Dear colleagues, We are excited to announce our upcoming book - The Evolution of Cetacean Societies: Uncovering the Social Complexity of Whales and Dolphins edited by Darren P. Croft, Andrew D. Foote, Ellen C. Garland and Stephanie L. King. Preorder available now. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo257312594.html Cover photo features J pod swimming off the west side of San Juan Island (WA, USA). Photo credit: Center for Whale Research with special thanks to Michael Weiss. The Evolution of Cetacean Societies provides a comprehensive overview of the significant advancements made in studying cetacean behavior and ecology over the last twenty-five years, focusing on our growing understanding of these animals’ complex social lives. Bringing together scientists from multiple disciplines, the volume summarizes key innovations and progress related to studying cetacean societies’ cultural and genetic basis, their complex social structures, their use of cooperation and patterns of social conflict, and their significant interactions with humans. Each chapter provides an in-depth account of the social lives of whales and dolphins, incorporating the latest cutting-edge research from genomics, communication, network analysis, and animal culture to explain how these animals form societies, maintain relationships, and share information. The final chapters focus on the existential threats facing these diverse and charismatic species, how human-cetacean interactions have shaped our perceptions, and what scientists can learn from their diverse social lives by championing researcher diversity in marine mammal science. When Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, edited by Janet Mann, Richard C. Connor, Peter Tyack, and Hal Whitehead was published in 2000, it inspired a generation of marine biologists. The volume was a profound source of inspiration to us editors, as we were just beginning our scientific journeys. It played a significant role in shaping our careers and influenced the questions cetacean biologists asked and how we approached them. We are deeply grateful to the editors and authors of the original volume, which has been a guiding light for our studies on cetacean societies. We hope that this new volume will serve a similar function for the next generation of scientists, who will build upon the knowledge presented here and continue to advance the field. We extend our thanks to everyone who contributed to this book, in particular the editors of the original Cetacean Societies who provided us with advice and guidance. Kind regards, Darren, Andy, Ellen and Stephanie ----------------------------------------------------- Dr Ellen C. Garland (she/her) Royal Society University Research Fellow Email: ecg5@st-andrews.ac.uk<mailto:ecg5@st-andrews.ac.uk> Ph: +44 (0)7478-649964 WWW: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/biology/people/ecg5 Bluesky: @ellengarland.bsky.social Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews Arnon I, Kirby S, Allen JA, Garrigue C, Carroll EL, Garland EC (2025) Whale song shows language-like statistical structure. Science 387, 649-653. 10.1126/science.adq7055<https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq7055> [signature_2121862344] The Evolution of Cetacean Societies: available for preorder here<https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo257312594.html>. ----------------------------------------------------- The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland: No SC013532
