Female dolphins remember who is aggressive when choosing a mating partner, research shows
Key points
- Female dolphins identify males by their unique calls and keep track of their past behaviour, choosing to avoid the most aggressive males during mating season, new research suggests.
- Bottlenose dolphin society is complex, and male and female dolphins often know each other for decades, said Prof Stephanie King, an expert in animal behaviour at the University of Bristol.
- These relationships could be positive, she said.
- Males might perform displays to impress the females, or engage in affiliative behaviours like touching or petting, a bit like holding hands in humans.
- But during mating season, the males often worked together – in pairs or trios, and larger alliances – to gain access to females by aggressively herding them into “consortships”, mating events that could last anywhere from hours to weeks.
Quick Summary
Female dolphins identify males by their unique calls and keep track of their past behaviour, choosing to avoid the most aggressive males during mating season
Why It Matters
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Key Takeaways
- Female dolphins identify males by their unique calls and keep track of their past behaviour, choosing to avoid the most aggressive males during mating season, new research suggests.
- Bottlenose dolphin society is complex, and male and female dolphins often know each other for decades, said Prof Stephanie King, an expert in animal behaviour at the University of Bristol.
- These relationships could be positive, she said.
- Males might perform displays to impress the females, or engage in affiliative behaviours like touching or petting, a bit like holding hands in humans.
- But during mating season, the males often worked together – in pairs or trios, and larger alliances – to gain access to females by aggressively herding them into “consortships”, mating events that could last anywhere from hours to weeks.
📌 Source: The Guardian
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