Young dolphins who play with others become successful adults

A team of scientists led by the University of Bristol and the University of Western Australia has found that juvenile social play can predict adult reproductive success in male bottlenose dolphins. 

The experts discovered that juvenile male dolphins with strong social bonds engage in adult-like reproductive behaviors during play, and those who spend more time practicing these behaviors tend to father more offspring as adults. 

This study offers rare evidence of a link between juvenile play and reproductive success in wild animals.

Social play and dolphin reproduction

The research team, which included international collaborators, spent years observing juvenile male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia. They utilized long-term behavioral and genetic data to explore how juvenile social play influences the development of adult male reproductive behavior.

“We found that juvenile play involves immature versions of adult reproductive behaviors that are crucial for males to access and mate with estrous females, and the time spent doing these play behaviors predicts how many offspring males eventually sire as adults,” said lead author Katy Holmes, who conducted the research as part of her doctoral studies at the University of Western Australia.

Male dolphins form long-term alliances 

In Shark Bay, adult male dolphins form long-term alliances to secure access to females, and these alliances are typically formed between males who were closely bonded during their juvenile years. As adults, pairs or trios of allied males coordinate their behavior to consort individual females. 

The study demonstrates that young males practice this coordination with their likely future allies years before reaching sexual maturity. 

Dolphins practicing to become adults

“Our work is exciting because historically it has been notoriously difficult to link play behavior to reproductive success, in this case the number of sired offspring, in wild animals,” Holmes said.

“Play behavior is widespread in humans and other animals, but the reasons that animals play together have long remained a mystery. This study provides compelling support for the idea that animals in the wild play together to practice behaviors that will be important for them as adults, and that if they practice enough, they will be more successful as adults,” concluded senior author Stephanie King, an associate professor of biology at Bristol.

Significance of social play 

Social play is a fascinating aspect of dolphin behavior, reflecting their complex social structures and high intelligence. Dolphins engage in playful activities with each other, which can include chasing, mock fighting, and manipulating objects they find in their environment, like seaweed or sticks. 

Building life skills

This play helps younger dolphins develop necessary skills such as hunting and navigating their social environment. It also seems to play a role in strengthening social bonds within groups, known as pods, and in maintaining affiliative relationships among individuals.

Playful interactions 

Dolphins often use body contact during play, such as nudging or rubbing against each other. They may also display aerial acrobatics like leaping or somersaulting, which is not only a playful activity but also a form of communication and a way to dislodge parasites. 

Vocalizations often accompany these playful interactions, with dolphins producing clicks, whistles, and other sounds that may serve as an important component in their social lives. 

Adult dolphins play

This play is not limited to young dolphins; adults engage in play throughout their lives, suggesting its continued importance in their social and possibly emotional lives. 

These interactions are more than mere entertainment; they’re crucial for the social fabric of dolphin communities, affecting their communication, hierarchy, and even their cooperative hunting strategies.

Reproductive behaviors of dolphins

Dolphin reproduction involves complex behaviors and is a significant part of their social lives. They are generally polygamous, with both males and females having multiple partners throughout their lives. 

Mating usually occurs belly to belly, and while it can happen any time of year, there are peaks in mating activity that vary depending on the species and their environment.

Female dolphins have a gestation period of about 12 months, after which they give birth to a single calf. Births usually happen in the water, with the tail appearing first to prevent drowning. The mother and sometimes other pod members help the newborn to the surface for its first breath.

Social bonds play a crucial role in the survival of calves, with stronger social networks often leading to higher survival rates. This cooperative behavior may include protection from predators and assistance in raising young, illustrating the deep social connections that define dolphin communities.

The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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