Dolphins form close relationships based on common interests, just as humans do, a study says. Shark Bay, a World Heritage area in Western Australia, is home to a well-known population of Indo-Pacific dolphins, and the only place where dolphins have been spotted using sea sponges as supplies.
This learned method, passed down from generation to generation, helps special dolphins, “spongers”, find food in deeper water channels. Although the method of using devices has been well studied in female dolphins, the researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of Zurich in Switzerland looked specifically at male dolphins.
Using behavioral, genetic and photographic data collected from 124 male dolphins during the winter months in Shark Bay over nine years (2007 to 2015), the team analyzed a subset of 37 male dolphins. , including 13 spongers and 24 non-spongers.
Male spongers spend more time connecting with other male spongers than they do non-spongers, these connections are based on similar hunting techniques and not on friendship or other factors.
“Sponge hunting is a time consuming and largely solitary activity so it has long been considered incompatible with the needs of male dolphins in Shark Bay – to invest time in developing close relationships with other men, ”said Simon Allen, senior research associate. at the University of Bristol.
“This study suggests that, as their female peers and indeed as humans, male dolphins form social bonds based on shared interests,” Allen said.
The study gives us a new perspective on homophilous behavior in the social network of dolphins.
“Male dolphins in Shark Bay demonstrate a remarkable social system of nesting alliance. These strong male ties can last for decades and are critical to the breeding success of all males, ”said Manuela Bizzozzero, of the University of Zurich.
“We were thrilled to discover alliances of spongers, dolphins forming close friendships with others with similar traits,” Bizzozzero said.
Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter
