Developmental evidence for foraging traditions in wild bottlenose dolphins
Section snippets
Methods
Shark Bay, Western Australia (25°47′S, 113°43′E) is a shallow sea grass ecosystem, featuring a mosaic of sea grass banks and sand flats (<4 m), embayment plains (4–13 m) and deeper channels (>6 m). The wild bottlenose dolphins of Shark Bay have been the focus of a longitudinal research project based at Monkey Mia since 1984 (Connor et al. 2000). Individual dolphins were identified by their natural dorsal fin shapes and markings using a photographic identification catalogue. Sexes were determined
Results
Table 2 shows, for each tactic, explanatory variables retained in multiple regression models following backward elimination model selection. Tests of model fit (penalized likelihood ratio test) and the odds ratio estimates and corresponding penalized likelihood ratio tests for each explanatory variable are also provided. The odds ratio can be interpreted as a measure of effect size and represents the increase in odds of a particular outcome with each unit increase in the explanatory variable
Discussion
Although social learning is thought to contribute to foraging development in wild dolphins, this is the first study that provides evidence for social learning while statistically accounting for additional factors. Despite independent correlations between foraging, sex and habitat use evident in previous studies, we identified strong, robust patterns that remained even after incorporating multiple factors into a single model. Thus, our findings illustrate that invoking ecological or social
Acknowledgments
B.L.S designed the study, collected and analysed data and conceived of and wrote the paper. J.M. contributed data and logistical support, helped with the study design and wrote the paper. Sincere thanks to K. Laland, J. Kendal, R. Kendal, A. Wirsing, L. Douglass and R. Barr for helpful discussions and/or comments on previous versions of the manuscript, our colleagues of the Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project for contributing to the long-term database, many invaluable field assistants, and David
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