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DOLPHINS SMILE TO SIGNAL PLAYFULNESS ACCORDING TO NEW STUDY

Published: 2024-11-25 18:50:47 Last Updated: 2024-11-26 08:09:23

Have you ever seen a picture of a smiling dolphin that seems to be posing for the camera? That "cheesy" expression turns out to be intentional. During playful interactions, bottlenose dolphins frequently display open-mouth expressions, according to a recent study published in iScience. Rapid facial mimicry occurs when a dolphin sees another making this "smile" and often imitates it.
Researchers from Italy and France observed the behaviours of 11 dolphins at Zoomarine Rome and 11 at Planète Sauvage in western France during a variety of interactions, including play, interaction with human trainers, and solitude. Researchers discovered that dolphins were most likely to display their open-mouth expressions when playing with one another when these various interactions were isolated. Playing with other dolphins, as opposed to humans or by themselves, accounted for 92% of the instances of this expression.
Based on these findings, the researchers postulated that dolphins communicate by making open-mouth gestures. They discovered during their study that approximately one-third of the time when one dolphin made this expression in front of a playmate, the other dolphin imitated it. In order to avoid their actions being misconstrued as aggression and turning into a physical altercation, the scientists suggested that dolphins use open-mouth expressions to indicate playfulness.
At any age, bottlenose dolphins are best known for their playful nature. However, since similar expressions occur in different contexts, this behaviour should not be confused with genuine smiling. The fact that this "smiling" expression was mostly seen during playtime, however, points to a playful association. During confrontational encounters or more laid-back pursuits like parallel or upside-down swimming, it was conspicuously lacking.

This study is the first of its kind to look into dolphins' use of language in complex social behaviours, although previous research has focused on this type of visual communication in marine animals. However, previous studies have demonstrated that other mammals, including horses, primates, and humans, communicate during play using similar open-mouth expressions. This trend across species is attributed by researchers to a modified biting action that does not involve physical contact.

The researchers didn't look at vocal communication during play; instead, they concentrated on the function of physical cues in dolphin communication. Future studies in this field could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the species' communication system.

One of the study's authors, Livio Favaro, a zoologist at the University of Turin, stated that although dolphins have one of the most complex vocal systems in the animal kingdom, sound can also expose them to predators or eavesdroppers. "A combination of whistling and visual cues helps dolphins cooperate and accomplish goals when they play together. This strategy is especially helpful during social play when they are less vigilant for predators."

Dolphins are amazing animals known for having personalities and intelligence similar to those of humans; they are essentially the primates of the sea. Future research may yield even more astounding insights about these animals as science continues to advance our understanding of them.

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