Dolphins And Humans Have Similar Social Attributes, Study Suggests

Dolphins are among the most social animals with a good network of friends that are varied and complex. Researchers delved into the social life of dolphins to discover the ways in which they interact and who they spend their time with.

The scientists from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, or HBOI, at Florida Atlantic University investigated how bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon, or IRL, interact with each other. They performed the experiment by conducting intesive photo-ID surveys for over six and a half years. Through this, the researchers were able to observe the patterns of interaction, motion behaviours and habitat choices of approximately 200 dolphins.

The study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science discovered that dolphins have similar attributes to humans in terms of willingness to interact or choice to avoid particular groups of species. In addition, the scientists discovered that some dolphins formed their own circle of associated animals and took up main subtle locations along the north-south axis of the lagoon.

"One of the more unique aspects of our study was the discovery that the physical dimensions of the habitat, the long, narrow lagoon system itself, influenced the spatial and temporal dynamics of dolphin association patterns," explained Elizabeth Murdoch Titcomb, research biologist at HBOI "For example, communities that occupy the narrowest stretches of the Indian River Lagoon have the most compact social networks, similar to humans who live in small towns and have fewer people with whom to interact." Other members of the research team include Greg O'Corry-Crowe, Ph.D., associate research professor at HBOI; Marilyn Mazzoil, senior research associate at HBOI, and Elizabeth Hartel.

The research may also be helpful in other aspects of dolhin life studies. Aside from discovering the societal features of dolphins, this study may also contribute valuable information about dolphins regarding their self-organisation, choice of associated creatures and the place and time under which these interactions occur. It may also provide an insight into the dolphins' perception and usage of their surroundings, as well as how social factors may drive communication management, possible breeding attitudes and disease transmission.

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