Laterality of Eye Use by Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and Rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) Dolphins While Viewing Predictable and Unpredictable Stimuli

Laterality of eye use has been increasingly studied in cetaceans. Research supports that many cetacean species keep prey on the right side while feeding and preferentially view unfamiliar objects with the right eye. In contrast, the left eye has been used more by calves while in close proximity to their mothers. Despite some discrepancies across and within species, laterality of eye use generally indicates functional specialization of brain hemispheres in cetaceans. The present study aimed to examine laterality of eye use in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) under managed care. Subjects were video-recorded through an underwater window while viewing two different stimuli, one predictable and static and the other unpredictable and moving. Bottlenose dolphins displayed an overall right-eye preference, especially while viewing the unpredictable, moving stimulus. Rough-toothed dolphins did not display eye preference while viewing stimuli. No significant correlations between degree of laterality and behavioral interest in the stimuli were found. Only for bottlenose dolphins were the degree of laterality and curiosity ratings correlated. This study extends research on cetacean lateralization to a species not extensively examined and to stimuli that varied in movement and degree of predictability. Further research is needed to make conclusions regarding lateralization in cetaceans

Out of the Mouth of Babes: Lessons from Research on Human Infants

Marine mammal behavior and cognition researchers often face a number of challenges, including the research subjects’ lack of interest and verbal abilities, as well as choosing a paradigm with appropriate stimuli for the subjects’ perceptual and cognitive abilities. Researchers who work with human infants often encounter similar challenges when studying infant cognition and have developed strategies to overcome these challenges, including using stimuli that capture the infants’ attention, determining what tasks are age-appropriate, and using conditioned responses to test discrimination abilities. This paper encourages marine mammal researchers to learn from the research paradigms and techniques used in human infant research and alter them appropriately for the intended study subjects. The conditioned head-turn response, Violation-of-Expectation paradigm, and the help/hinder paradigm have all been used in infant cognition research and show great promise for furthering the current understanding of marine mammal behavior and cognition. In addition, studying a subject’s spontaneous behavior can provide valuable insight in areas such as problem solving skills, creativity, and individual differences. Care must be taken to adapt the paradigms and use stimuli to fit each species’ perceptual abilities. For example, avoiding a task that requires color discrimination for species that do not possess color vision or using stimuli that fall within a particular species’ hearing range are necessary steps in designing an ecologically valid and informative study. Adapting paradigms previously used with human infants can help expand the current understanding of marine mammal communication, cognitive abilities, and social behavior

Seasonality of Social Behaviour Among Immature Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Managed Care

Belugas ( Delphinapterus leucas ) in managed care have been reported to show seasonal variation in socio-sexual behaviour, hormone levels and respiration rates; however, little is known about the social interactions of wild belugas when they are not in summer, near-shore congregations. To better understand if belugas show seasonal variation in social interactions, this study recorded the behaviour of 10 belugas (five females, five males, ranging from birth to 10 years of age) housed in managed care. Social interactions typically peaked in the summer months but persisted at very low levels during the rest of the year. Sea - sonal variation was most dramatic for socio-sexual behaviour but was generally mirrored in pattern by agonistic and affiliative interactions. Subjects closer to maturity displayed more seasonal variation than younger subjects, and males displayed more seasonal variation compared to females. The peak in social interactions found in this study aligns rather closely with wild belugas’ sum - mer, near-shore congregations, where belugas have increased opportunities for socializing. Although belugas in managed care do not experience a seasonal change in habitat, they do show seasonal changes in social behaviour, which are likely driven by seasonal fluctuations in hormone levels. It is therefore expected that wild beluga populations would show similar behavioural pat - terns if they were observed throughout the remainder of the year. This research has applications for belugas in managed care and may provide a framework for understanding the social behaviour of wild belugas

Do Pinnipeds Have Personality? Broad Dimensions and Contextual Consistency of Behavior in Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) and California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

Personality has now been studied in species as diverse as chimpanzees and cuttlefish, but marine mammals remain vastly underrepresented in this area. A broad range of traits have been assessed only once in each of bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions, while consistent individual differences in a few specific behaviors have been identified in grey seals. Furthermore, the context component of definitions of personality is not often assessed, despite evidence that animals may show individual patterns of behavioral consistency across contexts. The current study therefore aimed to use behavioral coding to assess underlying personality factors and consistency across contexts in two marine mammal species: California sea lions and harbor seals. In both species, two personality factors were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Both were broadly similar across species; the first, Boldness, resembled human Extraversion, and to some extent Openness, with sea lions exhibiting a greater social component. The second factor was labeled Routine Activity, and may contain some Conscientiousness-like traits. Species-specific patterns were also identified for interactive behaviors across two contexts. However, there was substantial individual variation in the frequency of these behaviors, as well as some animals who did not conform to group-level trends. This study therefore provides novel evidence for broad personality factors and both groupand individual-level patterns of contextual consistency in two pinniped species

