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.
This is the news that snobs everywhere have waited to hear. If evolutionists were looking to the fauna for support for egalitarianism and social flattening, well, they’re in trouble again.
Since the Brits came out with this, the Bullingdon Club analogy probably suits them. Hopefully the Shiny Sheet will use the B&T, Palm Beach Country Club or the Everglades Club.
And if feminists would like to crow…
The study also found the behaviour was stronger in females, who were better at maintaining alliances, noting: “Once sponging behaviour is established, female spongers formed clear cliques.”
Being a seaside community, the waters off of Palm Beach are a natural habitat for dolphins. We saw them pass our yacht as we cruised the waters of South Florida and the Bahamas.
Chet Aero Marine 