Thursday, April 25, 2013

Whales Learn From Other Whales


Scientists have been studying animals like whales and dolphins for a long time and have notice how much we act alike. Recently it’s been noticed that like humans, humpback whales possess the ability to learn from each other. When their food source of herring was depleted they were forced to find new food, and along with that a new way of getting food. In 1980 ‘lobtail feeding’ was first observed, and in 2007 is was observed that nearly 40% of whales had taken up the technique. Lobtail feeding is when the whale hits the water with its tail, then dives into the water while blowing which creates ‘bubble nets’ which helps the whale to capture its new prey. This new observation will help scientists as they look deeper into the way animals interact with each other and evolution of culture.


NOS themes:
Science is collaborative: Many different scientists studied whales around the world.
Role of motivation and curiosity: Some scientists have been studying the whales for more than 30 years. 

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