A case of epimeletic behavior and associated acoustic records of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis)

Cheng, Zhaolong; Pine, Matthew K.; Huang, Shuqiang; Wang, Ding; Wu, Haiping; Wang, Kexiong

doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyy095

Cited by 7 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The supporter may often be accompanied by other individuals, called “escorts”, who either directly assist the caregiver interacting with the receiver or remain close and swim by the pair [ 5 , 8 ]. Post-mortem supportive behavior in cetaceans generally includes stereotyped behaviors that can be divided into three main groups: (1) standing-by, with individuals remaining close to the carcass without directly interacting with it, (2) excitement, with participants showing behaviors typical of arousal states such as erratic swimming, and (3) supportive behavior, with individual interacting directly with the carcass, typically lifting, sinking or carrying it with the melon, the rostrum, or the edge of the dorsal fin [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study from Perrtree et al [ 18 ] reported higher emission rates of the signature whistle emitted by a mother during an infanticide attempt in bottlenose dolphins, possibly expressing context-related information. The one from Cheng et al [ 9 ] characterized the whistles produced by an adult Indo-pacific humpback dolphin ( Sousa chinensis ) during nurturant behavior directed toward a dead calf. They reported a longer duration and higher number of inflection points in whistles emitted during nurturant behavior than in whistles produced in other contexts and hypothesized that these variations may convey information on the emotional state of the emitter [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First Report of Epimeletic and Acoustic Behavior in Mediterranean Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Carrying Dead Calves

Pedrazzi

Giacomini

Pace

2022

Biology

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Epimeletic behavior toward dead calves has been frequently reported in cetaceans, mostly with females (presumed mothers) showing supportive behaviors such as carrying, lifting, or sinking, often assisted by “escort” individuals. However, information on acoustic production in such contexts is scarce. This report describes two observations of epimeletic behavior toward dead newborns in bottlenose dolphins and associated acoustic production. Data were collected at the Tiber River estuary (Rome, Mediterranean Sea, Italy) with one hydrophone for passive acoustic monitoring and two digital cameras. In both cases, an individual (presumed mother) acting as the main supporter and directly interacting with the carcass by lifting it (case 1) or sinking it (case 2) was observed. Another adult individual (escort) was present in both encounters showing standing-by and excitement behaviors (case 1) and supportive behavior (case 2). In both encounters, whistles, pulsed sounds, and bray-call elements were recorded. The consistent vocal activity observed likely conveyed context-specific information. A signature whistle in the first encounter was also recorded, likely emitted by the putative mother as a distress call. This report confirms the occurrence of epimeletic behavior in bottlenose dolphins and reports a preliminary description of the acoustic production when a dead calf is involved, providing additional information on this largely unknown topic.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Report of Epimeletic and Acoustic Behavior in Mediterranean Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Carrying Dead Calves

Pedrazzi

Giacomini

Pace

2022

Biology

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“…The first three videos showed an individual (a sparrow, an elephant and a macaque, respectively) displaying behaviours towards an inanimate conspecific who suddenly regained consciousness at the end of the footage. These behaviours are interpreted as epimeletic, meaning relating to altruistic behaviour towards an injured animal, mostly described in dolphins [81][82][83][84][85][86][87]. Epimeletic behaviours in animals are maybe the most adequate behaviours to study anthropomorphism as these behaviours are very rarely observed and impossible to test (we will not deliberately injure or kill an individual to assess whether its congeners will save it), and finally, researchers have very little knowledge of the underlying beliefs and mental states of death or fear of death in animals [88][89][90][91].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are They Really Trying to Save Their Buddy? The Anthropomorphism of Animal Epimeletic Behaviours

Sueur

Forin-Wiart

Péle

2020

Animals

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Anthropomorphism is a natural tendency in humans, but it is also influenced by many characteristics of the observer (the human) and the observed entity (here, the animal species). This study asked participants to complete an online questionnaire about three videos showing epimeletic behaviours in three animal species. In the videos, an individual (a sparrow, an elephant and a macaque, respectively) displayed behaviours towards an inanimate conspecific that suddenly regained consciousness at the end of the footage. A fourth video showed a robot dog being kicked by an engineer to demonstrate its stability. Each video was followed by a series of questions designed to evaluate the degree of anthropomorphism of participants, from mentaphobia (no attribution of intentions and beliefs, whatever the animal species) to full anthropomorphism (full attribution of intentions and beliefs by animals, to the same extent as in humans) and to measure how far the participants had correctly assessed each situation in terms of biological reality (current scientific knowledge of each species). There is a negative correlation (about 61%) between the mental states attributed to animals by humans and the real capability of animals. The heterogeneity of responses proved that humans display different forms of anthropomorphism, from rejecting all emotional or intentional states in animals to considering animals to show the same intentions as humans. However, the scores participants attributed to animals differed according to the species shown in the video and to human socio-demographic characteristics. Understanding the potential usefulness of these factors can lead to better relationships with animals and encourage a positive view of human-robot interactions. Indeed, reflective or critical anthropomorphism can increase our humanity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are They Really Trying to Save Their Buddy? The Anthropomorphism of Animal Epimeletic Behaviours

Sueur¹,

Forin-Wiart²,

Péle³

2020

Preprint

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Anthropomorphism is a natural tendency in humans, but it is also influenced by many characteristics of the observer (the human) and the observed entity (here, the animal species). This study asked participants to complete an online questionnaire about three videos showing epimeletic behaviours in three animal species. In the videos, an individual (a sparrow, an elephant and a macaque, respectively) displayed behaviours towards an inanimate conspecific that suddenly regained consciousness at the end of the footage. A fourth video showed a robot dog being kicked by an engineer to demonstrate its stability. Each video was followed by a series of questions designed to evaluate the degree of anthropomorphism of participants, from mentaphobia (no attribution of intentions and beliefs, whatever the animal species) to full anthropomorphism (full attribution of intentions and beliefs by animals, to the same extent as in humans) and to measure how far the participants had correctly assessed each situation in terms of biological reality (current scientific knowledge of each species). There is a negative correlation (about 61%) between the mental states attributed to animals by humans to animals and the real capability of animals. The heterogeneity of responses proved that humans display different forms of anthropomorphism, from rejecting all emotional or intentional states in animals to considering animals to show the same intentions as humans. However, the scores participants attributed to animals differed according to the species shown in the video and to human sociodemographic characteristics. Understanding the potential usefulness of these factors can lead to better relationships with animals and encourage a positive view of human-robot interactions. Indeed, reflective or critical anthropomorphism can increase our humanity.

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A case of epimeletic behavior and associated acoustic records of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis)

Cited by 7 publications

References 58 publications

First Report of Epimeletic and Acoustic Behavior in Mediterranean Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Carrying Dead Calves

First Report of Epimeletic and Acoustic Behavior in Mediterranean Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Carrying Dead Calves

Are They Really Trying to Save Their Buddy? The Anthropomorphism of Animal Epimeletic Behaviours

Are They Really Trying to Save Their Buddy? The Anthropomorphism of Animal Epimeletic Behaviours

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