https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zvf

Description of the data and file structure

Each record within each dataset represents a population showing a particular culture, either observed directly in the study or referenced in the study. The datasets are unrelated to each other (primates, cetaceans, and cetacean migrations), and are shown on the same interactive map.

The interactive map (https://arcg.is/fCDrC) contains three different datasets as a pilot study to begin quantifying animal culture: primates, cetaceans, and then specifically information about migrations of cetaceans. Here are tables describing the metadata within each of the datasets that are visualized in the maps.

Data definitions for the primate dataset

(published as a Storymap here: https://arcg.is/18mfrK2)

• Paper ID: Unique identifier for the study being referenced as having evidence of animal culture.
• Ref: The peer-reviewed study presenting or referencing evidence of animal culture.
• DOI: Digital object identifier where the study can be found.
• SubOrder: The taxonomic sub-Order of the species in the focal population.
• Species: Latin binomial nomenclature of the species in the focal population.
• CommonName: The common English name of the species in the focal population.
• Population: The population descriptor assigned to the focal group by the authors of the study. In situations where no descriptor was given, we designated the population as ([STUDY LOCATION] group).
• Latitude: The approximate latitude of the study, reported in degrees, to generalize the area of study (to protect the animals). In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate latitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• Longitude: The approximate longitude of the study, reported in degrees, to generalize the area of study (to protect the animals). In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate longitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• GroupNum: The number of discrete conspecific groups in a single study population.
• StudyLocation: The common name of the study site is represented in the referenced paper.
• StudyScale: The spatial reach of the study.
• CultReach: Whether the culture is specific to an area or population, or has a greater distribution. Measured by 2 different discrete terms: 1. Localized - The culture captured in the study remains within the confines of a specific study site or focal population; or 2. Widespread - The culture captured in the study extends beyond the reach of specific study sites.
• BehDist: Shows whether the studied behaviour is unique to a population
• MaterialCulture: Whether the cultural behaviour shown involves the use of tools or structures acquired from the surrounding environment (y = yes; n = no).
• EvidenceType: How the culture is reported in the literature, measured by 3 different discrete terms: 1. Anecdotal - The cultural behaviour is assumed through anecdotal evidence from researchers, or non-scientific literature; 2. Observed - Cultural transmission of the behaviour is reported in the study as a finding, or correlations between cultural spread and association rates are found; 3. Experimental - The experimental methods are designed to show cultural transmission between individuals.
• EvidencePath: A brief summary of the pathway through which culture was identified in the paper. Common pathways include network-based-diffusion analyses, association networks, genetic differences, and method-of-exclusion.
• Domain: Behavioural grouping
• Behaviour: The specific focal behaviour observed or reported in the study.
• CultDiversity: The cultural aspects of the focal behaviour specific to the group studied.
• CulturalSpread: Reported evidence of whether the culture was transmitted across populations (either assumed or observed in the study).
• Transmission: Mode of cultural transmission of the behavior (NA = not given; horizontal, vertical or both)
• Methods: A brief description of the mechanism for data collection in the study.

Data definitions for the Cetaceans dataset

(published as a Storymap here: https://arcg.is/18mfrK2)

