Faculty profile

Hal Whitehead

ResearcherBiologyDalhousie University

This profile is built from public research funding records (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and PubMed. We have not imported them from a Dalhousie University directory, so their courses may be missing. Find their university profile.

Hal Whitehead

Researcher

Biology

Natural Sciences

Dalhousie University

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Supervision signals

Has led research grants, which requires an independent research appointment. Ask their department whether they supervise graduate students.
18 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 9 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 3 research grants (3 NSERC), most recently in 2019.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

Citations

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

Profiles and links

Search on Google Scholar

Find them onX · LinkedIn · Bluesky · YouTube

Signals and details

Research

Culture Gene-culture coevolution Odontocete Pilot whale Social evolution Social learning Social system Sperm whale

Latest papers

Costs and benefits of group size for sperm whales of the open ocean.
Biology letters · 2026 · first author
Sperm whales habituate to research vessels engaged in photoidentification.
PloS one · 2026 · first author
Inferring sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) sex and developmental stage using aerial photogrammetry.
Scientific reports · 2026 · senior author

All 52 publications

Latest funding

The reach of culture into the evolutionary biology of whales
NSERC · 2019 · Principal investigator
$390,000
Culture and society in matrilineal whales
NSERC · 2014 · Principal investigator
$225,000
Culture in whales
NSERC · 2009 · Principal investigator
$329,000

All 3 grants and awards

52 publications.

Costs and benefits of group size for sperm whales of the open ocean.

Whitehead H, Eguiguren A, Rendell L, Walmsley SF

Biology letters2026First author

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2026.0129 PMID: 42613056

Sperm whales habituate to research vessels engaged in photoidentification.

Whitehead H, Clarke CMK, Eguiguren A

PloS one2026First author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0348681 PMID: 42133902

Inferring sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) sex and developmental stage using aerial photogrammetry.

Eguiguren A, Gaspard D, Clarke CMK, Whitehead H

Scientific reports2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-46248-9 PMID: 41986411

Towards a causal understanding of bidirectional effects in ecology and evolution.

Walmsley SF, Arif S, Whitehead H

Proceedings. Biological sciences2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2137 PMID: 41818814

Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems.

Albery GF, Becker DJ, Firth JA, De Moor D, Ravindran S, Silk M, Sweeny AR, Vander Wal E, Webber Q, Allen B, Babayan SA, Barve S, Begon M, Birtles RJ, Block TA, Block BA, Bradley JE, Budischak S, Buesching C, Burthe SJ, Carlisle AB, Caselle JE, Cattuto C, Chaine AS, Chapple TK, Cheney BJ, Clutton-Brock T, Collier M, Curnick DJ, Delahay RJ, Farine DR, Fenton A, Ferretti F, Feyrer L, Fielding H, Foroughirad V, Frere C, Gardner MG, Geffen E, Godfrey SS, Graham AL, Hammond PS, Henrich M, Heurich M, Hopwood P, Ilany A, Jackson JA, Jackson N, Jacoby DMP, Jacoby AM, Ježek M, Kirkpatrick L, Klamm A, Klarevas-Irby JA, Knowles S, Koren L, Krzyszczyk E, Kusch JM, Lambin X, Lane JE, Leirs H, Leu ST, Lyon BE, Macdonald DW, Madsen AE, Mann J, Manser M, Mariën J, Massawe A, McDonald RA, Morelle K, Mourier J, Newman C, Nussear K, Nyaguthii B, Ogino M, Ozella L, Packer C, Papastamatiou YP, Paterson S, Payne E, Pedersen AB, Pemberton JM, Pinter-Wollman N, Planes S, Raulo A, Rodríguez-Muñoz R, Rudd L, Sabuni C, Sah P, Schallert RJ, Sheldon BC, Shizuka D, Sih A, Sinn DL, Sluydts V, Spiegel O, Telfer S, Thomason CA, Tickler DM, Tregenza T, VanderWaal K, Walmsley S, Walters EL, Wanelik KM, Whitehead H, Wielgus E, Wilson-Aggarwal J, Wohlfeil C, Bansal S

Nature ecology & evolution2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41559-025-02843-z PMID: 40908382

Integrating cultural dimensions in sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) conservation: threats, challenges and solutions.

Eguiguren A, Avila I, Mesnick S, Cantor M, Hersh T, Pérez-Puig H, Rosero P, Rendell L, Whitehead H, Rojas C, Alava JJ

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences2025

DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2024.0142 PMID: 40308138

Societies of the open ocean without territories.

Whitehead H, Walmsley SF

The Behavioral and brain sciences2025First author

DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x24001134 PMID: 40176439

The active space of sperm whale codas allows for communication within and between social units.

Rendell L, Whitehead H

The Journal of experimental biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247784 PMID: 39087318

Cetaceans are the next frontier for vocal rhythm research.

Hersh TA, Ravignani A, Whitehead H

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313093121 PMID: 38814875

Sperm whale clans and human societies.

Whitehead H

Royal Society open science2024First author

DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231353 PMID: 38204796

Something wrong or missing on this profile? Suggest a correction

Hal Whitehead

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Costs and benefits of group size for sperm whales of the open ocean.

Sperm whales habituate to research vessels engaged in photoidentification.

Inferring sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) sex and developmental stage using aerial photogrammetry.

Towards a causal understanding of bidirectional effects in ecology and evolution.

Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems.

Integrating cultural dimensions in sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) conservation: threats, challenges and solutions.

Societies of the open ocean without territories.

The active space of sperm whale codas allows for communication within and between social units.

Cetaceans are the next frontier for vocal rhythm research.

Sperm whale clans and human societies.

The reach of culture into the evolutionary biology of whales

Culture and society in matrilineal whales

Culture in whales

Frequent collaborators

Boris Worm

Eric Vander Wal

Timothy Frasier

Quinn Webber

Paul Bentzen

Suchinta Arif

Joanna Wilson