S2:E15 - The Subcultures of Sperm Whales & How this is Changing Conservation Science, with Hal Whitehead
Animalia14 Jun 2021

S2:E15 - The Subcultures of Sperm Whales & How this is Changing Conservation Science, with Hal Whitehead

One of the most fascinating shifts happening right now in conservation biology is factoring in different cultures within certain species and the need to protect and preserve each one as we do the species overall.

You might think, well how do we know animals have culture? How do we know their behaviors are not all genetically programmed? And if they do have succinct subcultures, why is it important to preserve each one? Well, in today's podcast episode we are going to answer these questions and more.

The species we are going to draw from are Sperm Whales. Known as an "animal of extremes" for their unique characteristics and lifestyle, sperm whales are the whales made famous by the book Moby Dick, and are one of the most social and communicative whale species on the planet.

Joining us is Hal Whitehead, a biologist and professor who has been studying Sperm Whales and other cetaceans for decades. You'd really enjoy his Ted Talk as well linked here.

We really loved recording this episode and learning from Hal, we hope you will as well!


IN THIS EPISODE

3:10 - Intro to Hal and his work

5:10 - Cultural vs. Genetic Behaviors

10:15 - Sperm Whales & Their Cultural Identifiers

20:20 - How Animal Cultures evolve like our own

26:10 - How Protecting Subcultures is Changing Conservation Science


Don't forget to Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter for news and stories on all things conservation, climate, and saving this planet.



Episoder(88)

Episode 32: Nature's Positive Takeaways from 2020 & What To Expect in 2021

Episode 32: Nature's Positive Takeaways from 2020 & What To Expect in 2021

Ahhh 2020. The end is finally here. It's been a painful and tumultuous year on so many fronts. And while we are happy to turn the page forward into 2021, and we will do so in this episode, we also th...

30 Des 202032min

EP31: Why Most Clothes Are Made With Petroleum And How Kintra Fibers Is Changing That

EP31: Why Most Clothes Are Made With Petroleum And How Kintra Fibers Is Changing That

You may think of cotton as the dominant source of clothing and apparel. For a long time, I certainly did. However, synthetic fibers actually make up 63% of all the fibers used for the clothing industr...

16 Des 202059min

Ep 30: Saving the Last African National Parks with Mark Hiley

Ep 30: Saving the Last African National Parks with Mark Hiley

Poaching, corruption, and climate change have caused havoc for many national wildlife parks throughout Africa. So how can we revitalize them? Is there any hope? Absolutely there is. And in this epi...

9 Des 20201h 14min

EP:29 The Psychology of Talking Climate Change with Molly Kawahata from Obama's Climate Policy Team

EP:29 The Psychology of Talking Climate Change with Molly Kawahata from Obama's Climate Policy Team

Ever wonder why it’s hard to talk about climate change in a way that is just simple and easy to understand for everyone around you? Why have we made this so hard and how to we fix it? Well you’re in l...

2 Des 20201h 14min

Ep 28: 2020 California Fires - What Happened & What's Next?

Ep 28: 2020 California Fires - What Happened & What's Next?

By now I'm sure everyone is familiar the terrifying size and scope of the 2020 wildfires in California. Over 9,000 different fires, over 4.5 million acres burned, tens of thousands of homes lost or pe...

19 Nov 20201h 8min

A Peak Inside the World of Poaching with Author & Journalist Rachel Nuwer

A Peak Inside the World of Poaching with Author & Journalist Rachel Nuwer

In this episode we discuss the fascinating world of poaching and wildlife trafficking detailed in the booked POACHED with author Rachel Nuwer. Rachel is an award winning journalist who covers conser...

10 Nov 202047min

A Climate Conversation with my Conservative Leaning Father

A Climate Conversation with my Conservative Leaning Father

Just in time for the tail end of election season, in this episode we take a break from our deep dives into core subject matters with scientists, conservationists, and advocates for the natural world. ...

3 Nov 20201h 9min

Black Birders Week & The Movement Behind It

Black Birders Week & The Movement Behind It

By now, everyone is familiar with the May 26th incident in Central Park between Christian Cooper & Amy Cooper that went viral. That video and the outcry it spurred was a catalyst to the launch of #Bl...

28 Okt 202049min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
tingenes-tilstand
rekommandert
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
forskningno
liberal-halvtime
sinnsyn
vett-og-vitenskap-med-gaute-einevoll
smart-forklart
fjellsportpodden
rss-rekommandert
pod-britannia
jss
villmarksliv
nevropodden
rss-overskuddsliv
rss-radium
hva-er-greia-med
kvinnehelsepodden
rss-bondevennen