Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of my co-authors, I am very pleased to share our recent
publication about "Potential signature whistle production by Indo-Pacific
humpback dolphins, Sousa chinensis, in the northern South China Sea" in
Animal Behaviour.
Abstract:
Dolphin communication involves acoustic signals, including whistles, and the
well-studied bottlenose dolphins produce individually distinctive whistles
called signature whistles (SWs). The production of a potential SW by an
injured Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin has been reported, but no study has
attempted to validate this finding in this species. Using data collected
during encounters with free-ranging Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins at two
locations in the northern South China Sea, we investigated the production of
SWs by these dolphins. Of the 3846 analysed whistles, 37% were identified as
potential SWs (PSWs) using the SIGnature whistle IDentification method and
categorized into 82 PSW types. Overall, PSWs were identified during 54% of
encounters. Given the high production rate of stereotyped whistles (62% of
all whistles in 90% of encounters) compared with the identified PSWs, we
suggest that the SIGnature whistle IDentification method criteria cannot be
fully adapted for the detection of SWs in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins,
and more research should be conducted to adapt the criteria to the species.
In addition, the characteristics of PSWs differed slightly between
locations, potentially because of the geographical separation of populations
and habitat differences (e.g. noise levels). The present results confirm the
production of stereotyped whistles, including PSWs, by Indo-Pacific humpback
dolphins. Further research should be conducted to confirm whether these
whistles are similar to bottlenose dolphins' SWs.
The article is freely accessible via this link:
https://kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com
%2Fc%2F1k1OOmjM6G3T/1/01020192e955d2b8-b0d365e0-111f-46d9-83d2-f556d4dc4b6c-
000000/4fm1TzsWKFnYCZw8fQ6CCRSdNJA=398
For any queries, please feel free to contact me at l...@idsse.ac.cn
<mailto:l...@idsse.ac.cn>
Best Regards
Songhai
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Songhai Li Ph.D. & Prof.
Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory
Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering
Chinese Academy of Sciences
28 Luhuitou Road, Sanya, 572000, China
Phone: +86-898-88222393
Email: <mailto:l...@sidsse.ac.cn> l...@idsse.ac.cn
<http://www.idsse.cas.cn/yjsgk2015/zzjg2015/yftx2015/shkxyjb2015/hybrdwyhysw
sxyjz2015/>
http://www.idsse.cas.cn/yjsgk2015/zzjg2015/yftx2015/shkxyjb2015/hybrdwyhysws
xyjz2015/
<http://www.cetacean.csdb.cn/> http://www.cetacean.csdb.cn/
