Social and vocal complexity in bottlenose dolphins

Stephanie L King; Richard C Connor; Stephen H Montgomery

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2022.09.006

Social and vocal complexity in bottlenose dolphins

Trends Neurosci. 2022 Dec;45(12):881-883. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.09.006. Epub 2022 Oct 29.

Authors

Stephanie L King¹, Richard C Connor², Stephen H Montgomery³

Affiliations

¹ School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK. Electronic address: stephanie.king@bristol.ac.uk.
² Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Sciences Program, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA. Electronic address: rconnor@umassd.edu.
³ School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK. Electronic address: s.montgomery@bristol.ac.uk.

PMID: 36404454
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.09.006

Abstract

Bottlenose dolphins are highly social, renowned for their vocal flexibility, and possess highly enlarged brains relative to their body size. Here, we discuss some of the defining features of bottlenose dolphin social and vocal complexity and place this in the context of their cognitive evolution.

Keywords: alliance formation; behavioral synchrony; cetacean brains; signature whistles; social cognition.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin* / psychology