Sunday 24 February 2013

Study finds dolphins mimic calls of social group


Dolphins mimic the unique calls of those they share a strong social bond with, such as offspring

Dolphins mimic the distinct whistles of their closest companions as a way of tracking them, according to researchers.

A team of marine biologists from the University of St Andrews studied the vocal signatures of the mammals.

Their findings suggested that dolphins mimic those they are close to and want to be reunited with.

It was already known that dolphins develop their own individual whistle which describes their identity.

The team of Scottish and American scientists analysed recordings from wild and captive dolphins to identify which animals copy one another's signature whistle.

Social bonds
The St Andrews researchers, working with scientists at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, found the mimicking was only present in mothers and their offspring, as well as in adult males who copied those they had long-term associations with.


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