Sex in Cetaceans

Bernd Würsig studies behavior and social strategies in marine mammals, with a specialty in toothed whale (odontocete) societies. He has published >200 peer review papers, book chapters, and books. He is perhaps best known for his books on Hawaiian spinner dolphins, marine mammals of the Gulf of Mexico, dusky dolphins, Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (eds. 1-3, from 2000 to 2018), a Springer Nature book on ethology and behavioral ecology of odontocetes (2019), and a recent Springer Nature book (with Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) on human influences on marine mammals in this strong Anthropocene Epoch (2022). He is Regents and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University Galveston. Dara N. Orbach explores evolutionary biology with a focus on the co-evolution of anatomy and behavior, reproductive morphology, sexual selection, and behavioral ecology. While mostly focused on marine mammals, she is a comparative biologist with research experience in other systems including birds, bats, and fish. She has published more than 35 peer review papers and book chapters, including a chapter on “Sexual Strategies: Male and Female Mating Tactics” for a 2019 Springer Nature book on odontocetes. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi.

“There is a lot of information about cetacean reproduction to absorb in this book. I recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about reproduction and the intriguing aspects of mating systems in aquatic-living mammals.” (Diane Gendron, Marine Mammal Science, October 4, 2024)

• Chapter 1. Sex and Behavior.- Chapter 2. Genetic Tools to Investigate the Consequences of Sex.- Chapter 3. Skulls, Teeth, and Sex.- Chapter 4. Cetacean Evolution: Copulatory and Birthing Consequences of Pelvic and Hindlimb Reduction.- Chapter 5. Sexual Anatomy of Female Cetaceans: Art and Science Contribute Insights into Functionality.- Chapter 6. Interspecific Comparison of Reproductive Strategies.- Chapter 7. Non-Conceptive Sexual Behavior in Cetaceans: Comparison of Form and Function.- Chapter 8. Play, Sexual Display, or Just Boredom Relief?.- Chapter 9. Sexual Behaviors of Odontocetes in Managed Care.- Chapter 10. Infanticide and Sexual Conflict in Cetaceans.- Chapter 11. Drone Perspectives on Cetacean Mating and Sex.- Chapter 12. Inter- and Intrapopulation Variation in Bottlenose Dolphin Mating Strategies.- Chapter 13. Sex and Sexual Strategies in Deep-Diving Risso's Dolphins.- Chapter 14. Sociosexual Behavior of Nocturnally Foraging Dusky and Spinner Dolphins.- Chapter 15. Life History Parameters, Sociobiology, and Reproductive Strategies of Pilot Whales.- Chapter 16. Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator.- Chapter 17. Beaked Whale Sexual Dimorphism, Mating Strategies, and Diversification.- Chapter 18. Sexual Behavior and Anatomy in Porpoises.- Chapter 19. Sperm Whale Reproductive Strategies: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.- Chapter 20. Reproductive Tactics in Baleen Whales.- Chapter 21. Gray Whale Sex, Reproductive Behavior, and Social Strategies.- Chapter 22. Bowhead Whale Reproductive Strategies.- Chapter 23. Right Whale Sexual Strategies and Behavior.- Chapter 24. Cetacean Sociality, Reproduction, and Conservation.