Dolphin mums teach their bubs to sponge
Embargoed until:
Publicly released:
2019-07-17 09:01
Dolphin culture is alive and well, according to researchers who found the practice of ‘sponging’ is a learned behaviour passed down from mother to calf. Some dolphins in WA use marine sponges for protection as they forage for prey, but researchers didn’t know whether this was learned behaviour, or something dolphins naturally did. After looking at 10 years of data they found that genetics and habitat don’t seem to contribute to dolphin sponge-learning behaviour, so they must be using social learning to pick up these skills.
Journal/conference: Biology Letters
Link to research (DOI): 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0227
Organisation/s: The University of Western Australia
Funder: This research was funded by: Swiss National Science Foundation (31003A_149956), Seaworld Research & Rescue Foundation Inc. (SWRRFI), National Geographic Society, A.H. Schultz Stiftung, Claraz-Schenkung, Julius-Klaus Stiftung and W.V. Scott Foundation, all to M.K. S.L.K. was supported by The Branco Weiss Fellowship—Society in Science.
Media Release
From: The Royal Society
Multi-Network-Based Diffusion Analysis reveals vertical cultural transmission of sponge tool use within dolphin matrilines
Biology Letters
Some dolphins in Shark Bay in Western Australia use marine sponges as protective foraging tools when digging for prey buried in the substrate. New research incorporating over ten years of data on dolphin behaviour, genetics and habitat use has now shown that ‘sponging’ is a learned behaviour transmitted socially between mother and primarily female calves. Meanwhile, habitat use and genetics do not appear to influence if a dolphin learns sponging or not. These findings build on and complement previous research, providing strong quantitative evidence for the existence of dolphin culture.
