September 2014 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New Publication on Potential Hybridism between free-ranging Risso's dolphin and bottlenose dolphins off north-east Lewis.
by Nicola Hodgins 01 Sep '14

01 Sep '14

Dear MARMAMM'ers, My coauthors and I are pleased to announce the recent publication of our paper: - Potential hybridism between free-ranging Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off north-east Lewis (Hebrides, UK). Nicola K. Hodgins, Sarah J. Dolman and Caroline Weir The paper can be accessed at the following link - - http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=93… Abstract Hybrid cetaceans have been documented to occur both in the wild and in captivity. Identifying wild hybrid individuals can be problematic in the absence of genetic techniques, but published accounts indicate that intermediate morphological characteristics are often present. Between 2010 and 2013, a land-based and boat-based study of the Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) was carried out in nearshore waters around the Eye Peninsula located on north-east Lewis, Scotland. Three atypical individuals were photographed which exhibited morphological features intermediate between Grampus and the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). These individuals were typically larger in body size than Tursiops, and had a dorsal fin shape and size consistent with Grampus. Two individuals had coloration most similar to Tursiops and the third exhibited extensive white linear scarring consistent with Grampus. The intermediate morphology was most apparent in the head shape, with all three individuals exhibiting a defined (in contrast to Grampus) but very short (compared with Tursiops) rostrum and two having an unusually steep (compared with Tursiops) forehead. On one occasion, one of the atypical individuals was observed within a mixed-species school of Grampus and Tursiops. There were four further sightings of atypical dolphins associated with Tursiops-only schools. Atypical dolphins were not recorded withinGrampus-only schools. These observations are consistent with hybridization between free-ranging Risso's and bottlenose dolphins, the first such occurrence to be documented for these species in UK waters. The context and significance of these hybridization events are unknown. Best wishes, Nicola [WDC - Whale and Dolphin Conservation]<http://www.whales.org> Nicola Hodgins Head of science and research Telephone: +44 (0)1249 449 537 Mobile: +44 (0)7841 497 597 Skype: nicola.hodgins WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 1LJ United Kingdom whales.org<http://whales.org> [WDC on Facebook]<http://www.facebook.com/whales.org> [WDC on Twitter] <http://www.twitter.com/WHALES_org> [WDC on YouTube] <http://www.youtube.com/wdcsuk> [WDC Blogs] <http://whales.org/en/blog> [WDC E-Newsletter] <http://whales.org/en/newsletter> [http://www.wdcs.co.uk/media/images/EmailSignatureImages/Campaigns/seaworld.…]<http://uk.whales.org/campaigns/stop-selling-trips-to-seaworld-sir-richard?r…> ________________________________ Whale and Dolphin Conservation (“WDC”) is a company registered in England and Wales (No. 02737421) and a registered charity (in England and Wales No. 1014705, in Scotland No. SC040231) WDC Shop is a trading name of WDCS (Trading) Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (No. 02593116) Registered office : Brookfield House, 38 St. Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1LJ. Tel: +44 (0)1249 449 500 This message is private and confidential. If you have received this message in error, please notify us and remove it from your system.

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New publication on vocal matching in bottlenose dolphins
by Stephanie King 31 Aug '14

31 Aug '14

Dear all We are pleased to announce our new publication: King, S.L., Harley, H.E., and Janik, V.M. 2014. The role of signature whistle matching in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Animal Behaviour. 96: 79-86. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.019 Abstract: The addressing of individuals with learned signals is inherent to human social interactions. It allows individuals to solicit the attention of a particular social companion or to direct information towards an intended recipient. The ability to address individual conspecifics with learned signals is not limited to humans, however. In songbirds, the selective addressing of individuals is facilitated by song type matching but is very much a signal of aggressive intent. The matching of learned signals is also observed in bottlenose dolphins, which will match one another's highly individualized signature whistle. Copying in dolphins occurs between close associates, which suggests that it is an affiliative signal. It could, however, also serve to manage aggression. We investigated the valence of signature whistle matching by performing interactive playback experiments. We waited until an animal produced its signature whistle and then either played back a synthetic version of its own whistle (match) or a different signature whistle (control). A total of 110 playback experiments were conducted with seven different animals from two managed groups of dolphins. The responses to the playback treatments were significantly different. Animals produced a consistent vocal response to being vocally matched, by returning the match, with no associated signal of aggression and did not respond to control playbacks in the same way. There was also an optimum time interval (<1 s) in which a match was most successful in eliciting a vocal response. Our results show that signature whistle matching is an affiliative signal that allows bottlenose dolphins to address social companions. Furthermore, these matching exchanges are driven by temporal associations, which appear to be essential in allowing animals to direct signals to particular individuals in large communication networks. You can access the paper here http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00033472 or alternatively you can email me directly for a copy (slk33(a)st-andrews.ac.uk) best wishes Stephanie Dr. Stephanie L. King Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews East Sands St Andrews Scotland KY16 8LB

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New publication on dolphin-octopus interactions
by Dara Orbach 31 Aug '14

31 Aug '14

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the recent publication of our paper: Orbach, DN and Kirchner, T. 2014. Armed Escorts: Dusky Dolphin (*Lagenorhynchus obscurus*) Interactions with Octopuses (*Pinnoctopus cordiformis*) in New Zealand. Aquatic Mammals 40(3):285-292. DOI 10.1578/AM.40.3.2014.285 Abstract: Between October 2011 and December 2013, three interactions between dusky dolphins (*Lagenorhynchus obscurus*) and common New Zealand octopuses (*Pinnoctopus cordiformis*) were witnessed and photographed off Kaikoura, New Zealand. In two interactions, an octopus was attached to a dusky dolphin; and in a third interaction, dusky dolphins appeared to be playing with an octopus. The attachment might have been an escape tactic for the octopuses. This is the first published record of interactions between dusky dolphins and octopuses in New Zealand. The few anecdotal reports of octopuses attached to dolphins are limited to species that commonly prey on octopuses. The evidence for dusky dolphins foraging on octopuses off Kaikoura is weak. The two species have different habitats but could come into initial contact through shallow nearshore dives performed by the dusky dolphins or by other species observed in the area, including New Zealand fur seals (*Arctocephalus forsteri*), humpback whales (*Megaptera novaeangliae*), or fishermen retrieving craypots. When the dusky dolphins encountered this unusual object in their environment, they may have initiated exploratory or playful behavior, which changed to distressed or defensive behavior upon the attachment of the octopuses. The erratic behaviors of the dolphins, including tail thrashes, rolling over, and rapid changes in swimming speed and direction, indicate they were disturbed by the presence of the affixed octopus. The dolphins did not perform acrobatic leaps, which are predicted to remove or reposition large “hitchhikers.” A PDF of the paper may be requested by contacting: dnorbach(a)gmail.com Cheers, Dara Orbach Ph.D. candidate Marine Mammal Behavioral Ecology Group Department of Marine Biology- IDP Texas A&M University at Galveston dnorbach(a)gmail.com http://www.tamug.edu/mmbeg <https://mail.tamug.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=Np32yCVXKUerf09S4l8PjHfodhwHmdEIlhw…>

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