Dolphins wear sponges for gloves

[Firefox]

Link.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A group of dolphins living off the coast of Australia apparently teach their offspring to protect their snouts with sponges while foraging for food in the sea floor.

Researchers say it appears to be a cultural behavior passed on from mother to daughter, a first for animals of this type, although such learning has been seen in other species.

The dolphins, living in Shark Bay, Western Australia, use conically shaped whole sponges that they tear off the bottom, said Michael Kruetzen, lead author of a report on the dolphins in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

"Cultural evolution, including tool use, is not only found in humans and our closest relatives, the primates, but also in animals that are evolutionally quite distant from us. This convergent evolution is what is so fascinating," said Kruetzen.

Researchers suspect the sponges help the foraging dolphins avoid getting stung by stonefish and other critters that hide in the sandy sea bottom, just as a gardener might wear gloves to protect the hands.

Kruetzen and colleagues analyzed 13 "spongers" and 172 "non-spongers" and concluded that the practice seems to be passed along family lines, primarily from mothers to daughters.

"Teaching requires close observation by the pupil," Kruetzen said. "Offspring spend up to four years before they are weaned, so they would have ample time to observe their mum doing it -- if she is a sponger."

"This study provides convincing evidence that the behavior is transmitted via social learning," commented Laela Sayigh of the University of North Carolina Center for Marine Science.

"Such social learning appears to be widespread among the Shark Bay dolphins," said Sayigh, who was not part of Kruetzen's team.

Only one male was observed using a sponge. Kruetzen noted that, as adults, male and female dolphins have very different lifestyles.

Adult males form small groups of two or three individuals that chase females in reproductive condition, he explained. "I would think that they do not have time to engage in such a time-consuming foraging activity as adults, as they are busy herding females."

Currently at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, Kruetzen was at the University of New South Wales, Australia, when the research was conducted. The work was funded by the Australian Research Council, the National Geographic Society, the W.V. Scott Foundation and the Linnaean Society of New South Wales.

I'm reminded by both an Onion article and a Simpsons Treehouse of Terror episode. I consider us lucky they don't have opposable thumbs... yet.

[Surlethe]

That's because dolphins rock hardcore.

Only one male was observed using a sponge. Kruetzen noted that, as adults, male and female dolphins have very different lifestyles.

Adult males form small groups of two or three individuals that chase females in reproductive condition, he explained. "I would think that they do not have time to engage in such a time-consuming foraging activity as adults, as they are busy herding females."

So what does this mean about dolphin society? Are they matriarchal, or are the women tool-efficient because they do all the work?

[Zor]

Link.

I'm reminded by both an Onion article and a Simpsons Treehouse of Terror episode. I consider us lucky they don't have opposable thumbs... yet.

Zor sets down a Plastic Breifcase marked "MK-4 Neo-Dolphin Zygotes, Dexterious manuplator flippers USN" behind his back and throws a smile on his face.

(laughs) Yes, were lucky. No dolphins capable of Shooting Mini-Torpedo launchers for the US army or plant bombs. Shifty eyes.

Zor Pushes breifcase behind the Sofa with left leg

There smart critters, pure and simple. I'm supprised we did not discover them using tools earlier.

Zor

[Molyneux]

Mwahaha...

The three tests of intelligence in a species -
1) The mirror test
2) Tool use (acquired, rather than instinctual)
3) Development of language (see number 2 - acquired)

Humans have all three. Chimpanzees have passed the first and second of those tests.

Dolphins had only been known to pass the first test; now, they've got two outta three! Yay dolphins!! (Here's hopin' they do have a language, an' we just haven't figured it out yet...doubtful, though)

[SyntaxVorlon]

There's no doubt in my mind that given 750,000 to a million years, Dolphins would have a civilization on par with ours, too bad they'll be long dead before then.

[wolveraptor]

Meh. True civilization may not be possible in the water, at least not technologically advanced ones. The problem of shaping metals is huge (ignoring the opposable thumb issue, of course).

I wonder if dolphins are currently undergoing a period of rapid evolution, socially and biologically, as we speak? Sure, we won't be around to witness the end of it, but what if, in a million years, dolphins begin to develop more flexible flippers and re-evolve the hand (which is still there)?

RAR!

[The Grim Squeaker]

There’s no doubt in my mind that given 750,000 to a million years, Dolphins would have a civilization on par with ours

Who says they dont have on now?
After all we only think were so great because we invented New york, wars while they spent all that time mucking about in the water and having a good time.


But yeah If humans werent around dolphins would undoubtably move up the food chain
After all they can cooperate in groups so that they dont need to worry about sharks & in terms of group instinct and coordination they sure trounce us homo-sapiens.

Did you know that in terms of raw intelligence its Humans, Dolphins, Pigs, Monkeys (or apes, cant remember what type)- interesting huh

[Quadlok]

If Dolphins are so smart, why is there only this one small group that figured out that they can protect their noses from poisonous critters while they forage?

