World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
91
Citations
28536
World Ranking
451
National Ranking
31

Overview

Hal Whitehead is affiliated with Dalhousie University in Canada and conducts research primarily in environmental science, with a strong emphasis on marine animal studies and ecology.

Their recent publications include:

  • A deepening understanding of animal culture suggests lessons for conservation, 2021, Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
  • Adaptation of sperm whales to open-boat whalers: rapid social learning on a large scale?, 2021, Biology Letters
  • Population estimate and inter-island movement of sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus, in the Eastern Caribbean Sea, 2023, The journal of cetacean research and management. Special issue
  • Evidence from sperm whale clans of symbolic marking in non-human cultures, 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Ocean nomads or island specialists? Culturally driven habitat partitioning contrasts in scale between geographically isolated sperm whale populations, 2022, Royal Society Open Science

Frequent co-authors of Hal Whitehead include:

  • Luke Rendell
  • Taylor A. Hersh
  • Shane Gero
  • Laura Feyrer
  • Sam F. Walmsley

The scientist's work has been published in several notable venues, with multiple contributions in:

  • PLoS ONE
  • Marine Mammal Science
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Royal Society Open Science
  • Animal Behaviour

The main fields of study covered by Hal Whitehead are:

  • Environmental Science
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Subfields of interest include:

  • Ecology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Oceanography
  • Genetics

The central topics explored in their research are:

  • Marine animal studies overview
  • Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
  • Genetic diversity and population structure
  • Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
  • Underwater Acoustics Research
  • Marine and coastal plant biology

Best Publications

  • Culture in whales and dolphins

    Luke Rendell;Hal Whitehead

  • Analyzing Animal Societies: Quantitative Methods for Vertebrate Social Analysis

    Hal Whitehead

  • Constructing, conducting and interpreting animal social network analysis

    Damien R. Farine;Damien R. Farine;Damien R. Farine;Hal Whitehead

  • Decline in Relative Abundance of Bottlenose Dolphins Exposed to Long-Term Disturbance

    Lars Bejder;Amy Samuels;Hal Whitehead;Nick Gales

  • SOCPROG programs: analysing animal social structures

    Hal Whitehead

  • The bottlenose dolphin: social relationships in a fission-fusion society

    Rc Connor;RS Wells;J. Mann;AJ Read

  • Sperm Whales: Social Evolution in the Ocean

    Hal Whitehead

  • Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales

    Mason T. Weinrich;J. Mann;R. C. Connor;P. L. Tyack

  • Impact assessment research: use and misuse of habituation, sensitisation and tolerance in describing wildlife responses to anthropogenic stimuli

    Lars Bejder;Amy Samuels;Hal Whitehead;H. Finn

  • Techniques for Analyzing Vertebrate Social Structure Using Identified Individuals: Review and Recommendations

    Hal Whitehead;Susan Dufault

  • The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins

    Hal Whitehead;Luke Rendell

  • Animal social complexity : intelligence, culture, and individualized societies

    F. B. M. de Waal;Peter L. Tyack

  • MALE COMPETITION IN LARGE GROUPS OF WINTERING HUMPBACK WHALES

    Peter Tyack;Hal Whitehead

  • Interpreting short-term behavioural responses to disturbance within a longitudinal perspective

    Lars Bejder;Amy Samuels;Hal Whitehead;Nick Gales

  • Cetaceans Have Complex Brains for Complex Cognition

    Lori Marino;Richard C Connor;R. Ewan Fordyce;Louis M Herman

  • Social evolution in toothed whales

    Richard C Connor;Janet Mann;Peter L Tyack;Hal Whitehead

  • Marine Protected Area Design and the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Cetaceans in a Submarine Canyon

    Sascha K. Hooker;Hal Whitehead;Shannon Gowans

  • Social organization of mammal-eating killer whales: group stability and dispersal patterns

    Robin W Baird;Hal Whitehead

  • Vocal clans in sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus).

    L. E. Rendell;H. Whitehead

  • Identification of Humpback Whales by Fluke Photographs

    Steven Katona;Ben Baxter;Oliver Brazier;Scott Kraus

  • Analysing animal social structure

    Hal Whitehead

  • Culture in Whales and Dolphins

    Hal Whitehead

Frequent Co-Authors

Luke Rendell
Luke Rendell University of St Andrews
Richard C. Connor
Richard C. Connor University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Janet Mann
Janet Mann Georgetown University
Peter L. Tyack
Peter L. Tyack University of St Andrews
Lars Bejder
Lars Bejder University of Hawaii at Manoa
David Lusseau
David Lusseau Technical University of Denmark
Robin W. Baird
Robin W. Baird Cascadia Research Collective
John K. B. Ford
John K. B. Ford Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Andrew Whiten
Andrew Whiten University of St Andrews
Jonathan M. Wright
Jonathan M. Wright Earlham Institute

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students interested in Ecology and Evolution, online degrees can offer excellent opportunities for flexible study and career advancement. Many institutions now feature specialized programs in biology, environmental science, and related fields.

When considering an online education, it’s important to compare program options across universities. For example, those exploring healthcare pathways can benefit from resources like chamberlain vs capella rn to bsn program to help evaluate coursework, costs, and accreditation.

If you are looking to further your credentials, bridge programs—such as bsn to msn online programs—demonstrate the growing number of affordable online options for continuing education. These models can inspire similar pathways in the natural sciences.

For those prioritizing institutional mission and reputation, choosing a non profit online university can ensure values-driven education. Furthermore, students with military backgrounds can access tailored support through online military friendly colleges, expanding the possibilities for balancing service and study.

Best Scientists Citing Hal Whitehead

Trending Scientists