Mapping the diversity of cetacean and primate cultural heritage

There is burgeoning evidence for animal culture across a range of
vertebrate taxa. Social learning, the process that results in non-human
culture, can have population-level effects and thus can inform
conservation science and policy. It has been argued that non-human culture
can provide insights into both how conservation is conducted and what
managers should be aiming to conserve (the ‘unit to conserve’). Here we
conducted a literature review for studies about culture in cetaceans and
primates, and we provide three datasets that underpin an interactive
cartographic representation of the diversity of cultural behaviours and
ecological contexts in which they arise, including in co-operation or
mutualism with human local populations. Our work is intended as a pilot
project for a central repository for scientific evidence of the vast
diversity of living cultural heritage of non-human societies. Loosely
based on the impressive UNESCO resource on human cultures: Dive into
Cultural Heritage, this work is intended for a broad audience, from
scientists and policymakers to local non-governmental organisations and
Indigenous communities.  In the first instance, a pilot project
is proposed to map the vibrant diversity of cetacean and primate cultures
across the globe. We provide three datasets: primates, cetaceans, and
cetacean migration.