Research Overview:
Individual vocal signatures help mothers recognize and provide care to their young in many animals. Mother-offspring recognition is particularly important when young animals are mobile immediately after birth, and separations can occur. Bottlenose dolphins are known to produce unique identity signals – signature whistles – to help individuals recognize one another. In this study, we show that new dolphin mothers produce their signature whistle at much higher rates immediately after their calf is born, and continue to do so for up to a month. This increase helps the calf recognize its mother and allows mothers and calves to reunite if they become separated.
For the full text of the article, email research@dolphins.org
Further Insights into Postpartum Signature Whistle Use
Pandora and Calusa’s maternal whistles were studied with daughters Atocha and Cacica.
