(ORDO NEWS) — Scientists at Murdoch University have found that male dolphins can form “male alliances” to acquire potential mates.
The scientists analyzed 187 photographs and data from 250 direct encounters with Indo-Pacific dolphins.
According to scientists, they often observed groups in which the female swam in front, and the males followed behind her or to the right and left.
At the same time, “male unions” were long-term and durable.
The scientists noted that dolphins in such unions exhibited sexual behavior directed at females. For example, the male Bottomslice bobbed its head up and down on the surface of the water.
This suggests that such unions arose in a reproductive context: animals helped each other find females and protect their potential partners.
This behavior was first recorded in Shark Bay in Western Australia. The authors of the new study showed that it is also found outside of this region.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.