Laterality of Eye Use by Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and Rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) Dolphins While Viewing Predictable and Unpredictable Stimuli

Laterality of eye use has been increasingly studied in cetaceans. Research supports that many cetacean species keep prey on the right side while feeding and preferentially view unfamiliar objects with the right eye. In contrast, the left eye has been used more by calves while in close proximity to their mothers. Despite some discrepancies across and within species, laterality of eye use generally indicates functional specialization of brain hemispheres in cetaceans. The present study aimed to examine laterality of eye use in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) under managed care. Subjects were video-recorded through an underwater window while viewing two different stimuli, one predictable and static and the other unpredictable and moving. Bottlenose dolphins displayed an overall right-eye preference, especially while viewing the unpredictable, moving stimulus. Rough-toothed dolphins did not display eye preference while viewing stimuli. No significant correlations between degree of laterality and behavioral interest in the stimuli were found. Only for bottlenose dolphins were the degree of laterality and curiosity ratings correlated. This study extends research on cetacean lateralization to a species not extensively examined and to stimuli that varied in movement and degree of predictability. Further research is needed to make conclusions regarding lateralization in cetaceans

The Development of Socio-sexual Behavior in Beluga Whales (\u3ci\u3eDelphinapterus leucas\u3c/i\u3e)

The reproductive success of the beluga whale is critical for a species facing extinction in its endangered Cook Inlet, Alaska population. To date, little is known about the mating behavior of these whales in wild populations. On the other hand, observations of beluga whales in human care allow researchers to better understand many aspects of their daily lives and life histories that are difficult to assess in wild populations. Thus far, a catalog of socio-sexual behavior has been established based on observations of belugas; however, the developmental trajectory of socio-sexual behavior is not well-understood. The present study explored how socio-sexual behavior developed in beluga whales under human care by recording the behavior of 5 belugas between ages 4 through 10 and coding for socio-sexual behavior. Overall, the presence of young male conspecifics was the most influential predictor of whether or not the subjects engaged in socio-sexual behavior. The subjects of the present study were also more likely to be involved in socio-sexual behavior as they matured and were more likely to be involved if they were male. In contrast, the presence of environmental enrichment devices (EEDs) did not affect the prevalence of socio-sexual behavior. Additionally, specific socio-sexual behaviors, including horizontal s-postures and pelvic thrusts, increased in prevalence throughout development. This information is important for the management of beluga whale populations both in human care and in the wild. Understanding that social group composition may contribute to the development of socio-sexual behavior, which in turn may influence the reproductive success of beluga whales, lays the ground work for future research of socio-sexual behavior in wild belugas. Furthermore, because socio-sexual behavior composes a relatively large portion of a beluga’s activity budget and the majority of the time spent socializing, it is likely crucial for social bonding and well-being in belugas

Do Pinnipeds Have Personality? Broad Dimensions and Contextual Consistency of Behavior In Harbor Seals (\u3ci\u3ePhoca vitulina\u3c/i\u3e) and California Sea Lions (\u3ci\u3eZalophus californianus\u3c/i\u3e)

Personality has now been studied in species as diverse as chimpanzees and cuttlefish, but marine mammals remain vastly underrepresented in this area. A broad range of traits have been assessed only once in each of bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions, while consistent individual differences in a few specific behaviors have been identified in grey seals. Furthermore, the context component of definitions of personality is not often assessed, despite evidence that animals may show individual patterns of behavioral consistency across contexts. The current study therefore aimed to use behavioral coding to assess underlying personality factors and consistency across contexts in two marine mammal species: California sea lions and harbor seals. In both species, two personality factors were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Both were broadly similar across species; the first, Boldness, resembled human Extraversion, and to some extent Openness, with sea lions exhibiting a greater social component. The second factor was labeled Routine Activity, and may contain some Conscientiousness-like traits. Species-specific patterns were also identified for interactive behaviors across two contexts. However, there was substantial individual variation in the frequency of these behaviors, as well as some animals who did not conform to group-level trends. This study therefore provides novel evidence for broad personality factors and both group and individual-level patterns of contextual consistency in two pinniped species