[4animals] Study: Humpback whales have "human" brain cells

[uHuman]

from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-11/28/content_5400095.htm

  Study: Humpback whales have "human" brain cells
www.chinaview.cn2006-11-28 09:28:01

  [image: A humpback whale was found dead on the beach of Lombardsijde near
Nieuwpoort in Belgium on Mar 5 2006.]

A humpback whale was found dead on the beach of Lombardsijde near Nieuwpoort
in Belgium on Mar 5 2006. (File Photo)
Photo Gallery >>> <http://www.chinaview.cn/photos/index.htm>

    BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. marine scientists say they've found
humpback whales have a type of brain cell that is also seen in human brains.


    Researchers of the Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of
Medicine in New York studied the brains of humpback whales and discovered a
type of cell called a spindle neuron in the cortex, in areas comparable to
where they are seen in humans and great apes.

    The function of spindle neurons, which is not well understood yet, may
be involved in cognition -- learning, remembering and recognizing the world
around oneself.

    The finding may help explain some of the behaviors seen in whales, such
as intricate communication skills, the formation of alliances, cooperation,
cultural transmission and tool usage, the researchers report in The
Anatomical Record.

    Spindle neurons probably first appeared in the common ancestor of
hominids, humans and great apes about 15 million years ago, the researchers
said -- they are not seen in lesser apes or monkeys.

    In cetaceans they would have evolved earlier, possibly as early as 30
million years ago, the researchers said.

    The new study suggests certain cetaceans and hominids may have evolved
side by side.

  Male humpbacks use grammar in love songs      www.chinaview.cn 2006-11-28
10:08:01

    BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists have found that not only do
male humpback whales sing love songs, they use grammar. And they have a
larger vocabulary than previously thought.

    Scientists had previously known of a very narrow  range of sounds
involved in humpback communication. These include calls associated with
hunting for fish and long complex songs from male humpbacks linked with
mating.

    "The most surprising thing was there were 35 different types of sounds
found. We were expecting less than 10," said researcher Rebecca Dunlop at
the University of Queensland in Australia.

    Dunlop and colleagues monitored humpback sounds and activity from land
as the whales migrated along the east coast of Australia from breeding
grounds inside the Great Barrier Reef to feeding grounds in the Antarctic.

    The underwater sounds they recorded included "thwops," "wops,"
"grumbles," "snorts," "cries," and what are likely underwater blows similar
to surface spouting. Surface sounds include those when breaching or repeated
slaps of the tail or fins.

    The scientists discovered these sounds appeared to have a variety of
social uses including to help mothers and calves stay in contact, or as
competitive calls among large groups of adults. The whale calls might also
be be specific to one sex.

    Some sounds are only used by males for social interactions, especially
when single males joined females. This could mean the song units are the key
sexual signals in the male songs as opposed to song length or loudness, as
is the case in some bird species, the researchers said.

    Research earlier this year found humpback whales to use grammar in their
love songs.

    Interestingly, the new study found that a number of sounds were made by
lone animals. This suggests their use is not limited to social interactions.


    This research could help understand the impact noise from ships and
other manmade sounds have on whales.

    "This noise is increasing in the ocean," Dunlop said. "We don't know how
this will affect individuals and populations of whales without first knowing
how they communicate in a relatively 'noise-free' environment."

    The researchers will report their findings Dec. 1 in Honolulu at a joint
meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of
Japan.
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