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Seals Sing 'Otherworldly' Songs Structured Like Nursery Rhymes
EASTERN ANTARCTICA, JUL 31 – Male leopard seals perform unique long songs with five notes to attract females and deter rivals, singing up to 13 hours during the spring breeding season, researchers said.
- UNSW Sydney researchers published a study today showing male leopard seals in Antarctica sing underwater songs structured like human nursery rhymes.
- This singing behavior occurs during the breeding season when males dive for two-minute cycles, performing solos for up to 13 hours daily to communicate across vast icy waters.
- The study found all seals use the same set of five notes arranged uniquely to create personal sonic signatures, with song patterns exhibiting predictability similar to nursery rhymes.
- Lead author Lucinda Chambers described the song patterns as conveying a combined message of identity and physical prowess, as if the singer is proudly demonstrating their size and strength through the duration and volume of their calls.
- Researchers hope to revisit Antarctica using new tools to determine if leopard seal songs evolve over generations, aiming to improve understanding of animal communication and conservation efforts.
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61 Articles
Male Leopard Seals Sing Songs Similar To Nursery Rhymes To Woo Mates, Study Shows
Beneath Antarctic ice, one of the ocean's most fearsome predators is belting out underwater ballads that follow recognizable patterns, and scientists say they carry a statistical structure not unlike a nursery rhyme. The post Male Leopard Seals Sing Songs Similar To Nursery Rhymes To Woo Mates, Study Shows appeared first on Study Finds.
Male leopard seals appear to be skilled singers and attempt to impress females by "composing" their own songs. Australian scientists report this in a study published in Scientific Reports. "It sounds a bit like the sound effects from an '80s science fiction film," says the lead author.
Antarctica’s Got Talent: leopard seal songs
Leopard seal (Hydrurga_leptonyx). Credit: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0 Leopard seals have massive heads, powerful jaws and distinctive spotted coats, earning them a fierce reputation as one of the top predators stalking the Antarctic. Did you know they’re also incredibly talented singers? A new study published in Scientific Reports shows these “songbirds of the Southern Ocean” belt out tunes which share remarkable structural similarit…
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