Male Whales Change Style to Seduce Females as Singing Turns Old-School

Not A Singer Anymore

In Australia's eastern shore, male whales are giving up singing to lure a partner.

Change in Behaviour

An analysis of data on humpback whale behaviour revealed that singing may no longer be in style when it comes to seduction.

Research on Whales

The research was headed by Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop from The University of Queensland's Faculty of Biological Sciences.

Era of Singing Males

In 1997, a singing male whale was almost twice as likely to be seen trying to breed with a female compared to a non-singing male.

Modern Pattern

But by 2015 it had flipped, with non-singing males almost five times more likely to be recorded trying to breed than singing males.