Provided by Will Dunham
(Reuters) -Cooking whales are known for exceptional intelligence, demonstrating complex social structures and complex communication. New studies provide new evidence to document how these marine mammals use seaweed stalks as tools that tempt each other – “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.”
Researchers found part of the drones to monitor the population of the killers in the Salish Sea between the Pacific between Washington State and British Colombia, who have noted these predators to be a behavior they called “Alllokelping”, one of the few examples of the use of marine mammals.
The killers’ whales find large seaweed -like stems called bull brown -tubers attached to the seabed or floating on the surface. Then they bite from the end of the stalk, place it between yourself and the other killer whale and roll the brown -mound between their body.
Researchers hypotize that behavior promotes skin health while strengthening social relationships. It has been observed that other killer whale population rubs their body on smooth stone beaches, possibly to remove dead skin.
“Most examples of the use of tools for animals include solving ecological problems, such as buying access to food. For example, chimpanzees use rods for thermal fishing. It is wonderful for the termites that the tool – brown -tongue – is not used for food but to facilitate social interaction.”
“Such socially motivated tools for tools are very rare for animal non-harmless animals and have previously been seen in only a few primates, usually captivity,” added Croft, the Executive Director of the Washington State Washington State Research Center, who has been studying this killer whale in the 1970s state of Washington.
Investigators recorded the behavior of the whale of men and women of all ages. This is likely to play an important role in their social life, Croft said.
There are several examples of other tools among maritime mammals. Sea otters use rock and other hard items to break open sinks to get to the meat inside. And certain dolphins use sea sponges to protect their muzzles and mix the seabed. Investigators said the behavior of the killers’ whales takes a step further because they modify the object to be used as a tool.
“Although this is not the first documentation of the Cetacean or Marine Mammalian tools, that is, as far as we know the first case of Cetacean tools using tools. Whales are not just the perfect length of Clel. Whale behavior.
“Another basic one that makes such an exceptional behavior is that they manipulate the cooperation of brown -tongue with a partner without using hands or no hand -like accessories. They initially use their mouth to lay out brown tongs, but then use only the impulse and pressure of their body essence.
Behavior is known only among these killer whale populations.
“We have found that individuals with more visible peeling skin are more likely to get involved in the elbow, indicating that behavior can perform skin care. It is known that brown seaweed, such as brown-tongue, has antibacterial properties, and is likely to help improve skin health,” the Croft said.
“Second, we believe that this behavior is likely to play an important role in maintaining social relationships. Of course, physical contact is important for many types, including people, social cohesion. Like we can hug a friend whose for some time we haven’t seen, it may be that Alllockelping helps to strengthen social relations between the whales.”
This brown tuber grows in cold and nutritional coastal and tidal waters and thrives on the western coast of North America, which includes the Whale House of these killers.
CROFT stated that this resident is at high risk of extinction, with only 73 individuals counted in the latest census. They are highly specialized salmon hunters, especially dependent on Chinook salmon. As the salmon population decreased, partially due to the construction of dams on the spawning rivers, whales tried to find enough food.
“In short, they are starving,” Croft said.
(Will Dunham’s message in Washington, edited by Rosalba O’Brien)