• Ref: The peer-reviewed study presenting or referencing evidence of animal culture.
• DOI: Digital object identifier where the study can be found.
• SubOrder: The taxonomic sub-Order of the species in the focal population.
• Species: Latin binomial nomenclature of the species in the focal population.
• CommonName: The common English name of the species in the focal population.
• Population: The population descriptor assigned to the focal group by the authors of the study. In situations where no descriptor was given, we designated the population as ([STUDY LOCATION] group).
• Latitude: The approximate latitude of the study, reported in degrees, to generalize the area of study (to protect the animals). In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate latitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• Longitude: The approximate longitude of the study, reported in degrees, to generalize the area of study (to protect the animals). In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate longitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• GroupNum: The number of discrete conspecific groups in a single study population.
• CulturalDif: The number of discrete cultural differences observed in the same behavior in a single study population. E.g. Despite there being 20 pods studied in the Avacha Gulf, there were only 6 distinct vocal cultures identified, so CulturalDist would be 6 (Filatova et al., 2017).
• StudyLocation: The common name of the study site is represented in the referenced paper.
• CultReach: Whether the culture is specific to an area or population, or has a greater distribution. Measured by 2 different discrete terms: Localized - The culture captured in the study remains within the confines of a specific study site or focal population. Widespread - The culture captured in the study extends beyond the reach of specific study sites.
• MaterialCult: Whether the cultural behaviour shown involves the use of tools or structures acquired from the surrounding environment
• EvidenceType: How the culture is reported in the literature, measured by 3 different discrete terms: 1. Anecdotal - The cultural behaviour is assumed through anecdotal evidence from researchers, or non-scientific literature; 2. Observed - Cultural transmission of the behaviour is reported in the study as a finding, or correlations between cultural spread and association rates are found; 3. Experimental - The experimental methods are designed to show cultural transmission between individuals.
• EvidencePath: A brief summary of the pathway through which culture was identified in the paper. Common pathways include network-based-diffusion analyses, association networks, genetic differences, and method-of-exclusion.
• Direction: Vertically = From mother to offspring; Horizontally = From peer to peer; Both = Both; Not Given = No identified in the paper
• Domain: Behavioural grouping
• Behaviour: The specific focal behaviour observed or reported in the study.
• CultDiversity: The cultural aspects of the focal behaviour specific to the group studied.
• CulturalSpread: Reported evidence of whether the culture was transmitted across populations (either assumed or observed in the study).
• Methods: A brief description of the mechanism for data collection in the study.
• InteractionIP: Notes about the behavior observed or reported

Data definitions for the Cetaceans migration dataset

(published as a Storymap here: https://arcg.is/18mfrK2)

• Paper ID: Unique identifier for the study being referenced as having evidence of animal culture.
• Ref: The peer-reviewed study presenting or referencing evidence of animal culture.
• DOI: Digital object identifier where the study can be found.
• Sub-order: The taxonomic sub-Order of the species in the focal population.
• Species: Latin binomial nomenclature of the species in the focal population.
• Red List category: The International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status
• Population: The population descriptor assigned to the focal group by the authors of the study. In situations where no descriptor was given, we designated the population as ([STUDY LOCATION] group).
• Latitude (summer): The Latitude in degrees of the Summer aggregation point at which the focal population was studied, derived from the original study. In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate latitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• Longitude (summer): The Longitude in degrees of the Summer aggregation point at which the focal population was studied, derived from the original study. In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate latitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• Latitude (winter): The Latitude in degrees of the Winter aggregation point at which the focal population was studied, derived from the original study. In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate latitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• Longitude (winter): The Longitude in degrees of the Winter aggregation point at which the focal population was studied, derived from the original study. In studies where coordinates were not provided, we provided an approximate latitude based on the name of the study site given in the literature. In studies where coordinates were given for the edges of an area, the center of these points was used.
• Location of Study: The common name of the study site as represented in the referenced paper.
• Cultural scale: The scale of the culture being studied
• Behavioural distribution: Distribution of the general behaviour reported in the study
• Migratory Routes: Beginning and end locations of migratory route
• Evidence & pathway: Evidence and pathway for the culture described
• GroupDiv: Cultural diversity is shown by the group
• Cultural Spread: Note whether the spread of the culture has been observed or assumed
• Transmission: Note whether the transmission of the culture is vertical (e.g., mother-offspring) or horizontal (e.g., across a cohort)
• Conservation interface: Noted warning about conservation issues that may emerge due to culture

Sharing/Access information

Data was derived from the following sources:

• All references are provided in the Excel files under "DOI".

Code/Software

All data were collected and stored in Microsoft Excel files and then imported to the web platform (https://arcg.is/18mfrK2) where all data can be visualized.