Study: Wild Dolphins Are Totally Stuck Up

Still angry about how the jocks shunning you throughout high school? Well, now you know what a wild bottlenose dolphin feels like. For that first time in any other species, scientists have found that the dolphin form cliques based on their skills. The study found that the dolphin engaged in “inclusive inheritability” bonding after observing dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia.

The discovery was the result of an effort to learn more about the use of sponges to protect the noses of some dolphins. Researchers then discovered that the use of such tools was not passed along to the whole population. The followed a dolphin named “Sponging Eve” — not a great nickname for one of the “cool” girls to be sure. However, Sponging Eve would use a sponge to protect her nose in rough sand.

They found that “Spongers were more cliquish” — isn’t that always the case among humans?

The scientists learned that “like humans who preferentially associate with others who share their subculture, tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, strongly suggesting that sponge tool-use is a cultural behaviour.”

They are still looking for evidence that the spongers would exclude others at the mall.

Source: Telegraph