitness, maybe his age," he said.
He said the songs, made up of chirps, moans and barks, were repetitive but structured and could be detected as far as 20 kilometres (12 miles) away.
"The singing can last as long as 10, 15, 20 minutes to as long as 23 hours -- on average we are looking at three hours," Smith said.
Smith has worked with a team of scientists and volunteers to track whales off the eastern Australian coast for three years as the sea-dwellers migrate south from their breeding areas near the Great Barrier Reef.
"We've still got such a long way to understanding the humpback whales and the social systems involved," he said.
TOPICS: Cheese, Moose, Sister; Chit/Chat; Humor; Miscellaneous; Pets/Animals; Test Topic, Ignore It; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: ecoping; lalalalalaaaaaa; mating; singing; whales
Humpback Mountin'.
To: martin_fierro
Whales choose mates based on singing, Australian research suggestsWhat about the ones that hum?
2
posted on
02/01/2006 9:22:22 AM PST
by
N. Theknow
(Kennedys - Can't drive, can't fly, can't ski, can't skipper a boat - But they know what's best.)
To: martin_fierro
"Whales choose mates based on singing"
This post is about my wife? [ \ sarcasm ]
3
posted on
02/01/2006 9:22:32 AM PST
by
jdm
(All Your Base, House, Senate, WH, Judicial Belong to Us)
To: martin_fierro
Whale Idol....coming to an ocean near you.
4
posted on
02/01/2006 9:23:13 AM PST
by
afnamvet
To: blam; Carry_Okie; Chanticleer; ClearCase_guy; cogitator; CollegeRepublican; ...
ECO-PING
FReepmail me to be added or removed to the ECO-PING list!
Can Teddy sing?
5
posted on
02/01/2006 9:27:56 AM PST
by
GreenFreeper
(Not blind opposition to progress, but opposition to blind progress)
To: martin_fierro; Charles Henrickson
Smith said the characteristics of the song were possibly being used by the females to assess the singing males. Where they're determined to be either a sperm whale or just a blubbering idiot...
6
posted on
02/01/2006 9:30:09 AM PST
by
mikrofon
(Cetacean Idol)
To: mikrofon; Charles Henrickson
7
posted on
02/01/2006 9:55:32 AM PST
by
martin_fierro
(Cetacea what I did there?)
To: martin_fierro; silent_jonny
Next on the researchers agenda to study:
8
posted on
02/01/2006 10:01:32 AM PST
by
retrokitten
(www.retrosrants.blogspot.com)
To: retrokitten
To: martin_fierro
Gee, finding this out will affect my entire outlook on the way I might relate to nature for the balance of my life.
10
posted on
02/01/2006 10:36:56 AM PST
by
jazusamo
(A Progressive is only a Socialist in a transparent disguise.)
To: retrokitten
11
posted on
02/01/2006 10:38:28 AM PST
by
conservativebabe
("I came here to chew bubble gum and kick @ss, and I'm all out of bubble gum")
To: martin_fierro
South Pacific Idol
Randy: Yo, dog, that was kind of pitchy to me.
Paula: You swim real nice, that was entertaining.
Simon: You call that a mating song? It sounded more like you were being attacked by sharks. It's a "no" from me. Randy, yes or no?
Randy: Naw, it isn't good enough.
Paula: I'm sorry, it's a "no". You do have lovely fins, though.
12
posted on
02/01/2006 10:41:19 AM PST
by
kevkrom
("...no one has ever successfully waged a war against stupidity" - Orson Scott Card)
To: kevkrom; conservativebabe
LMAO!!
CB, check out the post below yours.
13
posted on
02/01/2006 10:49:44 AM PST
by
retrokitten
(www.retrosrants.blogspot.com)
To: kevkrom; retrokitten
14
posted on
02/01/2006 10:54:54 AM PST
by
conservativebabe
("I came here to chew bubble gum and kick @ss, and I'm all out of bubble gum")
To: GreenFreeper
" Can Teddy sing?"
heheheh. He sure don't stand a chance at this site. We never let one another forget what a whale he is.
15
posted on
02/02/2006 7:04:52 PM PST
by
Marine_Uncle
(Honor must be earned)
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