Scientists confirm whales exist in clans with distinct cultures

[malinghi]

Anyone else see this article on Ars Technica? It blew my mind. Basically by studying sperm whales and recording them, scientists have increasingly found that not only do sperm whales have languages, but that whales in different parts of the world have unique dialects and rituals. And this stuff can't be explained through natural selection, meaning that these things are learned and passed from generation to generation. That is so cool.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/06/new-evidence-that-sperm-whales-form-clans-with-diverse-cultures-languages/

[Jonny]

Really interesting how they interpret different rhythm of clicks, sounded almost like morse code. I'm blown away how there are so many different types of language as I wasn't even expecting one but it makes sense that a sperm whale from one part of the world would have a different form of language to a sperm whale at a different part of the world.