Juvenile social dynamics reflect adult reproductive strategies in dolphins
today.duke.edu
today.duke.edu
Is male sociability a critical feature to be selected by females?
Extreme example: there are plenty of unsustainable human behaviors that are the norm right now.
[EDIT: interestingly I think this all boils down to considering if dolphins have ethics or “dolphin rights” within their own societies. A violation of a right is logically impossible if the very concept of, or indeed, the right itself, does not exist.]
I think it would be really interesting to talk about animal ethics and with very smart mammals like dolphins moral imperatives like consent might be appropriate in some way but I just don’t know.
But it’s inaccurate, imho, to talk about rape as a reproductive strategy for animals if we are using that word in the way we use it when we are talking about ourselves (humans).
Again not to say the concept is irrelevant to animal life but I think we do both ourselves and animals a disservice if we aren’t careful.
If you are speaking with some knowledge of animal ethics but didn’t share it my apologies :)
At the same time there is an obvious difference, though perhaps one of degree and not of kind. The sophistication of our language, social structures, capacity for abstract thought, and toolmaking abilities. Stuff like that.
Females will remain with the mother and grandmas. Males will need to integrate in an adolescent group and quit and will pass several years jumping between groups. They need to learn a lot of foraging strategies, how to recognize danger warnings and interact within the group and with other groups. Dolphins interact also with other cetaceans and need to know who is safe and who will try to eat you.
Which feels weird to write but apparently is how dolphins do it.
The article also said females needed peers for foraging, to have additional support when raising vulnerable young.
Grandmas and mothers will try to chase off young adolescents doing undesired advances over young females so most attempts will be stopped probably. On the other hand, known older males will be recognized and accepted by females (and chased off by males).
The simple explanation is that what we see is the expected normal expression of testosterone in a young mammal. Cetaceans have relatively long adolescences to polish their survival strategies and are curious and (often) very social. That alone would explain their desire to join a group with other playmates. The probability of a young bottlenose to mate successfully is (probably) low. They need to full develop physically, but also psychologically, before; and is a slow process.