 Culture is group @-@ specific behavior transferred by social learning . Tool use to aid with foraging is one example . Whether or not a dolphin uses a tool affects their eating behavior , which causes differences in diet . Also , using a tool allows a new niche and new prey to open up for that particular dolphin . Due to these differences , fitness levels change within the dolphins of a population , which further causes evolution to occur in the long run . Culture and social networks have played a large role in the evolution of modern cetaceans , as concluded in studies showing dolphins preferring mates with the same socially learned behaviors , and humpback whales using songs between breeding areas . For dolphins particularly , the largest non @-@ genetic effects on their evolution are due to culture and social structure . 
