A sound approach to the study of culture

Rendell and Whitehead's thorough review dispels notions that culture is an exclusive faculty of humans and higher primates. We applaud the authors, bu t differ with them regarding the evolution of cetacean culture, which we ar gue resulted from the availability of abundant but spatially and temporally patchy prey such as schooling fish. We propose two examples of gene-cultur e coevolution: (1) acoustic abilities and acoustic traditions, and (2) tran smission of environmental information and longevity.