Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Odontocetes

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

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2. Patterns of Odontocete Ethology and Behavioral Ecology

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Grouping Behaviors of Dolphins and Other Toothed Whales

      • Shannon Gowans

      Pages 3-24

   3. Communication by Sound and by Visual, Tactile, and Chemical Sensing

      • Peter Tyack

      Pages 25-50

   4. Social Ecology of Feeding in an Open Ocean

      • Robin Vaughn-Hirshorn

      Pages 51-73

   5. Sexual Strategies: Male and Female Mating Tactics

      • Dara N. Orbach

      Pages 75-93

   6. Maternal Care and Offspring Development in Odontocetes

      • Janet Mann

      Pages 95-116

   7. Movement Patterns of Odontocetes Through Space and Time

      • Stefan Bräger, Zsuzsanna Bräger

      Pages 117-144

   8. Predator/Prey Decisions and the Ecology of Fear

      • Mridula Srinivasan

      Pages 145-163

   9. Odontocete Social Strategies and Tactics Along and Inshore

      • Katherine McHugh

      Pages 165-182

   10. Oceanic Dolphin Societies: Diversity, Complexity, and Conservation

       • Sarah L. Mesnick, Lisa T. Ballance, Paul R. Wade, Karen Pryor, Randall R. Reeves

       Pages 183-209

   11. Odontocete Adaptations to Human Impact and Vice Versa

       • Giovanni Bearzi, Sarah Piwetz, Randall R. Reeves

       Pages 211-235

3. Examples of Odontocete Ethology and Behavioral Ecology: Present Knowledge and Ways Forward

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 237-237

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   2. Killer Whales: Behavior, Social Organization, and Ecology of the Oceans’ Apex Predators

      • John K. B. Ford

      Pages 239-259

   3. Sperm Whale: The Largest Toothed Creature on Earth

      • Mauricio Cantor, Shane Gero, Hal Whitehead, Luke Rendell

      Pages 261-280

   4. Pilot Whales: Delphinid Matriarchies in Deep Seas

      • Jim Boran, Sara Heimlich

      Pages 281-304

   5. Behavior and Ecology of Not-So-Social Odontocetes: Cuvier’s and Blainville’s Beaked Whales

      • Robin W. Baird

      Pages 305-329

   6. Common Bottlenose Dolphin Foraging: Behavioral Solutions that Incorporate Habitat Features and Social Associates

      • Randall S. Wells

      Pages 331-344

   7. The Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)

      • Richard C. Connor, Mai Sakai, Tadamichi Morisaka, Simon J. Allen

      Pages 345-368

   8. Spinner Dolphins of Islands and Atolls

      • Marc O. Lammers

      Pages 369-385

This book concentrates on the marine mammalian group of Odontocetes, the toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises. In 23 chapters, a total of 40 authors describe general patterns of ethological concepts of odontocetes in their natural environments, with a strong bent towards behavioral ecology. Examples are given of particularly well-studied species and species groups for which enough data exist, especially from the past 15 years. The aim is to give a modern flavor of present knowledge of ethology and behavior of generally large-brained behaviorally flexible mammals that have evolved quite separately from social mammals on land. As well, the plight of populations and species due to humans is described in multiple chapters, with the goal that an understanding of behavior can help to solve or alleviate at least some human-made problems. 

• Aquatic Mammals
• Diving Behavior
• Feeding Strategies
• Mammal Conservation
• Migration Patterns
• Sexual Behavior
• Social Strategies

“The appealing and wide-ranging topics and the accessible writing style … increase its appeal to conservationists, resource managers, naturalists … . an important text for students and researchers, which after digesting it in full will no doubt leave the reader feeling accomplished and knowledgeable, and better prepared to undertake their own research. … a worthy addition to the library of academic institutions and research groups and a must-read for students embarking on a research career in marine mammalogy.” (Tess Gridley and Simon H. Elwen, Marine Mammal Science, Vol. 36 (3), 2020)

• Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, USA

  Bernd Würsig

Dr. Bernd Würsig has degrees from Ohio State University (BS, 1971) and Stony Brook University (PhD, 1978); spent 3 years as an NIH/NSF postdoctoral fellow at University of California at Santa Cruz (1978-1981), and 9 years going through the professor ranks at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (1981-1989). He came to Texas A&M University as professor of marine biology in summer 1989. He is now Regents and University Distinguished Professor (Emeritus since Nov. 2016). He has taught courses in Marine Bird and Mammal Biology, Marine Vertebrates, Bio-Statistics, Behavioral Ecology of Cetaceans, and Study Abroad courses in Mexico, Greece, and New Zealand. Würsig has published 185 peer review papers, chapters, and seven books; and been senior advisor to 70 graduate students and 14 movies on nature interpretation. He was nominated for an Academy Award for an IMAX movie on dolphins. He, his students, and postdocs have studied marine mammal and sea bird foraging, sexual, and social ecology on all continents, with present work on social strategies of dusky dolphins in New Zealand and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in Hong Kong. Recent books are “The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Ed. 3” (Senior Editor, 2018), and “Dusky Dolphins; Master Acrobats off Different Shores” (with Melany Würsig, 2010), both Academic/Elsevier. He and Melany enjoy their gardens in New Zealand, the Arizona desert, and coastal south Texas, three marvelously-different biomes.

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