Hal Whitehead is a biologist specializing in the study of the
sperm whale
The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...
(''Physeter macrocephalus''). Whitehead is professor at
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
. The primary field research vessel of his laboratory is the ''Balaena'', a
Valiant 40 ocean-going cruising boat, which normally does its work off the coast of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
. Other marine mammals studied by Whitehead's laboratory include
beluga whales,
pilot whales,
northern bottlenose whales, and
bottlenose dolphins
The bottlenose dolphin is a toothed whale in the genus ''Tursiops''. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bot ...
. Whitehead is a precursor in the field of cetacean research and specifically the acoustical abilities of sperm whales, which underlie a complex social organization.
Research findings
Whitehead's research is focused primarily upon the behavior, population biology, and ecology of the sperm whale. Topics include social structure, cultural transmission of behavior, as well as acoustic communicative behavior such as click trains.
Selected publications
* Whitehead, H. (2003). ''Sperm Whales: Social Evolution in the Ocean.'' 456 p., 60 halftones, 84 line drawings, 41 tables. 6 x 9. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
* Whitehead, H. and Luke Rendell. (2014).
The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins'' 408 p., 15 color plates, 7 halftones, 4 line drawings, 5 tables. 6 x 9. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, .
See also
*
Beaked whale
Beaked whales (systematic name Ziphiidae) are a Family (biology), family of cetaceans noted as being one of the least-known groups of mammals because of their deep-sea habitat, reclusive behavior and apparent low abundance. Only three or four of ...
*
Sperm whale
The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...
External links
Dalhousie University Whitehead Lab
Cetologists
Living people
1952 births
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