[Olanigan]

Sounds like something Quark would say. Dolphins probably have a puritan society. They might know that little creatures live inside of us and make us sick, but they would be put in the pillory for witchcraft if they did.

[RedImperator]

There's no doubt in my mind that given 750,000 to a million years, Dolphins would have a civilization on par with ours, too bad they'll be long dead before then.

Do explain how dolphins are going to build metal tools without opposable thumbs or fire.

This is interesting, but it's no great leap in the animal kingdom. Chimps use a much greater variety of tools, and a Homo habilis could put any living non-human animal to shame.

[Lagmonster]

There's no doubt in my mind that given 750,000 to a million years, Dolphins would have a civilization on par with ours, too bad they'll be long dead before then.

Do explain how dolphins are going to build metal tools without opposable thumbs or fire.

Even WITH opposable thumbs, you can list on both hands and feet the number of technologies they aren't going to invent, being underwater-dwellers and all (I pity the intelligent dolphin who tries to figure out electricity).

[The Grim Squeaker]

If i remember my Hard sci-fi correctly (Arthur.C) then isnt it practically impossible for a civilization to develop underwater without fire, without some technobabble underwater elements?

Also about the puritan dolphins- people could destroy ant hills with huge boot's but they usually gas or burn them, guess that means were mostly puritan's

[Il Saggiatore]

Mwahaha...

The three tests of intelligence in a species -
1) The mirror test
2) Tool use (acquired, rather than instinctual)
3) Development of language (see number 2 - acquired)

Humans have all three. Chimpanzees have passed the first and second of those tests.

I remember a documentary about monkeys learning to use tools (an anvil-like rock and stones) to open nuts or some particular type of fruit, which they left to dry for days.
It was definitely acquired, because there were young monkeys watching the others and trying for themselves.

[wolveraptor]

Hell, otters use rocks to smash open oysters, and teach it to their young. Building tools is nothing. Hell, agriculture is nothing. Ants farm (fungus), and they ranch (aphids). Of course, they do it by instinct, which just goes to show that brains are overrated.

Anyways, the point is, anyone can use tools. It takes a real genius (relatively) to make tools. Shaping things with a specific purpose of what they're to do. It's like carving stone, or wood.

[Surlethe]

Mwahaha...

The three tests of intelligence in a species -
1) The mirror test
2) Tool use (acquired, rather than instinctual)
3) Development of language (see number 2 - acquired)

Humans have all three. Chimpanzees have passed the first and second of those tests.

Dolphins had only been known to pass the first test; now, they've got two outta three! Yay dolphins!! (Here's hopin' they do have a language, an' we just haven't figured it out yet...doubtful, though)

I thought dolphins had a language?

[wolveraptor]

Shit, man, every animal can communicate. What separates a language from mere communication? Dogs have different postures to mean different things. Some mean, "Let's play," others mean "Fuck off," and still others mean "Get out of here!"

Then, one could say that dogs have a primitive, posturing language, with noise added in for emphasis.

[Surlethe]

Shit, man, every animal can communicate. What separates a language from mere communication? Dogs have different postures to mean different things. Some mean, "Let's play," others mean "Fuck off," and still others mean "Get out of here!"

Then, one could say that dogs have a primitive, posturing language, with noise added in for emphasis.

Well, yeah, I know that. I recall a study where two dolphins were in contiguous tanks, and one dolphin had been trained to perform a certain task. The other one started doing it spontaneously after an exchange of clicks and whistles.

[wolveraptor]

Does that mean that when wolves communicate part of an attack plan to their alpha-mate, they're using language?

[The Grim Squeaker]

Why not

[Molyneux]

Shit, man, every animal can communicate. What separates a language from mere communication? Dogs have different postures to mean different things. Some mean, "Let's play," others mean "Fuck off," and still others mean "Get out of here!"

Then, one could say that dogs have a primitive, posturing language, with noise added in for emphasis.

Nah, there's a difference between language and communication...full language requires the ability to look beyond the here-and-now - concepts like "tomorrow" or "yesterday" or "maybe". I don't know about dolphins, but dogs don't have that level of communication.

[Avalon616]

I hate to be the pervert of this thread but uh... well, I'm aware of this boards occasional tendencies towards dolphin sex conversations, and with the word glove often being used as a euphemism for condoms... I thought dolphins had figured out contraception.

[Il Saggiatore]

I hate to be the pervert of this thread but uh... well, I'm aware of this boards occasional tendencies towards dolphin sex conversations, and with the word glove often being used as a euphemism for condoms... I thought dolphins had figured out contraception.

Based on a documentary I saw, they might have another type of birth-control, but it does not seem to be common.
Observations in a specific place lead researchers to believe that male dolphins dedicate themselves to infanticide via beating.

[SAMAS]

If i remember my Hard sci-fi correctly (Arthur.C) then isnt it practically impossible for a civilization to develop underwater without fire, without some technobabble underwater elements?

You just reminded me of this underwater civilization in the Rifts RPG where their word for dry land basically translated to: "The place to make fire"