While their love of Jessica Alba is known the world over, Australian scientists are observing what they believe is everyone favourite sea mammal using tools to catch fish. The Australian dolphins have been observed placing conch shells on their beaks and shaking out the delicious fish hiding inside.
While dolphins using tools is exciting, what’s got the scientists really excited is the possibility that the dolphins are teaching this behaviour to each other. The behaviour was only observed about a dozen times for nearly 30 years. Now dolphins have been observed with shells on their beaks seven times during a four-month period. The Australian dolphins are already famous for utilising two other foraging techniques that have been passed on “vertically”, usually from mother to daughter. The conch shell trick seems to be spreading “horizontally” between friends.
It’s all speculation right now, but once dolphins start learning, it’s only a matter of time before they come after us for calling them all Flipper all these years. [MSNBC]
Paul
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 11:47 AMUm… I wouldn’t really call a conch being held and shaken (so fish fall out of it) a tool. It’s an obstruction that is being moved to release the prey inside. It’s a good example of a dolphin using its brain to solve a problem but where exactly is this tool?
Dolphin
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 1:00 PMActually Dolphins are renowned for using tools. As are Chimpanzees and Gorillas. A tool doesn’t have to be something advanced. Just any object that is consciously used to perform a specific task.
As defined by Dictionary.com:
1. an implement, especially one held in the hand, as a hammer, saw, or file, for performing or facilitating mechanical operations.
2. any instrument of manual operation.
3. the cutting or machining part of a lathe, planer, drill, or similar machine.
4. the machine itself; a machine tool.
5. anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose: Education is a tool for success.
DarthDVD
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 2:55 PMum… didnt they do a study on released Dolphins that showed that a show proforming dolphin passed on its show tricks to its daughters.
in fact i remember reading somewhere that a entire “pod” (thats right isnt it for a group of dolphin) where doing show tricks (its not normal behavour.
Shaun
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 10:39 PMWill make me sadder when they get slaughtered in Japan.