Wild bottlenose dolphins bond over their use of tools, with distinct cliques and classes forming over decades as a result of their skills, scientists have found. The communities, which have been compared with societies such as the Bullingdon Club in humans, mean the aquatic animals share their knowledge only with those in their own circle, passing it down the family line. The findings mean the traits of “inclusive inheritability” and culture are no longer considered exclusive to human beings. Observing wild dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, researchers from Georgetown University used hunting tools as a marker of dolphin societal habits. Noticing some dolphins in the area used a sponge to protect their beaks while hunting, they attempted to discover why the practice had not spread. Source: The Coming Crisis
